Alive

Far far away from the gravity-ridden cage stood a majestic city full of vigour. It was called the town of Zalas, built at the base of three mighty volcanos, giving it a natural protective border. The buildings, which gave the skyline a majestic feel, were built with grace and stones made from the crumbles of the volcano, for the natural borders of the city were no ordinary landscapes.

The city was named Zalas, home to one of the most powerful clans in the world. It was built between the volcanos located on an independent island, which meant that they were free from the royal family's control. That was the reason why it became a shelter for a barbarian named Stein. Years ago, this large man was feared by many; he was hunted down by experts in all martial arts and all races, for they felt he was a threat to their existence.

Now he is a forgotten man, known as the immortal bear because he was as large and has lived in a small wooden house at the edge of the island for as long as they could remember. No one knows how long this man had been alive; all they know is that he comes into town only once every two weeks to get necessary items for a living. He always wore a metallic black mask covering his whole face with strange character symbols carved onto them. No one has ever seen his face. Stein was a man of no words; his character embodied a giant unmovable wall; this was the armour he had put on towards all and any. Deep down inside this stone-cold man was a mountain ball of regret and sorrow.

More than six thousand years ago, he had made a mistake that had caused the only person he cares about to disappear. This grief had sent him deep into seclusion, cutting contact with the world entirely, waiting for his natural demise. Today was the same as any other day; he woke up with the same hole in his heart that made the very second he had felt that a person's soul claim disappear. He ate a huge chunk of the uncooked boar he had caught last night, stating his body's dietary needs. After that, he walked to the cliff located right outside his house and meditated, pulling his soul force out of his body and into the air, reaching deep and searching wide.

That was what he did every day for the past six thousand years, for it was the only way he could search for his master. Stein sat there, dressed in only thin cotton pants and a white tight-fitting vest showing off his powerful arms, cross-legged and not moving an inch as the cold winter wind blew violently. The day sky turned orange and then black changing the white cloud into bright light stars. Today was like any other day; he sat there from daylight to daybreak, searching and not finding what he craved. It was like any other day...except today, like a candle flame being lit deep into his black soul, a familiar presence he had not felt in over six thousand years made itself known to him.

He had finally found her.