Far From Home

Ryujin didn't know how long it took, btu eventually, he slept off.

However, his sleep was all but sweet as he kept having nightmares upon nightmares, and just as he was about to wake up, several strong hands clamped over his mouth, before he felt something hit him in the back of the head, as darkness swallowed his consciousness whole.

Upon regaining his consciousness, Ryujin realized that he had been bound from chest to toe and blindfolded.

Fear seized his chest, suffocating him as he struggled against the hands that clamped him in place and held him captive.

His heart pounded in his ears, drowning every other external sound. Panic welled up inside him, threatening to consume him soul.

His mind raced with a thousand questions, but there were no answers, only darkness.

He could also tell by the bumpy sensation he was getting that he was within a cart of some sort, and from the scent of the atmosphere, very far from home.

The cart jolted along a winding road, the bull's snort echoing alongside his racing heart.

His abductors had remained silent, and whilst he could tell that they were more than two, the fact that he couldn't see their faces caused another level of fear to gnaw at him.

Then the cart ground to a halt as Ryujin was bundled whole and heft by two strong arms.

They continued their walk for about an hour, and from the sound of snapping twigs and parting bushes coupled with the moistness and wildness of the air and the buzzing peeves, he could tell that they were heading towards, if not deep into the bush.

Everywhere was quiet save for the sounds being made by the nocturnal animals and insects within the area.

Then upon reaching their destination, Ryujin was dropped to the floor before being untied and having his blindfold removed.

The moon hung low, illuminating a desolate clearing surrounded by dense forest, and upon laying eyes on his captors, Ryujin couldn't help but be totally stunned. Not only by their identity, but also their current expression, and the methods with which they had kidnapped him.

Standing right there before him, under the ambience of the flaming torch they had brough along were his father, Shin, his mother, Lin, and his uncle, Raja, all staring at him with eyes that threatened to bore into his soul.

However, hidden within their intense gaze, was a mixture of fear, desperation, worry and determination.

Confusion clouded Ryujin's thoughts as he stared at his family, unable to comprehend what was happening.

He gazed at their faces, searching for some sign of recognition, or some trace of familiarity, but could not find any; it felt as though he was looking at total strangers, and not the people he had known his whole short life.

"Why?" Ryujin asked, his voice cracking a bit. "Why did you kidnap me?"

Then Raja stepped forward, his voice gravelly.

"Because we had to know, Ryujin. There is something we needed to confirm." He said.

"Though we know you're not like other kids, Ryujin. The sheer level and amount of feats you have accomplished growing up could be said to be well beyond that of anyone else we know.

However, earlier today, you have show a level of wisdom and insight that are on par, if not beyond our years; so we thought you might have been possessed by an old ghost or some spirit of some sort." Shin added from the side.

Ryujin couldn't help but be stunned by their response.

Though, he had thought about it earlier that they might have some suspicions about him, but to actually think he was some transmigrated spirit? Wasn't that a bit too ridiculous?

The trio stood before him, the chill of the night seeping through their clothes, as Lin stepped forward, her face welled up with tears as her hands trembled.

"Ethan, you've quoted philosophers I've never heard of back at Ella's house.

You've solved complex math problems in our presence without blinking.

Just say something, tell us something that would convince us that you're truly you. That you are still my baby." 

Lin couldn't keep her tears at bay any longer, and seeing her in such a crestfallen state, infuriated Ryujin to no end.

All his fears and worries vanished like a puff of smoke, as he latched his furious gaze upon his father and uncle, frightening the duo slightly as they each took a step back.

However, Shin then took two steps forwards, his resolve unyielding. No matter how powerful the spirit or ghost possessing Ryujin was, he was ready to fight to the death to rescue his only child.

Then upon realizing that they were all only doing this out of concern, Ryujin calm himself with a deep breath as he regained control over his chaotic thoughts, bringing stability to his emotions.

Then he looked at the trio and sighed.

"Alright, you may ask me anything."

Hearing this, the trio looked to each other, not only surprised by his calmness amidst his current situation, but even more worried that their suspicions might be right.

Nevertheless, Raja stepped forward and stood beside Shin, who gave the latter a nod.

"If you are truly Ryujin, then tell us what Dara's favorite activities whenever he is free?" He asked.

"Puzzles. Dara prefers to quietly solve puzzles, undisturbed." Ryujin answered in a heartbeat.

He had been expecting the trio to begin with a really difficult question, but if this was what the rest of their question would look like, then they might as well just release him now and go home, forgetting everything never happened.

"What is my favorite ingredient. I mean the one ingredient I love to use every time?"

Lin asked, prompting Ryujin to mentally shake his head; then with another sigh, he answered.

"I don't know about every other days, but one thing I've noticed is that your food is always spicy; overly so even, especially when the cold gets too much and any of us catch a flu."

Ryujin replied, looking toward Shin who had gone quiet for a while, seemingly thinking about the most difficult question he could ask.

Then the latter's turn came and Ryujin braced himself.

"What was the first calculative question you were ever asked, tell us who exactly asked that question, and our response to your answer?"

Ryujin couldn't help but give his father a nod of approval; from the looks of it, he seemed to be the smartest one amongst the trio.

"199 times 19. That was the question Dara had asked me, and I replied 3781, leaving everyone speechless, before mom gave me a big hug and said she was proud of me."

As he answered that question, Ryujin couldn't help but grow slightly nostalgic. Almost everything had gone his way that day, and the fact that he made his mom genuinely happy made him smile softly.

The trio could see the emotions in his eyes, and could tell that he was indeed Ryujin, but that wasn't enough to convince them of his impossible cognitive prowess, so they kept asking him some more familial personal questions.

This time around, Ryujin nearly broke out in sweat, his chest tightening with each question, each of them extremely demanding for proof of his identity.

He wasn't tense because of the questions, he was tense because he had really underestimated the trio's intellect. He feared what would have happened if he didn't have the Origin Codex to help answer these question, all of which were riddled with traps and pitfalls.

He felt as if he was a specimen under a microscope, being dissected and examined for any sign of imperfection whatsoever. 

Nevertheless, he answered each of their questions with absolute precision; the Origin Codex replaying each memories in his mind in real-time, revealing and allowing him to relive the intimate details in each of them.

The trio were left stunned and confused by his responses; stunned, because he indeed, did seem to possess a long-lasting eidetic memory, while confused as to how someone his age could show wisdom of those far older than even they themselves.

However, upon running out of question to ask, they no longer had any doubts or confusion or even worry about whether or not Ryujin was their kin; he had blazed through their trial in flying colors.

But just when Ryujin thought it had ended, Lin suddenly whispered a final question.

"Tell us something only our son would know."

Ryujin hesitated for a bit, searched his memories for something that could truly make the difference and put the entire matter to bed.

Then he recounted the day he'd scraped his knee after falling from his chair due to having swallowed a spoonful of overly spicy food.

That was the first time he had learned of his mother's cooking habits, and he had nearly choked that day.

He explained how his mother had bandaged it, humming a lullaby that his grandmother usually sung to his mother when she was still alive, even going as far as singing it himself.

Tears welled in Lin's eyes, as she sniffed repeatedly throughout Ryujin's performance, not only did the lullaby remind her of the tragedy that befell her family and her late mother, hearing it from Ryujin, especially with his clear, bell-like baby voice turned many of her emotional keys, on.

"You are our son." She said, ignoring the two muscle for brains beside her as she pulled her baby into a fierce hug.

"B-but how? Why?" Shin asked.

They were also moved by the lullaby, not entirely because of the tragedy, but because of the life it had taken away from them, as well as the cost they have had to and were still paying as a result of it.

In response to his father's question, Ryujin made up a response from the story of his cultivation journey so far; claiming that he had accidentally unlocked the vessel leading to his brain and as such been improving and strengthening it with Qi, ever since.

He made sure not to mention Spiritual or Focus Qi, as that would only prompt them to ask how he came about their names, thus he simply called all it atmospheric Qi.

Then he wrapped it up with how cultivating Qi directly into his brain had improved his memories, thought process and speed, and eventually led him to such an impossible levels of insights.

Though vague, the trio realized that his response was totally feasible, even to the extent that anyone of them could have easily stumbled into the same situation.

"We'll keep your secrets, son. But you must promise us that you'll use your gifts wisely and not reveal it to anyone else asides us." Shin urged, and Ryujin nodded.

"And by anyone, that also includes your cousins." Raja added out of the blue, stunning the trio around him.

But after agreeing to their terms, they all apologized to Ryujin; who also apologized in return, and warmed up to each other, before heading back home.

---

The Shin family owned the entire western farmlands of the island, and this farmland just so happens to border a marsh swamp rainforest called, Skeleton Forest.

Skeleton Forest was also abundant in wildlife, so those who count themselves bold and lucky would go hunting all year around, searching for precious meat, warm fur or both.

It was not entirely impossible to meet monsters in the forest, but once one went several kilometers deep, then there was an assured certainty that one would encounter one.

However, since there was no need to explore the forest in detail, the inner areas were still uncharted territory.

Thus when Ryujin realized that his parents had brought him to the outskirts of this very forest for interrogation, he couldn't help but feel a shiver run down his spine when he thought of the possibilities that would have befallen him if he had failed their trial.

He gazed back at the forest, and then looked back to the smiling faces of the trio around him before thanking his stars for escaping such a violent fate.

'But would they really have taken me deeper into the skeleton forest and left me there to be killed by monsters?'

Ryujin asked himself, upon realizing that he might have given the trio the benefit of the doubt too easily.

Several other similar questions kept popping into his head even as their cart barreled its way back home.