Willow of Stillness

"...saw?"

"Yeah."

"You mean SAW, saw?"

"Um yeah!"

"..."

"..."

Both individuals in the strange white room, illuminated by the unknown, stared at each other in silence.

A bald man was wearing a black suit and black pants. There was a hint of mystery surrounding him as his attire looked normal but not-so-normal at the same time.

He sat on the chair behind the desk, covered his crotch with his hands, and closed his eyes as if contemplating something very important. Sometimes his face frowned, then it deepened, then sometimes his lips twitched, and sometimes his eyes flickered.

Finally, after some time, he opened his eyes and looked at Allen with pity and sympathy, as if he too had the same brutal experience and felt the same pain as Allen.

A chair suddenly appeared beside Allen, and the bald man spoke.

"Kid, let me offer you my sincerest apologies for the unfortunate turn of events."

"You didn't do that, so?"

"Heh, of course, I bear no responsibility for your plight. However, the torment and anguish you've endured, kid, even by the standards of a Shinigami like me, is undeniably traumatizing."

"Are you a Shinigami?" He sat on the chair as he asked, his voice laced with curiosity.

"Yes!"

"You don't look like one."

"Ohhohohoo! Well, what did you expect? A bony figure clad in dark clothing, surrounded by an aura of darkness, clutching a scythe in its skeletal hand?

Allen nodded as he heard the description of the Shinigami that the bald Shinigami gave.

"Ohhohohoo!" The bald Shinigami chuckled, his amusement obvious. "Well, that's quite the imagination humans have brewed up. I must admit, it does possess a certain allure, a coolness, if you will."

He added, "Indeed, expectations and reality often clash, don't they? Very well, allow me to present myself." He stood up and opened his arms, looked up, and started speaking: "The name is Mortisbane Gloomweaver, a distinguished first-grade Shinigami at your service. And as fate would have it, you, my dear pupil, hold the honour of being my first patient in a whopping 128 years, according to this peculiar Earth calendar."

"First patient? What does that mean? Am I even dead or not?" Allen tilted his head to one side and looked at Mortisbane in confusion.

"I assure you, you are dead and died by... um." Mortisbane had an awkward expression on his face and added, after a bit, "died by saw."

Allen's face saddened, as if he would die for the second time.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey..." Mortisbane exclaimed in a fluster, noticing the bewildered expression on Allen's face. He hastily called out to him repeatedly.

"Fear not, kid! You currently find yourself within the sanctuary of the Willow of Stillness. This sacred abode aids dead souls such as yours in relinquishing the burden of their traumatic demise or reducing its lingering impact."

The confusion in Allen's gaze deepened.

Mortisbane settled back down, locked eyes with Allen, and began to clarify the crucial details. "Now, let me acquaint you with the complexities. When an individual meets their demise in the mortal realm, their soul is directed towards the fabled Door of Reincarnation."

He allowed a moment of silence to permeate the air, allowing the weight of this knowledge to settle before resuming. "The Door of Reincarnation serves as a gateway where one's soul memory is wiped clean, and they are subsequently reborn, bereft of any recollection of their past life. Their soul age is reset to zero, ready to embark on a new journey."

Another pause followed, allowing the information to sink in. Mortisbane added, "However, there exists an exception; a select few do not traverse the path to the Door of Reincarnation, but instead find themselves in this very place: the Willow of Stillness."

He again paused for a bit and ...

"Come on, continue; I've got a brain; you know, I've read many web novels, and this is just another set of information. I get it. Continue." Allen yelled.

Mortisbane's awkward smile remained as he scratched his head, realising his slip of the tongue. "Ah, yes, you hail from Earth. I forgot, those nasty authors really scratch the surface."

Allen furrowed his brow in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, never mind," Mortisbane quickly dismissed. "So, as I was explaining, when individuals from the mortal realm meet their demise, they typically journey towards the Door of Reincarnation. However, there are exceptions. You see, certain creatures endure such horrific and traumatic deaths that their soul energy surpasses the capacity the mortal realm can handle. Consequently, they are redirected to the Willow of Stillness."

He was about to stop again, but remembering the earlier lapse, he continued hurriedly.

"The more gruesome and traumatic the demise, the greater the surge in their soul energy, surpassing the limits of the mortal realm's handling. Hence, they find themselves within the sanctuary of the Willow of Stillness."

Mortisbane finally fell silent, having completed his explanation.

Allen took in all the information and nodded his head to show that he understood Mortisbane's explanation.

After some time, he spoke: "Who operates this Willow of Stillness ?"

"What?!"

"The boss? Who is the Boss, the CEO, or the Director of this place? Who do you work for?"

"Um..." Mortisbane didn't understand what Allen was trying to ask here, but after using some of his brain cells, he understood.

"Ohoohoo! The boss, now I understand, okay! Well, it's #*#*#*#*."

"What?!"

"Ah, even if I were to delve into further detail, comprehension may fail you, and the capacity of your soul to absorb such knowledge remains limited, kid," Mortisbane explained the reason, or maybe not.

Understanding that he wouldn't be able to get that answer, Allen proceeded to ask different questions.

"What do you mean by creatures?"

Mortisbane nodded. "Indeed, you grasp the essence of it. Humans are not the sole participants in reincarnation. The mortal realm extends far beyond Earth's boundaries, encompassing numerous living planets teeming with a vast array of diverse creatures. Humans are merely a drop of water in this vast universe."

Allen listened intently and nodded his head in understanding.

"You look like a human?"

"Cause you are a human."

"What?!"

"Never mind, you won't comprehend this one either."

"So then why am I here?"

"Ohoohoo! Your curiosity delights me. Indeed, you have found yourself within the confines of the Willow of Stillness to fulfil your designated Stillness Instance. 'Stillness Instance' is a concept of time that transcends conventional understanding, making it impossible to grasp fully.

In simpler terms, you have a predetermined duration to spend here, and once that time elapses, you will be granted the opportunity to proceed towards the Door of Reincarnation, where you can undergo reincarnation beyond the mortal realm's boundaries."

"Why do I have to be here? And what is this mortal realm, and what is outside of the mortal realm?" Allen asked with a bit of frustration as he wasn't able to get the answers.

"You didn't listen to me, did you? You have to be here because you have to complete a time limit."

"And why is that?"

"The Willow of Stillness helps in mitigating the effect of the trauma you've been through, and there is a set amount of time required for that."

"But I feel perfectly fine."

Mortisbane sighed, looked at Allen with pity and sympathy, and spoke, "Look, the thing is, this place will make you feel better, but that doesn't mean you are better, and you have to complete your time because there have been many cases where creatures were not able to get rid of the trauma they had been through even after they had completed their time in the Willow of Stillness, and even if they reincarnated and forgot everything, they still had the fear of that thing that killed them in their past lives."

Allen nodded hard at this point because he could feel it; the moment he remembered 'saw' or 'a girl', his ass would shudder in fear.

"As for your other question, the mortal realm, as you rightly perceive, is a realm devoid of spiritual energy, mana, qi, ki, or chi. As someone familiar with web novels, you are well aware of the implications.

These energies allow one to harness themselves and their extraordinary abilities—the potential for immortality—thereby extending their lifespans far beyond the ordinary. However, it is crucial to understand that these energies exist beyond the confines of the mortal realm."

"So, you are telling me I'll be born in such a place where I'll be able to use magic or do cultivation?" Allen had an elated expression on his face and his eyes sparkled as he asked.

"Hold your horses, kid; yeah, you would be born there, but there is no guarantee that you will be able to cultivate or do magic. Even within those realms, not everyone possesses the innate talent or opportunity to become a magician or cultivator. It is a path that requires dedication, training, and often a combination of both innate potential and external factors."

"It doesn't matter; just knowing that there is such a place and that I'll be born there is enough for me."

"Oh boy, don't you dare be deceived, young one, umhnn? Those realms are a far cry from the feeble mortal realm you once knew. In those domains, the strong prey upon the weak; strength reigns supreme and might dictate the very laws that govern existence. Kid, prepare yourself for a harsh reality."

Mortisbane shook his head with a grave expression, his bald face radiating seriousness. He continued with a tone befitting the Shinigami: "You have merely tasted the bitterness of a horrific demise, but in those realms, even more gruesome deaths occur with alarming regularity. If you were to embark upon the treacherous path of cultivation, magic, or any other pursuit, the horrors would magnify exponentially."

These words shook Allen's mind, and with a bit of hesitation, he asked, "Worse death than being c-c-cut your... "

"Yes." Mortisbane nodded his head calmly, as if this were nothing new.

"Hey, but why are you telling me all of this? I won't remember it, so why does it matter for you to tell me all this?"

"Oh, you shouldn't have asked this; ah, your time is over now."

"What?! What do you mean?" Allen stood up as he spoke those words.

"Well, the deal is, once you step foot into the walls of the Willow of Stillness, your Stillness Instance commences and concludes. Our duty, however, is to prolong your stay in this domain as much as possible, aiding in the healing of your tormented soul.

But the moment you inquire about the reasons behind our explanations and question-answering, that very query, known as the "Exit Question," signifies that your time has come to an end. It signals the necessity to proceed towards the Door of Reincarnation."

"Hey, does that mean I'm healed?" Allen inquired.

However, this time he didn't get any answer, and simply the room, which was all white, started to fade and convert into a door, and then he heard Mortisbane's voice disappear.

"Enter the Door of Reincarnation and hail to your new life, kid."

Blink!

As Mortisbane said those words, Allen's eyes blinked; this blink didn't feel natural to him.

"What the -?" Allen's eyes widened as he gazed at the door in front of him.

"Enter." He then heard a voice in his head.

Step! Step!

His legs started moving on their own, and his mind went blank.

He opened the door and entered it, and the door began crumbling into pieces and disappearing.

After the door dissipated, the white room started to appear again in the black space, and in that room, a bald man was sitting behind the desk.

After the door dissipated, the white room started to appear again in the void, and in that room, a bald man was sitting behind the desk.

However, a bald woman was standing beside him, and she spoke respectfully, "Sir, how much soul energy did he accumulate from you?"

Mortisbane replied, his gaze fixed elsewhere: "He absorbed half of my soul energy. I had no idea such a monstrous entity existed in the mortal realm. Had he not posed the exit question any later, I would have resorted to a Force Exit myself, Natyx."

The woman named Natyx's eyes shook, and she spoke while quavering, "If I wouldn't have called you then?"

"Your existence would have dissipated long ago, unable to withstand even a fraction of Quilten's Instance. You did an excellent job waking me up to heal such a monstrous human."

Natyx started trembling even harder; she took deep breaths to control herself.

 "We've got ourselves a monster in our midst. If he can truly unleash his full potential, this gamble could be a game-changer for us. Allen Sigma, I have great expectations for you." Mortisbane stared into the vacant expanse where Allen had vanished, his voice heavy.

 "But sir, what if he doesn't help us?" Natyx probed while calming her trembling self.

 "He's a good guy; we've helped him, and I think he'll repay his favour."

 "But sir, his trauma—his d*ck was chopped off by the saw—that's brutal. Will he be able to recover from that? That might become a heart demon for him." Natyx asked with a straight face in a puzzled tone.

 Mortisbane 's body tightened a bit after hearing the saw part again, and he shouted angrily, "Shut up, he's not a weak guy; he'll recover; heck, he has to, 'cause that's a man's pride."

 'I believe in him.

He Can.

He Will.

And he has to.'

'That is your motto, Allen Sigma, and it has been the driving force behind your entire life. Now, it's time to reveal to the world the depths of your true potential.'

"Tell the whole universe you saw beyond 'saw'." While saying this, he clenched his hands and covered his crotch.

'No one should laugh at him, no one knows his pain.'