One who will become Sage

In the midst of a scorching summer, the merciless sun loomed overhead, its blazing rays searing the barren landscape.

A man, clad in tattered garments, trudged through the blistering heat, each step a battle against the scalding sand that threatened to engulf his weary feet. His body, drained of vitality, struggled to defy the oppressive weight of exhaustion.

With desperate eyes, he scanned the desolate surroundings, a vast expanse of unforgiving sand stretching as far as the eye could see. It seemed to mock him, mirroring the shimmering heat waves that danced tauntingly in the air.

A relentless thirst ravaged his throat, a cruel reminder of his dehydrated state. He reached for his water pouch, clinging to the faintest glimmer of hope, only to discover that a mere two drops remained.

Collapsed on his knees, his voice shattered the silence, echoing across the desolation,

"Why?

Why must I endure such unyielding suffering?

What sins have I committed to bear this burden?"

His pleas reverberated through the emptiness, swallowed by an uncaring void. The scorching sun, as if mocking his torment, intensified its assault, turning his skin into a furnace of agony.

As his weakened body succumbed to the merciless heat, he lay sprawled on the scorching sand, his spirit teetering on the precipice of surrender. Desperation etched across his face, he murmured, "What a pitiful existence."

Time stretched on, the oppressive sun gradually surrendering its dominance to the encroaching darkness. It was then, in the fading light, that he caught sight of a faint glimmer of hope on the horizon—an enigmatic cave, an oasis amidst the arid wasteland.

Summoning the last vestiges of his strength, he willed himself to rise, his trembling limbs propelling him forward with a desperate urgency.

Drawing closer, the mysterious silhouette of a shadow loomed within the cavern's depths, shrouded in an aura of both trepidation and fascination. Fear gripped his heart, urging him to turn back, yet an indescribable curiosity entwined with his trepidation, compelling him to confront the enigmatic figure.

Face-to-face with the spectral presence, his entire being quivered, his hopes and fears mingling in a symphony of anticipation.

Struggling to maintain his footing, he yearned to escape the all-encompassing gaze of the shadow. But in his weakened state, he came to a profound realization—he could no longer elude the challenges that fate had thrust upon him. And so, with a resolute breath, he steeled himself for the inevitable.

With an almost ethereal presence, the shadow revealed a fleeting semblance of a smile—a gesture that held both solace and enigma.

"Enter," the shadow's voice echoed, its words laden with mysteries yet to unfold.