The Powerholders

Chapter 9:

Malcum opens his eyes to find a pure white sky above, below and around him, expanding into infinity.

"The hell is this?"

He turns this way and that and suddenly realizes that he feels weightless, yet a strange feeling of fear is overtaking his conscience. Then a girl's voice echoes around him as if it is coming from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

"you will be fine. you are just healing and wounded"

Malcum turns toward the voice and sees a grey shell of a human girl floating next to him, as if she is submerged in water.

"Who are you."

"not important yet. as a story goes you have to go through a whole storyline of hardships etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. but i'm just going to cut to the chase. i'm the reason you're special and why you are still alive. so mind yourself would you."

"Is that a fact?"

Her head turns to face Malcum's and he flinches as her face us revealed to him. She opens her eyes slowly revealing small constellations floating in a pitch-black eye, slowly rotating a central large red cloud in one eye and one blue cloud in the other.

"yes. it is. so listen."

She moves her arms as if swimming, and slowly moves around him in a circle.

"you are my chosen champion in this world. so i chose the best power for you. now, i had to spend all i had and lose all i owned to give you this power, so you owe me. you can repay me by surviving as long as possible and becoming the best there is in your world, the when given the option, you will evolve and join us in our world. this way i..."

She turns her head away from him and he can see her hands clamping.

"I may not understand everything now and I may not know what it means or who you are. But. I will help you, if you were willing to go so far to help me, then I will return the favour."

Her hands unclamp and a stifled giggle can be heard from her. Malcum is a little relieved at this sound.

"So where is this?"

"this is called the astral plane."

"Astral as in soul or conscience?"

"yes and no. this is like a removed space. here only us can enter. this is one of the few privileges that the chosen receives. this place basically saves a chosen's soul and consciences so that they can still be gifted to their... let's call us coaches, as a trophy. of course, the chosen who inevitably die won't have a body and instead be an AI as you call it for us."

"Well, isn't that convenient."

"i know right? why not take everyone into this place so that we all live forever? but no! it is against galactic regulations to do that! only in a one-on-one scale can this be employed. and only our race, the one with the smallest population in infinity, can do this! ugh! infuriating!"

She rolls around and slams her fists in the air in frustration, like a child throwing a tantrum. Malcum smiles but trues to hide it when she suddenly glances in his direction.

"hey. tell me, what do i look like to you?"

"Huh, what do you mean by that?"

"well, my race changes forms depending on our... chosen's... preference. like for example if you imagined me as a cat when i first talked to you, i would have become a cat. so, what do i look like to you?"

"You... you look like a silver, human girl with starry eyes. You have long silver hair and are about a foot or two shorter than me."

She looks at him for a second and Malcum is unsure as to why she seems unhappy.

"ok. cool. thanks a lot i***t. you were supposed to compliment me, but i guess that will someday happen without me having to explain it. that poor blue haired girl. i feel sorry for her if this is how you are right now."

Malcum's mind starts to spin, and her words slowly fades away.

_______________________________________________

As Malcum opens his eyes once more, he sees the hospital room and feels the sun coming in through the window. A slight breeze also greets his skin. He looks down to see a girl laying on his legs with messed up blue hair. He looks out of the window before hearing a stern male voice from one side.

"You seem better. Now I can finally talk to you in person, suitor."