Luo Wen. #3

Whilst the man was resting, there was something quite similar happening on the opposite side of the door.

...

When it comes to the concept of "nothing", it's not something easily understood. For even if you see nothing there, there could still truly be something there. However, what was behind the door, was indeed something that could be considered an area where nothing was. It was a large void, nothing could be seen. Moreover, there was a lack of any type of energy within the space itself.

Nothing except for one thing, to be exact, it was an entity sitting down in a lotus position. There were many things about this entity that were odd, one example would be the sheer discipline being displayed. Not one movement was being performed, they could've been breathing but it was difficult to determine whether or not they were. This strange behavior would certainly raise many questions.

Just why were they so still, and who were they? Other than the actions being performed, it was obvious that this character was something to behold. They wore a black hanfu, and they tied their long hair up in an elegant manner. And even though their eyes were closed, they gave off an aura reminiscent of that of someone with great prestige and ability. Their skin was like jade, smooth and transparent like a polished gem. All in all, they could truly be considered a perfect-looking being.

Realistically, all of the different features about this mysterious character placed emphasis on the questions from before. Regardless, they would all be answered soon enough.

For shortly after, they seemingly regained sentience, and the first thing to be maneuvered were their legs which awoke and kicked up, pulling them upwards. Next, their eyes opened revealing multiple galaxies hidden within their gaze. As they darted them back and forth eyeing the vicinity, they slowly began to unravel their situation. Soon after, they let out a silent sigh and swung their right arm effortlessly.

And the void which could've been considered flawless, shattered like a fragile mirror.

Looking onwards at the light coming back into the cave, they seemed to be satisfied. But now they had other things to worry about, so with their first steps, came a fate rewritten.

During their brief journey to the door which was covered with scars, they spoke out in a monotone voice.

"My luck hasn't run out, I see. It's been far too many years, I guarantee they never considered this possibility."

Their facial expression remained aloof, but within their eyes glistened with interest, mainly due to the man responsible for their release in the first place. They'd be an idiot to not be interested, even if it was slight.

…

Dreaming was something that was rarely done by the Asian man on the other side of the door, but he never cared much about it. If anything, it was something dangerous to do, especially since it caused a distraction. He liked to think that his lack of dreams meant he was ready at all times, but deep inside, he knew it was because his dreams would either be terrifying, or the heaven he's been yearning for, for so, so long.

Never dwelling on it, he treated sleep as something strictly meant to recharge so he often made sure to make the experience quick and fulfilling.

And when he finally woke up from the brief, yet effective rest, he looked on in utter shock as the door he was debating on entering was completely open.

He felt it was mocking him, the wide-open door which never woke him up. For context, the man was especially confident in his ability to sense any kind of movement, even whilst sleeping.

This, however, was not the most horrifying part of it all, for there was a man right next to him sitting in a lotus position. Their hair was tied up which left no stray hair, and their clothing hadn't the slightest of dirt, let alone dust.

Putting together coherent thoughts was nearly impossible, as the aura exuding from this strange man was suppressing him greatly. In the end, the first one to speak up was the new figure.

"Don't resist, I've only come to thank you. To begin, I believe we should exchange names. So please, introduce yourself?"

Not sparing any time, the new figure wished to be introduced as soon as possible. So following the advice given to him, the Asian man stopped resisting, and so did the aura which pushed against him like a wall. Internally, he came to the obvious conclusion that what kept him from entering further into the cave, was indeed this person in front of him.

Along with their magnificent figure, their previously closed eyes opened, revealing the plethora of galaxies hidden away within them. At a loss for words, he stumbled for a few minutes before pulling himself together.

Contrary to his previous beliefs, the figure was patient and looked at him with fond eyes.

Those fond eyes told him that he never viewed him as a threat, so there was no need for him to attack whatsoever. This relaxed the man quite a bit, and he began his introduction as intended. Though, he decided to tread very carefully, for there must be a reason as to why they were locked behind the door.

"If you wish to know my name, then it would be Shen Yun. What's yours?"

Sitting down, the figure was the only one who seemed relaxed, for the man was stood up on edge. He had more than one way to relax him, so he simply continued with what he was planning to say from the beginning.

"Before introducing myself, I wish to let you know that I have no intention to hurt you in any way. It would be a waste of our time, so come sit down and relax. Now, when it comes to my name, it is Luo Wen. Feel free to save the respectful tone to yourself, it's a gust of fresh air to be treated like a regular person for once."

Having had his suspicions dispersed rather quickly, Shen Yun had no excuse but to sit down and join in on the conversation, besides, he would be lying to say he wasn't inquisitive.

"You see? It wasn't difficult to come to sit down for a nice conversation, but I have something else I have to ask you. Just why do you seem so angry, not at me specifically, but at the world itself."

Asking a very personal question in their first meeting might not have been the best thing to do, but Luo Wen was never a man to sugarcoat or do anything of the sort. If he meant to ask a question, he would ask it.

"How would you know that? You haven't known me for long at all."

When he was asked about his emotions, Shen Yun certainly was caught off guard, I mean, no one had ever asked him about it. But that was the way he wanted it, never did he wish to confront his feelings or converse with someone else about them. Only the weak should be subject to such actions in his mind.

"Why would I ask them? It's blatantly obvious to me, besides, I doubt your life has been that much of a disaster. You seem like a child in my eyes to be quite frank."

Using his all-knowing eyes to stare right through the man in front of him, Luo Wen meant to entice some sort of reaction out of him.

Staring at the floor, Shen Yun understood what was happening quickly. He promised himself to never succumb to the mental attacks inflicted on him by anyone, including himself. All he could do was suck it up, and move on whether he wished to do so or not.

"I guess so, it's difficult to determine that if you've never been in their shoes experiencing it the way they have. You're entitled to that opinion regardless of course."

Grabbing the pouch of water, Shen Yun poured it into his mouth, relieving the desert-like area. After doing so, he threw the pouch at the man in front of him to offer a drink. When it was caught, Luo Wen did the same thing, except, his mouth wasn't as dry.

Both seemed to be complete opposites with absolutely nothing alike, however, they would soon realize just how similar they were in due time.

Still, this did not matter now, as they had only just been slightly acquainted.

Anyways, after receiving the deflection, Luo Wen applauded the man's mental solitude internally.

'He's not as emotional as I thought he would be. Interesting, but he seems to be quite uncomfortable around me. Maybe I should help him with those inconveniences of his.'

Without any signal, Luo Wen moved his right arm over to the head of Shen Yun, and with his finger surrounded with something which resembled light, he then tapped his forehead lightly, leaving a bright imprint.

Throughout the entire process, Shen Yun was unable to think straight.

Instead of leaving him be and becoming subject to opposition, Luo Wen made sure to prepare and eliminate the possibility of that happening.

So after the imprint on the forehead of Shen Yun finally disappeared, something extraordinary happened to him. The stains on his clothing, the dried blood on his blade, and the clouded mind of his, all disappeared, leaving only dust behind in its wake. This left him clean and calm, for the first time in a long while.

Yet he paid little attention to those superficial details, for Shen Yun was very curious as to what was on the finger of Luo Wen. He wasn't afraid, instead, he was more or less perplexed, wishing to know more about what happened.

When Luo Wen brought this hand back and returned back to his regular position, he looked over and Shen Yun and smiled lightly.

"It was nice, wasn't it. I doubt you know what I did, and that just makes you want to know more about it. You're all the same in the end."

Memories rushed back into the mind of Luo Wen, both painful, and refreshing. Nonetheless, he had no choice but to return back to the present, and look at the eager man in front of him.

'Perhaps, one last time wouldn't hurt.'

Those familiar, and oh so nostalgic emotions were all that were left in the broad mind of Luo Wen.

So much time had past, and he remained the same.

'I truly have...never changed.'