In this world, like many others, there was a source of power. Power that was capable of shifting the world's dynamic and was available for all to access. To be specific, there were four that were mythically told to have been gifted to them by deities or god-like beings.
They were- Magic, Zen, Energy and Taikon. Magic was the one that held the highest level of prestige and respect. It was something that mostly nobles and royals were capable of. It wasn't an external source and consisted of the typical elements of nature which were Wind, Water, Fire and even more. People were only capable of one type of magic and it evolved with training and practice.
The next one was Zen. It was the exact opposite of Magic. Most Commoners wielded Zen and it was shunned as the weakest form of power due to its low amount of applications and capabilities. They comprised of Light, Lava, Crystal and many more sub-elements. Like magic, people were only capable of one type.
The third one was rarely seen in the world and was a bit more unique in terms of its qualities. It was Energy. Energy, unlike the others, did not take the form of elements of the universe but more of an innate power stored within humans that was incredibly malleable, being capable of offensive, defensive and complex techniques. However, there were few prominent figures who possessed this power so it wasn't thought of highly. It was not classified any higher than Zen.
The final one was even rarer than Energy and held as much prestige as Magic; it was Taikon. It was more tricky compared to others. At the age of awakening, the person would choose a Taikon Beast that they felt a connection with and would absorb them, becoming one with them and gaining access to their abilities and skills.
All the four Powers had Stages of development that could be examined by observing one's Spirit Shard, the wellspring of their power. The Stages were composed of different colors of ascending order which were- White, Red, Orange, Blue, Green and Purple. It was important to note that there was a large margin between them. For example, a White Stage warrior stood no chance against a Red Stage warrior even if it was a two versus one battle, the Red Stage warrior would emerge victorious.
It was also important to note that the margin between the Stages increased with each Stage.
White-stage humans were more or less just slightly powerful people, stronger than one who hadn't awakened. While being above Orange was something uncommon and not prolific which insinuated that not everyone had the potential to soar through the Stages and most of the population remained at the Red Stage or below.
In this mystical world, there were also beasts with access to mystical powers and they were known as Taikon Beasts. Like animals, there were many different types and species and they were also classified under the six stages.
"Hey!" The man that had arrived snapped him out of his thoughts. They had gotten to a different room, resembling a study or office with a desk, chair and bookshelves. It gave him the impression that he was an uptight guy trying to suck up to his superiors but that was just his thoughts.
On his way there, Raten had cut across some people, either in groups or individuals, and noticed they all had something in common. They all had the medallion of a sword going through a heart and so did the man in front of him except he was different. It had a yellow chain passing through it, giving Raten the impression he wasn't an ordinary soldier.
The man in question erected his hand, revealing a crystal with a red shine to it. Raten became tense.
"What the hell is that?!" He spoke for the first time since he had encountered the man, his anxiety accidentally slipping in.
"Hold still."
"Get away from me!" Raten wanted to punch his face in but the collar interfered, hindering his action. The mysterious, new crystal floated into his body, leaving a glow on his chest before fading. Simultaneously, the collar previously on his neck appeared in the man's hand.
"So here's the situation. You belong to the Black Spirit, an aggregation of manslayers, terrorists and violators. On a normal day, we would either kill you or make sure you never see the light of day."
"However, killing a soldier who has amnesia isn't very chivalrous so we decided we can make good work of you, as a soldier of ours."
Hearing that, Raten grew pissed. Very much so but he didn't have much of a say in the matter so he just listened further to what he had to say. Depending on what came out of his mouth next, he could be able to obtain some crucial information that could jolt his memory back but that was just wishful thinking on his part.
"That crystal inside you is special. If you so much as try to harm anyone, I will kill you... with this." He showcased a lazy grin, revealing a similar crystal tied to his neck. "If you do anything that goes against my orders, I have the power and the permission to kill you."
Raten cursed inwardly, knowing he was in a tight position. However, he let out a smirk, briefly stunned the man with the chained medallion.
"Why go through all the trouble then? You've made it perfectly clear you don't even view me as a threat. So why not just kill me and be done with it?" He queried tauntingly, like someone who didn't value their life very much. "I could be dangerous."
At that moment, Raldin, the man with the medallion almost killed him right there and then but his irritation subsided and he grinned ominously. "You're special. Now, go to Sector 3. There's a living area there where you'll meet your new teammates. Congratulations, you're now an official member of the Heart," he remarked sarcastically, holding back a chuckle before taking a seat at his desk.
Raten made his way to the door and the moment he turned away from Raldin, his face grew from indifferent to apparent dejection. The outside of the room was what he assumed was an open space, consisting of easy sitting spots, many halls and corridors labelled for easy identification. There was also a higher floor which he supposed was the second sector so he decided to head for the stairs.
Everywhere he went, he saw the Heart Symbol. Even on his new clothes, he hadn't noticed before but the medallion was there as well. He didn't know why-because of his amnesia- but the sight of the symbol caused him aggravation, similar to one stubbing their toe against hard furniture.
At one point, he had come across a woman striding on a horse, with scrunched eyebrows that either indicated repressed anger or intense focus. 'What kind of freak rides a horse indoors?'
He knew she wasn't an ordinary soldier as well. For one, she possessed a blue chain on her medallion which he hadn't seen before. Another thing was that she was releasing a ridiculously powerful presence that choked him, even more so than Raldin or the fact that he had lost both his memory and his freedom. It wrenched his insides and he felt like his lungs would ignite if he stared at her directly.
He went past her and was incredibly relieved that she left him off with only a dismissive oversight.
'I must not have a very popular face then,' he concluded.
He continued to his destination in a cranky gait while something Raldin had said lingered in his mind.
"I just know I've heard it before," Raten pondered. "Black Spirit! Black Spirit! What is it exactly?!"