(Psionics: it is a collective term used to describe supernatural powers like clairsentience, energy manipulation, etc. it is a branch separate from magick. Practitioners of psionics are known as psions.)

From hearing my numerous philosophical quotes - for that is what they are called by people – it should not be taken that I prefer to present the dark as the sole good and light as the worst evil. In fact, if I do so, I shall be no different from those who present it the other way round. No, I am not a missionary of the dark, and I do not think I will ever pursue the job.

The sole purpose of my explanations is to break the general stereotype that regards light superior and the dark, supernatural.

The reality, in fact, is that ‘Good and Evil’ and ‘Dark and Light’ are two classifications that are very much independent of each other. In a cross cutting behavior, what is good can be dark or light alike.

While the former is based on preference of ideology and actions, the latter is based upon affinity and tolerance to light, which is a simply, in terms of biology, a case of divergent evolution.

Species which evolved to gain affinity to light have no survival advantage over those who gained affinity to absence of light, since the time of day and night are almost equal in the realm of earth.

Physicians have proved, though hypothetically, the existence of parallel dimensions.

One possibility is that the beings designed for the dark, most of them, set on to live in a realm that was separate from the Earth. So where is the evidence that these beings do not exist? Hypothetically, and based on the events of inter dimensional breaches (via the passage of a human’s body) in a trend called “possession”, the existence of beings we regard to as “supernatural” – the very name given to them defying their existence – has been proved.

Why then do we, influenced to a supreme extent by contemporary human science, still fail to acknowledge the existence of such creatures, even when clear evidences lie before us?

Are we so blinded by the illusion of majesty and superiority that lingers around us?

I dare say that we are very much afraid, as a species, to lose our sobriquet of “most advanced” – for if creatures similar to - or even superior to us - are found, we shall no longer hold our rights and powers as we have them now will no longer exist.

But truth be shown, our actions – our unwillingness to initiate contact with them – merely prove our cowardice to those of other realms.

That is the sole reason why the evil among them continue to haunt us.

For we are, and shall ever remain, afraid of losing our false throne of superiority to someone who is more apt for the same position.

I shall prefer not to indulge deeper into the topic, for I might end up insulting all of my kind, which is not my objective right now.

I have been asked to narrate all the remarkable incidents that have occurred in my life till now, in a chronological order, hence that is what I shall pursue first, resting my ventures into numerous other realms for a while.

I here am going to narrate the sole incident that I have not witnessed myself, but is completely based upon a conversation between my mother and elder sister that I accidentally overheard.

Though I do not, and cannot, guarantee its happening, I cannot disregard it entirely as well.

I do not know if you will find this part a little more than dull and boring (for I may not be able to use my extensive arsenal of literary tricks here…), but it indeed is necessary to narrate this one incident, for without it my never ending story can never start.”

“Okay. So what is this incident?” asks Sania.

“I guess it would be most appropriate to call it(what I hypothesize it to be) ‘my origin’.”

“Whoa! You never disclosed your origins before!” recites Bhavna.

“This story is undisclosed, untold. The reason being that I myself doubt its truthfulness. It is a mere adaptation…”

“Why do you doubt it so much?”

“Well, although I am not one of those who seek to prove witnessed things by application of science and reasoning amongst blurred logic, I personally refrain from believing in something until I witness it. Besides, I doubt that after hearing this twisted, folklore-sort-of-an-incident, your belief will stay with me.”

“Well. That’s for us to decide, I suppose.” Said Bhavna, who was red from the effects of impatience and anger.

Volunteering to make a project for The Social Science Exhibition had its own buffs, one of them being the most enjoyable “official bunk” – we could bunk classes the whole day by the permission of the Principal, sit here in the yoga room nearly isolated from the rest of the school, and pretend to be working on our project.

So we were seated in a circle inside the yoga room, which lacked any chairs - so we had to work sitting on the ground, which was never a problem since we could even take a nap here, and nobody ever came to check.

“Indeed.” With that, I moved on to fulfill the pre – requisite condition for understanding the story.

“I suppose you are not familiar with the term ‘DRISHGARBHIKA?’”

“DRISHA – what?”

“No game of the given name.” rhymes Shubham.

I sighed. “Very well.

Drishgarbhikas – creatures of the dark that quite easily open breaches via <possession>.

These creatures possess the unique ability to transfer an underdeveloped embryo from one womb to another. They can be summoned by humans, in return for a little reward…”

“And what is that?”

“One fourth of the summoner’s remaining life span, and the whole life of the original mother of the embryo.

There have been a lot of tales of conflicts between a Drishgarbhika and a human, especially where I was born (Jorhat, Assam) – though they use a different term for the species.

I do not know to what extent these stories are true, and I do not want you to blindly believe in what may later prove to be merely a general stereotype. But I can at least say this much – Drishgarbhikas, with all their properties, truly exist, and so do their summoners.”

“Ok. Now don’t tell me –“

“You guessed it. Indeed, I have been one of her victims.”

“how so?”

I glanced at their faces, lines of fading belief already eminent on them. Taking a deep breath, I then began –

“the tale is of the time when my soul had just potted this specific body of high potential – merely a fraction of what it is now, and preparing to bloom out its budding existence.

Dad was out of the city, my mom, an insignificant me, and my sister the only ones at house – out of which the latter was busy studying 6 hours a day, a little too much for her age (which equated to her study hours). I was a mere 2 months old embryo then.

So, to provide my mom with a little company, a pack of friends joined her. My mother welcomed them all with glee, and with my sister immersed in her books, there was nobody who dared hinder the chitchats that prevailed –“

“so, the summoner was one of your mother’s friends?” confirmed Sania.

“you guessed it.” As I had mentioned, the story was very much predictable. “ though not one of mom’s friends, she had dragged along with one of them. Not to mention that she was an infamous practitioner of dark magick –“

“I thought you said dark wasn’t evil?”

“I said ‘all dark wasn’t evil’. In the same way as all light is not good.

Generally, the meeting of a light soul with an entity of the dark can reap catastrophic results, if the will or intentions of either party is even slightly disoriented. If one of the intentions is evil, no matter the result, the path taken to accomplish the result shall always cause damage and destruction.

Some exceptions do exist, such as I – who pursued the dark to attain love and adventures. So I’m –“

“ok. we can come to that later, but tell me –“

“please continue the story.” An impatient Bhavna shoulders her shut instinctively.

As of comparing the three, it is always Sania who is eager to know the details, with questions unasked. In fact, the best part about narrating my stories to friends is that their questions allow me to dig deeper, find bigger meanings to what is happening to me.

Bhavna, on the other hand, is always eager that I finish my stories, and I must say, her interest is quite unparalleled.

Shubham is usually interested in installing game references in between the conversations.

Presently I resumed my narration, so as to not upset my audience.

“so – as I told you, it is more or less a cliché here – the summoner showed signs of weakness and asked for a brief rest. She was readily provided with a room – medical reports declared her anemic, and the general verdict was that the fuss of the chitchats might’ve got to her.

Minutes later my sister appeared on the scene, declaring that she could hear auntie’s feeble voice demanding a cup of water.

My mother, quite reluctant to cease the flow of an endless conversation, asked my sister to fulfill the woman’s request.

Well, I beg your forgiveness for the pause in my story, but here I would like to provide you with a brief description of my elder sister.”

“Sure, go ahead.” Approves Bhavna.

“A girl of medium height, healthy body and standard intelligence, she is a firm believer of –“

“Supernatural?” guessed Sania.

“- science.” I finish.

“Wait, what?”

“Indeed, unlike most of the girls her age, she is not subject to hysterics. Quite the reason she resented being in Assam, a state where believers of so called ‘superstitions’ are ample, and paranormal activities are high..

Currently engaged in her MBBS, she never believes what I have to tell. I must say that she is one of those humans that I resent.

But I do love her, and I love my family. Yeah, that’s right.” I hit my head.

I prefer to often switch my tone from deep, philosophical to that of a crazy, confused lad. It is this idiotic behavior that allows me to keep the audience lit, while my own provoking emotions of varying tastes are repressed.

“ so, when she witnessed the hideously deformed figure of the lady, she found nothing so out-of-the-ordinary to scream. Aunty was sick, she had been told so, and nothing else ever bothered her as she approached the witch.

And oh, what devilish form she had taken!

Her skin reeked, utterly rotten, her pupil – less, blood-shot eyes sulking out. One could spot the major veins running through her translucent, thin skin, as if impaled on it. All the hair on her body white as milk, her body shivering with lightning speed.

The cup flung into the air and smashed with the ceiling, bathing the lady with beads of water. Raising a shaky finger with all the force she could muster, said in her calm, ghostly voice – “call her.”

Jumping and dancing, not afraid in the slightest, my jolly sister narrated the scene to my mother.

The ladies, natives of Assam, understood the situation almost instantly. Mom and sister were asked to empty the house and go into the neighborhood, which they readily did on demand of their trusted friends.

Hours later, they were assured entry into the house, and were merely told that the lady, a little too sick, had to be admitted into the hospital. But what none of them realized at the second, was that the Drishgarbhika had already secured entry into the house –“

The bell rang; startling quite all of us, for suddenly the mood had begun to turn tense.

12: 30. It was time to part, for now.

“well, we can surely hear the rest tomorrow.”

“no… as a matter of fact, I failed to hear what happened after this. But all I know is that somehow my family dealt with the being. How, I do not know.”

“then how do you know it is the origin of your powers.”

“I don’t. It’s a hypothesis.”

“so, tomorrow, will we start by your first venture to the dark realm last year?”

“indeed.” I picked up my bag.

“before we part, a question,” stops Sania. “how exactly do you define possession?”

I thought over it for a slight moment.

“as I’ve said before, souls travel between realms via inter dimensional breaches, which can only be opened inside the subconscious of a physical, materialistic body. In this process, if a problem occurs due to which the soul cannot get out of the body, it gets trapped between the breach and the realm, this state is possession.”

“so, exorcists are basically troubleshooters?”

“exactly.”

“and-“

“that’s enough questions for today, Sania.” Interrupted Bhavna.

I prepared to leave.

“so, goodbye.” I waved my hand and we exchanged the response.

I smiled uncomfortably. For the first time I had lied to my most trusted friends in this realm.

For the origin and source of my power wasn’t a Drishgarbhika.

It was a Devil.