"What… what has happened to me?"
Her thought barely formed when a horrible noise tore through her head.
It was static—jagged and sharp—like the sound of broken glass grinding against metal. The noise scratched at her mind, louder and louder, until it felt like her whole being would split apart.
She wanted to cover her ears, to scream, to thrash against the sound—but she had no body. Nothing answered her will.
Then, as the static calmed, a voice came through.
It wasn't harsh like the first one she had heard before she fainted. This one was calm. Almost gentle. Familiar, as though it had always been there but hidden deep inside her.
"You have died. Your soul is trapped inside the crystal."
Her thoughts scattered instantly.
Dead?
No… that can't be right. I was just in my room… trying the technique…
Fear shook through her, though her body gave no sign of it.
She forced herself to ask, though her lips didn't move, though no sound left her—only thought.
"W-who are you?"
The reply came without pause.
"I am you. I am your subconscious."
Her mind trembled.
Subconscious? That doesn't make sense…
But the voice did not give her time to argue. It continued, steady and patient:
"A soul is not one whole piece. It is divided. One half is consciousness—your thoughts, your awareness, the part that says 'I.' The other half is subconscious—the hidden part that keeps you alive, keeps your body breathing, your heart beating, your instincts sharp. Together, both halves make the complete soul."
Her thoughts paused. The explanation sounded strange… yet it fit, in some way she could not deny.
The voice pressed on.
"When you attempted to leave your body, I awakened. I used soul energy to protect you from what lurks outside—wandering spirits, demons, things without bodies that seek vessels. But an unknown force interrupted. That force weakened me. Your body failed and died. Yet in that moment, the link between us grew strong enough for me to speak with you directly."
The cavern's light shimmered faintly, as though agreeing with the words.
Silence followed.
"…So I'm still… me?" she asked quietly in her mind.
"Yes. You are still you. But now you are more than you were. Your consciousness and subconscious are connected. Whole."
She felt it then—something faint, like a pulse deep inside the crystal. Energy responded to her thought, soft but real, like a heartbeat returning after long silence.
For the first time since this nightmare began, she felt a flicker of hope.
The voice didn't fade. It grew clearer, steadier, almost warm.
"Now you have the ability to use all of yourself. You can act with your conscious mind, or you can allow me to act for you. To make things easier, I will present myself in a way you can understand… a system, like the ones in the novels you once loved. Would you accept that?"
The suggestion rang through the crystal.
She hesitated. Dead. Trapped. Fused with her subconscious. It was too much, too fast. And yet, something inside her longed for order. A framework. Something familiar to cling to in this alien place.
"…Alright," she whispered in her mind.
A soft sound echoed—clear, mechanical.
Ding.
"Hello, host. Confirmation received."
Her thoughts spun. A… system?
She pressed quickly: "Wait, you said you would act as a system… how are you showing me this? How can you do this?"
The voice—her subconscious—answered calmly:
"Because your physical limits are gone. Thought and soul are no longer slowed by flesh. I can now display your potential, and you can process information far faster than before."
Her pulse of thought wavered. "…Faster?"
"Yes. On Earth, learning required time. Your body had limits, your mind had weight. Now those restrictions are gone. As a soul, you can absorb, understand, and master knowledge far beyond human ability."
Her chest—if she still had one—tightened. The words were unbelievable. But then again… hadn't she already died and woken in a crystal?
The voice spoke once more, its tone carrying a hint of reassurance.
"If you wish, you can begin now. Call the word 'Status.' It will reveal the state of your soul."
Her thoughts hesitated only a moment.
"…Status."