The Laughing Man

"No sign of nobody here, brother", the masked man stood up, after having observed what looked like a campfire.

The other man was cloaked and masked in white too. Both of them carried a heavy luggage on their back, apparently supplies for travel. By the looks of it, the two of them were traveling healers. It wasn't common in war days to see people like that around. While most of the healers stuck to war grounds healing the wounded soldiers, many took to areas that were indirectly affected by wars. There wasn't any shortage of ghost towns in those days, so even though it didn't pay them much, traveling to many different places was enough to get them by. People couldn't pay them money but they could share what little food and supplies they had, in exchange for treatment.

"Strange, isn't it? Looks like the people up and left, all too suddenly", the other one replied.

"Then there were some of them Blue ones in that there barracks, brother. It's just an ancient piece of rubble now though, ya see?"

The Blue ones were the enemy soldiers. They wore blue, hence the Blue ones.

"I haven't spotted a single Blue anywhere in the city though."

"Wonder who done them in, brother."

"Let's go find out", the brother said before the two got a move on.

The place was empty, ridden with dead Blues all over the place. The barracks was caving in on the most part and would have given way completely any moment.

"Doesn't look like they were killed in battle", the brother opined.

"Looks to me like they were dumped in here, after bein' done in 'n all."

The brother sighed, "This isn't what I wanted to see after that terrifying climb. And this was supposed to be a prosperous city secured from all sides. Agartha, they said, was a little piece of heaven. Not much of it left anymore, I see."

"What're we ta do now, brother?"

"I wish we had time to bury them but we have to-"

He was cut short by a clanking voice that came from outside. The two looked at each other before heading outside. They found a young boy standing all alone, barefoot and with barely any protective clothes on. The snow beneath his feet, nor the chilling wind bothered him.

"Hey, you!", the brother called from the distance, daring not to go any closer just yet, "You alright over there, kid?"

There was no response, the kid remained standing without even the slightest movement.

"He looks a li'l dainty, don't he brother?"

"Scrawny, you mean?", the brother whispered back before addressing the boy again.

"We're here to help, are you hurt?", they finally started towards the boy.

"Aw man, look at this feller. Even more svelte up close, ain't he brother?", he got down on his knees and began cleaning the boy's face with a towel, "Ain't ya cold, buddy? Ya got one han'some face, I tell ya that."

"What are you doing out here in the open? Is there someone else with you?", the brother asked.

The boy remained still, like a doll.

"Ya don't say much, do ya?"

Just then, the boy shifted his gaze to meet the healer's, the one that was cleaning him up. The healer was startled a bit. The boy pointed in the distance.

"Is there where ya live?", the healer asked.

The boy, without replying, turned around and began walking in that direction himself. The two healers, perplexed, followed him.

The boy stopped in front of a temple, the only one in the city.

"He's tellin' us ta go in, brother."

The brother nodded, scrutinizing the temple entrance.

"Don't listen to him!", a new voice appeared.

The healers looked behind them. A young man stood tall, with a stern expression.

"Leave here immediately, if you know what's good for you."

"Who are you?", the brother asked.

"I'm the keeper of this temple. You were following that young boy, weren't you?", the young man asked.

"Yes, this boy...hold on, where'd he go?", the brother looked around. The boy had suddenly disappeared.

"He was just here!", the healer cried, "The youngin' done got spirited away, brother!"

"We came here with this boy, he had...uhh...what did he look like again?", the brother was utterly lost.

"He did have a face, methinks", the other healer was no help.

The two struggled to remember his face, but there was no use.

"Don't push yourself. That's just how he is", the young man replied, "The cheeky bastard's standing right next to you, in fact."

"Huh? Where?!"

The healers, however, failed to see him no matter how much they tried.

"He's the ghost of Agartha. I don't know why he lets me see him, but anyways, don't follow him. That temple is no place any one should head into."

"Why? What's in there?"

"They are all sleeping in there. All the people of Agartha. They are in a better place now. But...there's a security system in place. You won't wake up if you go there. Think of it as a curse. You saw that fog on the way up here, didn't you? Did it make you hallucinate?"

"Hallucinate?"

"I guess not, you are masked after all."

"What are you talking about, young man?"

"I'm saying, if you value your life, you will leave here immediately. There isn't a soul here that can be saved anymore. So don't waste your time and don't ever come back", the young man answered resolutely.

"How can you say that? After all, you are still here, aren't you? We can't turn our backs on people. If we can save even one, then we won't look away", the brother replied.

"I don't think you understand, but this isn't-"

"We're sorry, young man. But if there's a chance we can save someone, we will. We're going to look inside this temple, now. I hope you wouldn't get in our way, keeper."

"Don't be a fool!", the young man tried his utter best to stop them but the healers still chose to go in.

They never returned. The young man held contempt for the doll-faced boy that wandered Agartha, after having ruined it so.

After only a few months, the ghost of Agartha left. The keeper forgot his face just like all others. He never saw him again. As he was left all alone, he opened a tavern for lost travelers that would sometimes wander into Agartha. He still remembered vaguely, how one sudden day, a calamity had struck the people of Agartha.

They wanted to fight off the Blues but they themselves fell a victim to a cruelty they inflicted on one young boy. The laughing sound, the symbol, everyone spoke of it. Most of them fell into madness, collapsing one by one. That was the birth of The Laughing Man. No one knew his face, but they could feel it when he invaded their minds.

Those who were still sane, built themselves a secret world and named it Shamballa. Shamballa had one purpose; to prevent the Laughing Man's invasions. It was a haven they built to protect themselves from him. But even after he left Agartha, no one could come back.