A Psychic's Scarlet Dream 24 Chapter 13: The Third Power Part 1

Psychics and ghosts have always had a very peculiar relationship. Even when the existence of ghosts used to be common knowledge among supernaturals, i.e., about 1000 years ago, the two groups rarely saw eye-to-eye. Ghosts referred to psychics as 'natural disasters', while psychics referred to ghosts as 'dead calamities'. It was a bizarre relationship where both sides helped each other out on numerous occasions, but never really got along very well. The reasons for them helping each other were purely political. What were these political reasons though? Mainly, they were trying to suppress a third power. This power was fairly weaker to the both of them but was led by people cunning enough to give both of them a run for their money.

Or so Barry says. Ro has no idea what these lines mean. What third power is he talking about? The question haunts him quite a lot. But,

Ro: "So who is this third power anyway?"

Barry: "You'll find out soon enough."

That's all Barry would always say whenever Ro tries to ask him directly.

Ro: "Would you answer already? What's the point of telling me all of that when you would keep the most important bit to yourself?"

Barry: "It's not that I'm trying to hide it from you or anything. It's just the simple fact that it will be incredibly hard to believe unless you see it with your own eyes."

Ro: "See what with my own eyes?"

Barry: "Be patient a little while longer. We will reach there soon enough."

Ro and Barry are floating in the darkness. Barry has told Ro that they are heading for a particular place. Barry never said what this 'particular place' is though. Floating around in the darkness not feeling any change when he moves, it's only natural that Ro is getting anxious. Are they really even moving? He has no way to tell.

Barry: "Getting nervous?"

Ro: "I guess. All I can see is darkness and it feels like we aren't getting anywhere at all. How do you expect me to stay calm at a time like this?"

Barry: "Well, I don't."

Barry is facing forward so Ro has no idea what his expression is but from the tone of his answer, he is pretty serious about this.

Barry: "I'm glad my sincerity is reaching you."

For a moment, Ro thinks he muttered his thoughts out loud, but then realizes the truth.

Ro: "Damn, you mind-reader!"

It's irritating for him to have his thoughts read without his permission, but he can't do anything about it except complain.

Barry: "Hey, I was just making sure you aren't going mad because of anxiety."

Barry's words still contain sincerity. Ro could relax a little after hearing that answer, but who can say Barry is not faking his sincerity? After all, a psychic like him should be able to do something like that pretty easily.

Ro: "You think I'm that weak."

Ro retorts with what should be a normal response. He knows his thoughts would have already been read, but he still tries to act differently.

Barry: "I wouldn't call you weak, but its normal human behavior to start over-thinking things in these types of situations.

Barry ignores Ro's actual thoughts too and tries to act as if he's actually just conversing with the man.

Ro: "Anyway, even though you are a ghost now, you are still able to use your psychic abilities, what is up with that?"

Barry: "Well, I did lose my abilities after becoming a ghost, just like you have now, but there's a way to gain them back. You will learn about it soon enough."

He answers calmly, but before Ro is allowed to process that,

Barry: "Anyway, we are almost there."

Ro: "How close is 'almost'?"

Ro asks to dispel his anxiety. Abstract words like 'almost' won't help him do so. He needs more numerical of a value so he can calm down.

Barry: "Well, at this rate, we'll be there in a minute."

Barry's sudden revelation surprises Ro. He thought there would at least be five minutes left, but they are a lot closer than that.

Ro: "We are that close?"

Barry: "We are."

Hearing so should prove to be good for calming down, but it doesn't. Ro is now anxious for a different reason.

Ro: "So what is this 'third' power?"

He's now getting anxious for he is near a power that could rival psychics and ghosts and he doesn't even know what it is.

Barry: "I said we are almost there, right? You'll find out."

Yet Barry refuses to tell him. Ro is displeased with Barry to say the least. When he first came here, he was afraid Barry might attack him and then that didn't happen, which filled him with a sense of security. Now that short-lived sense of security is washing away.

Ro: "I am starting to have doubts over my safety now."

Ro admits his concerns. When Barry can read minds, there's no point in trying to hide them anyway.

Barry: "Don't worry; they won't do anything to harm you. I am sure they'll have enough rations to not go berserk, so no one would attack you."

Those words were pretty suspicious. Ro is at least sharp enough to see underlying meaning of those words.

Ro: "And if their rations were low, they would attack me?"

This question starts bugging Ro after Barry's previous lines. It just sounds really ominous to him.

Barry: "You do still look like a normal human so, yes."

Barry straight up says so. He is casually saying something so important. This reminds Ro of Ethan and irritation swirls up inside him.

Ro: "What are they, wild animals?"

He tries to ignore the urge to abuse Ethan and asks that question.

Barry: "Nah, but you may think of them that way from a different perspective standpoint."

Now Barry's words are almost too ominous. What exactly does he mean? Ro would love to know but he just won't tell him.

Barry: "Okay, we're here."

Those words make Ro straighten up his back; that is to say, he would have straightened up his back if he had a physical body.

Ro: "O-oh, I see."

Ro's concerns about his safety are very genuine. In fact, if someone didn't get anxious in this situation, there would be something wrong with that guy. At least, that's what Ro tells himself to calm down.

Ro: "Damn!"

But no matter how he looks at the situation, the fact remains that there are people all around him who would not be anxious at this point.

Sneha Stone would be vigilant but not anxious; after all she had trained herself enough that she could keep her calm in any dangerous situation.

Ethan Kales would happily accept an invitation like this from Barry. That's at least the impression Ro has of him.

His superior, Garfield, would probably march right into the place without a second thought, partially because he is brave, partially because he is an idiot.

Kais would definitely be really cautious about it and be ready to run away (teleport) at any point in time, but with that preparation done, he wouldn't try to back down before going in either.

Mohammed would probably share his sentiment though, probably.

Ro: "No matter where I look, I have always been surrounded by weirdoes."

Barry: "Am I one of them too?"

Barry asks as if joking.

Ro: "You are the top of the list, or maybe second to Ethan."

That evaluation of his character surprises Barry. It doesn't bring him any joy or sadness to be thought of like that, but just surprise.

Barry: "Okay then."

Barry says as if getting back to work. He stretches out his right hand and makes his palm face forward.

Ro: "What the hell …"

Ro can't see anything in front of them so he has no clue what Barry is doing, but he is definitely up to something.

Barry: "Long … live … the death."

Ro: "What!?"

Barry utters what sounds like patriarchal solute but in a tone that indicates that he is saying a password.

???: "You may enter."

A robotic voice comes telling them they can enter. But where would they enter? That's what bothers Ro at this point. He can see no door or any other form of matter anywhere.

Ro: "Where … are we … supposed to 'enter'?"
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He asks in an anxious voice knowing the answer might not come.

Barry: "Well, it's right in front of you."

However, an answer does come – only it ends up confusing him more.

Ro: "I don't see anything in front of me."

Barry: "That's fine. Just trust me on this one."

Barry asks Ro to blindly trust him. Trust him? What did he ever do to earn any trust from Ro? How can he just ask Ro to start trusting the guy? It's absurd. Ro could not think of anything else but how absurd his words just now were.

Ro: "Not a chance."

He straight up denies it. He would not even try to be considerate about it.

Barry: "That's harsh."

Barry says so as if joking around. In this darkness, somehow Ro can sense what Barry's expression is at the moment.

Ro: "I can't just start trusting you."

He tells Barry his honest opinion. There's no way Ro can trust Barry. That is the situation right now.

Barry: "Well, fair point."

Barry, on the other hand, doesn't protest against the statement and readily accepts it, surprising Ro once again.

Ro: "So? Explain to …"

Ro starts asking for an explanation as if giving Barry a chance to gain his trust. Though before he even finishes,

Barry: "Sorry, but I would rather not."

Barry says so as he raises his arms and points at Ro. A sigil appears behind Ro and pushes him forward.

Ro: "What! You …"

As soon as Ro enters the darkness ahead, everything becomes bright.

Ro: "Damn! What's this light?"

He is unable to look at the brightness of the light after being in the dark for so long. But as his eyes adjust to it, he finds himself in a large room filled with royal decorations and surrounded by many people.

Ro: "Uh …"

They are all very pale and are looking at him curiously. But other than the pale skin, they look completely normal.

Ro: "Who are … no, where am I?"

As Ro asks the question, a man comes out of the small crowd as if to answer.

Man: "You don't know where you are, I see, did Barry bring you here?"

Ro: "He did."

Ro had expected the crowd to know about Barry, so it doesn't surprise him to hear his name from their mouths. But what came next is a different matter altogether.

Man: "Well, you do look pretty delicious."

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Chapter end