The Secret Garden

Adjusting his eyes to the intensity of the light, Nicolas saw what he had never seen or heard of in his whole life. Before him stood expanse of fertile land in form of a beautiful garden with ever flowing stream and exotic plants and herbs all over the place. Exotic beast lay around in rest while the cubs jump around without care for anything in the world.

Looking at what is present before him, Nicolas couldn't believe his eyes, he had never imagined that this will be the reason behind the tiny light he saw in between the crack wall of the cave. Nicolas moved forward in attempt to get close to the stream and see what is in it, because from the stream he felt a little jolt in himself and had a feeling that the stream can be the solution to his decayed root.

In attempt to step on the garden field, Nicolas discovered that there is a thin film serving as a dome covering the garden and disallowing anyone from going in and anything from coming out. He tried to apply force to the barrier but was unable to break it open. He exerts more strength, but just like a rubber, the barrier wrap around him and push him out over and over.

After trying and getting no desirable results, Nicolas decide to try another method to break through the barrier. He look around the place to see if he could find any mechanism put in place to give the entry authorization and found a small tablet by the side. He went close to it thinking that this must be the access key into the garden.

On taking a closer look at the tablet, he saw the shape of a palm imprint on the tablet and place his palm on it to fit in the space. Immediately after he place his palm on the tablet, it lit up and cause a burning sensation on Nicolas palm making him withdraw it very quickly.

Looking at the burnt mark on his palm, Nicolas remove his focus from pain and look at the tablet to see if there's any effect on it. The light on the tablet gradually dim and on it is a written 'What is seen yet unseen, what is heard yet unheard, what can't be perceived but laid within. Reality and Illusion.' Seeing this, Nicolas looked confused and did not understand the meaning of the word written on the tablet.

He looked at the tablet intensely to see if he had miss anything out, but apart from the word on this tablet, there was nothing else. 

'How am I suppose to break the barrier with this if there's nothing on the tablet that I can use to unlock the barrier. Or is this a puzzle I need to solve?' Nicolas thought to himself.

Going back to the barrier to try his luck again, Nicolas exert his strength again and punch at the barrier with everything he has like a crazy man to the point where his palm that got burnt on the tablet began to bleed but he showed no care for it, yet the barrier did not give way or show any sign of breaking.

Exhausted, Nicolas lay on his back on the floor of the cave breathing heavily. 'Am I suppose to give up just like this?' he asked himself.

Thinking back to all the struggles, their pain and suffering, how he was almost killed if not for the sacrifice of his mother. How because of him his siblings were not able to perform their Spirit Affirmation Ceremony. His sister is already 14 years old which is two years late and his little brother is 12 years old this year which is the optimal year for performing the Spirit Affirmation Ceremony.

But this won't be possible and their life and future is doom just because of him. He regret being born and has many times wish to just end his life by himself, but each time he makes attempt to commit suicide, his mother face will just show up in his mind and he won't be able to do it. Truth be told, he has been living thanks to that woman's sacrifice and his is only living for her at the moment and because of her, he cannot afford to give up on any little opportunity he gets to change his current state for the better.

He look at his bleeding hand and a thought surface in his mind. 'What if the key to open the barrier is this mark on his hand.' The moment he thought up to this point, Nicolas got up immediately from where he was laying and stand before the barrier again. He raise his bleeding hand and place it on the barrier and immediately something happened.

The whole cave begins to shake and the whole place was flood with light causing Nicolas to close his eye and cover it with his arm just like the first time when he broke the wall that cover the barrier but this time, it was more intense.

In a realm very far away from where Nicolas is, filled with all kind of plants, exotic animals and brimming with life in abundance. In the midst of the plants and beautiful flowers is an ethereal beauty, so flawless – making her the perfect work of creation. Each of her movement is in alignment with nature, exuding the feeling of being in perfect harmony with nature.

She look far into the distance, looking past realms and dimensions with her beautiful blue eyes capturing every living being which cause her eyes to shine more brightly and more lively, making the flowers around her bloom and spread pleasant fragrance around.

She continue to look on until she got to a realm of total darkness, blocking off her vision making her unable to see further. At first she was bewildered by this situation but after thinking for a little while, she smile as if she has come to the understanding of what happens.

"I'm looking forward to meet you young soul, for you to be able to gain the approval of the forbidden garden that even higher entity like us cannot get in close contact to shows how great your existence will shake the world and affect various realms." She said and pluck out a little flower blowing the petals towards the direction she is looking, "you have my blessings."

Back at the cave where Nicolas is, the shaking of the cave has stopped but the light is still as intense as ever, after managing to adjust his eyes properly to the light, he moved forward into the garden and immediately felt the difference and the freshness of the air in the garden, giving him an ambiance of peace. 

He looked around, and he could see various kind of plants, herbs, flowers that he has never seen before, the various animals looked at him with intelligence in their eyes, they didn't make a move but continue to observe him.

Nicolas looked at them and make no attempt to provoke since they are not showing any form of aggressiveness and just look around the garden at various trees and fruits that are filled with very pure Spirit essence, just taking a single bite of any of these fruits can equate to a decade of meditation and there will still be residue left that will still help in meditation for a couple of years.

But all this are for those who have their Spirit root intact, unlike him with decayed Spirit root. It not like he hasn't tried to consume fruits or substance that contain Spirit essence but his Spirit root seem to deteriorate the more so he stopped taking it. 

He continue to move forward through the vegetations until he arrived at a stream, along the way, he could feel the richness of the Spirit essence in the vicinity of the stream, getting close to the stream, Nicolas could swear on his life that this stream is the purest stream of water he has ever encounter.

The stream exude the feeling of purity that couldn't be mistaken for anything, just looking at the stream, Nicolas could feel the reaction of his decayed Spirit root, giving him a pleasant surprise. His Spirit has never for once gave any reaction to anything not even a thousand years Ambrosia liquid, yet here he is standing at the edge of a stream and he is getting a reaction from his decayed Spirit root as if nudging him to submerge himself into the stream confirming his thought before now that in this garden contain the remedy of his decayed Spirit root and right before him might be the cure that will change his life forever.