Several immense headaches abruptly woke him from his sleep.

“Did I die?” he thought as he squinted his eyes, not yet accustomed to the intense light. His memories were blurred, some familiar to him and some alien. They were the complete opposite.

One part of the memories were of the life he remembered. The life of Ren Taar, son of Narreth Taar, the Patriarch of the Dancing Sword Temple, the greatest Follower in the world.

The other part of the memories were… different. New. He was still Ren Taar, but this time he was the son of Gunuld Taar, chief of a city split between three rivalling families families.

“REN, CAN YOU HEAR ME?” A booming male voice erupted near him, loud enough to shake him from his thoughts.

“Calm down, dear. He just woke up.” This voice was much more soothing and calming than the previous. He could imagine falling back asleep to that voice. Suddenly, something touched him. “Are those hands?” He wondered. Whether they were hands or not wasn’t really important. What was important was the fact that they were cold. Very cold. He sat up with a scream, trying to move away from the cold hands that invaded him.

“Ahhh that woke him up.” The same booming male voice came and this time he could put a face to the voice. The man was one of the largest men Ren had ever seen, with a smile wider than a river and stubble evident on his chin. Wild, unkempt hair waved over his eyes, but the excitement and relief still shone through.

“Ugh, such a brute. Move your unwashed hands away from him, or he might catch something.” The soft angelic voice was closer now, on the other side. Ren turned to look at her and was shocked. Her face matched her voice, for she looked like an angel, face radiant as the sun. Long onyx-black hair flowed serenely down to her waist and her smile told a story of affection. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, in both lives he remembered.

The cold grasp released him and he felt warmth flood through him. He slouched back into the comfortable sheets of his bed with a smile on his face, content.

“Hmm, you looked parched. I’ll go get you some water.” His father’s gruff voice said as he stood up and walked towards an expertly carved desk. Sprawled across the desk was over a dozen opened books, a jug filled with crystal-clear water, and a mirror massive enough to reach the high ceiling of his giant room.

This was the first time he had seen himself in a mirror since before the crater. He looked… different. Not much, but it was clear: Short pitch black hair now adorned his head and his eyes glowed an enchanting black. He also looked younger. Previously, he had been 11, almost 12, eagerly waiting to finally create his Path. Now, he looked 8, so very far away from where he once was.

Several immense headaches abruptly broke through his thoughts. He screamed, loud enough to wake a sleeping Beast. As soon as he began screening, the smiles vanished from his parents' faces, replaced with fear and confusion. Despite this, they acted far quicker than Ren would’ve thought possible.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“Gunuld! Get that Mind potion from the treasury!” His mother screeched as she half blurred to his side, holding his head gently. Ren‘s father was out of the room quicker than a flash. The cup he held lay shattered on the floor, water spilling out of it freely.

Ren’s sight flashed white and red, tearing his mind apart, the agonising pain worse than anything he had ever felt. Seconds turned into minutes as he struggled to stay conscious. Every time he felt like he was about to give in, a sudden warmth flowed through his body, soothing his psyche and giving him reprieve from his nightmare. It must have been his mother doing something to keep him sane.

Somehow, after what felt like hours, a sense of serenity rushed through his mind and he titled his head back to fall onto the pillow. “No no, drink all of it.” His father’s surprisingly calm voice spoke near his ear. Ren listened, and as he felt more of the strange liquid flowing through him, he sensed the pain lessening. As his eyesight cleared up, he saw both his parents looking down at him, worry and dread filling their faces. When they saw him open his eyes, relief and joy replaced the fear.

He also noticed a weird symbol at the corner of his vision, flashing white and red. It gave off the same sense of pain that had consumed his mind, only much more tamed. Instead of demanding attention, it invited him, offering things beyond his wildest dreams.

His mother reached towards him, holding her arms out wide in an attempt to hug him. She stopped before she could embrace him, shock evident on her soft face. Taking several steps back, she glanced at her husband, the only person in the village stronger than her. He had reached the Peak Soul Foundation Stage, barely a half step away from becoming a Lord. The only thing holding him back from truly stepping onto the Path of Cultivation and becoming a true Follower was his Dao, still stuck at the Great Stage. He tried to put on a look of strength and confidence, but she knew him. She saw the confused look that consumed his face. She noticed the shaking in his hands. She saw the fear in his eyes as he tried to think of the consequences of what was happening to his son.

After almost a minute of silence, he closed his eyes, hands gripping into a fist, turning a pale white. He opened them and looked at his son, blind to what he had just brought down upon their entire village... their entire world.

His face darkened as she turned towards his wife. “This does not leave the room.” He commanded, pushing all of his will to block off the room, trying to hide the events of the past few minutes.

*****

Unbeknownst to what was going on outside, Ren found himself on an island surrounded by a multi-coloured mist. It wasn’t very big, around a mile in circumference, but it felt infinite to him. It felt peaceful. That was until a red and white flashing light appeared in the sky, drowsing everything in its radiance. Ren shielded his eyes with his hand as he scoured the island around him

In the middle of the island was a small hill, the only high point on the otherwise flat island. At the top of the hill stood a large, snow-white sphere. It looked familiar, but he could not remember where he had seen it. He felt drawn towards it, as if it was calling him. Approaching the top of the hill, he looked back and stared at the mist. It felt uncomfortable, like something was staring back at him. He squinted his eyes, trying to see through it. As if scared, the mist retreated, revealing more of the flat island. Shaking his head at the foolish thought, he turned around and continued his trance-like walk up the hill.

As he reached the summit, the sphere seemed to glow more, as if it was happy to see him. If he hadn’t been in a trance that pushed him towards the weird sphere, he would’ve stumbled under the pressure it exuded. Lifting his arms up, he placed his palms on the sphere and pushed.

Instantly, the red and white flashing light in the sky stopped.

Energy detected...

Soul Garden found...

System Initialising.