The cruel sun beat down, it's one malevolent eye unblinking, and the sky was it's co-conspirator with not even a wisp of cloud to soften the harsh rays. The lizards took shelter in the shadows of the rocks where the sand was not burning enough to roast them, but there was no shade large enough for me. Each step sunk into the searing sand, the air was thick and hazy, each breath like drowning in the larva.

I knew I wasn’t far away from my destination, and I knew that my suffering was worth it. I am here to meet a certain someone, one who has deciphered the true meaning of wisdom.Very well, what I seek is value of our existence.I want to recognize the value of a human’s life.

‘Why are you here?’ inquired an unknown voice.

‘I am over here at his will, the one and all.To gather knowledge.To fight the evil within me, in the name of the cursed one.’I said chanted the secret words, which is not meant to be spoken by normal people.

Suddenly, an old man appeared in front of me.He was tall and had well built physique,quite a rare thing to see,considering his age.He wore an ivory white robe and a turban. I knew that he was the one I was looking for.

’Therefore, you are the sixth holder of the cursed mark of rebirth?’ inquired the old man.

‘Indeed, I am the sixth holder.’ I said as I presented my palm to him.

‘I see, what do you seek child?’ asked the old man as he walked up to me.

‘I want to know more about this realm.’ I answered, I was tensed. I was now talking to one of the most capable beings in the universe.

‘Close your eyes son.’ he ordered. So, I did as he asked me without any further doubts.

’In the present circumstances, you may open your eyes.’ he said. When I unclosed my eyes, I realised I wasn’t on the middle of the desert anymore.

I was standing right in front of a massive castle, it was nighttime all of a sudden.The darkness surrounded the mountains nearby. The moon was struggling to shine beyond the dark clouds.

The historic castle stood on a rugged slope, moonlit snowdrifts piled against half-ruined walls, the windows dark and gaping. It's battlements glistened with ice in the crystal frosty air, their ragged outlines blending into the rocks behind.

It was cold in here, and I was dressed in a jet-black shirt and a track pant.The breeze had started to freeze my bones already.

‘Follow me, child.’ said the old man as he lit up darkness with a snap of a finger, yes all the candles of the castle were lit up at once.Although it wasn’t bright enough, yet one can clearly figure it out from the outside.

I followed him, without asking any questions. I knew he was a wise man and a strong one too.

Judging by the looks, the castle looked as ancient as time itself.The walls were tattered,I followed the old man as I walked down the gloomy old stairs of the castle.I had a lot to know, and he had a lot of knowledge to give.

‘You are quite young, young enough for this job.’ remarked the old man.

‘I wouldn’t disagree with that, but I guess I am quite capable.’I replied.

’The answer I would expect from a Demon Slayer.’he giggled.

‘How long do we have to keep walking?’ I asked.

‘I guess holding a Demon Slayer back wouldn’t be a nice idea, I must make it quick as there are people who need you.Okay, let us  talk here itself.’he said as he sat down on the dusty floor of the castle.

I sat down on the staircases just as he did.

‘Where are we master?’ I asked.

‘You may call me Ethos, as for our location we are right at the centre of the universe.’ he replied.

‘How did we get here?’

’This is the teleportation magic, a form of lost magic that I mastered during my more youthful days.’ he replied, and he took immense pride in saying so.

’So Ethos, tell me all you know about the human realm.’

‘Look carefully, this would help you to develop a better understanding of the universe.’ he said as a table rose up from the dusty floor, it was magic.

‘Earth is the centre of the entire universe. So as we start, there are five realms in particular that are present in this universe:The Demon realm, The Angel realm, The Afterlife realm, The Celestial realm and The Earth realm.

These four realms rotate around the centre of the universe:The Earth realm.The supernatural belongs to The Demon realm or The Afterlife realm.The Demon realm is home to the most wicked and the intelligentest beings, they seduce their prey to fall into their trap and feed on their soul’s darkness. The Afterlife realm remains a mystery, no one comprehends what it is like but it is said to maintain the balance between life and death.The Angel realm is genuine one, the one who work to serve God. The Celestial realm is home to celestial creatures.

Finally, the realm of Earth. Its purpose remains a mystery to the other, but it is the only way of getting to the centre of the universe:The one that maintains the balance between all of the realms, it stops waging war between five alternative forms of life.

I don’t know the purpose of human existence. They are way more vulnerable and weak compared to the other four of them.

But, humankind has being blessed with protectors through history.The ones who bear the cursed mark at their side are recognised to be the strongest of them all, the one chooses by God himself to maintain the balance of the universe.’

‘Well thats helpful, I must also know more about elemental magic.’ I complemented and demanded more information.

‘You are a curious one.’ he said as he bit his tongue.

‘Okay, elementary magic is composed of the vast amount of cosmic energy that the universe gives out every moment. It is almost an unlimited source of power that fuels the universe.

This form of infinite energy was first used for medicinal purposes, it was capable enough to recover a man on the verge of death. Very soon, humans started to face problems as supernatural beings came to the planet seeking the centre of the universe. Soon, this immense and unending amount of energy from this vast universe was harvested to be used in combat.Humans were the weakest ones, so they needed magic to aid their fight. Elemental magic consists of five main forms:The water, The fire, The wind, The lightening and the strongest of them all, The Dark magic.’he said as he breathed in the cold damp air.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

’Inform me more about dark magic.’ I pleaded.

‘Magic’s origins don’t have a background, it was neither evil nor pure at the same time.Even dark magic was pure at its core, but soon it was harvested for malevolent purposes.Being the strongest form of magic, it was capable of destroying the whole universe.

Dark magic originated from Earth itself, from a man named Lereft, someone who practised a taboo.’

‘What kind of taboo?’I enquired, I took interest in the subject, this would be helpful in the far future.

’He interfered the cycle of life and death, to be more direct, he revived the dead.’ he said as he sighed and leaned back on the ancient wall of the staircase.

‘How’s that even possible?’ I asked.

‘An entity that can destroy the universe can easily do that, his actions caused catastrophe in the Afterlife realm. As a result, a war waged out.God had to punish Lereft, and hence the first cursed mark was placed, not as a gift but as a punishment.

That curse was mighty enough to destroy the entire universe, with the help of the cursed mark Lereft slaughtered any form of life that threatened the planet.He is the reason for the universe’s survival, but he was rejected by the people of the planet that he worked so hard to protect.He developed hatred. His curse granted him immortality and geared him with the deadly demise magic.A form of magic capable of taking any form of life.His power was feared among all realms, even God himself acknowledged that he was the only one who could have  defeated him.’

’So, where is he now?’ I asked jumping out in excitement.

‘Lereft was the very founder of magic. But then again, his passion for forbidden knowledge did not stop.He produced objects that continue to haunt the universe till date.His current location is unknown, no one has perceived his power for  hundreds of centuries.But no one knows when he might strike again.That’s all I know for the instance.’he said as he took a breath of relief.

‘You have my thanks Ethos,it's been long since I have used my used mark of rebirth, I must get going.’ I said I got up and picked up my backpack.

‘It's called the cursed mark of revival, the cursed mark of rebirth is interlinked with the cursed mark of revival.This is a common misconception. It can grant you some of the powers of the cursed mark of rebirth but it isn’t the particular curse itself.

You are a strong and determined man, I guess you might have to stay a little longer.’he said touching his long ivory white beard.

‘Why do I need to stay?’

‘Because I intend to teach you the trickiest of all tricky magic out there:Teleportation and dimension shifting.’he smirked and I smiled.

I don’t have much up my sleeve when it comes to magic, in that case I wouldn’t mind staying a bit longer with this wise old man.

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he fireplace was our tiny sun for the night, casting long shadows over the rug. The flames curl and sway, flicking this way and that, crackling as they burn the dry wood. It's so good to feel their warmth at last, even if from only one direction. I watched it burn brightly. I now knew that I had to stay here a bit longer, and now I knew that the woods can provide great comfort during the harsh winter.

There I was, seated beside Ethos.I intended to stay, in order to practise teleportation magic.

‘Ethos, you wanted to say something right?’ I said as I sipped my cup of warm coffee.

‘Why did you become a demon slayer?’ he asked, I saw the flames inside his eyes.I knew that my answer would be of certain importance to him.

‘I wanted to know the value of my existence, since childhood I haven’t been an exceptional kid.I was never a good at anything in particular and yet I thought myself to be quite important.

As I matured, I realised that my existence did not carry any worth.I wanted to know what a mortal creature is worth, in the end we would all perish.A life is born and a life dies.What makes the difference, which made the fine borderline between the rich and the poor, the wise and the fool, the attractive one and the ugly.’I answered.

‘A Demon Slayer is meant to take lives, on the contrary you want to know its value, you are an interesting character.’ he said as he smirked.

‘I don’t know it for myself either, but I know that my occupation is quite crucial to the universe itself.If I have to take lives to make things better, then I would choose the lesser of the two evils.’I replied.

‘I see, I just wanted to know the motivation you were driven by.I would teach you teleportation magic, but you might as well die during the process.’he said, and he was eagerly waiting for a response.

‘I would undertake whatever it takes.’ I replied.

‘What if I notified you that the deep forest over there is the gateway to the Demon realm?’

‘What does that have to do with my training?’ I asked, the words slipped out of my mouth.To be honest, Ethos was quite unpredictable.

A wild deduction, I just met him yesterday!Yet he genuinely liked to twist things up.

‘Teleportation magic is the trickiest of all other branches of magic, it can only be mastered under extreme circumstances.So, can you fight against demons without killing them?’

‘That certainly isn’t possible, a fight like that would only end when a life is taken.’

‘Obviously Hei, you cannot survive if you don’t fight, and you are not supposed to slay a creature if they have not performed anything wrong.’

‘Ethos, both of us know the value of time, so please be more direct.’

‘I will leave you at the Demon realm. The only way to survive there is to teleport yourself.’

‘Wouldn’t you teach me this form of magic first?’ I asked.

‘I definitely would teach you the basics.’ he said.

His intentions and my ambition were complete strangers, honestly speaking I don’t have much experience, so entering another realm and surviving is quite a difficult task to accomplish.

’To begin with, you are quite weak.You are quite new to this world, but since you have a cursed mark then I assume taking in cosmic energy wouldn’t be a big deal.’Ethos remarked while backstroking his long and stringy hair.

‘Beware, it can only be harvested if driven by sheer will and desire.You say you intend to know the value of life, but what I decipher is that you only carve for attention.’he said with a savage look in his eyes.

His words were harsh, although it might not be the truth.His response was straight and direct, it left me startled for a moment.I myself did not know whether his words were accurate or not.Maybe what I always seemed was attention, once again I started to doubt myself.

‘A person who doubts their own ability is bound to fail, no matter the premises given.First of all you must overcome the darkness within your soul.’said Ethos.

I must erase the darkness within me with darkness itself I mumbled.

’Take me to the demon realm.’ I pleaded of Ethos.

I was fired up now.I was prepared to take things on.

‘You look motivated, that confused look in your eyes disappeared all of a sudden.What is your true intention?’Ethos asked.

‘My aim remains unchanged, but I know how to get a step closer to it.’I replied as I took a deep breath, the air distinctly lacked the dampness of polluted air.

‘Good then young man, I would do as you please.’

‘Let’s get started Ethos.’ I said out of excitement.

‘To begin with, you need to take in cosmic energy by turning yourself into an empty vessel, that means you must stop thinking for a while to ensure maximum possible gain of cosmic energy.’

Ethos said as he walked towards me.

‘I merely need to concentrate, right?’

‘It is easier said than done, it is equally considered to represent the most critical step of learning magic because it requires a pious soul.’ he said as he struck my forehead.

I was nervous, but I still felt motivated.I was in an ambivalent state of mind.

‘Just assume that the nature itself is talking to you, feel your ideal existence and keep looking into my eyes till the very end.’

I did as he ordered me to.

Definitely, it was a strenuous task.It was way easier said than done, I wasn’t supposed to just simply concentrate.I had to concentrate and maintain my eye contact with Ethos and at the same time I had to empty myself of every possible thought that crossed my mind.

Then finally, I understood what he wanted me to do, I had to make confusion my ally.Thus, I had to choose.

I must either listen to his order or concentrate upon myself and feel my existence. I closed my eyes.

I experienced immense amount of energy surging through my blood. I heard the dead leaves rumbling. I heard the sound of the river flowing at a distance. I could feel the wind hitting my body, I could smell the pure woody aroma of the air. All of my senses came back to life like never before, yes I could feel my existence and the cosmic energy that flowed within me.

‘Admirably done young man, you were able to overcome your confusion, this is a difficult task.Life would always present two roads to you, no matter how difficult things are you must choose.You would have to abandon one to get going otherwise you wouldn’t be able to move on.

‘What next?’ I enquired.

’Now, everything else is unto you.You figured out the path to harvest cosmic energy, now you must teach yourself to teleport.’he said as he snapped his fingers.

I felt flat on my face, I fell upon a dead ground dwelling plant.

When I caught hold of myself and took a proper look around, I realised that I was in the middle of an unending forest full of dead rotten trees.