I Died and Became a Noble's Heir

Chapter 328: The Soul Key

Jack stared at the key in his hand, then back at Emberion. ”Into my soul? What does that mean?”

The dragon shifted his massive form, settling into a more comfortable position.

”The key you hold is called a Soul Key,” Emberion began, his molten eyes fixed on the gray metal. ”It doesn’t open physical locks or reveal hidden chambers. It opens a pathway into the spiritual realm that exists within whoever currently holds the Soul Warden title.”

Jack’s grip on the key tightened. ”A realm inside me?”

”Inside your soul, to be precise,” Emberion corrected. ”When a Soul Warden uses one of these keys, they’re transported to a place where they can meet those who came before them. Past Soul Wardens who once sat on that throne, who once claimed that domain, who once bore the same title you now carry.”

Jack processed this information, his mind racing through implications. A place to meet previous Soul Wardens. Access to knowledge from those who’d mastered the position before him.

”How does it work?” Jack asked.

”You insert the key into your chest,” Emberion explained, gesturing with one massive claw toward where Jack’s heart would be. ”The key phases through flesh and bone, entering your soul directly. Once activated, your consciousness is transported to the realm while your body remains behind. Time moves differently there, what feels like hours in the spiritual realm may only be seconds or days here.”

Jack examined the gray key more closely, noting the intricate engravings that covered its surface. Symbols he didn’t recognize.

”You said ’one of these keys,’” Jack said, catching the phrasing. ”There are more?”

Emberion’s eyes gleamed with approval. ”Observant. Yes, there are seven Soul Keys total. One for each element.”

The dragon raised one claw, counting off as he spoke. ”Red for fire. Blue for water. Brown for earth. Green for wind. Yellow for lightning. White for light.” He paused, his gaze falling on the key in Jack’s hand. ”And gray for darkness.”

Seven keys. Seven elements. Jack’s mind immediately began cataloging the answer.

”Each key grants access to the spiritual realm,” Emberion continued, ”but each one brings you to a different domain within that space. The gray key you hold will only allow you to meet Soul Wardens who focused primarily on dark magic during their tenure. The red key would connect you with those who specialized in fire. And so on.”

Jack’s eyes narrowed. ”So I can only access knowledge from Soul Wardens who used dark magic? That’s helpful, but also restricting.”

”It would be,” Emberion agreed, ”if you only possessed one key. However, nothing prevents a Soul Warden from collecting multiple keys and accessing different domains. Knowledge from various specializations. Techniques from masters of different elements.”

”Where are the other keys?” Jack asked urgently.

Emberion looked mildly entertained. ”That, Soul Warden, is information Malakai chose not to share with me. He kept the locations of the other keys secret, even from his most trusted guardian. I only know about them because he explained the system to me centuries ago.”

Jack filed that away. Malakai had hidden the keys deliberately, either as tests for future Soul Wardens or as safeguards to prevent all the knowledge from being accessed too easily.

”You mentioned meeting past Soul Wardens,” Jack said, changing direction. ”Is it possible to meet Malakai himself? To speak with him?”

The question hung in the air between them. Emberion’s molten eyes studied Jack with an intensity that felt like being examined under a magnifying glass.

”Yes,” the dragon said finally. ”It’s possible to meet Malakai with any of the seven keys.”

Jack inhaled sharply. ’Any key. That meant....’

”Malakai could control all seven elements,” Jack said. The truth slammed into him like a punch to the gut. ”Not just specialize in one or two. All of them.”

Emberion’s silence confirmed it.

Jack’s mind reeled. Controlling a single element to mastery was impressive. Two elements marked someone as exceptional. Three or four placed them among the greatest mages in history. But seven? All seven elements under one person’s command?

”That shouldn’t be possible,” Jack said, though even as the words left his mouth, he knew they were foolish. Malakai had done it. The evidence sat before him in the form of a dragon who’d served the man for centuries.

”For most, it isn’t possible,” Emberion replied. ”The human body and soul aren’t designed to contain that much elemental power. Attempting to bind more than two or three elements typically results in catastrophic failure. The energies conflict, tear the soul apart from within, kill the host in ways that are neither quick nor pleasant.”

”But Malakai did it anyway,” Jack said.

”He did.” Emberion’s tone carried a hint of pride. Or perhaps sadness. ”And he didn’t just bind the elements, he mastered them. Each one commanded with the skill of a lifetime specialist. Fire that could melt mountains. Water that could drown armies. Earth that reshaped continents. Wind that carved canyons. Lightning that split the sky. Light that burned like captured stars. And darkness...”

The dragon paused, his gaze distant.

”Darkness that made even demons hesitate.”

Jack stared at the gray key in his hand, seeing it with new understanding. This wasn’t just access to the knowledge of past Soul Wardens. This was a connection to someone who’d transcended usual limitations entirely.

”How?” The question came out hoarse. ”How did he do it? You said binding multiple elements tears souls apart. What made Malakai different?”

Emberion’s expression shifted, becoming more guarded. ”That involves knowledge I’m not certain you’re ready to hear.”

”Try me,” Jack said flatly.

The dragon studied him for a long moment. Then, seemingly coming to a decision, he spoke.

”Malakai bound a phoenix to his soul.”

Jack’s eyes widened. ”Yes, I was told before. Like the one that just died?”

”Similar, but far more powerful,” Emberion explained with a smile. ”An ancient phoenix, one that had undergone thousands of rebirths over millennia. The binding process nearly killed him, would have killed anyone else. But the phoenix’s essence merged with his soul, altering what he was capable of containing.”

”The phoenix let him control all seven elements,” Jack said, understanding dawning.

”Partially,” Emberion corrected. ”The phoenix provided the foundation, yes. The capacity to house that much elemental power without his soul shattering. But there was something else. Something in his blood.”

Jack leaned forward. ”What do you mean?”

Emberion’s molten eyes met gaze, and for the first time, the dragon looked genuinely conflicted. ”Malakai’s bloodline wasn’t entirely human. There was something else mixed in. Something that, combined with the phoenix binding, made him capable of feats that should have been impossible.”

”What was in his blood?” Jack demanded.

”That,” Emberion said firmly, ”is where my knowledge ends. Malakai never shared the specifics of his lineage with me. Only that his blood was the key to surviving what would have destroyed anyone else.”

Jack wanted to push, to demand more information, but he could see the finality in Emberion’s expression. The dragon had said everything he was willing to say on the subject.

His mind worked through what he’d learned. Malakai had bound a phoenix to his soul. That binding, combined with whatever mystery his bloodline held, had allowed him to control all seven elements. To become something beyond a normal Soul Warden.

And now Jack held one of seven keys that could connect him to that knowledge.