3 Chapter 3. The Unknown Realm Of Lost Souls (Part 1)
A sharp sound of pen scribbling was coming out of a room - one was fast like someone mindlessly writing anything and another one was like someone was very focused on whatever they were writing.
The sound came from a room, from a big room, no, it was huge - it was bigger even when a hundred elephants were to store in there, so large that people would think it was a hall but it was just a room. There were windows over all six walls; ten feet in width and twenty feet in height. The windows were glimmering by the pale sunlight coming through them.
The whole room was painted with gold, real gold, walls were engraved with uncountable gemstones. Attractive flower designs were in every corner of the room, it was something out of fairy tales, even the ceiling had precious gems and paintings all over it.
A big and beautiful chandelier which was hanging down from the roof had many valuable decorative accessories decorating it. Everything was over the top and overwhelming in the room, not only the richness of it but also the spiritual aura in the room was very peerless divine.
Still, the most eye-catching thing in the room wasn't all of those gold and glittering things, rather it was thousands of books and paper made of Bhojpatra leaves. It was spreaded and piled up over the porcelain floor and the two golden desks which were surrounded by many documents and files.
Those stacks of books and documents were blocking the way so one could see who was sitting behind them. New and ancient books, documents and papers which were made of dried leaves were everywhere. The entire room was filled with the strong fragrance of the books, it was very soothing. Really relaxing.
"Argh!!! F**k! I hate the gods. How can they give this much work to a child," a voice came from behind the piled up books on the desk, a bit high pitched voice hence it appeared to be a teenager's. It was full of a complaint and rebellious kind of voice which confirmed that it was the voice of a sixteen or seventeen years old boy.
"Everyone else is playing outside so why am I the only one stuck here?!" The teenager was fairly handsome, he was dressed in light green and white clothes which were complimenting him. His silky black hair which was touching his half-back was tied in a ponytail with a black ribbon, one small portion of his hair was braided on the left side with a white stone. He had fair skin like milk, big eyes exploding with pride and a face displaying hatred for everyone. Three petals of lotus were drawn between his eyebrows. His lips were like a pink rose yet the words coming out of it were like sharp spikes.
"Be quiet and do your work properly," a little mature voice of a male came from the other desk. The person calmly said while writing down in his document, he was focusing on his book. The man was like the vermillion sky in the evening because he was very handsomely dressed in crimson attire. The clothes were beautified with several golden flowers, it was making his white pearl-like skin shine drastically.
His loosened black hair was even lower than his broad back - hiding his whole back beneath it, his features were very keen, he had small but glittering eyes, his light red lips were smiling while murmuring the words he was writing. The calm and soothing aura was all around him, everything about him was cool and eye-pleasing, "It's your punishment for playing with human girls when you were supposed to attend your classes," he said softly. His eyes still fixed on his work.
"So what?! It's my time to have some fun and don't forget I'm just seventeen hundred years old. I'm one of the youngest disciples here," he pouted. "How can you senior gods think that I will dig my head in those stupid books instead of having the fun of my youth!"
Smack.
The older one hit him on the head while still being stuck in his work.
"Ouch!! Hey, why did you hit me?!" the kid grimaced and complained rubbing his head.
The senior god replied in an orderly tone, "Know your place and where are your manners? You cannot talk to me - your senior and Master - like that."
"I hate the gods and I hate you the most!" The brat said with irritation then silently leaned back on his chair. His hands crossed.
After a while, with caution he looked at the senior god and his eyes shined mischievously. His master was busy with the documents and he felt that his master had no time to spare for him.
Now is my golden chance.
He thought and slowly pushed his chair away from the desk. Then with quiet feet he tried to sneak out of the room.
"We gods don't love you either, Samay," the senior smiled while examining the papers. "And don't even think about leaving this room before you finish your work," the man said and started writing again.
"Saying as if you have eyes on your back as well," Samay rolled his eyes and still tried to flee. Before leaving he stopped to see his master for the last time.
After a quick glance at his senior he again turned to leave but when he just made his first step towards the exit the senior god came like wind and grabbed him by his left ear. Samay scowled and put his hand on the hand which was slightly twisting his ear, "Ouch, are you a ghost or something?"
"Yes I am," dragging Samay by his ear, the god replied in a soft yet dominant voice, "If that takes to discipline you then I will gladly become one." He held the kid's shoulders and pushed him down on the chair which was near the desk, "Sit down and do your work properly, understand."
Samay pouted again, "I don't want to do it! Do you even know how much data of lost souls I have to rearrange and check?!"
"Just some fifteen thousand souls," the senior smiled, "I know you can do this much work without even feeling tired because you are--"
"Huh? Hey! Senior God Svapn, did you hear the sound?!" the brat cut off the god's sentence in between and tried to hear the sound again. His eyes glanced around to examine but there was nothing except books and more books.
Boom, thud, thud, thud.....
Those piled up books and all other documents suddenly fell down straight over them, every book and documents were on the floor. Those two were crushed by them pitifully. Even the books and documents which were on the nearby shelves fell on them.
"Samay! It's all your fault!" the god frowned and nagged again while stuck in that ocean of books.
"My? F**k you? I even warned you but you were busy lecturing me!"
The senior god looked at the boy with sharp eyes and again hit him on his head, the hit wasn't that light but also not that hard yet it could still hurt someone for a while. He said in a cold tone, "You definitely don't know what manners are! Next time do not even think about insulting me."
The kid covered the back of his head where it was still hurting because of that first hit, "Ow!!" who gave you the right to hit me like that? Screw you!"
"You!" The senior's hand was in the air to hit Samay but he stopped when he heard the sound of someone knocking the door. A courteous voice filtered through the gate, "Your Excellency, may I come in, you see, this is an important matter."
"Who is it?" Svapn asked. "Come in but be care--"
Thud.
The person kissed the floor as he hastily entered the room without noticing the books and documents over the floor.
"Hahahahah!! Do you have your eyes only for decoration?" Samay laughed while making the way out of that "sea".
The servant who was on the floor spoke while slowly trying to stand up, "I apologize for my… Ouch!!!"
"IT'S AN EMERGENCY SENIOR SVAPN!" Another person passed the entrance, unknowing that he walked over someone by mistake. Heavily breathing like he ran to come here, he was anxious and in a hurry, "Apologies for my impudence but His Majesty and Chief Minister wants to see the Prime Minister immediately."
The other servant who was on the floor rose up on his own and came inside as well.
"Understood, I'm coming, you go and inform them," Svapn's lips curved upward.
Head still down in front of the Prime Minister, the messenger replied, "Apologies again Prime Minister Svapn but His Majesty ordered me to fetch you with me right now, so you have to come with me."
The god sighed, "It must be something important. Let's go but first, help me," he stretched out his hand.
"Oh! Of course Prime Minister," the servant gave his hand to pull Svapn out of the mess.
The senior was on his legs again, he thanked the messenger and gently smiled at him.
"It's my honor to be able to help the Prime Minister," the servant joined his hands and bowed his head in respect.
"Please, take me where His Majesty and the Chief Minister is."
"Yes!" both servants said together.
Svapn was about to leave when he remembered something, thus he turned back only to see the kid who was still struggling among those books. He reached out his hand for Samay to hold, "Let me help you, kid."
Samay shook his hand away and wobbly stood on his own and snarled, "I don't need your help."
The Prime Minister didn't mind the arrogant kid at all instead he smiled a little, "Fine by me, still, you have to finish your work before I come back or I will triple your punishment, alright?!"
"No way! You can't do that," Samay complained with big eyes.
"I can and I will if you won't make use of yourself," he glared at him with a bit of fiery eyes.
"Okay," Samay flinched, "Okay! Fine... Just don't be angry!" he hesitantly laughed knowing what misfortune could fall upon him if he dared not to listen to Svapn this time.
Svapn moved towards the exit elegantly, his red-silky clothes flapped in the air after him. He left the room with the two servants, his steps were fast, not mindless.
While walking he asked the messenger if they knew what was the matter but how could a mere servant know something important?
Not getting any useful answer, he didn't ask any further and silently walked until the door of where The Emperor and Chief Minister would be present, showed up.
A big door made of gold and engraved with stones over it stood ahead of him, he knocked twice and after he got permission to enter he stepped inside. Facing the servants who were outside, he thanked politely again and closed the entrance by himself.
Svapn turned, "Your Majesty, I am here," he lightly bent his head with courtesy and clasped his palms together, "Pranaam."
There were two people standing in the room. One had calm, celestial and prideful air around him and the other one had a cheerful and bubbly aura surrounding him.
The person with calm air had a peaceful dim smile on his lips seeing Svapn, white clothes covering his little brown but shining body. His both ears were pierced and long side bangs on both sides falling to his chest. A long attractive sword was hanging over his waist while his hands were closed behind his back. Holding his head high, which was looking higher because of his crown, he gave a slight nod to Svapn.
His crown was bigger than the other two, so it was clear that this person must be the Emperor.
Another equally handsome man was beside the Emperor. Just by a glance on him, anyone could tell that he had a bright, cheerful and bubbly personality, his clothes were as bright & beautiful as his persona - the yellow sun-like clothes had black embroidery over it. His sparkling eyes were like a child's. Upper half of his shoulder-length hair was loosely tied with a long yellow ribbon. A small yellow crescent moon was on his forehead - making his face stunning. A pretty black pearl dangled in his right ear.
The Emperor welcomed Svapn, "Thank you for coming, Prime Minister Svapn."
"Please, Your Majesty! Don't embarrass me by saying thanks, I am not worthy of it," Svapn respectfully said and came inside.
"How are you, Senior Svapn?!" The other person asked with a bright and big smile.
"Oh! Pranaam, Chief Minister Sidharth. I am fine like always," Svapn replied. "Please tell me why His Majesty asked for my presence this urgently?"
"I wanted to see you because of this-" the Emperor sidestepped to show him a person, a male.
The person was sitting straight on a chair with closed eyes - it was as if he was dead, filthy and ripped clothes were barely wrapping his wounded body.
Svapn went close to the person and spoke while scanning him. "What happened to him? It is just a human soul, isn't it?!" He stretched out his hand to open the person's eyes, "No… There is… there is something wrong with this soul." He faced the two individuals in a little shock and disbelief in his deer-like eyes, "It's like his intangible mind and heart are missing from this soul."
"Indeed. That is the case," the Emperor smiled lightly in acknowledgement, "But not just his heart and mind. His memories are also sealed inside of him."
"As expected from the Prime Minister!" The Chief Minister praised with an optimistic voice, "Our Prime Minister is very powerful and intelligent. Without us telling you, you already found the problem just by examining the soul."
"Haha, please do not exaggerate it," He declined the praise. Glancing at the soul, he asked, "So, what can we do? It's not that difficult to find the spiritual mind and heart of his, is it?" Svapn touched the forehead of the soul, "I don't know... I can't say… but there is something very wrong with this soul."
Svapn looked at the two men in worry.
"This soul is really very powerful," the Emperor walked closer to the sitting soul. "The problem is that this soul doesn't have his memories of any of his lives. You understand that it is even worse than being dead because it's not usual for souls to separate from their memories and memories are the life resource of souls. One can--"
"-One can not be reborn and," Sidharth continued, "they will wander forever in the whole universe and never going to find peace for all eternity. It had been wandering with knowing nothing about himself and noticing anything around him," he pitifully glanced at the soul and spoke again, "It's like he must have been killed by the body-soul cutting technique!"
"But if he was killed by it then he wouldn't be here because…" Svapn doubted, "that killing technique also extinguishes the soul with the body. Confirm that the person will die and never be reborn again. Right?"
The Emperor sighed. "This is the reason for calling you here, Prime Minister Svapn," he gently patted on Svapn's left shoulder. "You are the God of Dreams and Memories. You can rearrange, add, and even delete anyone's dreams and memories, am I right?!"
"You are absolutely right, Your Majesty," Svapn stated.
His Majesty said, "If you could find his lost memories then... Only then we have some hope to find his intangible mind and heart. Also, the reason why he was killed and his real identity."
Svapn attentively listened to the Emperor as he spoke. While some lines formed on his forehead he looked at both of the two who were in front of him explaining the situation.
"But if this soul is here without its memories, heart, and mind then it means the killing technique used to kill him was done by an immature cultivator who wasn't that highly skilled to perform such difficult technique properly," Svapn added.
"You are correct but that immature cultivator was not that poorly skilled either if they used this skill," the Emperor sighed again. "If they knew about this technique then they must have been a promising cultivator. However, they didn't precisely do it. I think they made a mistake at collecting the dust of the body, they surely forgot about gathering every single particle of the dust of this person before throwing him into the Narak Dvaar."
Svapn and Sidharth thoughtfully glanced at each other, then again shifted their eyes at the Emperor.
Svapn commented, "Now I remember that the body-soul cutting technique is one of the most difficult techniques to master and use to kill. One has to be extremely exceptional to perform it with no errors. And if my memories aren't wrong, only four people in this whole world can do it without making any mistake, and they are: the Emperor of All Hell, The former Emperor of the Demon World, Aprasth The Creator of this body-soul cutting technique and... Our Chief Minister Sidharth The Green Waterfall Master. Right Chief Minister?!" his eyes looked at Sidharth for confirmation.
The Chief Minister answered him with a serious tone mixing in his voice which was completely different from his optimistic and cheerful nature, "Yes, that is me."
"So, if you could please do something," the Emperor directed his left hand in the direction of the soul.
"Of course." With a quick nod to the men Svapn moved and paused in front of the soul. He put his hand on the head of the soul, "I apologize my friend for entering into you but finding your memories are important to find your intangible mind and heart," the god closed his eyes to focus.
...
Dictionary:
Pranaam: Hello, Greetings.
