Player 0.4 [You have died.] [Reset in progress.]

“I just give it any name, and that’s it?” I balked.

Paisley’s mouth widened, and she roared with laughter. There was something charming and delightful about the way her face lit up and the guarded front dissolved.

Though it would have been better if it hadn’t been at my expense.

“No, there’s a ritual you have to conduct. To contract with an elemental is to contract with it for life. And it can’t be just any name—there has to be a lot of thought and consideration put into it,” she explained. “A name has power.”

I nodded, though I didn’t quite understand.

“How did you come up with ‘Spark’?” I inquired.

Paisley had a shy smile appear. “To be honest, it’s similar to my old dog’s name: Sparky. And I hoped for his personality to be passed on, so I didn’t change it too much for that reason. As for ‘Spark’…”

She glanced down at her golden rings, her expression softening.

“It’s the beginning of something,” she continued. “A spark is what starts a flame. Small, almost insignificant on its own, but given the right conditions, it can grow into something much larger.”

Her fingers brushed lightly against the metal, and a flash of light passed over her jewelry.

“When an elemental forms, it isn’t just… a creature,” she said. “It’s a continuation. A fragment of what once was, shaped by the elements it bonded with, and by the person it chooses.”

She looked back up at me.

“The name helps guide that shape further,” she said.

I frowned slightly. “Guide it?”

Paisley nodded, her golden facial piercings glistening with her movement.

“Think of it like this,” she said, tapping the open textbook. “At the moment of formation, an elemental is… unstable. Not physically, but conceptually. It hasn’t fully decided what it is yet.”

Her gaze flicked briefly to my shadow.

“The name acts as an anchor,” she continued. “It gives the elemental direction—a role, almost. Something to grow into.”

I followed her gaze downward.

The shadow at my feet shifted slightly, as if responding to the attention.

“If I had named my elemental something else,” Paisley continued, “like ‘Blaze’ or ‘Inferno,’ he might have turned out more volatile. More aggressive. But ‘Spark’…” She smiled. “It kept him small, gentle, and curious.”

The tiny light flickered again across her piercings, almost as if in agreement.

“A good name doesn’t just describe the elemental,” she added. “It influences what it becomes.”

I stared at the shadow for a moment longer.

This creature had once been a phoenix, the epitome of rebirth and fire. But before it could hatch and start its new life, it had been twisted by the land’s corruption into… this. A shadow. A dangerous creature whose powers I did not understand, aside from instinctively understanding them to be formidable.

“What would happen,” I asked slowly, “if the name doesn’t match what it is? For example, if I named it ‘Bob.’”

Paisley blinked, taken aback.

“It can cause instability,” she explained quickly. “In weaker cases, the elemental just… resists you. In stronger ones…”

She trailed off.

“It can reject the contract entirely,” she stated. “Sometimes even resulting in death.”

Her eyes met mine, more serious now. “So you should choose its name carefully.”

I let out a small, uneasy laugh.

“Any final advice on naming it?” I asked.

“Ah!” she brightened suddenly. “Make it short.”

I blinked.

“Short?” I said.

“Yes,” she said firmly. “If you ever need to call your elemental in an emergency, you don’t want to waste time on syllables.”

She leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice as if sharing a secret.

“There’s a famous case: a mage who named his water elemental something grand and elaborate. ‘Aqualethion the Great Arbiter of the Abyssal Tides.’”

I stared at her. “He named it that…?”

Paisley nodded solemnly.

“The name helped to be honest; it was one of the most powerful elementals in history,” she said. “But that didn’t matter. He was ambushed one day in an alley. Tried to summon it in a panic.”

She lifted a finger dramatically.

“‘Aqualethi—’” She cut herself off and made a slicing motion across her neck. “He didn’t even make it past the fourth syllable, much less the fourth word.”

I pressed my lips together. “…I see.”

“It’s common practice nowadays to keep elemental names two syllables at most,” she concluded.

“Understood,” I said, nodding.

I gazed down at my shadow.

“You go ahead and think about it. I’m going to catch up on my homework in the meantime," Paisley explained and reached for one of the more advanced textbooks.

I sighed.

What shall I name you?

The first name that came to mind was ‘Shade.’ But that seemed a bit on the nose. And based on what Paisley stated, it was a bit understated for a creature as powerful as this thing.

The next name I chewed on a bit longer: ‘Ash.’ It was inspired by the journey this creature had gone through. It was once a phoenix, known to rise from its ashes and be reborn. However, the land’s corruption had left it in its ashen state, unable to rise to its fiery glory again.

Tsk. No, ‘Ash’ won't do either.

I crossed my arms and sighed.

‘Ash’ seemed decent in that it was short and explained where the creature appeared from. But it didn’t leave much room for what I intended for it to become and grow into.

I inadvertently smiled at a grim thought.

And ‘Ash’ is too similar to ‘Dust.’ This thing will kill me in no time if I dare name it something so insignificant in meaning.

[ Random Character Check in Progress for: ??? ]

The daily random slot-machine-line insight hovered over my shadow.

I smirked.

Even the Character Checker doesn’t know what to call it.

[ NULL. Random Character Checker failed. ]

These errors were less frequent, but they still occurred now and then.

Shame. It would have been nice to get some insight on it now; it hadn’t even occurred to me thus far to run the check on it. I wonder. Would its other attributes, that a phoenix would possess, also be corrupted? What form would they take?

My mind wandered in regard to Leona’s stomach, a dimension of its own.

I suppose I’ll run a check tomorrow or another day when I have a slot available.

However, in any case, I did have an inspiration for the creature’s name.

“Paisley, I have a name for it now,” I interrupted her studies.

She looked up from her textbook. “Already? That was quick. What did you land on?”

I looked down at the shadow.

“…Void,” I said.

Paisley blinked. “That’s… somewhat ominous. Are you certain?”

“It’s one syllable,” I explained, “And I don’t think anything less formidable would be acceptable to it. The creature that the elemental came out of was at least a Grade A type.”

Paisley smiled. “And what creature was that? I can confirm if the name matches well based on the creature and circumstances, if you know those too.”

I smiled back toward her. “I’d rather not say. But I do know the creature and the circumstances, hence the name.”

She stared at me. “Void…. Huh. I can’t imagine what could have produced such an elemental.”

I didn’t reply to her probing curiosity.

“Very well,” she sighed, resigned. “Without knowing those two details myself, I cannot comment on your name choice. So I will trust that you know what you are doing.”

She stood up from her seat and motioned for me to do the same.

“Will we do the contract now?” I asked.

“Yes,” she replied. “No point in dragging it out, since it’s attached to you anyway. And it’s much simpler than what you might have imagined. But that’s not to say that it is easy: it does require some concentration. Follow my lead: breathe in and breathe out. Release all other useless thoughts, and focus on your elemental. Should anything go haywire, I’ll be able to prevent the worst-case scenario."

She didn’t need to elaborate on what the worst-case scenario was.

And I tried not to think about it, doing as instructed, breathing in and out. I was mildly humored by the similarities between her method, the monks, and Professor Sullivan’s class.

“Next, you’ll want to focus on your elemental. Truly focus on it,” Paisley instructed. “What color is it? What shape? What are the feelings and sounds?”

I stared down at the shadow, trying to capture these details.

~Master, don’t merely look at the visual—focus on its energy. Apophis interjected. It’s not dissimilar to looking inward and feeling the flow of mana.

I raised a brow.

Now he decides to share his expertise? Where has his input been all this time?

However, I did as the snake, and Paisley instructed and focused more deeply on it.

I felt a sinking, cold feeling, similar to a cloud passing over me. Or if a doorway was left partially open, blowing cool air. To attempt to describe the color was to describe darkness itself. It was never-ending, and its shape seemed equally overwhelming with no clear borders. As for sound, there was no sound. It was an eerie sort of quiet. But as I listened closer, I realized there was indeed sound, mirroring my own breathing.

“Have you grasped your focus on it?” Paisley asked.

I nodded my head instead of speaking to avoid breaking my concentration.

“Good, now, focus on the chosen name. Imagine enveloping it like a cloak,” Paisley instructed.

I smiled at this.

It was going to be a rather enormous cloak to envelop it. But imagine it, I did.

“Now,” Paisley continued, her voice steady, “extend your intent toward it. Not as a command, but as a claim. Establish the connection and speak its name.”

At this, I hesitated.

Was it really safe?

I glanced toward her. Five circular rune inscriptions hovered around me, rotating slowly, each etched with glowing red and yellow sigils.

“Focus,” Paisley said. “I’ll stabilize the contract. You won’t lose control.”

[[ Apophis, is this thing really an elemental? Is this safe? ]]

I desperately needed a second opinion before going too far.

~Hahhhh. The snake sighed into my mind. Master, yes. That thing is an elemental. And that girl, despite her age, has prepared quite well. Those runes are not for show.

…So he knew about it this whole time, but didn’t tell me anything?

I pushed the thought aside. This wasn’t the time.

I drew in a breath and centered myself, letting everything else fall away—the room, Paisley, Apophis—and focused only on the shadow. I extended my intent toward it, not to dominate, but to define it.

“Hello, Void,” I spoke aloud.

For a single heartbeat, nothing happened.

Then the shadow beneath my feet shuddered. And its edges deepened, darkening, before it shot upward suddenly across the walls and the ceiling, swallowing the room whole.

“Don’t worry, this is normal,” Paisley stated. However, I noticed that her hands were shaking. Lighting sparked across her jewelry in bright zaps. “Repeat its name, and reaffirm your intention to enter a contract with it.”

~Master, calm your mind and heart. This thing is young and easily spooked.

“Hello, Void,” I said again, gentler this time. “I look forward to partnering with you for a very long time.”

Slowly, the shadow that had spilled across the walls and ceiling retracted and returned in place, confined by my shadow.

Paisley sighed audibly.

“Did you contract with a cerberus or something?” she inquired, retracting the protective spell and collapsing into her chair.

“What is—” I caught myself before I could ask a question someone of this realm ought to have known.

“...the next steps?” I completed my sentence awkwardly.

“Now, you should be able to communicate with it,” Paisley explained, wiping her forehead with a napkin. “I said I’d teach you, but I’m too exhausted. We’ll continue tomorrow. I’ll show you how to maintain control over it then.” She paused, then added, “Ah—right. You’ll need to register it with the academy.”

My head snapped toward her. “I have to register it? You didn’t mention that.”

Paisley stared at me. “That’s basic knowledge. You can’t just walk around campus with a Grade A elemental like it’s nothing. The academy needs to be informed. Liability reasons.” She waved a hand vaguely. “You should go now, honestly. If they find out you’re hiding it… you risk expulsion. Or worse.”

I sighed.

“Alright, I’ll go register it now.” I then smiled at Paisley. “Thank you, I sincerely appreciate all your help.”

She gave a tired wave in response, already sinking deeper into her chair.

​

***

​

The crystal library doors opened as I stepped out into the late afternoon. The academy grounds were quieter now, though not silent. It must have been in between classes, and only a few students were wandering the campus at this time.

I adjusted the strap of my bag and began walking.

Students glanced my way, and some even offered friendly waves. It was a nice change in attitude compared to when I first enrolled.

[[ Apophis, why have you been so quiet until now? ]]

I asked the question that had been bothering me for a while.

[[ Why didn’t you explain what elementals were? I’ve asked you before. ]]

~Master, I have explained to you what elementals are three times now. Apophis replied, irritation threading through his tone. However, you have forgotten each and every one of my explanations.

My steps slowed slightly.

[[ My Sanity dropped…? ]]

~Yes. Each explanation triggered a memory wipe. The first time, I assumed a coincidence. The second, I simplified my explanation. But it made no difference.

I frowned faintly as I turned onto a broader walkway. Ahead, the administrative building rose above the surrounding structures, its tall windows glowing with steady golden light.

What exactly in the explanation could have hacked away at my Sanity?

I didn’t ask this, however.

The answer was clearly too dangerous. It was the equivalent of sticking out my hand before a falling blade in an attempt to understand if it was sharp enough to cut my fingers off.

At the same time, my curiosity grasped me.

[[ Is there a way to explain it in such a way as to avoid the trauma-inducing component? ]]

~Hahhhhh. Apophis sighed. I’ll attempt to do so, but I fear you’ll forget everything again, once you realize the crux of it.

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