The Life

K stood there, glad that he had come back. He looked at the people who had supported him before during that Duel, which finally ended.

It was a miracle—quite literally—that he was standing there alive right now.

He forgot about the sword in his hand and started walking toward them, and as he did, Nandak shaked.

He heard a few voices, calling him, telling him something that he must know before it was too late, and then, his vision turned hazy.

K shook his head, trying to clear all that disturbance in his mind and move forward, but then, a sudden jolt in his spine knocked him off. The shock paralyzed his body and he fell on the ground with dry eyes.

He watched the people hurrying towards him, as his eyes closed slowly.

*"...Sleep..."*

People scurried at him as he went unconscious.

••

K tried to open his eyes, which felt unusually difficult for him.

He saw the ceiling of his room. He was on his bed, but to confirm, he looked around. His room was pretty much predictable.

It wasn't filled with many things except for the essentials like a sturdy bed with a simple dark grey comforter, a compact desk with a single chair, and a floor-to-ceiling mirror and most of the remaining space was covered by his workout equipment.

The sleek weight bench, a few dumbbells, and a pull-up bar resting near the wall. The walls were simple and had a large calendar with some days marked off. 

That room was on the first floor and there was a glass window through which the sunlight was coming, though not much.

After looking around, he finally looked at his hand, in which he had held Nandak's hilt very tightly, and when he released it, he saw the marks on his hand because of his grip.

"What happened at that time?" he asked himself, looking at Nandak, lying on the bedsheet. He rubbed his forehead, clearing his mind, and exhaled a deep sigh.

K threw off the covers and swung his legs over the left side of the bed, and as soon as he got out on the floor, he realized something.

"Why do I feel so light?" he whispered to himself.

When he noticed this he slowly and quietly approached his mirror.

He raised his eyebrow.

"I look... a bit... different," he said, looking at his face.

His facial features had changed a little as he was looking a little more... 'handsome'? Might be able to pull a girl now.

Then, after a few seconds, he saw that his height had increased a little. His nails looked longer and more pointed, his facial hair had grown, and his head hair had become very long and shiny.

But that wasn't all.

He was feeling some great pressure in his muscles. He can feel them getting more and more tensed.

He flexed his hand closing its fist, the muscles rolling in waves under his skin, twisting and tightening up. He realized it as he splayed his fingers and heard the light pops of his knuckles. It seemed like his body had changed form and all of the energy in every single last one of his cells felt like trying to escape from him.

After looking at that, he saw himself in the mirror and did some light warm-up jumps.

"I feel kinda...strong?"

He rested his feet on the ground as he thought. *"So, am I now on par with a Dramon?"*

This question caught all his attention.

K thought of something. He suddenly crouched low, bending his leg and readying his ankles like a spring, and then, with the release of his new strength, he jumped upward, cracking the ground a little.

He actually liked this newfound strength but for less than a second.

His aim was too off and his jump was too forceful, and he crashed into the ceiling.

The impact sent a shower of plaster raining down as he cracked the surface. His head made a hole in the ceiling and got stuck in it.

As he tried to gently push up on the roof while pulling his head out, he applied too much force and ended up landing hard on his ass. The impact knocked the wind out of him, and he closed his eyes in response to the sudden pain, rubbing his sore head.

"Guess I gotta train for that." There was 'pain' in his voice.

He rose to his feet, trying not to propel himself upward again, as he looked at Nandak and smiled a bit.

*"If I learned to control my strength, I might not need this sword anytime soon."*

He gazed at his hands, opening and closing his palm, and then turned to his reflection in the mirror. Staring into his own eyes, he thought of answers to the questions in his mind.

"Should I start with 'how' or 'why'?"

As K was staring into the mirror, something strange happened.

The knife-point was so bright to cut a new summer from the belly of that ocean.1

His eyes changed colour before himself. The irises darkened, igniting into something like charcoal, inflamed before bleeding down into a deep brick-red color.

K was just staring into those red eyes, his eyes, and then, out of nowhere, his chest tightened like something was choking the life out of him. He bends down spasmodically to take a shallow breath. He tried to scream, but the voice that escaped him was far too quiet, subdued, and rough.

His eyes turned upward and red as he felt like being gripped from within.

K crawled toward his bed. His hand reached out to Nandak and was about to touch it as blood came out of his mouth.

••

As he opened his eyes, he was in a completely dark place, which reminded him of the nothingness he had felt from the gate incident. Only the silence, after the darkness, had swallowed him whole.

"I'm here again?" His voice echoed through that place. *"No, wait, this seems different. This is somewhere else."* he thought tiredly.

Almost immediately a deep sound pierced the darkness.

"Would you let me tell you?" It was Taraka.

K turned to face him, sharply looking at Taraka in that darkness.

"You are that guy who killed Irnis, aren't you?" K didn't even flinch at his arrival.

"Yes, I am."

The voice drew closer, few meters away, Taraka was standing there, shrouded in a weird flamey aura. His eyes were shining with an intense and almost otherworldly light.

"What do you need from me?"

"This... is a realm, a prison, crafted to confine me for millennia... Three thousand years, I've spent trapped here, seeking a way to shatter the seal that had bound my soul to this sword."

"But what if you didn't find a way to do so?" K said, being just curious.

"Then this would be my home for eternity." 

K wasn't shocked after hearing that but instead, he had many other questions.

"I was once able to come out five hundred years ago but due to certain circumstances, I was sealed again in it. Since then, I have been trying to come out again but was never able to do so. The chances to come out went lower and lower every day until one day, I lost hope."

K was intently hearing all that. After all, what else was there to do?

Taraka's gaze locked onto K's.

"But then, something unprecedented happened. During my fight with that girl, I sensed your soul within me, which was unexpected as something like this had never happened before. Others, who wielded Nandak for a longer time than they could, had bodies eventually succumbed to my power, their souls left the body and I took over it, but still, that wasn't enough to use all of my powers."

He walked forward.

"But your body allowed me to use most of my powers. I even thought of it as a mere coincidence, since there had never been that many wielders of Nandak, but then I felt your soul breaking out. And in that moment, my seal was broken." 

"So what you are trying to say is that I broke your seal and you think I am some big deal that would help you to achieve something you want? What kind of typical plot-driven story is this from?" K chuckles.

"I clearly am unable to understand what you are trying to say but you 'are' indeed a special individual."

After all, if someone were killed, then resurrected, and found themselves in a different-looking body, and instead of being shocked, they enjoyed the experience, only to then cough up blood and faint again, waking up as a soul in front of a person powerful enough to kill the commander of Dramon—and yet still reacted very casually—such a person would certainly be considered a 'special individual.' However, Taraka isn't talking about that right now.

K looks at Taraka. "Then let's come back to my question. What do you want from me?"

"Marry me."

K choked on his breath and made a weird confused face.

"What? What the fuck are you talking about?" K's confusion was completely justified. He is single, but he is not desperate.

"Hm? Is it not what you humans call 'forming a bond'?" And Taraka was as confused as K.

 "Who the heck told ya that?"

"Since I am not from this world, I had to learn your languages and cultures, so I went through your memories. I learned Hindi and English language and this place's cultures through your memories and then I learned about something like a ritual in which two individuals take an oath or something for the rest of their life.....Now that I think about it, both of those individuals had different genders..." So it was a misunderstanding by Taraka.

"You said you went through my memories?"

"Yes. Is there any problem?"

K thought about a few problems but believed not to say it at all.

"So what kind of bond were you talking about?" K changed the subject.

"It would be an oath.... to make me your servant."

K choked on his breath, again. And made the same face as before.

"May I ask what does that mean now?"

"It means what it sounds, you will make me your servant."

K put his hand on his head and sighed. "Let me think for a moment..."

As K thought of something he looked at Taraka who was waiting for his answer.

"Why do you want to be my servant?"

"I can not tell why it happened but you were the one who broke me out of this. That's one of the reasons I want to serve you. As for another, I am afraid I cannot tell you about that." Taraka looked at K, proudly. 

K quickly replied as he remembered something. "I appreciate your response, but would you explain what happened to my body? I need to understand what's going on with me."

"As much as I believe, I could help you in this matter, but first, I must require you to pledge the Oath of the Soul with me. Will you take this sacred oath?"

His voice took on a solemn tone, heavy. "By taking the 'oath', you will permit me to make a pact from our souls, allowing me to enter your body. Only then can I share anything about yourself and assist you with it."

"How the hell can I take that oath when my body is lying helpless out there?" K's voice cracked, the sound of his words reverberating in a void. 

Taraka responded in a quick, no-bullshit movement.

He lifted his hand and dark fire exploded out of it. His fingers spiraled the flames.

"That is irrelevant." His voice was firm as he declared. "We can make the pact in distant realms, dimensionally. This is a union that will be glorified, surpassing even the limitation of flesh and place."

And suddenly, Nandak materialized in Taraka's hand, as if it was being drawn towards him.

The sword's dark, metallic surface burned intensely and amplified the power emanating from Taraka's crimson, flame-imbued palm, shining through the void. Taraka's eyes flashed with a fierce light, his gaze burning with an unspoken determination.

"Now, the oath can be sealed, with Nandak as our catalyst and our witness." he declared, his voice resonating through the void.

"Will you take the oath, K?"

K knows what he needs to do. He nods and agrees to it. "Yeah, yeah, just take that oath already." 

A determined expression was set on Taraka's face, his eyes burned with flames in the darkness and were coming out a bit.

Raising Nandak, the sword blade flickered a faint red color.

Some mysterious red fluid was oozing from K's and Taraka's chests, a sort of their souls being drained. It was like molten wax, but colored and pouring like blood and beating with a life of its own and streamed towards Nandak, whose blade drinking in that bloody liquid like a thirsty vein with Taraka speaking the words of an ancient oath and it felt like the very air was pulsing waiting for this.

"By blood and dhatu, I bind our souls..." He continued but in a different unknown language which K obviously couldn't understand and was probably not even interested.

And then, suddenly, the dark atmosphere started brightening.

Everything around them was illuminated by a sharp, white light, enough to make someone blind.

As for K, he was in his soul form, so he couldn't tell its intensity but it still wasn't something that could be ignored. K can now completely "see" his soul's shape and even Taraka's, who was sealing the oath.

Taraka's body was glowing in some dark black energy and his hand was covered in flames. Some vein-like structures started forming on the ground, pointing toward him, and K.

Taraka was still chanting those words non-stop. "...yadia che asmakami kaschito asmakamu samjhoteha viruddhame kimapii karotio tarhiu teshama pranahe khadgei niruddhaho bhavishyantiu..."

For some reason, K was ignoring everything... or probably he never noticed anything. And then, in a flash, everything started shaking and a huge, loud, sharp, deafening, piercing sound came from nowhere. Leaving everything vibrating and then everything went back to dark as before.

K looked like he just come out of a trance.

But Taraka acted as if he didn't feel anything about what had just happened.

And then Taraka stopped his incantation. "The oath... our pact is now... sealed."

Taraka's behavior changed remarkably. His eyes now sparkled with real devotion.

He bowed to K.

"Now, I am your servant, Sir K. I am committed to serving your needs with utmost dedication and respect. I will strive to fulfill your requests promptly and efficiently. If I betray you, I shall take my own life, but I won't be able to do anything which is against my revenge. I'll do anything except something which negatively affects it."

K shifted a bit uncomfortably, his face was heating up with discomfort. The grandiose declaration felt like too much, too soon. He wasn't used to such dramatic displays of loyalty, so it felt completely awkward to him.

"I was intended to fulfill your requests, having acted per your directives while I was within your body at that time. It was meant to happen like this." Taraka showed his gratitude and nodded.

"There are still some important things we should talk about but first, let me end your concerns."

With a wave of his hand, between the darkness, he revealed an image of K's body, still lying near the bed.

"All seems to be in order... however, it appears that an inner strength has been awakened within you," he said, *"a power that appears to be steadily increasing,"* he thought.

Taraka made an intensifying face while thinking. *"The distinct brick-red hue of the eyes, the changes in physique, and the red glow observed at the base of the spine are indicative of a more profound transformation that is impending. These features represent symptoms of a significant change... a change that is approaching soon."*

K was a bit confused. "So, that power you just talked about... is it dangerous?"

Taraka's expression turned enigmatic, "That remains to be seen." he said in a pretty low tone.

"What do you mean?" K wanted clarification.

"There is no cause for concern at this time. Your body is currently stable. The powers experienced were unfamiliar and will be managed appropriately. I will suppress them initially and then release them gradually to ensure your safety. Rest assured, you are completely secure at the moment." Taraka only reassured him, but he himself was unsure.

"What do you mean by 'gradually'?"

"I will assist in the gradual adjustment of your body to its new capabilities. This process will involve a controlled and systematic release of power, allowing for effective mastery and harnessing of these abilities. However, for the time being, our primary focus will be on ensuring a swift and safe recovery of your body."

He walked towards K a bit, swung Nandak and it vanished from his hand which left K in a trance. As he watched the sword disappear, his vision blurred, and he started to disappear.

He was getting removed from that realm, or instead was getting pulled by something.

••

K suddenly opened his eyes, as if in shock.

He was lying on the floor of his room, reaching out to grab the hilt of Nandak, which was sitting on the bed. His head felt all hazy.

He glanced at Nandak and sensed Taraka's presence inside.

He gently placed the sword back on the bed, feeling companionship with it, though only a bit.

As he stood up, K's thoughts turned to his physical state.

He hadn't even taken a bath since after that incident. He was kind of smelling bad and felt a wave of fatigue over him. The memories of the past few hours seemed to weigh heavily on his body so a warm bath was suddenly very appealing. With a weary exhale he headed towards the bathroom with a towel, of course.

He stepped into the warm embrace of the shower. The gentle spray of water enveloped him, soothing his fatigued body and mind. The warmth seeped into his muscles, easing the tension that had built up over the past few hours. He closed his eyes, letting the water wash away the dirt and the lingering sense of unease.

With each passing moment, K felt his nerves relaxing, his thoughts untangling, so he thought of some questions that were left unanswered.

The warmth of the shower was like a balm that was calming his already overworked mind and silencing the voices of uncertainty. As the water flowed down his body, he breathed deeply, feeling the weight of his experiences slowly lifting, like the mist that evaporates in the morning sun.2

K came out of the shower feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. He rubbed the towel around his head to absorb excess water from his hair, which now fell down his back damp and tangled.

He had already noticed earlier that his hair and nails had grown longer. 

"Looks like I need a haircut, and a trim for my nails as well," he mused, sounding annoyed.

He felt a sense of detachment from his body. The changes he had undergone weren't only physical. He couldn't help but wonder what's happened next.

K headed towards his closet for some clothes to wear.

He felt a sense of normalcy returning as he got dressed, enjoying the comfort of his routine. While wearing his T-shirt, he didn't notice his long hair was tucked inside it.

As he wore his clothes, his mind became an eddy of questions. "Gah... it still hurts." He rubbed his temples and looked at the ceiling he had just broken. "Guess I should sort it out first... And I'll fix this mess later." He tried to clear his mind.

"So, if I start from the beginning..." K thought aloud, trying to piece together the events.

"First, it was that commander, uhh... what was her name...? Yeah, Irnis. So, she and that princess... Rem? They both chose a way which was uncommon for even a normal Dramon to choose but despite their position, they chose that path."

He looked up, "As much as I've heard, they typically avoid areas with high human populations, since they see us as inferior and having hatred towards us. So, why did that commander take this route?" K furrowed his eyebrows as he pondered the question.

"Was it just a coincidence?" He sighed.

"And then there's that Princess... Rem? She was weird. Why was she looking like she was being bullied by Irnis? Isn't she the 'Dramon princess'? She was supposed to be the one in charge, but it felt like the roles were flipped there." K's eyes clouded over, his thoughts consumed by the memory of the Princess's face.

"And during the duel... she wasn't a bit happy, huh? Duels are just another form of entertainment to them, but she acted differently. Her face was... full of concern. Like she was... pitying me?"

He suddenly opened his eyes "But I am a human! What's going on here? Why did she look so broken and desperate?"

K walked towards the window near his bed. "And then that power? Or what was it? It almost felt like some god-level thing took over me. My body felt lighter than air, and my strength felt enough to destroy Irnis. I was fast enough to see her attacks in slow motion." He looked outside the window with a serious expression on his face. 

"That power was exhilarating. I almost felt like I had transcended this world like I had broken free from the shackles of gravity. But it vanished soon, too soon for me to use it. If only I had used it for longer, I would have defeated her without a scratch." His voice got lowered to just a whisper, gaze drifting off into the distance. "Can I use it again?"

He stood near the bed. "And then... I died. Or did I? That Nandak must have surely ended it, but instead, I was just teleported into that void. Pradi told me most of the things so I don't have that many questions there. I was watching Taraka take over my body and... did whatever he did."

K sat on the bed, his mind racing with the next puzzle piece. "He said he acted as I wanted but what does that mean? I wanted to kill Irnis so he did that because of me? But when that spaceship was leaving, he didn't attack. Did he hold back because I didn't want that princess to be harmed? But wait... why would I even care about her?" He had a serious look on his face.

"And what about Irnis? He has his own against Dramons, so... hmm... I don't think it was my influence at that time."

K was trying to grasp the elusive truth. "That void where Taraka was sealed is somewhere he can move around easily, but I totally can't. I lost all control of my body there. While I was stuck watching everything happen outside, this huge gate just popped up out of nowhere. It felt like it came out of thin air... but wait, was there even any air?" He raised his eyebrow

"Then I got pulled to the gate like I was possessed by it like it was calling me. I don't remember much but as much as I do, when I stepped through it, I saw another gate. It was of the same size, but its color was different. A deep, rich red, like maroon ... but was vibrant enough to be called crimson and it was shining in that light."

"So the question is, what the heck are those gates?" K looked at Nandak placed silently beside him, and let out a frustrated sigh.

*"I still have many questions."* He just started thinking in his mind. It was like a storm of questions.

His vision drifted inwards. K closed his eyes and lay back on the bed. "I've faced a Dramon and I am still alive... it's only a matter of time before they come for me."

Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed from the stairs leading to his room. K's eyes remained shut, but he heard it clearly.

"Whoa... didn't think they would be that fast..." he thought in a depressing tone.

The door burst open.

"K~~ I thought I'd never see you again!"

It was George. He jumped into his room like a whirlwind in a bizarre cry. He was yelling and dove at K without thinking, giving him a headbutt. K's eyes flew open when their heads bumped together with a loud thud.

"What the heck? What the fuck George?!" K yelled, rubbing his sore forehead.

He was quite angered.

George held his head in pain. "Is he made of iron or something? ...huh?"

"Why the hell are you here? Didn't I tell you to leave me alone?"

George adopted an innocent expression, his eyes wide with feigned naivety. "But you said it that day, K."

K's voice rose in exasperation. "That applies for all days asshole! And why are you here? Who let you in?"

George gave out a goofy grin.

"Well almost everyone from our area is here right now. Your ground floor is pretty spacious, you know."

K's face fell, his voice barely above a whisper. "Why... are they all here?" He had already resigned from expressing emotion on his face now.

George's eyes lit up with a sudden recollection. "Oh, yeah! And some people in black clothes showed up and asked to meet you."

*"Guess I was right."*

George beamed with a reassuring smile. "They seemed like good guys, so we invited them to join the party."

K's confusion deepened. "Huh? Why? Wait... what party?"

"There is a party in your home."

"Why?"

George's grin turned confused. "Eh... I dunno. Probably because you recovered."

K almost exploded. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY 'PROBABLY'? HUH!? YOU WENT TO A PARTY WITHOUT EVEN KNOWING THE REASON??"

George backpedaled, sensing K's fury. "Uh, well, uhm, it's just... uh, we wanted to help you. How are your injuries, anyway?"

"I'm more than okay, I'm perfect," K said with a hint of irritation, trying to reassure George.

He looked at George's bandaged hands, and he remembered the desperation in George's eyes when he tried to break through the barrier when Irnis was going to kill him.

His anger decreased a bit. He turned his attention back to the mysterious visitors.

"So, where are those people now?"

"Who?"

"Those people in black clothes, idiot."

George looked at the ceiling and thought for a bit "Oh, I think I left them with Uncle Devilal."

K's eyes widened in... amazement? "Then they're as good as dead."

George's face fell, looking a bit shocked by his blunt criticism. "No no! Uncle Devilal may be a bit unstable, but he wouldn't kill them!"

His gestures had already become deadpan. " I think you misunderstood what I said but still...You sure about that, George?"

His face remained calm, voice devoid of emotion. "He talks like a person who is fully conscious while having a drunkard's brain. His topics are too toxic and a danger to ordinary humans. Even I got my ears to bleed that one day." That was hyperbole since K was reeling from the trauma of having so many people in his home.3

George scoffed. "What are you saying, K? I can have a normal conversation with him just fine."

"I'm talking about normal humans, dumbass."

K took a deep breath.

"Let's go... or it will become a hassle later."

K turned and descended the stairs, he was fast.

George looked back a bit, "Was there always a hole in this ceiling?"

He then trailed behind him without any other questions to catch up to him.

They descended into the indoor courtyard, where a sea of familiar faces were crowding the place. The air 'was' alive with the murmur of conversation, the clinking of utensils, and the aroma of food.

But as soon as K appeared, the room erupted into a chorus of greetings and questions, and now it is too alive.

["Hey K, how are you feeling now?" "Welcome back, K!" "We've missed you, K!" "Hey K, how are you feeling now?" "Welcome back, K! We've missed you!" "K, what happened to you? You look like you've been through a war!" "We were so worried about you! Are you okay?" "Let me get something for you. You must be hungry!"]

The crowd pushed forward, covering K in a tidal wave.

He hadn't even come out in that courtyard completely and they were pushing him back.

He tried to go through them with a mix of patience and annoyance, looking for an escape route while George crouched down, using the crowd's distraction to slip away from between them. He dodged legs and weaved through the crowd, fixed on the exit.

Once they both escaped them, K let out a gruff sigh.

"Dammit! Can't they see I'm busy? I've got more important things to deal with right now." George stood up, brushing himself off.

"I think they were worried about you."

K's expression turned stern. "Yeah yeah, 'worried about me.' They 'cannot' worry about me and they should know that."

"Haha, they already know that."

They arrived near a corner of his home where Devilal was and found him standing alongside two people.

But something was off.

"I guess we're already late," K muttered, his eyes watching the scene before him.

They were half dead, with expressions of a straight-standing zombie. Their sunglasses were slipping down their noses, and their black blazers were slung haphazardly over their shoulders. The only thing that was left was their bleeding ears which might start soon if not stopped. They looked like they'd been put through a wringer, but K knew it was just Devilal's special ability.

He turned to face K, a grin spreading across his face.

"Haha, K! Right on time! I was just going to tell them about Earth's third moon and how it could cause massive tsunamis to wipe out the Dramons on our planet and it's also warping them into these creepy, human-like creatures, and unleashing these massive underground worms that'll eat everything in sight to make them a pandemic which will create black holes on earth."

"Wha- Save it. What the hell did you do to them? Nah, actually, don't say anything and let me go with them. I have something to talk about with them." K was trying to escape.

And so he went away with them.