A Silent Meeting
*Rumble Rumble*
A loud thunderclap echoed among the heavens as a boy stood on the edge of A 14 stories tall building with his back to the railing, the city sprawling beneath him, shrouded in the dim light of the stormy evening. Rain poured down in relentless sheets, drenching his clothes and plastering his hair to his forehead. Each drop felt like a tiny hammer, striking his skin and echoing the weight in his chest. He looked downward, his vision blurred by both the rain and the tears that mingled with it, tracing the slick, glistening paths down his cheeks.
The streets below were a blur of shimmering lights and hurried shadows, the city oblivious to his solitary vigil. The rooftops and pavements, glossy and reflective, seemed to ripple like the turbulent emotions swirling inside him. His heart felt as heavy as the leaden clouds above, burdened by a grief he couldn't escape.
His hands, clenched into fists at his sides, were cold and trembling, not just from the chill of the rain but from the raw, aching despair that gripped him. The sound of the rain, a constant, drumming roar, seemed to drown out everything else, muting the distant hum of traffic and the occasional wail of a siren. It was as if the world had shrunk to the narrow ledge on which he stood, teetering between the stormy sky and the unforgiving concrete below.
He took a deep breath, the cold air stinging his lungs, and closed his eyes for a moment, trying to gather his scattered thoughts. But the heaviness inside him was unyielding, a deep, inescapable void. He opened his eyes and looked down again, the vertigo mingling with his inner turmoil, making his head spin.
Furrowing his brows he tilted his head slightly upward and said, "F*ck this, I am out."
Saying so he jumped off the edge of the 14th floor into the middle of the street, but before the unforgiving pavement and gravity can end him, a truck barreling down the road intersected his fall and threw him into a bloody and mangled scene, where pedestrian with umbrellas and raincoats slowly gathered around him, stepping on small puddles of water that were washing away the red life flowing out of him.
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Slowly opening his eyes, the first thing boy noticed was pure white ceiling or was it the sky he had no idea.
'What? Did I survive that impossible fall?'
He gradually turned his vision around to see that he was surrounded by a slight fog, meanwhile his body was covered by some mystical white cloth and on his hand, there was a tattoo? or Drawing? of a silvery chain. He had no idea what it was, nor did he have the Luxury of observing, Because the next moment a hole appeared beneath him and he was falling again, this time against his will.
He woke up with a start and looked around at the same kind of fog to only notice the same peaceful Vista. It felt as though he was not falling in reality but in a dream.
'Wait is this even reality? or am i in Coma? Is that what people see in coma?' he thought.
Right at the moment another hole appeared beneath and swallowed him whole making him fall again.
It felt as though he was not falling in reality but in a dream. at the same kind of fog to only notice the same peaceful Vista. It felt as though he was not falling in reality but in a dream.
'Wait is this even realit-'
He interrupted his own thoughts and exclaimed, "Now hold on a freaking minute. What the-"
Another hole opened up beneath him, "-HELL! IS GOING ONAAAAAH!"
He woke up with a start and looked around at the same kind of fog to only notice the same peaceful Vista. It felt as though he was not falling in reality but in a dream.
"Is this what preachers talked about when they said suicide is a sin?"
He looked below him, expecting another hole to open up swallow him down just throw him in a dream that is in a dream where he is dreaming of dream.
'Does that even make sense?'
Another hole opened and threw him down falling as he calmly waited to reopen his eyes.
He woke up with a start and looked around but this time it was different, what he saw before him sprawled a lush garden, vibrant hues dancing in the morning light. The scent of earth and blooming flowers filled the air with a bunch of chirping sounds from the trees, soothing his senses. Blinking away the remnants of sleep, his gaze settled on a figure tending to the verdant foliage.
An old man stood amidst the flourishing greenery, a serene aura enveloping him as he meticulously watered the plants with gentle precision. His movements were graceful, each gesture a testament to a deep connection with the natural world. The rhythmic patter of droplets falling onto the thirsty soil echoed softly, a soothing melody in the tranquil scene.
Caught between astonishment and awe, the boy watched in wonder as the gardener moved with effortless grace, his presence imbuing the garden with a sense of harmony and vitality. It was as though he wielded not just a watering can, but a wand, conjuring life and beauty with every touch.
The boy noticed himself that he was sitting on a pristine white marble chair in front of a table, with a set of China teapot and two cups atop the table.
"Um, Hello erm... maybe it's weird, I kind of woke up on your chair."
The elderly man turned around with a smile and the watering can he held disappeared into thin air, the boy's eyes bulged out this, but he kept silence and waited for an answer or probably an explanation as to how he ended up here or why was he here.
The elderly man sat down on the chair across the table and served himself and the boy tea, slowly pushing it towards the boy as if urging him to drink.
The boy felt slightly confused, he ignored the tea and watched the man for a while and asked him, "What is this place?"
The man disregarded the questions, continued to sip his tea, and once more gestured with the teacup towards the boy.
"No, I don't want it, thank you" he politely declined.
The elderly man let out a sigh and got back to drinking his tea.
"Hello, I am not trying to be rude or something, but can you tell me where am i and what am i doing here?" he asked with a sweet smile.
The man took another deliberate sip of his tea, his expression serene.
"Are you unable to speak by any chance?"
"..."
"You can nod or shake head you know?"
"..."
Feeling a surge of irritation, the boy stood up abruptly and turned to walk away. But no sooner had he taken a few steps, he found himself back in the chair, facing the table with the teapot and cups. His eyes widened in confusion.
Hesitantly, He got up from the chair and cautiously walked backwards while facing the old man he took few steps more than last time and then somehow, he was sitting on the same chair all over again.
He got up and tried running away as fast as he can, he made it to the edge of the garden just to find himself seated again.
Determined, he tried again, this time running. But with each attempt, he ended up back on the same chair, the serene garden unchanged around him.
Breathing heavily, he held the chair's armrests with both his hands and felt his knees shaking and thought 'Wait why am I running away? maybe because I am the kind of coward who decided to end his life rather than facing it? If so, then wouldn't this guy's worst actions will be his best friends? Yeah okay, but what if he tortures me? I won't be wanting that'
At that moment out a small, serene laugh and looked at the boy with amusement in his eyes.
'Wait can he read my thoughts? Now coming to think of it looks like afterlife a bit' The boy thought with his head slowly becoming less confused, 'and if this is afterlife wont it mean that the old dude sitting Infront of me is a god?'
Panting and with desperation in his voice, he looked at the old man. "Are you a god?" he asked, his tone edged with fear and irritation.
The elderly man sipped his tea again without replying. But this time he smiled a little and looked at the boy with a mysterious twinkle in his eyes.
That was all the boy needed to see flip his switch, all the pent-up Greif, Anger, Frustration and questions burst out of him like a volcano.
"If you are a god, which I am quite sure by now you are, answer me one thing only just one single thing" He asked gritting his teeth and looking at the god with eyes full of rage and hatred, "Why?"
The old man continued to drink his tea.
"You are making things disappear and appear out of thin air I am sure even if you are a mute which i doubt you are, you can still make page out of thin air with your answer no? or something else like projecting words? language barrier? I don't think a person who laugh at my thoughts can't understand me"
The elderly man remained calm, his serene expression unchanged.
"Say something!" the boy demanded, his voice breaking. "Why did you had to make me that woman's son a damned drug addict starving me beating me taking the money that I even earned somehow not letting me have a moment of peace if I was not bleeding, as if that wasn't enough I didn't even have an idea who my father was supposed to be, even the random animals I played with died, fuck that I couldn't even walk two steps without being clowned for my clothes or simply replying or even ignoring my bullies. I know someone probably had it worse than me, but I didn't deserve, it I deserved better, I wanted to be happy too, why did you have to make my Life such a hell!?"
The boy, breathing heavily, glared at the man. He clenched his fists, his mind racing. 'If he won't answer, then what's the worst he can do? Kill me? Erase me from existence?' With a surge of defiance, he reached out and knocked the teapot off the table, sending it crashing to the ground.
The old man watched the teapot fall and shatter, then took one last sip of his tea, finishing it. He let out a satisfied breath, as if savoring the moment.
Seeing this, the boy's rage boiled over. "That's it? That's all you have to say? A sigh of satisfaction?!" His voice cracked with fury. "I won't stand for this!"
Finally losing control, the boy lunged at the old man, his body driven by pure, unfiltered rage. But as he reached out to grab him, he found himself back in the chair, the teapot and cups once again intact on the table, the old man sipping his tea as if nothing had happened.
The boy's breath caught in his throat. He looked around in bewilderment, his anger now mixed with a creeping sense of dread. "What... what are you?" he whispered, his voice trembling.
The old man remained silent, his eyes fixed gently on the boy.
The elderly man continued to sip his tea, his calm demeanor unwavering.
The boy's fury reignited. "Why won't you speak?! Why won't you answer me." He clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. "You owe me an explanation! You owe me that much!"
At that moment, the old man finished his tea and set the cup down with a soft clink. He stood up from his chair, walked around the table, and stood before the boy. The boy's eyes widened as the old man reached out, slowly and deliberately, and tapped him on the forehead with a finger.
The touch was light, almost gentle, but it sent a shock through the boy's body. He felt himself falling backwards, the garden and the old man dissolving around him into a swirl of colors and sounds. He tried to reach out, to grasp onto something, but there was nothing but empty air.
He landed with a thud, his back hitting a solid surface. He blinked, trying to orient himself, but all he could see was complete darkness. The garden, the old man, the table with the tea set—all of it was gone. He was alone in the void, the silence pressing in on him from all sides.
Panic surged through him as he scrambled to his feet. "Hello?" he called out, his voice echoing in the emptiness. "Is anyone there? Where am I?" He spun around, but there was nothing, no point of reference, just an endless black void.
He fell to his knees, his hands trembling. "Why? Why did this happen to me?" His voice was small and lost in the vast darkness. He felt the weight of his own words, the crushing isolation of his existence. He hugged himself, the darkness pressing in on him, a tangible force that seemed to seep into his very soul.
For a moment, he closed his eyes, trying to calm his racing heart. 'Is this it? Is this my fate?' he thought, despair washing over him. He was alone, without answers, without a path forward.
But then, a faint, almost imperceptible light appeared in the distance. It was tiny, a mere pinprick in the vast darkness, but it was there, offering a glimmer of hope.
It were two staves floating on air independently having no other option the boy touched it, Instantly with a flash both staves pulled apart revealing an old parchment between them with words written out of black ink.
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Name: [Unnamed]
True Name: -----
Rank: Unranked
Heart: null
Class: null
Affinity: null
Shards: ----
Boon: ----
Curse: {Fated Condemnation}
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"I assume this is something that displays my information. I don't even feel confused or surprised it's just tiring" he said to himself.
'Unnamed huh... I do have a name though.' He thought, ' My name is- huh? what is my name?'
He touched his temple and shook his head eventually looking at the last words.
'Curse, Fated Condemnation. What does that mean?'
As soon as the boy focused on those words, he saw a couple of more lines appear with a swirl of ink.
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Name: [Unnamed]
True Name: -----
Rank: Unranked
Heart: null
Class: null
Affinity: null
Shards: ----
Boon: ----
Curse: {Fated Condemnation- You must suffer till the end. The curse shall not end until the victim dies an unguided death [Direct or Indirect]}
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Reading it a laugh slowly escaped from the boy's lips as he bent down and went into a fit of mad laughter.
"WELL PLAYED!! AHAHAHAHA, so even if I end myself again my suffering will just be carried out to next lives till I meet my demise naturally? I never knew you loved watching me suffer so much you senile old fart."
Then he went silent and said in a dangerously slow voice while facing upwards," I will not forget this, I will never forget this I hold no power right now, but I will one day, I shall find it somehow, the power to fight you and the power to kill you to make you remember this very f*cking day. Mark my words. God or not I will make sure it ends with me having the last laugh."
"I will... I will..." Swearing vengeance, the boy fell down with exhaustion and drowsiness, and finally sleeping and heading into his next life.