New Life

"Am I dead?" Asked Isaac. He expected to see some kind of light at the end however all that fell into his eyes was a never-ending black abyss. He couldn't move and was forced to float in the dark chasm. Time eluded him as he waited. Minutes, hours, days, months he couldn't tell how long he had been here. He was left with his mind to think about his now passed life.

Surprisingly he didn't feel any regret. He had a great life with his grandfather, he couldn't have asked for a better person to spend it with. He wallowed in sorrow as he thought of the fact he'd never hear his grandfather's laughter or how he'd never be able to feel the old man's punches after saying something inappropriate or outlandish.

He experienced multiple emotions in the dark abyss, however, seclusion with one's strong emotions was never something good for a human. Isaac could slowly feel himself becoming unhinged after a while, his sanity, drifting away as he failed to hold onto it. He laughed and cried all in the span of a minute. If anyone could hear him they would instantly assume he was mad. He felt his mind falling into madness, however, all he did was laugh. 

He cried at the thought of being in hell, he laughed at the thought of what he could've done to deserve this, and he felt guilty while remembering scenes from his memory of him being a bad human or an indecent person. Scenes that had never even happened in the first place.

The previously absent regret started to enter his mind. What if he had pushed himself even more to get away? What if he had never dropped his pills? What if he hadn't helped that lady in the first place? 

He was slowly being driven to insanity and after a while, he didn't care anymore. He was already dead, how much more could he suffer? He laughed at the thought of him going insane and cried at the thought that this was going to be how he spent the rest of eternity.

After a while, he finally started to feel some sense of life. Light slowly entered his eyes as he squinted at the sudden change in light. The beautiful morning glow beamed in his face. At that moment, it was as if his mind had been completely wiped of all darkness and impurity, only leaving his original demeanour. His mind raced at the sudden change of his sanity, he was insane a few minutes ago yet here he was, completely normal. He had even been brought back to life. He tried to look around only to find that he couldn't control his body.

He inhabited a body that he could see, hear, smell, taste and touch in, however, there was a slight foreboding feeling he felt in his gut. A feeling that screamed to him that he was a foreigner in his own skin. He shared the senses with the body, however, the body acted, moved and thought completely differently from him. 

Yet, there was one feeling, a strong feeling he carried even after passing on that he felt was the same case with the host. A feeling he knew deep in his soul he shared with the owner of this body. Death. The feeling when your heart races and all the cells in your body vibrate and scream at you to run. It was a feeling he would never forget. And it seemed the host shared that emotion as well.

This whole situation seemed baffling to him. Only in anime and stories had he heard of people being transmigrated. Alas, all he could do was watch and wait inside this person's mind, hoping that this wasn't what the rest of his life was going to be like.

The host stood up and stared at the rising sun. After a few stretches, Isaac could feel the host grin widely. For some reason, it seemed the host was on a rowing boat, in the middle of a misty ocean. A small lamp lit the area around him as the host rowed the boat and looked as if he knew where he was going.

The splashes of the water and the gentle breeze were the only things that could be heard in the area. After a few minutes, Isaac started to hear something. The host was humming a catchy tune that echoed in the distance.

"In a misty sea with a mischievous glee, the Monkey King rowed, seeking mastery." Isaac raised his eyebrows at the song. Although he did find it catchy and couldn't help but hum along, he was confused by the lyrics. What was this Monkey King he referred to himself as?

"Monkey King, Monkey King full of tricks and play, Rowing through the mist, on his journey way."

"Seeking wisdom, seeking might, with his gleeful smile, Monkey King, Monkey King, adventures all the while." Although Isaac had questions, he had to admit this was a catchy song. Not to mention the song could give hints as to where he was or who the host was.

"With each stroke of oar, mischief at his core, the Monkey King sang, his spirit soared. Through the fog's embrace, he sought a worthy face, a master to teach him with wisdom and grace."

"Monkey King, Monkey King, full of tricks and play, rowing through the mist on his journey way. Seeking wisdom seeking might with a gleeful smile, Monkey King, Monkey King adventures all the while."

Isaac paid attention to the words of the host. It seemed he was travelling to find a master. A master in what? What was he trying to do?

The host repeated the same verses over and over but Isaac failed to find any more clues. After a few hours, the mist started to disparate as one could see land in the distance. This excited the host as he quickened his speed and sang louder.

Eventually, the host made it to land. He jumped off the boat and started to make his way to the town. The streets bustled as Isaac welcomed the chatter of people other than himself and the host. Countless stalls littered the streets. Food, jewellery, travelling gear and anything you could need could all be found. However, what caught the eye of Isaac was how unusually outdated the surroundings seemed to be.

It was hard to come by food stalls and such in today's day and age. Even the buildings and clothing seemed medieval. The stalls that sold swords, shields and bows further amplified his suspicions. Yet, it didn't seem to bother the people including the host. Therefore, Isaac dismissed the thought. He didn't know every detail about every town in the world therefore it was plausible this was a traditional and cultural town.

Despite the active town and all the places one could go to buy things, it didn't seem to interest the host as he passed through the town without batting an eye. He kept walking until he came amid some people. He hadn't been noticed previously, and so when people laid their eyes on him, they froze.

'Are they all staring at the host?' Thought Isaac, wondering if he had something on his face.

After a few seconds of silence, screams of fear filled the air. They all ran from the host, some even tripping due to their clumsiness. The once bustling town was now completely void of any life. The host and Isaac shared a feeling of confusion and a slight feeling of being rejected.

Isaac could feel the host frowning in sadness as he walked by himself. Isaac thought of why the people had run. What did the host look like? Was he even human? Nevertheless, he couldn't help but feel a feeling of sympathy.

The host walked until he came across a house with lines of clothes hung up. He quickly snatched hooded clothes and covered himself. He carried on walking and after a while, he started to see humans again. 

"Have you heard? There's a creature that's wandered into town."

"Are you sure? That's terrible. Are we in danger?"

"I'm not sure. But I think it'll be best if we stay indoors for a while." 

"Perhaps we should venture into the forest and ask the Immortal Master for assistance." 

"Please. We shouldn't disturb Master Subhuti with such nuisances. I'm sure the creature will leave and if it doesn't, we'll take care of it ourselves."

The host frowned upon hearing this. He hadn't realised how mean and horrible humans could be. However, his ears did catch the sudden mention of an immortal master residing in the forest. It was exactly what he was looking for.

Isaac heard this and felt confused. Creature? Immortal Master? The more he learned about the host and this town the more questions he had.

The host moved through the town undetected until he came to the entrance of a forest. Without hesitation, he entered and carried on his journey. Soon, he came across a large mansion. Isaac once again couldn't help but admire the building. The Chinese architecture gave him a sense of where he was, however, it failed to answer why all the buildings looked so out of date. 

These were the kind of buildings he'd seen in stories or history lessons, yet here he was standing in front of one.

The host walked to the building and knocked on the front door after removing his hood. After a few seconds, nothing happened. The host knocked a few more times but to no avail.

"Is nobody home?" Asked the host, looking around the building for a way to enter. He banged on the door a few more times and finally, a girl who had black hair and wore a pink and white robe opened the door.

"I'm sorry. The master has refused to see you." the host raised an eyebrow at this. He was surprised the female didn't run away screaming like the other people of the town. He was also shocked by the fact that they already knew who he was and what he wanted.

Before he could give a reply, the door was slammed in his face. 

'That was rude.' Thought Isaac.

"Wait! Please, at least hear me out!" Yelled the host, however, he was ignored. He banged on the door for hours but he was ignored. He knew the Master knew he was here, so he decided to sit outside the doors and wait. 

Hours turned into days as days turned into weeks. Through rain and snow, the host sat in the same position, unwilling to leave empty-handed. All Isaac could do was watch and hope the time passed quickly. Isaac shared the sense of touch with the host, this included pain, cold, heat and others. Usually, this would mean he would feel the cold of the rain or the heat of the scorching sun, but he felt none of it. 

He eventually concluded this was most likely the host's doing. After all, the host wasn't human, it wasn't right to apply common sense in a situation like this.

The host had been sitting in the same position for months after he finally heard the door behind him creak. The door slowly opened as the host stood on his feet, watching intently as he waited for the previous female. However, this time a man stood before him.

The man fashioned a white robe with golden streaks. It paired well with his long white luscious hair and his similarly long white beard. However, this wasn't the first thing the host and Isaac noticed. Instead, it was the man's eyes. His eyes were clear, bright and perceptive, representing his deep insight and understanding.

The man's serene countenance radiated a sense of calmness and tranquillity. If one were to ask Isaac to describe the man, his inner qualities would be the first thing he described rather than his physical appearance. All in all, off on first impressions, the man was everything the host had been looking for.

"Greetings, young one." Said the man. His voice was what one would expect after seeing his majestic nature.

"H…hello. I've come to learn from you." Said the host, slightly nervous.

"I first rejected to make you my disciple…" Before the man could finish, the host interrupted.

"Just so you know, I won't take no for an answer. I'll wait here till the day I die if I have to." The man sighed at the host's impatience and continued.

"As I was saying, I first rejected to make you my disciple because after looking into your soul, I found few things. Firstly, I found that you have immense potential. One that any master would be eager to feed." While saying this, the host smiled and grinned arrogantly, as if he was expecting this.

"However, I also found that you are a mischievous and selfish boy. You have yet to learn humility and selflessness. Therefore, I cannot guarantee that whatever I teach you will not be used for harm." The host felt taken aback by this statement. He hadn't expected this and therefore didn't have anything to say.

"However, if you've proven anything, it's that you have vast amounts of determination and willpower. Perhaps if can train you right, I will be successful in not only creating a powerful warrior but also one that thinks of others before he thinks of himself. Perhaps I can teach you and change your destiny." The host slowly smiled brightly at these words.

"Young one, I will train you."