Chapter 6 [Core | Kyle]

Kyle lay still in the darkness. His breathing was even, his expression serene, yet no matter how calm he appeared outside, he was anything but. Overwhelming sensations of searing pain and chilling cold raged within him, each one vying for dominance over the other.

He tried to move, to grit his teeth, to twitch… but his body wouldn't react. For the first time in many years, he was genuinely terrified. As the two powers fought within him, memories began to resurface… memories that he'd sealed away years before. Kyle struggled to stamp them down, but in the end, he could do nothing.

The conflict within him faded into the background as a scene was laid out before him with stunning clarity, replacing the darkness in which he'd been trapped. No… No! Not again!

Kyle found himself pressed against a brick wall in a dimly lit passage. A man's forearm was pressed tight against his neck, and he was grinning sadistically through the poorly cut hole in his black mask.

Behind the man, there was another. He was slightly smaller and holding a knife out toward Leah. She was shuffling back, trying to stay away from its point, but there was nowhere for her to go. Kyle struggled against his captor, but the deep gash on his left shoulder kept him from using both arms.

Why? Why am I seein’ this? Kyle tried to move, to yell, to fight… but he wasn't in control. It was disconcerting--feeling his body move and mouth open, yet not being the one performing those actions. From his peculiar vantage, he could observe the scene without looking through his double's eyes. Instead of focusing on his own struggles, he watched his wife.

She looked younger. Her hair was much shorter, there was no ink on her arms, and there was a subtle roundness to her belly. Kyle couldn't do anything but seethe as the scene played out. The vision produced no sounds, but he didn't need them. Every word spoken, every sound made… He'd never forgotten any of it.

"I… I swear… That's all… I got… Just take it… and go…" His double choked out the words, struggling to talk through his crushed windpipe. Kyle's fingers pulled at the man's arm, barely managing to make space. He managed a quick breath and yelled out, hoping that someone would hear, but it was futile. The arm pressed harder against his throat, and the call was stifled.

"Why don’t you shut your fuckin’ mouth?" the man hissed.

Kyle tried to gasp and looked toward his wife. Her back was now against the opposite wall, and the man was close. Disregarding the knife, she hauled back and slapped the smaller man so hard his head turned. Blood sprayed from his mouth, and Kyle could see the moment his surprise turned to anger.

"You fthucking bitch!" His words were messy, like his tongue was swollen.

Before Leah could move, the man struck out with the knife, driving it deep into her belly. The next few seconds were chaotic. Leah screamed, and the man dislodged the knife, backed off, then stared at the blood on his hands and knife as if surprised.

Kyle stopped struggling and stared at his wife in disbelief as she dropped to the ground, both arms hugging the wound in her stomach. The man holding him looked back at his partner in fear and surprise.

"Are you fuckin’ kidding me?" the man yelled. "How are we supposed to--"

He never finished his sentence. Kyle used his good hand to grab the man's face and pressed his thumb deep into the bastard's eye. The man screamed and reached up with both hands, releasing his hold on Kyle. As soon as he was free, Kyle gasped, ducked around the floundering man, and barreled straight into his gaping partner.

All two-hundred-fifty pounds of his weight crashed into the smaller man, causing his knife to drop and throwing them both to the ground. Kyle was sure he'd felt something snap in the man's leg, but he couldn't hear it, just like he couldn't hear the man's agonizing howls… not over the sound of the rushing river that replaced everything else.

Kyle mounted the man, pinned his arms to the ground with his knees, raised his fist… and drove it into the man's black mask. Again and again, he pounded the fucker's face with his working arm. The sound of the river turned into a high-pitched ringing as he felt the crunching of bone. Kyle didn't know if it came from his knuckles or the man's skull… and he didn't care.

It wasn't until he felt hands grabbing him that he finally stopped. The hands pulled him back, and he thrashed and swung his arm, trying to fight them off. Then… something wrapped around his waist. It was wet, and a familiar scent flooded his senses.

Kyle looked down and saw Leah on her knees, holding him with both arms and sobbing. Her clothes and skin were covered in blood, which smeared on his jeans as she squeezed him. The ringing in his head stopped, and he dropped to his knees, wrapping both arms around her petite figure. As his senses returned, Kyle could hear several voices surrounding them.

The vision faded, and the turmoil caused by the opposing forces had stopped. Kyle knew he had control of his body again… but he didn't open his eyes. Instead, he lay still, remembering what had happened after the incident.

For a time, he'd fallen into a state of numbness as he was passed back and forth between the medical team and the deputies. Before he could even see his wife, he'd had to talk to the local investigator about what had happened. Eventually, the cuffs that shackled him to the hospital bed had been removed, and the first thing he'd done was rush to the room where Leah was being looked after.

To his relief, she'd been mostly fine. As soon as he'd turned the corner and laid his eyes on her, all of his worries vanished. She'd lost the baby. In fact, had Leah not been pregnant, she likely wouldn't have survived the man's assault. Even so, she was fine… and that was all that mattered to him. As for Kyle, he'd needed surgery on his left arm to get it moving again… and almost every bone in his right hand had been shattered.

It wasn't until later—after he'd been released from the hospital—that he learned what he'd done. The investigator who'd handled his case paid him a visit—off duty. Kyle poured a couple glasses of whiskey, and the man let him look through the case files.

They were… gruesome. The larger of the two men had only been twenty years old. He'd lost his left eye but sustained no other significant injuries. It turned out he had multiple outstanding warrants, and he'd been evading the law for months.

As for the smaller man… that was his brother. His younger brother. He'd only been fifteen. Fifteen. Kyle remembered how sick he'd felt as he looked through the images. The kid's head was… well… it was everywhere.

According to the pathologist, Kyle had likely shattered the youth's skull with his second or third punch. By the time he'd been pulled off, nothing was left, but a gaping hole filled with blood and… paste. He was shown pictures of the ground, the wall, and himself… all covered in gore.

Kyle took a deep breath. Those thoughts hadn't crossed his mind in ages… not after they'd finally let him stop going to therapy. The lady he'd gone to was an expert who'd worked with hundreds of cops and vets that had experienced live combat. She'd constantly talked about how he should feel and what steps he should take to cope and move on. After telling the woman what she wanted to hear over the course of at least a dozen visits, he'd been discharged.

He knew that he should feel regret. Sadness. Anger. There were ideas of how the dead would haunt him and what he should do if he had recurring nightmares. Kyle was furious that his wife had been injured—that they'd lost their child—but he felt none of what they said he should after killing someone. Behind the mask he'd learned to wear—the one that showed how sorry and bothered he was—he was perfectly content. He felt he'd done what had to be done, and would do it again without a second thought.

Leah was his rock throughout the whole ordeal. Sometimes, he could see the sadness behind her smile, but she was strong, and they worked through it together. Once things had settled down, they'd purchased pistols, gotten their concealed carry certifications, and taken every local class they could find on how to properly defend themselves and remain calm in high-stakes situations. From then on, neither of them left the house unarmed.

"Damn…" He breathed out slowly.

"Indeed."

Kyle's eyes snapped open, and he leapt up from where he'd been lying, almost crashing into the person who'd spoken. He jumped back, planning to put some distance between himself and the stranger… but something made him pause before he could make it very far.

The man didn't move and simply watched Kyle's movements with an amused smile. He had long, gray hair, a short, pointed beard, and looked to be in his fifties or sixties. His arms were crossed and tucked into the sleeves of his long green… Kimono?

"Yukata, technically," the man said, still smiling. His voice was aged and… familiar. After a few seconds of silence, it clicked.

"Uncle… Iroh..?" Kyle's jaw dropped.

The man looked up and stroked his chin. "Iroh… Iroh… I can't say it rings a bell, but it does sound nice, doesn't it?"

"Uhh…" Kyle was at a loss. The man standing before him was a perfect incarnation of the sagely figure from one of his favorite childhood shows.

"How about some tea?" the man asked, then removed his hands from the oversized sleeves and clapped them. A platter materialized in the air before him with a kettle and two small cups. He took his time pouring the steaming liquid before sitting and waving Kyle over. "Come, Kyle. Please, honor this old man by sharing a drink."

Is this… real..? Kyle blinked and finally took note of his surroundings. They were on top of a hill, much like the one he'd blacked out on, but beyond that… there was nothing. The grass stopped at the base of the knoll, where it transformed into a beautiful blue haze that extended out in every direction. There was no more grass, there were no trees in the distance, and there wasn't even a sun—just blue.

Seeing no other option, Kyle decided to humor the man. He walked forward and sat cross-legged on his side of the floating tray. Wishing he knew more about the man's culture, Kyle hoped he wasn't embarrassing himself when he picked up the cup and bowed his head before taking a sip.

His eyes widened in surprise… it tasted exactly like the tea his memaw used to brew before she'd passed away. He closed his eyes to reminisce, and neither spoke until their cups were drained and returned to the platter.

"Thank you for the tea," Kyle said.

"You are very welcome, young man," the 'not' Iroh replied. "Now, I can see that you have questions. Please, speak your mind."

"Who… are you?" Kyle gestured to the nothingness around them… and despite intending to ask one at a time, every question he'd bottled up since waking up naked in that field burst out of him. The man topped off their glasses while smiling through the torrent of queries.

"What is this place? What's goin’ on with the world? Did every person in my area get isekai'd here? What about others in the city? The country? The whole world? Is my boy out there? Where did those Slimes come from? How am I supposed to keep my family safe? How come you’ve got clothes while I'm still naked? Why’s your tea taste like my memaw's?"

Kyle took a deep breath. Then, before the man could answer, he noticed something else and asked, "Where's my Grimoire?"

"Hohoho," Iroh chuckled merrily. He lifted his tea, took a sip, then stirred it in his palm as he spoke. "So many questions. I'm afraid I can't answer most of them, but I'll do my best. Please, enjoy your tea while you listen."

I squinted slightly. Did he just… kindly ask me to shut my yap?

"Hoho! So brightfor one so young," he laughed loudly, the sound echoing in the mostly empty space. "Now, I'll answer one of your questions. 'What is this place?' This, young man, is a place of your own creation—"

"So I'm dreamin’? This has all been in my head?" Kyle interrupted, winced, and hurriedly grabbed his cup, sipping the brew before he could open his mouth again.

True to the character's nature, Iroh remained patient, and his smile never faltered. He moved one of his hands back and forth. "Yes… and no. Yes, this is happening in your head. But no, this isn't a dream. Far from it, in fact."

Iroh clapped his hands… and everything changed. The hill they'd been seated on vanished, leaving them floating in the center of the empty space. Kyle almost dropped his tea in surprise, but before he could even move, both of Iroh's hands wrapped around his own, keeping the cup steady.

"There is no reason to worry," Iroh chuckled and released Kyle's hand. "We are in the same place as before—only, the illusion has been broken. Please, take some time to study our surroundings."

Kyle quickly placed his cup on the floating tray before looking around. Uncle Iroh was right. The knoll was gone… but nothing else had changed. Everywhere he looked, there was blue. A semi-transparent, spherical membrane was the only thing protecting them from the ocean beyond.

He stopped staring at the gas and focused on the sphere. It was small. If he and Iroh were to stand side by side and stretch their arms out, brushing fingertips in the center, they could easily touch both sides at once. Kyle cocked his head to one side.

What is this? He swiped his hand back and forth. It was faint, but he could see that thin trails of mist swirled where his fingers brushed through it.

"Ahh, you can already see it," Iroh said. "That's very good. Tell me, what are your thoughts?"

"This…" Kyle scrunched his brow. "Is this place… my Core?"

"Excellent!" Iroh half shouted. "Yes. This is your Core, no different from those of the Slimes you've been hunting. It was formed when you Awakened."

"Does that mean…" Kyle looked at Iroh. "Are you my Grimoire?"

"Right again!" Iro grinned… and then frowned deeply, though it was obviously bogus. "If you keep on like this, there will no longer be any need for this old man."

Kyle laughed at the man's joke and asked, "Why do you look like Uncle Iroh?"

The man shrugged, "Don't look at me. You're the one who chose him."

"When did I… Nevermind. Why am I here?" Kyle asked. "And, more importantly, how do I leave?"

"All Humans will experience this when they learn True Sight," Iroh answered, gesturing to the haze within the sphere. "Until you've seen the Mana inside yourself, you can not see that which exists beyond. As for leaving…"

The man floated over and placed two fingers between Kyle's eyes.

"Let me help you."