DANCING WITH SPIRITS

There's nothing like returning home at the end of a long and tiring day, don't you think? Calmly entering your sanctuary, taking a warm shower, and then resting your weary body with a sound sleep. What a wonderful dream, isn't it? Yes, it's a beautiful dream for you, but it's been exactly 20 years since I stopped dreaming. Your perspective has changed, and I know the question "What is this man talking about?" came to mind before the question "Why?".

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I am Yaman Kırcı, and exactly 20 years ago, I ended my peaceful sleep and my life with the ghost of my brother's deceased fiancée, who sat smiling on my bed. Despite this, my life was overshadowed by lost souls. I made Turkish history, my greatest passion, my profession, and rose to the rank of associate professor at Istanbul University, specializing in ancient Turkish history. This is the story of me and the spirits that are at the center of my life. I am Yaman Kırcı, a spirit shaman from the Central Asian Turks, a spirit who was heralded as a shaman twenty years ago...

...........

As I parked my car at the university, I got out, ignoring the spirit that was walking beside me. With the thought of finishing my classes and sending my spirit off as soon as possible, I began walking towards the main building. My life surrounded by ghosts, a superstition in our modern world, was a grand and important mission for the family my lineage had bestowed upon me.

According to belief, when a human dies, they leave this world in 52 days. Ancient inscriptions say that during these fifty-two days, they observe their family or loved ones, ensure their well-being, and then peacefully move on to the next life. However, in some cases, the deceased stay longer due to unfinished business in this world. Until they find the right person who can see them and fulfill their wishes. These individuals are described in the inscriptions as spirit-seeing shamans, referred to as Ruh-u Revan.

I am a spirit, and for twenty years, I've been guiding and assisting many souls to their next lives. Unfortunately, not every soul's unfinished business is as innocent as the one walking beside me. As I pondered these things, I stopped, put on my Bluetooth headset, and began speaking.

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"Sir, I understand and hear you, but even if I wanted to help, I have a life of my own. With your permission, I'll finish my lesson and then contact your family, okay?"

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"I... I thought you didn't hear me well, son."

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I smiled. The spirit beside me was Hayriye Hanım, a 92-year-old woman who had passed away from a stroke. Tragically, she spent the last five years of her life suffering from a sudden stroke and subsequent Alzheimer's, leaving her unable to explain herself to her two children. She asked me to prepare a document for her daughter, who was doing her best to care for her. Since I didn't answer her after she left home, she assumed I hadn't heard. I had a class until two this afternoon, so I couldn't leave the faculty. I turned to Hayriye Hanım, who was calmly standing next to me.

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"I'll reach your daughter as soon as my class ends at two today, please don't worry."

When Hayriye Hanım nodded with a grateful smile, I turned back and continued on my way. By this time, I had already reached the building where my lesson was held.

Because I didn't like having my lessons interrupted by spirits and had previously experienced difficulties in class, I sprinkled Caspian Sea salt combined with beech sap at the entrance of the lecture hall, making my teaching easier. Frankly, my students initially seemed a bit strange, but I convinced them by saying I was demonstrating rituals in practice to teach about Turkish culture.

Frankly, this suited them well; they were more than happy to enter the class with the feeling that they had traveled to a mystical time and the excitement of seeing the images of an ancient culture. Of course, while performing this ritual, I supplemented it with other rituals to keep the lesson lively and to dispel the effects of my energetic disruptions caused by the spirit salt. After the awkward encounter in front of the lecture hall, I clutched my bag even tighter as I headed into the classroom. My assistant, Tolga, greeted me at the door. While working with someone else was challenging for me, Tolga was a hardworking student who I chose because he made things easy and asked fewer questions. He wanted to stay in the History department, but deep down, I knew his chosen field wasn't my area of expertise.

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"Welcome, Professor. I've completed all the preparations, and I'll dust the entrance before the door closes," he said, smiling and thanking me. I walked to the podium, placed my bag on the table, and began teaching. My course was a very popular one, thanks to both the content and the materials I used to keep it lively. Because even students who hadn't taken my course participated as listeners, I was a valuable instructor to the school. The fact that the course I taught was a part of my life influenced my teaching and my command of the class. As I was packing up my belongings after my lectures, which were filled with wild questions and corny but effective jokes, my assistant, Tolga, came to me.

"Professor, the Dean has assigned you to a seminar tomorrow night. I know you don't like staying in one place, but it turns out you need to stay overnight at the home of a prominent businessman for the seminar."

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"Why?"

"The seminar is very far from the city center, and for security reasons, the businessman's house can only be reached by boat."

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I sighed deeply and, trying to remain calm, turned my gaze to Tolga.

"Why did he make this decision without consulting me? Has there been any explanation?"

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When Tolga bowed his head and spoke in a low but audible voice, I realized I had no choice.

"He said he owes me money. He'll go if he wants to continue at the school."

I let out a heavy sigh. Unfortunately, I knew last year that his difficult spirit would cause me trouble when the time came. However, the circumstances at the time meant I had to risk it, because this spirit had haunted a group of children and needed to be removed immediately. Now I had to face the consequences of the emergency decisions I made back then. I placed my hand on Tolga's shoulder and gently squeezed. I lifted my head and smiled at his embarrassed look before leaving the classroom.

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............

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He stopped by the house, grabbed the clothes he needed for the night and the ritual supplies for a comfortable night, and went to the location Tolga had given me. Our accommodations were larger than a mansion, and transportation was by private ferry. Luckily, this ferry had enough space for vehicles. Unfortunately, while I had hoped for a peaceful visit, I found myself swept up in the chaos.

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Businessman Hayri Parlak had invited a group of experts to present the history of important historical artifacts before an auction. Unfortunately, things didn't go smoothly, and he hadn't heard from his son all day. The castle-like house I'd arrived at was surrounded by the hustle and bustle of police and security personnel, and I waited for my esteemed colleague, Professor Soner, who was trying to get an official update on what was going to happen. Not long after, Soner, with a weary expression, arrived and placed his hand on my shoulder.

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"Yaman, since the situation isn't clear, the plans haven't been canceled, so we're here tonight. But the police will meet with us first." Since there was nothing else to do, we agreed and entered the building. As I entered the building and made my way through the police officers I'd seen everywhere, we were greeted by a rather elegant-looking woman.

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"Good evening, gentlemen. You must be Yaman and Soner, the experts called for the auction."

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Soner nodded to her with a shy smile, and she smiled politely back.

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"I'm Elif Kozan, and I'll be assisting you throughout your stay."

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As Elif continued speaking, my eyes closed and my breathing quickened. My body refused to obey, and a high-pitched giggle filled my ears. ...

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"Darkness, dampness, and a foul stench surrounded me, and a sense of loss overtook my entire body. When I tried to move, my body's refusal to obey me filled me with intense fear. The ragged breathing that filled my ears and a thin ray of light filled my eyes. When I forced my eyes open, I was left breathless by a pair of red eyes staring at me from a dark cloud. The pain that coursed through my body, while those eyes penetrated me, constricted my heart."

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As my body shook, I heard my name, and the red eyes before me closed and vanished into the darkness. As my eyes struggled to open to reality, I struggled to regain my consciousness, breathing raggedly as I struggled to regain my senses. As my vision slowly returned, the first thing I saw was the frightened face of my esteemed colleague, Soner. He should have been frightened, for for the first time in all my years of life and my trial with souls, I had lost myself. When Elif Hanım called out to me, I turned my head to the side and noticed the glass she held out to me with her trembling hands. That's when I realized I had fainted. Supporting myself on the floor, I took the offered glass and drank the water in one breath.

As I rose, helped by the people gathered around us, the uneasiness that came with the realization that this experience wasn't over caused my entire body to tremble.

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"Thank you, I'm better now. Please don't worry."

Even as these words left my mouth, I wasn't. I'd dealt with dark spirits before, but never with one like the one I'd just experienced. This realization unsettled me, and I made a mental note to analyze my experience more thoroughly once I reached a calmer place.

As I walked to the room assigned to me, guided by Elif Hanım, both Soner and Elif Hanım accompanied me with worried expressions. When we arrived, Soner didn't want to leave me alone, but I persuaded him with a calm smile and, taking my bag in his hand, I entered. The dark aura of the room, contrasting with its uniquely modern structure, was immediately palpable. This caused great unease within me, and I quickly opened my bag.

I removed the protective items and poured the salt mixture I'd prepared around the bed before sitting on the bed.

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The entire area, including this room, must have been a vast spirit transition zone. Unable to offer any other explanation for what I was experiencing, I pulled out the book of spirits I always carried. The most accurate way to find some answers was this book my esteemed teacher had entrusted to me. As I quickly flipped through the pages, I skipped some sections because I knew them by heart, having consulted them before.

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The book was a large, three-part book with yellow pages that had been subsequently edited and covered with a protective film. The oldest record was from the Uyghur period, written by a wise shaman whose translation we lost a few months ago. Even though I was fluent in ancient languages, I was grateful for the translation of the Uyghur Old Turkish, which I still struggled to read. As I turned the pages, I heard a shrill cry from the depths. I looked up from my book and saw the walls of the building moving, and I was struck with fear.

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The barrier had been breached, and this wasn't something any spirit could do. I ran my fingers over the pages, trying to concentrate. Yes, I just tried. The screams of pain echoing in my mind slowly intensified, making it impossible to control both my body and my mind. As I pressed my hand harder against the pages of the old book, I was experiencing the pain coursing through my body for the first time. My esteemed teacher's words echoed in my ears.

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"Don't let them take over your body at any cost. You must keep your mind clear and not hesitate to use physical pain if necessary."

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I reached my free hand for the small dagger-shaped necklace around my neck and began to squeeze, closing my fingers so that the sharp end of the necklace rested in my palm. I felt the wetness forming in my hands, but I couldn't focus on the pain. As I clenched my hands even tighter, the room crumbled before my eyes, transforming into layers of Dante's inferno. The words emanating from the muffled voice strained my willpower.

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"This body is too much for you; surrender and be free of the pain."

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The battle with the self, which was struggling to endure this torture deep within my heart, was becoming increasingly difficult. Moreover, the souls whose lives I had touched up until this point weren't something I expected to remember in my final moments. But throughout my life, I had either worked with or guided souls to continue their journeys. While not every soul that remained was good, finding a way for them to finally leave this place gave me peace. The last piece of advice he gave me as I bid farewell to my own teacher was: "Both your soul and your body are entrusted to you. Therefore, never give up the fight. For both are too precious to deserve betrayal." But now, as I struggled to prevent my soul from slowly being torn from my body, I began to feel the weight of not being able to protect the trusts I had been entrusted to me. As I fought with myself and the entity attacking me, the images that began to take shape in the gliding hellscape before me tightened my grip. For the dark soul before me to attain this power, it needed to harness the energy radiated by the hatred of helpless souls. This was information taken from the diary of a Ruh-u Revan, a man who lived during the Ottoman period, in the second chapter of the Book of Souls. But at that time, the Spirit of Resurrection, who had experienced these things, had managed to guide the dark spirit back to its place with the help of other shamans, without being directly attacked.

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Alone, with my will about to crumble, I felt I was nearing the end. As a tear fell from my eye, a small light appeared behind the dark spirit that had begun to take shape with the spirits gathered before me. Then, as I heard my name, I took a deep breath, the breath that filled me half-heartedly, burned my lungs.

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"Don't give up, I'm here."

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With hope budding within me, I focused on the light behind the dark spirit. Now, as I saw the smiling spirits appearing within the image of hell, I realized I wasn't alone. As I began to regain my focus, the pain I felt in my palm, the image of hell slowly began to crumble. And the light behind the spirit I was fighting expanded.

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"NOOO ...

The sharp, agonizing scream I heard shattered the image, leaving only the smiling forms of the disappearing spirits. The room returned to its normal state, and the weight I felt gave way to a serene calm. When all the spirits vanished, all that remained was a human-shaped shaft of light shining on the wall opposite the bed. I rose from the bed and walked toward the light, filled more with curiosity than fear. When I reached it, the human-shaped shaft of light extended its hand to me. I gently grasped its outstretched hand, closing my eyes as it vanished in a sharp glow. When I opened my eyes, I was in a dark, damp, and cold room.

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It was trying to tell me something, and with this realization, I began to examine the room. I noticed a body in the left corner of the completely empty room, and I headed that way. When I bent down on one knee and examined it, I was met with a man with a blood-soaked face.

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"He's alive."

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Hearing the calm, gentle voice, I rose and headed for the shutter-like exit of the building I was in. When I emerged from the shutters, a pungent, sour smell, mixed with the intense sea air of ports, greeted me. When I raised my head, I saw the sign for the ....... Port Authority, which brought me back to my senses. Realizing the building in front of me was a warehouse, I focused on the numbers written on it: "1289." As things began to blur, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes again.

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A few minutes later, when I opened my eyes, the smell of rain filling my nose, I realized I wasn't in my own body this time. The body I was in stopped in front of a hospital door and raised its head.

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" ........... Hospital."

When the body entered, it wasted no time in walking towards the elevators, and I realized it knew this place very well. With a warm feeling mixed with anxiety, I watched the body enter the elevator and press the button for the fourth floor. When the elevator reached its floor, the body exited the cabin and stopped in front of a room with rapid steps. "1049." As the image faded again, I closed my eyes again. Feeling slightly dizzy, I opened my eyes and was back in the room. As I took a deep breath and headed for the bed, the voice I'd heard in the dark warehouse filled my ears again. When I turned back, the bright figure in the corner had disappeared.

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"Sedat Parlak, help me."

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Reaching for my bag and grabbing my phone, I dialed the number of the person I'd met and helped five years ago by chance, the most effective person I'd ever been able to turn to in such situations. The phone answered on the third ring.

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"Yaman, sir, what's up?"

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"Enver, Chief Inspector Sedat Parlak, I know where Hamdi Parlak's son is, who's reported missing."

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After a brief silence, Enver's deep voice reached my ears.

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"Is he alive?"

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"Yes. He's in Warehouse 1289 at the Port, but he's in pretty bad shape. You need to hurry."

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"Thanks, Yaman, good night."

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When Enver hung up, my mind and body reaching their limit, I reached for my bag next to the bed. I grabbed my sweatpants and personal belongings, went to the small bathroom in the room, and took care of my business. As I lay down, I made a mental note to visit the hospital tomorrow. ............

The sweet warmth I felt on my face was the best way to wake up in the spring months. The gentle touches of the warm morning sun caressed my soul as the day began. Unfortunately, these peaceful moments were interrupted by a knock on the door, and I reluctantly rose from my bed. Slowly opening my eyes, I was filled with memories of the unfamiliar room that greeted me and the night before. After stroking my face with my hand, I got out of bed and headed for the door. When I opened it, I was met with Elif Hanım, who was looking at me with concern and alarm.

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"Good morning, Elif Hanım."

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"Good morning, Yaman Bey. Unfortunately, the auction has been postponed. I wanted to let you know about it and also to see how you were."

I smiled and nodded, then asked, "Hayri Bey, has there been any developments regarding his son?" Elif Hanım nodded. Mr. Sedat has been found, but he's not doing very well. The auction has been postponed for this reason. The date will be announced later. Mr. Hayri sincerely apologizes for this situation.

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After thanking Ms. Elif, I closed the door and went to the bathroom. After finishing my business and packing my bag, I had a brief conversation with my colleague, Soner, who stopped me as I was heading to my car. Then I got in my car and drove to the city, to the hospital I'd seen the night before. Upon entering the hospital, I headed for the elevator and pressed the button for the fourth floor. When the elevator reached the floor, I started looking for room 1049. I quickly found the room, and just as I was about to knock, the door opened. A woman in her forties smiled and said, "Welcome, Ruh-u Revan Yaman. We've been waiting for you." She stepped aside and let me in. Besides the patient in the bed, there were three people in the room, two men. One of the men was young, the other middle-aged, and the other woman was quite old. As I approached the bed, I paused at the sight of a figure. At that moment, when the middle-aged gentleman spoke, everything fell into place.

"Welcome, Mr. Yaman. We hadn't expected your visit so soon. This is my son, Ayman. Even though he couldn't answer you, he was waiting for your arrival."

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The body lying on the bed was a 16-year-old albino. Even though he stared unblinkingly at the ceiling with a serene smile on his face, his powerful energy permeated the room. With his pale pink eyes, well-shaped face, and straight white hair, he possessed an innocent beauty. While the presence of this seemingly expressionless young man was soothing, I was also unsettled by the feeling that he could touch my soul. It was a miracle that such a seemingly weak and vulnerable young man could possess such immense power.

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With this realization, I smiled and placed my hand on his snow-white one.

"Thank you, Ayman."

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