The Glorious Evolution

A couple of hours later...

Levi separated from the group and took a dimensional gate toward his studio apartment in Nocturn’s Heart City. The girls didn’t pressure him with questions, believing that he had gone for a breather inside Jasmine’s territory; they had no clue that Levi had an entire studio out there.

After getting comfortable at home, Levi sat cross-legged on the bed and took a deep breath. Without hesitation, he brought out a dimensional screen and checked his D-mail inbox.

He ignored the thousands of D-mails sent by parties interested in recruiting him and pressed the search bar.

Then, he typed ’Wish.’

Immediately, a unique D-mail was sent to the top of the list... Solidifying his decision on the wish one last time, Levi pressed the mail.

Whoosh!

A brilliant flash of light burst from the screen before it manifested into a mystical circular hex. The hex lay on the ground and spun faster and faster until a strange prismatic mist began to emit from the center, shaping into a giant Genie!

Its appearance was noble and unique, making it impossible for anyone to mistake it for an elemental Genie. Its body was a humanoid void composed of a billion moving constellations, stars spinning and colliding within its translucent skin like a map of the cosmos.

It had no face... only a blank, polished mask of obsidian-like crystals. The surface was so dark and smooth it didn’t reflect any light; it reflected the soul, akin to staring into a mirror that stripped away every lie.

Levi’s harmonic spine captured its mystical and overwhelming cosmic aura to the letter, leaving him with a solemn expression.

Although the Genie wore golden bracelets and a heavy collar... marking it as a slave to both Platforms... these shackles did nothing to diminish its overwhelming, otherworldly aura.

’Omnithar Genie... a neutral Genie with the power to fulfill almost any wish under the universal laws...’ Levi murmured inwardly, awed by the sight.

He knew that most Genies’ origins were rooted in their natural essence: blood, fire, water, air, or earth.

Meanwhile, the Omnithar Genie was believed to be born during the foundation of the universe, where energies were still merged as one neutral source.

In turn, its Wish Aspect helped it fulfill wishes beyond elements and could touch upon peculiar concepts.

Its uniqueness showed in the fact that it had no eyes displayed... The number of eyes each Genie possessed referred to its rank and strength... one eye being the lowest and nine the highest. Yet, it showed none.

-Voice Your Wish.-

The Omnithar Genie ordered emotionlessly, its voice booming twice in Levi’s ear like a cosmic clap.

”I want you to use the stored souls in this Lantern to merge and create a permanent soul identical to mine, which can be used for contractual signings.”

Levi shared his wish while summoning the Lantern of the Lost Keeper; he made sure to be as detailed as possible to avoid any sort of creative conflict.

He had read that many Rifters wasted their wish due to some technicality in the details. In his case, the Genie could split his own soul to make it happen or create a temporary soul if he wasn’t specific.

’Hmm? Why has he gone silent? Is my wish too much?’

Soon, Levi’s eager expression was replaced by confusion at the sight of the Genie standing still and unresponsive. He recognized that Genies would either accept or deny his wish, with nothing in between.

This situation caught even the Titan and Ash’Kral by surprise.

’Is this normal?’

’No,’ Ash’Kral frowned. ’Genies follow the rules to the letter... unresponsiveness isn’t usual.’

Hearing this, Levi knitted his brows as he scanned the Genie. At once, he picked up on the feeling that the Genie was focusing on the Lantern.

Weirded out, Levi moved the Lantern to the left side; his theory was confirmed after the Omnithar Genie followed the movement with its head.

’Ash...’

’Don’t ask me,’ Ash’Kral’s expression turned intrigued. ’I am just as taken aback... this situation is quite interesting.’

Levi had no idea what was going on, but the fact that his wish was still unfulfilled made him uncomfortable.

He had no idea if the Genie glitched out or if it noticed something in the Lantern that none of them had figured out before. Either way, it was the only one with the answer, and Levi refused to ask; he wasn’t foolish enough to risk consuming his wish on a question.

’Wait... I can’t talk to it with words, but I can reach out to its feelings... if it has any.’

Without a second of delay, Levi summoned the Requiem of Hope and Despair. He rested the violin on his shoulder.

Slowly, he zoned out the noises of the world until everything vanished, leaving only himself, the misty Omnigenie, and the ethereal Lantern in a world of absolute darkness.

Levi drew the bow across the strings, releasing an almost soundless tune, but he didn’t care. His tunes weren’t meant for the ears; he played a frequency designed to probe the soul and emotions.

He sent out a soft wave of sound, trying to hook into the Genie’s emotional wavelength. However, the soundwave bounced off like it hit a brick wall, shattering the frequencies.

The Omnithar felt cold and empty as space, an immovable object that refused to let anyone in. But Levi didn’t stop. He could tell that the Omnithar Genie wanted to tell him something, but it was forbidden from opening its mouth until it uttered the scripted commands.

Tiing...

Levi adjusted his grip and shifted the pitch, making the notes sharper and more persistent. He pushed the sound further, wrapping his frequencies around the prismatic Genie like a web of soothing beach waves.

Minutes passed. Small sweat drops covered Levi’s forehead as he fought against the Genie’s unbreakable defenses.

Despite his efforts, Levi started feeling that he might have chosen the wrong method. Just as he was about to consider giving up, his heart skipped a beat.

He felt it at last... a mere flicker within the Genie’s web of frequencies. It was so small it was barely noticeable. Yet, Levi tightened his grip on the bow and drew it across the strings, releasing a skin-shivering high note straight at the flicker.

Immediately, the flicker expanded into a flood of raw emotions. The eruption caught Levi by surprise as it appeared as a chaotic, colorful mess of feelings that didn’t match the Genie’s stoic appearance at all.

The moment he tapped his senses into them, he felt a deep, soul-crushing desperation... the kind that came from being trapped for an eternity without a sliver of hope.

It was so overwhelming that it tightened Levi’s heart, leaving him feeling suffocated. Still, he gritted his teeth and kept playing. He played and played until he pierced through the desperation and touched a spark of hope.

When it was translated to frequencies, Levi was stunned to see them connected with the Lantern; it was like the Genie was longing to enter it.

Immediately after, Levi pulled the bow away from the strings and severed the emotional connection.

The heavy desperation was just too much; he felt like his mind would collapse at any moment.

After a few moments of silence shared between them...

’This...’

Levi stared at the silent Omnithar Genie; his heart kept beating rapidly. He reached a couple of theories on what his findings meant. But he knew deep down that only one theory was correct... and it shouldn’t be called a theory, but a fact.

’Ash... am I hallucinating, or does the Genie believe I can free it using my Lantern somehow?’ Levi asked, his tone slightly shaky.