The dead and alive
Two moons stood in the night sky like watchful eyes. In their gaze, there was no prejudice only unfeeling callousness. At least that's what Reki felt.
He limped through the woods, his body bloody and battered, his future shattered. Moments later with a thud he collapsed near an old banyan tree. It embraced him as he fell. Seasons changed and the banyan tree stood firm accompanying a lonely silhouette at its base. Thus 3 years passed since Reki fell. Vines grew over him, merging him with the scenery.
Until one summer day, a young boy came across that banyan tree.
He cut the vines, placed Reki on his back, and hurried to his village.
The boy carried Reki for 3 days without a break. The village was in sight. Dirt roads intertwined with old wooden houses. The boy's destination was the center of the village, a Buddhist temple.
As they passed through many elderly and middle-aged villagers followed behind muttering with clasped hands. The peaceful village rarely had any outside visitors.
The boy brought Reki before the temple and placed him on the steps.
"Abbot Vassu! This Daigon implores your help!"
The boy shouted, his forehead touching the ground.
"Bring him in." A calm and powerful voice resounded from the temple.
Daigon picked up Reki and hurried inside the temple.
They passed hundreds of sculptures before they arrived near the abbot's chambers.
'The temple is as vast as I remember.'
Daigon thought and couldn't help but remember when he lost himself inside this temple as a child.
'I had a future back then…' He sighed.
"Daigon! Is this a time for reminiscing? Hurry and bring him in!"
The abbot's voice echoed in his ears.
"Yes, abbot!" Daigon lowered his head and brought Reki into the chamber.
The old monk sat on the stone floor below a giant buddha statue, his eyebrows touching the ground.
His eyes were closed yet his presence could be felt throughout the room.
"Lay him before me!"
"Yes, abbot."
He carefully placed Reki before the abbot and sat quietly across from him.
The monk placed his palms over Reki's body, hours passed by neither Daigon nor the abbot moved. Daigon frowned with anxious eyes and asked quietly.
"Will he live?"
"A year at most." Vassu sighed and continued.
"His life center is shattered, every hour that passes a year of his life energy is expended."
Daigon stood up in shock.
"Oh my god! What kind of a life span does he have to survive a year in that state?!"
"Daigon remember what I told you when you were a boy?"
"You mean about other worlds? I thought that was just a fairy tale."
"I do not speak fairy tales and although this man looks young he's more than old enough to be my great grandfather."
"But abbot you're already over 500 years old and if he's old enough to be your great grandfather then he…"
"Enough! Daigon, this is your chance. If this man is willing to repay his debts, he may give you your future back."
"Abbot, didn't you tell me my situation is hopeless?"
"Indeed, In this world, there is not a single person that can help you, but for this man, all he needs to do is expend a bit of his cultivation and you will be completely fixed."
"But wouldn't he die faster if he does that?"
"Indeed that is the main difficulty."
The monk frowned in contemplation.
"What do you mean difficulty?! Like hell I'm going to ask that of him!"
"Don't be a fool! The greatest thing someone in his situation can do is to let another person grow."
Daigon fell silent. After a few minutes, he sighed and said.
"Fine I will ask but I will not play any games, as far as I'm concerned he doesn't owe me anything."
"Good!" The abbot said and took his hands back. "I did as much as I could, he should wake up in five or six days. From now on he is your responsibility."
"I understand." Daigon stood up and placed Reki on his back again.
"One more thing, he can't stay in the village. You must take him to the Hollow Forest."
"Why?" Daigon frowned.
"He's leaking energy like crazy, if he stays in the village for more than a week it's practically a guarantee those old monsters will find him. Only in the Hollow Forest where the energy is enclosed can he be safe. Take him to the cabin I took you to when you were a child. You remember where it is?"
"Yes."
"Go." The abbot waved his hand and Daigon went on his way with Reki.
In three days they arrived back in the Hollow Forest, where Daigon found Reki.
The forest was shrouded in mist and even though it was summer barely any light came through. Daigon remembered how creepy he felt the forest to be when he was a child, the old trees seemed as if they were making faces at him. As he walked through the forest now with Reki there was only a slight feeling of isolation but nothing more.
He smiled. 'Kids indeed have a vivid imagination.'
They soon arrived before an ancient banyan tree, it must have stood there for thousands of years for it to get this huge.
"Hua! It's as huge as I remember, hundreds of people would barely be able to encircle this tree."
Daigon continued walking to the other side of the tree.
They arrived before a humble entrance carved into the tree, there were two wooden arhat statues at the sides of the entrance as though they were guarding it.
"I remember helping the abbot carve these when I was a boy." He smiled fondly for a few moments before climbing the steps and entering.
The room inside the tree was spacious but extremely simple. There were two beds each at one side of the room, two desks both carved out from the tree and merged together. At the center end of the wall was a buddha statue for worship and in the middle of the room was a meditation mat.
Daigon placed Reki on the bed and sat down on the mat. Although he couldn't cultivate he made it a point to train his mind as often as he could.
Soon after he went to bed, his mind was completely exhausted after being awake for more than a week.
After he slept for almost an entire day he woke up and went outside the cabin, although Reki could survive without food and water, he couldn't. When he went out of the cabin he could barely tell it was day anything beyond that was stretching it thin.
Only in the winter would the fog recede enough so you could clearly see the sky.
He headed westward, there was a pond there 3 miles from the tree, he was sure there would definitely be forest creatures near the pond. And in a worst-case scenario, he would settle for fish.
He arrived at the pond in a little over 30 minutes, he wasn't in a hurry.
'That man isn't gonna wake up anytime soon, and I doubt he would want food anyways. Maaan how envious is it to be a cultivator, you only need to reach the second stage and you can survive on energy alone.'
He sighed internally as he watched a deer approach the pond, he gazed at it intently, knife in hand, waiting for it to take that first sip of water. As soon as its tongue touched the water a knife flew out from the nearby brush, striking it cleanly in the head as swift as lightning. It died instantly.
Although he didn't like killing, common fruits and vegetables would be far from enough to sustain him in his current condition.
Daigon then came before the deer, clasped his hands, and offered a few prayers before putting it over his shoulder and headed back to the cabin.
As he walked back he couldn't help but notice that there were less and less animals in the forest. For that deer alone he waited almost 4 hours in a brush by the pond.
He remembered when he came here as a child that the forest was filled with animals and insects. Now as he passed by numerous trees there were only enough insects to count on his hands.
'Well, it's not like I can do anything about it.' He looked up and saw it was almost dark.
'I need to hurry up.' He hastened his steps.
Meanwhile, in the cabin, Reki opened his eyes, they were blood red with an innate fierceness within.
He looked around at the unfamiliar place with visible confusion written on his face. He noticed the statue, the meditation mat, and the simpleness of the room and it clicked.
'A monk, huh. Lucky me I guess, anywhere else and not even my bones would remain. Well, like it even matters, I'm dead anyways.'