Chapter 24 – Names That Cannot Be Spoken
Ignes shook his head lightly, the movement elegant even in the dim light of the temple.
"Don't think too much, Matt. I do have a name. I am not some nameless ghost."
He looked at Xavier, a faint, cryptic smile forming on his lips.
"Just like that twin of mine, I have a designation. My true soul name… it starts with 'A'."
He leaned back slightly, relaxing into Xavier's arms.
"There are many names that start with 'A' across the multiverse. Finding the right one won't be easy for you."
Then his eyes gleamed with a sudden, wicked mischief.
"Just try and guess. I'll give you a hint—it's a name very close to yours."
Xavier frowned, his mind instantly racing through possibilities.
"So… your name is similar to mine? That narrows it down… but there are still too many names starting with 'A'."
Ignes chuckled softly, resting his head back against Xavier's chest.
He misunderstood the hint…
But Ignes didn't correct him. He let the misunderstanding hang in the air.
After all… I can only tell my first name to my soulmate.
And Xavier…
…is not my soulmate.
Ignes spoke again, his voice light. "Just keep guessing."
Then he added casually, "I'm not the strongest pure soul in existence. I'm only the second strongest."
"Only the strongest pure soul can use their real name freely without consequences."
Xavier looked down at him, genuinely confused. "Why? And also—why is no one focusing on the fact that 'Merin' isn't your name? My brother's, the Dukes… everyone just acts as if it is."
Ignes let out a small, melodic laugh. "It's become complicated, hasn't it? I think I'll have to break a few more rules to explain."
He didn't seem bothered. In the high realm, the existence of pure souls is a guarded mystery, but Ignes had always been one to treat divine laws as suggestions. It was, after all, his boredom and tendency to break rules for fun that had landed him in the lower realms to begin with.
He shifted slightly, getting more comfortable in the embrace.
"Listen carefully. All pure souls are born as part of a twin soul pairing."
"But not all twin souls are pure souls. Most are just ordinary spirits."
He continued, his gaze steady. "Like me and my brother. I am the pure soul."
"And you and your brother… neither of you are. You are simply twins of this world."
"You were born at the same time. A natural entry."
"But I… I was born later than my twin. There was a gap that the world couldn't explain."
"That gap exists because we stay in a special place. We were once normal souls, but we stayed behind to be forged into pure soul ."
"The longer we stay in that place, the stronger our essence becomes."
Ignes paused, then laughed lightly, the sound echoing off the stone.
"Come to think of it… pure souls know each other's names instantly. We recognize the frequency. But we never use them here."
He tilted his head slightly. "It's kind of funny, isn't it?"
"It feels like we're hiding secrets from the rest of creation."
"And honestly… I like it. It's fun. I've always preferred the shadows of a secret to the glare of the truth."
Xavier narrowed his eyes. "So all your names are hidden… and you actually enjoy the deception?"
A long pause followed.
"Then you're truly not going to tell anyone your real name. Even if you're already breaking the laws of the high realm just by talking to me like this."
Ignes smiled, a brilliant, ruby-red glint in his eyes. "Yes."
Then he added, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "And it comes with an added benefit."
"The world's logic is overwritten. No one can even perceive that we have first names. Their minds simply fill in the blanks."
"We only use our middle names—like Merin. That is the only handle the world is allowed to grasp."
His red eyes glowed faintly in the shadows.
"Everything else…"
"…stays hidden where it belongs."