Waking to the discomfort of solid ground beneath him, he quickly got up and instinctively touched the spot where he was impaled. Panicking, he touched most of his torso, yet there was not a single implication that he was stabbed to death. Even lifting his garments, his skin was healthy as ever, untouched like a maiden. Confused, everything that happened must have been a dream.
A sigh escaped his mouth, not certain to be relieved about. He must have gone crazy, with the suppressed abused and having to deal with his masters' minions of killing him he wouldve--
No, what happened yesterday was reality. The people trying to kill him was real, it was all real! Then that 'thing' he was talking was also real...? Then the so called 'garden' the thing has mentioned.
"---!"
Thoughts from yesterday night came like a splashed water. As if he hasnt his eyes wide open, its like he woke up from another dream as he rationed himself.
No way! I was at the stump! Why am I surrounded with these vast of grasses?! Why am I here??? I was almost dying!
Tears dripping to the ground, he never realized how much he yearn for death, and yet it is one who couldn't grant his only wish.
A sudden yellow light came to his peripheral view. Weird, he never saw a kind of color would appear.
Magic long have been extinct and are possessed only by people who became stories for children to muse.
He was never born with any special abilities, he was just a commoner, a slave, a defect in the community. Still, for the young man it was a beautiful sight to see, no matter if the purpose is good or malicious.
Looking to the direction of the source, it was on the back of his hand. Something was imprinted on, it was faint but its brightness was similar of the sun. The young man definitely know it it was the thing he see in the daily, gold.
Being a slave, gold is something that is naturally to be desired, yet the reminiscene of holding a stolen coin... he could not express the impression his fellow slave-- blankly, he stared at the foreign yet familiar glow on his hand.
Rubbing his hand on top another, he hoped the light would slowly faint, but it was much more bright than before.
With its brightness the lad could see strange markings on. He is not best with decription for he hold no education, yet the markings were strangely familiar.
A thought came to mind, How was he able to acquire it? He was the only one who completely knows his body and this is not him, maybe... its his awakening?
He heard from it somewhere people's awakening. tho something glowing part of their body... he'd never heard of it.
"This is my first time seeing a human who is not grateful of my gift."
A familiar voice from nowhere has spoken. Looking around to the vast green around him, it was only him, he was sure, so where does it come from?
"Is voice not enough to it's existence?"
"----" not sure of what to say-- he was certain it didn't came from his head.
"I, the one who gave you the gift, although it comes with great consequences."
Hearing the voice again, his lined lip's corners bent to a smirk, as if the young lad can see through this invisible entity. Soon realized it was that 'dark thing' that spoke to him, The red bright light!
Recollection his thoughts, the last action he made when he uttered those words was that... if he was sure of obtaining something great that he truly desires, he have to carve his heart out.
His hands traveled quickly to his chest, as the memory of pulling out the knife from his stomach and driving it into his chest was something he could not believe he was able to do.
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His heart was still beating, pounding healthily inside him. Trying to remember their conversation, bothered he clicked his tongue.
"Funny you have given me option of consequences but you still gave it to me, what was the point?"
"I was reffering of you entering my garden, this time its a different case."
'Garden' was that so called forest? He don't even want to know where it is. It maybe beautiful but it was more silent than a cemetery.
"Time is running human, a warning is a must for gifted human."
Deep within his doubts were still there, still wanting answers to this strange being. Yet the voice still holds him like a power he had not felt before-- not like the masters he once before, the voice was like a spell that he could not win against.
Straightening his posture like n obedient child, he open his ears, listening to what the warning is.
"You have endangered your whole existence, people like you will be everywhere, no one knows when they will show up, and hesitance of taking it from you is in their control. Returning this power has already been naught, to end your life when you are still sane is the plausible solution."
"----"
When I am still 'sane'?, am I even sane when I am talking to a nonexistent thing? I may have killed my sanity after I drove a knife to my chest, or even before that...
"I'm no longer sane, so what gives? Is that the only warning you're telling me?"
"----"
Waiting for the voice, only the wind, and rustling of leaves beneath him only reciprocated.
There was no answer, perhaps the thing was gone?
"What a personality. Calmly taking this destructing power like its nothing. The last warning I have to tell you is that you are not to tell anyone how you obtain this, or you will die."
Loud like a thunder in a rainstorm, the lad jumped like a stray dog. Still have his body tremble from the fright, he swallowed a spit to his throat to hide the cowardice and show bravery.
"Die...? But I offered my life?"
A sudden burst of laughter was heard around him, he felt the ground shake like the laughter, as a big gust of wind came to swipe his dark hair and off the dirt of him.
"Silly human, what you have offered is far more superior than your life. You are still breathing but the heart its still up to me when will it stop."
Puzzled by the words, he still believe it. There was something empty inside him.
"Who are you? Please answer me this time." Asking the question when they first met. He hoped the 'thing' would get it. There was a short silence before it spoke.
"I am a guardian. If asking for a name, this one do not have any."
So they are the same, he wondered. He also don't have a name. People around him would just call him 'boy', 'slave', 'thing', and 'servant'. A name was something he don't mind.
"Can I communicate to you if desired to?"
"No, this will be the last."
It was no fair. He is being abandoned again. Offering his heart to someone that hold his life and yet letting him go to the world without any commands. This was absurd, he was not used to, his only best was following orders. Everytime his own actions would only betray the latter.
"Hah, this is stupid. Offering my heart and yet I couldn't even talk to my master whom I gave."
"Do. Not. Misunderstood." With much more emphasis to each word with a booming voice. All of his senses came alive and was in full attention.
"The 'life' I'm reffering is different on your mind. Choices to your life are not mine. If you ever spoke to anyone about this... I will crush it to pieces."
"----"
"If you can not handle it, consider the suggestion."
Now that the wind was more stronger than the last moment ago. Breathing the air around him, he seemed to have gained composure. All of his life when he was able to understand everyhing around him he wasn't used to following his own instinct or actions. Always tied down to what others would tell him, like a pet sitting patiently on the side of the room for them to tell him go 'fetch' and bring it to them.
"This one consider you a coward. I hope someday you get to make me disappointed in these low expectations of you."
He was not sure, if the 'thing' was in a sad tone or much more assertive of its advices to him. He could not deny it, of course he already knew that.
It wasn't because death don't want his only wish, in fact death have been granting his wish and yet he kept on running away from it, holding to dear life because he is a coward.
With the sound of rustling leaves, he guessed 'it' has left. What was he going to do?, seeing the golden light on his hand started to faint it was about time to make his own decision.
With a defeated sigh, he slowly rise from the ground and swatted the dirt parts on his body that he could reach and see. He just couldn't believe it, how did he ended up being in this very foreign place? It makes no sense since he certainly knew the perimeter of his master's land. Admitting that all he mastered in his life was stealing, truthfully its the skill that made him run and escape several situation where he needed it the most.
Glancing on his right hand where the light was dimming, he wished it would help him. For now all he could ask and want is some money, something he could bargain to people for something to eat, he was getting hungry after all.
Looking to the sky, he love watching the sun show itself to the land, making him feel new and well... to start another day. Even tho everyday is always dreadful, he still hoped a better day would come to him. To keep on restarting this pitiful everyday of him.