Acceptance. A simple word. Yet, behind that simplicity, lay a story. A word that evades those who seek it most desperately. The final stage of grief.

To say that Xander had resolved the doubts in his heart, to say that Xander had gotten over the death of his father, the disappearance of his mother, or the betrayal of his lover, would be a lie. To say that he had no grievance over the mysteries behind his identity, would be a lie.

But he could accept it. Acceptance did not mean that one did not feel sorrow. Acceptance did not mean that one did not feel anger. Acceptance did not equate to a denial of the past.

To accept was to acknowledge the nature of reality. To accept was to acknowledge the nature of reality, and hold power over it.

The law of the world attacked.

Xander could accept it.

=======================

The law of the world could not attack Xander. But ultimately, the difference between the law of the world and a mortal human was simply too vast. The law of the world was an existence as old as time itself, and had long calculated the limitations imposed upon it, and the loopholes within that it could exploit in furtherance of its own purposes. A price must be paid. A significant price.

The law of the world would not attack Xander. Instead, it would enlighten him, for a mortal could not bear the weight of even the most minor of laws. His body would implode, his mind collapse and his soul, disperse.

Such was the price of defying heavenly fate.

======================

Xander had braced himself. Yet, little he did could prepare him for the torrent of multi-coloured fog that attacked him from all directions, simultaneously.

He stood, motionlessly, in the centre of the multi-coloured fog. Eyes shut, body relaxed, expression serene, it was as if Xander existed in the resonance with the world. His ethereal body lay there, but his mind existed elsewhere.

He saw a vision. Instinctively, perhaps with the assistance of the will, he understood what the law of the world had done. No, the law of the world had a name. Heaven. Heavenly Dao. His tormentor had chosen not to attack him, but instead enlighten him. How ironic. How… absurd. How amusing?

It was a minor law.

The law of the raindrop.

A lush landscape lay below him, it’s vibrant greenery overwhelming Xander for a second. Grey clouds covered the skies above him, the first drops of rain condensing within.

Time passed, and the first drops of rain hit the ground, the pitter patter of rain forming a gentle melody of nature. The next moment, he was a drop of rain.

Xander had never sky dived back on Earth. But he would bet it felt something akin to what he was feeling now. A small raindrop falling from the heavens towards the earth. If Xander had a mouth, he would scream out loud in abject terror. He was miniscule compared to the vast earth beneath him, the dark clouds above him, or the mighty thunder that all living beings feared. He flew where the wind took him, without any control over destiny.

The ground neared. Perhaps only a second would have passed in reality, but for Xander, it felt like an eternity. The landscape around him was blurry, his speed too fast for his own good. The ground was now barely a few meters away from smashing into the ground. The terror of death came regardless of his resolve, determination or will. He was going to die, and there was nothing he could do to change the outcome.

The next moment, he smashed down on top of a… flower? The pain he was bracing for did not come. His consciousness… was surprisingly, intact?

He lay atop the flower petal, which was like a small plain of soft, white ground from its perspective. His body in fragments, yet his will whole.

A day passed, and his liquid body existed no longer. Yet, his will was intact. He was now a part of the flower.

Xander shuddered in realization. He had… comprehended? Was that the correct word? He was unsure, but that was the first thing that came to mind. He had comprehended a small part of the law of the raindrop.

It could not be destroyed. Only changed. From one form, to the next. It was eternal. It was soft, supple. It was gentle, kind. It nourished life, without regard for its own existence. It could die temporarily, but it would not be destroyed. One day, it would return to its original form, and repeat the cycle. Such kindness, such sacrifice. But there was something more, something….

Xander’s original ethereal body shuddered, and he abruptly opened his eyes and screamed out loud. Small, light cracks started appearing around his ethereal body. He knew it was a trap, yet he could not resist it. It was as if knowledge had been forcefully inserted into his mind, and try as he might, he could not force it out.

“ENOUGH!” A voice that seemed to distort the laws of the world that assailed Xander’s senses boomed out, and the void itself seem to shatter at the beckoning of that ancient voice.

======================

The multi-coloured fog that had engulfed Xander started oscillating widely in all directions, almost as if… for a change, it was the one that was being invaded by a foreign entity. A mere instant later, the multi-coloured fog dispersed in all directions, distancing itself from Xander as if he were the entity that was responsible for the corruption.

But it was too late.

The multi-coloured fog let out a heart wrenching sound as a small portion of it was forcibly suctioned towards a singular point, one that was situated directly in front of Xander. At first it was like a trickle, but then it transitioned into a powerful torrent of the multi-coloured fog, or rather, heavenly dao.

A vague shape took form in the centre of the esoteric energies that were the foundation of the world, but as the minutes passed the outline grew more defined, what was once ethereal started to coagulate into the physical.

Time passed, and was eventually clear that the outline belonged to that of a man, though the facial features were still blurry. The man/entity’s hold over the heavenly dao seemed to weaken as his form grew to completion, and with one last surge, it ended.

Multi-coloured light enveloped the man, and a divine hymn that was in resonance with the world sounded out in the background, to indicate the descent of a celestial being.

His eyes were a shimmering silver, irises that seemed to light up the darkness of the void. His hair, long, flowing, black strands that were the equal, perfect length, lay at rest. His face, blemish less, untainted, flawless. A defined jawline, a shapely nose that gave the impression of a kind, cheerful man, and bright red lips that were upturned in a slight smile. Dressed in flowing multi-coloured robes that constantly fluctuated in colour, sound and smell, it was as if this man stood atop the world, this world and all the rest.

Attractive was not a term fit for this man. For if one were to look directly at him, they would see nothing. He was at harmony with the world, to the point where it was nigh impossible to distinguish him from it. Even if they could see his true face, perhaps eeriness was all they would feel. For his face was too perfect, like a true divinity if one existed - to be admired from afar perhaps, but never to be desired.

His right hand moved, and the world moved with him. Or so it seemed. He placed his palm atop Xander’s head, a slight burst of green radiance erupted from within, gently enveloping Xander’s soul.

The cracks repaired themselves with frightening speed, and Xander opened his eyes the next moment. And let out a crazed scream.

======================

Xander, hunched over, hands on knees, panted out loud despite the lack of organs or a human body, imaginary sweat running down his forehead. Having his soul sundered, even though it only lasted a very short while, was an experience he would never, ever wish to repeat.

It was almost as if two giant hands held a firm grip on his forehead, and then tried to rip him in half. Before he could mull over the details of the pain, a hand clasped him from behind. Logically, Xander should be scared, but all he had was a feeling that…. everything was going to be fine. He had made it. He had survived.

Xander slowly turned around, to face a being that felt intimately close to his own self. Where others would see dazzling eyes like the radiance of the moon, he saw a glimmer of mischievousness that could not be denied. Where others saw a face too perfect to exist, he saw a frivolous carefreeness that contained a slight hint of pride that could not be refuted. As for the multi-coloured robe that kept cycling between colours…. For once, Xander was speechless.

“It is a pleasure to finally meet you, little Xander,” the robed immortal could no longer deny himself a wide grin that he was trying to suppress, his eyes expressing what was quite unmistakably, glee.

Xander’s expression cycled through a variety of emotions, from the initial gratitude, towards his saviour, and the relief, that accompanied it, to confusion, conflict, determination, resolve, and finally…. Anger.

“You may or may not be me. But I am not you,” Xander spoke, with resilience and determination that for once, did not belong to the will. It purely belonged to the human, Xander Davis. And he would rather break before he would relent on this matter.

“I am sorry, little Xander,” The immortal spoke, and the sorrow that lay in his eyes was incredibly honest, enough to even make the heavenly dao shudder. The next moment, an immortal that would neither bow to the heavenly dao nor any other being in existence, bowed to Xander in apology, his waist completely bent without any regard for his own pride. For the only man that could make him bow, was himself.

“Was there meaning behind it all?” Xander asked, his voice raspy, and his tone hollow. He could scream, he could shout, he could curse the man in front of him, but…. he just cried. Sorrow was an emotion, and in this state he could still feel. He now saw another emotion within the bowing man’s eyes, one that seemed intimately acquainted with him. And Xander Davis… a man who had been given life because of the man bowing down to him, Xander Davis, who had lost everything in this life because of the man bowing down to him in apology, now cried… for him.

For the man in front of him was just so… pitiful. His suffering… was not something Xander could comprehend, for the world itself seemed to weep along side him. A man who was powerful enough to force the heavenly dao to its current laughable state, a man who dared to drape the law of the world around him as a mere garment, had gone through so much suffering, so much pain, so much loss.

“Behind the greatest of mysteries, often lies the simplest of answers,” The immortal said as he stopped bowing towards Xander, and stared at the multi-coloured fog that had formed a sphere around the duo, not daring to approach them.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

He looked at Xander, and smiled as he continued, “What is destiny?” he spoke. The heavenly dao rippled, disturbed by the immortal’s words. “What is fate?” he said, and the ripples intensified. “They are not laws, contrary to what one might think, and thus I may impart this knowledge to you. They are merely tools employed by the heavenly dao, for it is the puppeteer and we are the puppets in its grand play. There is power in the worlds beyond, Xander, power that you may seize to surpass human limits. The heavenly dao regulates it, but it does not own it. The greater power you amass, the weaker the control of the heavens gets. The puppeteer’s strings that exert this control is known as fate,” he concluded, and the multi-coloured fog rumbled loudly, the distant sound of thunder arcing in the clouds making its way towards them.

“Doesn’t that mean that everything is meaningless?” Xander asked calmly, his voice still hollow and detached. After all, he had first hand seen the control the heavenly dao could exert on his family and friends, and perhaps the global opinion could also be swayed by it.

The immortal gently nodded, and replied,” The heavenly dao is constrained by its own limitations. It cannot control the minds of mortals, neither is it in its nature to do so. Each time it does, a significant price must be paid. But you are an existence birthed from a part of my soul, and thus it would pay any price to destroy you. Moreover, there is the existence of destiny. Where there is order, there must be balance. Fate is counter-balanced by destiny. Beings born within the domain of the heavenly dao will be influenced by the threads of fate. Fate does not determine your thoughts, and it is far from absolute. It can only arrange the encounters that you will chance upon in your life, some that may lead you towards power, others that may lead you towards calamity. The ability to make that choice, that is destiny. The heavenly dao cannot force death upon those who seek power. They will always be a chance to survive, to seize power in the turbulence. We may be puppets, but we are puppets that can fight back."

Xander, who had been listening quietly, felt a tinge of anger rise up within him, causing him to speak up, “But Earth was not part of this. Earth was unsullied, pure. Why did you have to bring Earth into this. Why did you have to ruin the lives of my mother and father? Just..why....?

“If I did not do so, you would not exist,” the immortal replied, without malice or anger. It was merely a fact.

Xander did not reply. He thought, but there was only one question left to ask. He would decide how to react, after.

“Then why is my existence so important? What is my purpose?” he spoke, and the doubts that gnawed at a corner of his heart finally stopped harassing him. It was time to end this farce. To know who, why and what he was, once and for all.

“The heavenly dao took from me, everything that I valued, everything that I loved, everything that I touched. Why was my fate ordained to be so tragic? Why was everything that I gazed upon turned to ash?

The reason was not something a mortal could know. Even an immortal was not qualified. But I became qualified. The reason was simply, laughably so. The heavenly dao needed an executor, one that would cull those with potential from obtaining destiny. I became that executor, and I culled in its name. But fate underestimated me, and my destiny was mine alone. I discovered the truth. There was only one thing left to be done. I, the honed sword, the puppet of the highest grade, would turn my blade towards the unseen hand. And sever it,” he concluded, and an arc of red lightning made its way towards them, without warning. It was too fast for Xander to react, but the immortal simply slammed his palms together, sending out an intangible shockwave that dispersed it before even a hair on the immortal’s arms was singed.

“Destroy Fate! Replace the heavens!” the immortal man, for the first time, seemed to lose composure as he boldly spoke his cause out loud without restraint or hesitancy. It only lasted for an instant, but for that instant, Xander felt as if he were submerged in a quagmire of hell. Speak? Die. Move? Die. Blink? Die. He could only be grateful that the bloodlust wasn’t directed towards him.

More bolts of red lightning charged forth from the clouds, but the man simply directed his gaze towards them.

Xander would never forget what happened next.

The lightning… stopped. The lightning…. retreated? The next moment, it dissipated.

His jaw was wide open, and he knew what he had seen was extraordinary, no, beyond extraordinary. The lightning dissipated itself?

He could not understand.

“But I failed,” the immortal spoke, and the indomitable aura around him lessened, to the point of dissipation. “Perhaps I already knew I would fail, since the beginning. But if that was to be my destiny, I do not regret it. For I know the truth of the world, and I reject it of my own will. However, there is a silver lining in the dark clouds of the heavens. I did not fail completely. A portion of the heavenly authority is now under my command. A portion of the heavens now belongs to me. You were the failsafe. The backup plan. But I now realize, that I was wrong. Very, Very wrong.”

Xander was stunned, as he was starting to understand something.

“Earth was my failsafe, the result of my travels in the beyond. Completely escaping the detection of the heavenly dao, even for a being of my calibre, was a very difficult task. A century at a time was all I could manage, and so I searched in the boundless void. Searched for a world with sentient life, that existed outside the purview of the heavenly dao. I ended up getting more than what I bargained for.

Out there, there exists a path to power different than ours, and a ruler that is equal, perhaps greater, than the heavenly dao. I fought against those beings that called upon powers that were outside my understanding of the law of the world when I approached their territory, and their power surprised me. I killed three of them, but their power surprised me. They injured me, and when reinforcements arrived, I had no choice but to escape, taking a different route than originally planned.

On that journey back, by chance, I encountered Earth. The only planet that contains sentient life in this solar system, at last I had found it after thousands of years, and humans at that! I split a portion of my soul, and sent it within the natural reincarnation cycle of this world. Then, I left. I would return a thousand years later.

You are not the first reincarnation, but the hundredth. To interfere with a mortal reincarnation cycle without will was hardly a difficult task for me, and thus I ordained your fate. The hundredth reincarnation cycle, you would be born a human. Ninety-nine reincarnations, the number it took to remove the taint of the heavenly dao. Upon my death, my memories, knowledge, and inheritance would transfer to you, and I would once again continue my quest for vengeance.

I would die, but my will would live on. No soul technique can give a person a second life, but your mortal memories would be replaced by my own. Thus, you would be no different from an extension of myself, and you would not implode upon receiving the knowledge, due to the profundity of my soul technique. It did not matter, as long as I could succeed,” The immortal explained with seriousness in his eyes, and soon after, his expression seemed to deflate."

“I took initiative to seize the heavenly authority, thus the heavens did not have to hold back against me any longer. I faced the full brunt of its power, and I almost lost everything. In my current state, I could sense a portion of its intentions, and it could sense a portion of mine. It discovered my failsafe. However, it was I that let it.

I was now a part of the heavenly dao, and it, a part of me. I could not wander outside the jurisdiction of the heavenly dao. It could not let the failsafe live. One of me had already seized a portion of heavenly authority. What would another one do? But the ninety ninth cycle had ended. The hundredth was about to begin.

You would be born human. You were my split soul, beyond the control of the threads of fate. My intention was still the same, to make you inherit my memories, and use you as a pawn against the heavens.

But I underestimated the determination of the heavenly dao. To eliminate you, it forsake a small part of its authority. Forced it upon me. It would not harm me, but only strengthen me. But it rendered me helpless, unable to act for the time being. But I could still watch you, for I was part of the heavenly dao.

The threads of fate infiltrated the once pure planet.

It did not touch your soul. For I was now a part of the heavenly dao, and my fate was that of the heavens itself.

The meteoric rise of your father was orchestrated by the heavenly dao. Your wife was fated to meet you, but she was only one of many pawns the heavenly dao employed. Your mother would be hale, healthy and hearty.

Until it was all taken away from you. But all was not lost. I could not save your father, but your mother lives. A different name, a different planet, a different fate, but she lives with the same memories. And her fate will be blessed, her life will be long, long enough for you to meet her when the time comes.

I saw your pain. Your struggle. Your insanity.

I did not interfere at the time of your death, instead I ordained it.

I called you here.

Not to take your memories away. Not to harm you.

Tears flowed down the immortal’s eyes as he looked at Xander Davis with endless regret and sadness in his eyes.

“But to tell you what a monster I have become!” he loudly bellowed, and Xander just stood there with a blank expression on his face. It was simply too much information to digest, and he could not process it all. His mother was alive. His mother lived.

All was not lost.

“I despise the heavenly dao. In my quest for revenge, I gave you life! In my quest for revenge, I would take away your memories! In my quest for revenge, I would manipulate you! Let you suffer to sharpen your hatred against the heavens! I would create a tool to cut down my enemies, just like I was once created."

“HOW DOES THAT MAKE ME ANY DIFFERENT FROM THE HEAVENLY DAO!?” The man roared, and the heavenly thunder crackled along with him.

Xander was stunned, but he could not react fast enough for what came next.

“In my left hand, is the destiny that links me to Xander Davis!” He proclaimed, and the law of the world responded.

A shimmering white thread materialized in front of Xander, linking him with the immortal.

“Break!” he proclaimed, and the string quivered.

“Break!!” he screamed, and the string wildly oscillated.

“The human named Xander Davis shall have his own destiny! Break for me!!!" he roared madly, and the string snapped, causing Xander to feel an inexplicable sense of loss and abandonment.

“In my right hand lies the replica of the sword of destiny!” the immortal proclaimed, and the law of the world responded!

A translucent sword that seemed to be made of some unknown crystal, materialized in his right hand.

“By my decree, the human named Xander Davis shall be reborn in one of the five realms with his memories intact!” He declared in a loud, booming voice, and a two vast, set of golden double doors with intricate inscriptions materialized in front of him. Red strings that signified fate reached out towards Xander, seeking to sweep him into their control. Xander could not be restricted by the threads of fate, as long as he stayed outside their reach, outside their purview. But that was no longer the case, since he was seeking to be reborn in one of the five realms.

Just as they were about to reach him, the immortal swiped the replica of the sword of destiny, and in one slash they were all severed.

“By my decree, the human named Xander Davis shall neither be constrained by fate, nor by destiny!” He proclaimed out loud, and the next moment millions of red threads reached out towards Xander, as if they were infuriated by his actions.

“Get lost!” The immortal declared, and started slicing his sword like a maniac in all directions, severing the threads before they could even cross half the distance. “You have already won! He is no longer my reincarnation. We are no longer destined. He does not have my inheritance! He is just a mortal! Will you really force my hand?”

The red threads paused, almost as if they were considering the matter. Then, they receded. The golden gates opened.

Xander looked on, dumbfounded. Should he be angry? Should he be confused? Should he be thankful? In all honesty, he was just tired.

“Go,” the immortal said, the aura around him diminishing greatly after his burst of glory. The sword in his hand, dissipating. “As long as I live, the heavens shall be blind to your actions. I will eventually lose to the heavenly dao, my authority consumed by it. But that day is very, very far. I will also let you know this. My hatred is not the only reason that I wished to usurp the heavens. That power that lurks in the boundless void… it is unfathomable. That too is not the only reason. But it might be the most important one. The heavenly dao is too rigid in its thinking. It will not allow the beings in the world to surpass it. I fear that will eventually bring us ruin. But that is not for you to worry about. Go. You shall be the one to achieve my dream. Neither constrained by fate, nor restricted by destiny. In the five realms, only you shall be truly free. Whether you wish to pursue revenge against the heavens or not, I shall have no say in it."

"The only thing I can do is to give you the ability to sense the convergence of fate and destiny. I know not what happens to someone unconstrained by the heavenly dao when they die, and I know not if I will be able to restore your memories if you die. But is better than living like a dog underneath the heavens. I cannot move fate or destiny in your favour. I can only shield you against it. Otherwise, I am powerless to interfere. Now, Go.”

Xander opened his mouth to say something, but as if sensing his thoughts, the man spoke again.

“There is no need to say anything else. We will meet again, in life, if you will it. Not because it was destined. Not because it was fated. But because you wished for it. If you die, I will find your soul and try my best to bring your memories back. If someone destroys your soul, I will make sure that fate has a calamity worse than death in store for them. As for your mother, when you are strong enough, look up at the skies and you shall know where to find her. There is balance in order. I shan’t say more,” The immortal closed his eyes and ignored Xander.

He knew there would be no more conversation.

And his own emotions were too confused to know what to say. He thought to ask about his wife, but after learning that she was one of heavenly dao’s pawns, he no longer felt much of anything towards her. The torment she inflicted had long killed all positive emotion. Now, the negative emotions were gone too. The heavenly dao must have accounted her personality in when it chose her, so he did not feel much of anything to her now.

So he went through the golden doors,

Wondering what lay ahead.

===================================

END OF ACT 1