CHAPTER 11: INTO YOUR WORLD

Throw all the flowers of chrysanthemum into the coffin 

- Natsume Soeski

There was beauty. There was splendor. The magnificence of a fickle life. Death and Life contrasted each other with such excellence. Life was a force but was death the greater force? For without death, life is naught but without life, death never exists. Then with this, what is their origin? Where did both spring from? Where was life when there was no death and where was death where there was no life? What about my life? What about everything present in it? Are they lies or truth? I have nothing to do but question.

Mirai saw the world through Hyung's eyes. It was a place of wonder. Creatures that could not exist in the real world roamed the skies. Large lions with insect wings flew in the skies and small bipedal ants roamed the ground. Plants grew so tall to brush the heavens and so short to feel the atoms. He looked at the wonderful world that Hyung lived in and was captivated. But, it was exceedingly hot. "I guess he really was the fire devil" he thought as he walked to an open field of beauty.

He was looking for something, a pool of clear water. In there, he could see what was behind this canvas. This world that he saw was just a façade. This was just what ordinary people saw. He saw a path and walked along it to reach a large mass of water. There was no life in it, marking its distinctiveness from the environment around it. It was as clear as glass. "Good" he said and knelt by it. He conjured a knife and cut his thumb. He dipped it into the water and there was a sudden change. The water blasted upwards, turning from transparent to a bright red. The place shook violently and slowly dissipated into a thick mist. Mirai made his hands into a square and looked through it.

"Cross Formation: World View"

A ray of light blasted from his squared hands and blew away the fog to reveal an empty space with one thing overhead. Mirai looked up and noticed it in the sky. "Is that a question mark? What the hell is he thinking about?" he thought at the strange world he had come across.

"Time to do it" he said as he cracked his knuckles. He placed his palm on the ground and his eyes glowed crimson. "The future never speaks, nor will he like the dumb, reveal by sign, a syllable of his profound to come". As he uttered these words, the question mark shattered to the ground into hundreds of pieces. Each one grew into a humanlike body and stood like zombies. They looked at the one who awakened them and rushed towards him. "This is why I hate divination" Mirai thought and clenched his fists for a fight.

He had to destroy all of them till the Future, an entity, showed up. One jumped at him but he kicked its face, turning it to ink. A punch flow and he dodged, returning it with a blow of his own. "POW! POW!" sounded in the empty room as splatters of ink filled the ground. Mirai grabbed one by the face and burst its head on another one of the ink creatures. Mirai huffed and held another one by the arm that tried to attack him. He broke its arm and sent it flying. "I'm fuckin tired of this. Cross Formation: Heavenly Wave" A blast of energy boomed through the space, destroying all the beings except one. "How long does it take for you to show up?" he asked.

The remaining being glitches and took a form that looked extremely similar to Hyung but with hollow eyes. It opened its mouth to speak. "Hello, prophet" it said in a metallic voice. Mirai closed his eyes and spoke to the being within him "It's your time to come out now". He opened his eyes but they no longer had pupils and his voice sounded almost robotic; eerily similar to a machine.

"Future…..How are you?"

"I reckon you came here for information"

"Yes, I did. Now, I'd like to know about this Hyung's future"

"Very well. I shall not withhold it from you"

"Good. What's the cost?"

"Why do you assume there is a price?"

"Isn't there one?"

"Yes. There is"

"What is it?"

Two chairs popped up, directly opposite each other. Future put on its glasses and picked up a pen and paper. Mirai's body sat on the chair. "This looks like a therapy session" it said. "I shall ask you three questions and if you answer to my satisfaction, I'll show you what will happen" Future said. It scribbled some things on the paper and asked its first question

"What is life?"

Mirai shifted and sat upright. "Life?" "Yes. What is life? In simpler terms, what do you think life is?" "I think life is just a passage of time. I view it as you being able to experience the flow of time from all perspectives" "Interesting. Please elaborate further" Mirai sighed and spoke again "I've answered to the best of my ability". Future took a note down and asked again

"What is your reason for existing?"

"To protect this body from Time" the voice said with absolute conviction. "Do you really think you can protect yourself from Time? You cannot do that. It is a futile attempt". Mirai's body stood and cracks appeared on the empty space. Future chuckled to itself and said "Do not try to go against me" and tried to bring Mirai down with a massive force. The empty space showed signs of breaking but no cracks appeared. Mirai's body advanced forward and its steps broke the plane. Future was overwhelmed with the pressure that emanated from the body. The abstract space shuddered and mighty cracks spread. "I'm tired of your questions. Show me what happens to this world immediately". Future stood despite the force that it was being pushed down with. However, it knew it couldn't go against this powerful being. It hadn't expected a force this powerful to be present in such an insignificant human. "I cannot do that. It is against the rules Time set for me" it pleaded. Mirai's body advanced further and looked over the entity.

"You will do as I tell you. As soon as the prophet comes back, I want to see the future of this world"

"I will do as you say" it responded as it bowed to Mirai. Mirai's pupils came back and Future stood like nothing happened. "I believe you know what you have to do" Mirai said. Future stretched forth its hands and tore into the space to reveal a hole of pitch darkness. "Step into it. The place has the answers you are looking for. I hope you will be successful in your approach" it said. Mirai walked into the hole which closed as soon as he entered it. The space was left empty and Future sat on its chair.

"How could that being dwell in a human? Could it fight Time? What is its true purpose? How does it exist?" it asked itself, questioning the existence of all things. That was the Future's will. To ask why things become like this. It questioned everything...including itself.