Kindle

"Where is this place?"

"Where am I?"

Kyren could not recognize his surroundings, yet instead of a sense of crisis, there was admiration of the scenery, like a visitor coming to sightsee.

"I don't remember smoking anything," he thought, finding the relaxing, content sensation familiar.

"Or did I?" he doubted, failing to recall the recent memory, his thoughts were dull, slow, scattered. It was hard to focus.

"What was I doing?" There was a sense of loss, a vague feeling of urgency that could not be pinpointed with details.

Kyren took a step, feeling the soft grass under his feet. Where were his shoes? Well, no matter. A ray of sunlight pierced through the foliage of green leaves and landed on his face. The boy squinted, lifting his hand to block the mischievous ray.

He rubbed his arm. It was a bit chilly. The air had the faint smell of grass and musk.

After a few minutes, the boy exited the forest and reached an expanse of green grass. He looked up. Lazy strands of clouds floated on the high, blue sky. The sun hid its face behind one large fluffy blanket. The wind played with the short blades of grass and caressed the tiny pedals on wild flowers, making a soothing rustle. An ancient tree stood on a small hill, leaning to one side. The trunk seemed to require at least ten people to form a circle around. The branches concentrated on the crown, its foliage casted a shadow large enough to cover the small cabin underneath along with a small plot of garden.

Kyren made his way to the wooden cabin and knocked on the door. The wooden door was pushed in at his knuckle. Unaware of his rude action, he pushed the door and walked in.

The interior was simple, consisting of only a table at the center with a chair at each end, a fireplace on the left with an iron cast kettle hung above, a rocking chair further inside the large room facing the window that looked out at the forest. One of the chairs was occupied. From his position, Kyren could only see the side profile of a woman, blocked by the long silver hair flowing down her chest. She wore a white nightgown, her shoulders cloaked by a red scarf. The exposed skin on her ankles and hands were pale. Her bony fingers lifted the teacup and put it on her blue, cracked lips. Another tea cup was set at the other end of the table.

Kyren walked forwards and took a seat on the unoccupied chair. His palms covered the teacup to absorb some of its warmth. He took a sip. Bitter on the tongue but sweet aftertaste. There was a distinct fragrance of an unfamiliar flower.

"How is it?" a weak voice asked, coming from the host.

"Do you have some milk around?" Kyren answered as his tongue licked a few clear drops off his lips.

The woman waved her thin arm, a wooden jug floated over to the boy, filled with white milk. Kyren poured a bit into his cup, taking the spoon on the side to stir. The clear green liquid turned thick. He took another sip, then proceeded to down the cup in one breath.

"Would you like another?" the woman offered.

"Yes, please," Kyren replied the moment he put the teacup down.

The teapot moved by itself through the air and filled up his cup. Kyren poured in milk, stirred, then drank it all within seconds.

"I'm full," he patted his belly.

"How about some cake then?" her voice sounded again, so weak it could be drowned by a passing wind.

Two dishes, forks, a knife and a pie materialized on the table. The knife cut two slices and served them to the two diners by itself. Kyren picked up the fork, took a chunk of the slice and put it in his mouth. It was soft, fluffy, sweet, melting in his mouth. There was a fragrance of a flower, different from one in the tea.

The boy soon devoured the slice of pie, then wiped his mouth.

"Thank you for the food and drink. They were delicious," said the boy as he raised his line of sight to look at the woman.

"A beauty," was his first thought.

Her eyebrows were delicate above a pair of crimson eyes. The small, high nose sat at the center of her slim face. Her lips were of the perfect shape, half open, drawing a heart throbbing urge from within onlookers. Yet, the woman did not seem to be in her good health. Her skin was pale, her high cheekbones protruded. The seductive lips lost a bit of its charm due to their blue, dried up state. Heavy bags blackened the under of her eyes.

"Is this your house? Doesn't seem like there's much going on here," he asked, looking around, seeing that the cabin lacked many necessities.

"This is where I live," the woman replied, her eyes had not left the sight of the boy since the moment he sat down opposite of her.

"A sick person shouldn't be living alone in a rundown shack like this," his lips pursed, then he came up with an idea, "Why don't you come to live with me? I'm dirt poor, so there's not much going on in my house either, but it's better than here. There's pots and pans, a cooker so you can have rice everyday, a wardrobe, a mattress, a fan, some dishes. It won't be a problem for two people to share the house."

The woman looked at the boy with an unchanging expression, but her pupils trembled. She then nodded, "I will consider your offer."

Kyren smiled, "Great. Then is there anything you need help with? I need to pay back for the tea and the pie," he raised his arm and tapped on his bicep.

The woman shook her head, "You have already done me a great favor. You have released me from my eternal prison. It is I who should be showing my gratitude."

Her voice turned solemn, though Kyren, not being in his right mind, could not tell the difference, "Tell me, what do you desire?"

The boy scratched his head, looking at the woman with a confused gaze, "I don't recall doing anything like that, but okay. Actually, I do need some help. I don't remember it right now, but I've got a feeling that there's something I need to do. Can you help with that?"

She nodded without hesitation, "I understand. Then when the time comes, I will come for your aid."

"Awsome," the boy clapped his hands while smiling, then his mouth opened wide into a yawn, "Do you mind if I take a nap? I'm a bit...sleepy."

Then, Kyren collapsed on the table. His back rose and fell with every steady breath, loud snores soon were heard.

"Indeed, it is time for you to leave. We will soon meet again," the woman stood up, walked over and put her hand on the boy. His body turned blurry and wavy, colors became milky white as the boy rose up in the air and dissipated like smoke. Standing alone in the empty wooden cabin, the woman spread out her palm. An ember, small, weak, trembling like a newborn chick, flew out from the fireplace and landed on her hand.

She walked out of the door, stood in the shadow of the giant tree. Her gaze took in the scenery around. The grassfield that knew no end, the forest that had no exit, the sun that never set, the wind that never stopped whispering, as if constantly making fun of the pitiful fate of a once all-powerful entity. At the center of this picturesque prison was the ancient tree, the embodiment of the Seal of Unending Fate.

The woman took a deep breath. The air smelled the same, yet the feeling was different. Freedom. The person was no longer chained.

How long had passed in the outside world?

A few years? It could be a hundred, or a thousand. She had lost her sense of time long ago.

Her hand raised. The ember exploded into a raging fire. The wind howled, the ancient shook and the forest wailed. The sky turned dark as black clouds flooded in. Droplets of water plunged into the ground, then came the downpour.

Amidst the storm, the fire was still burning. The red flame wavered in the wind, flickered every time touched by the rain, yet it refused to recede. The fire reached higher and higher until it touched the highest branches of the ancient tree.

"Useless," the woman smiled.

As her fingers flicked, the fire flew towards the hard trunk pillaring the sky. Like a beast of gluttony, it devoured the barks, turning them pitch black, then crawled up to the foliage. A ferocious light brightened the area as the giant tree was swallowed by the flame. Dried and empty branches fell on the ground one by one.

The ancient vitality was scorched and burnt to ash. The field of green turned into a barren land. The forest withered as all trees shed their leaves, their bodies turned black. The rain ceased, revealing a grey sky, devoid of any celestial bodies. In the dead world, only the fire in her eyes burnt bright.

The woman turned her back and walked towards the forest. The red cloak was carried away by the wind. The white nightgown was dyed red, turning into a long dress.

Faces flashed through her mind. An old man in a grand ammor carrying a great sword. Her murderer. A man of authority sitting on a golden throne. Her enemy. The disciples of the reincarnation cycle, master of the seal of a thousand coffins. Her bane. And finally, the foolish smile of a boy, stripped of all masks, calculations and left with only the purest desires, who invited her to live with him.

At the wave of her hand, the dress seeped into the ground, thin red lines like blood vessels soon covered the ground, the trees, sky, clouds, the cabin. Everything was swallowed a sea of blood.