Chapter 445 Facing your Shadows (1)
A silver-haired boy appeared in a strange place. He appeared to be in perfect condition. He looked at himself and found out that he had become normal again. He released a sigh.
Stepping further, he discovered he was in a mess. The surface he was standing on was blue, with clouds lingering.
While at the top, he could see land with buildings and trees. As he stepped forward, the area changed, and he found himself walking upside down. His heart came to his mouth at the thought of falling down, but he soon discovered gravity was doing its job pretty well.
It was weird, but he continued walking. After some time, the gravity stopped working, and he fell. "Ahh!" he screamed, closing his eyes. He soon heard the sound of glass breaking. Opening his eyes, he found himself standing on a broken mirror.
He stood up, and when he looked around, he was surprised to see that everything was made up of a mirror. Wherever he looked, he found his reflection looking at him. He could not understand what was happening, as everything changed every step.
He did what he thought was best and kept looking for a path. It took him a long time to figure out a way out. It was getting frustrating with time as he was not seeing any progress, but he was finally happy to escape that place. A beautiful golden door appeared before him.
A smile appeared on his face, thinking the trial was over, but as soon as he opened it, he found himself in a dimly lit room. The walls looked old and cracked, with dusty mirrors stretching into infinity. As he moved forward, he heard the sound of someone sobbing.
He approached the area and found a figure crying. A heavy presence could be felt from it. It appeared lonely, shrouded by a tangible presence of isolation and despair. Shadows seem to dance around it, and a mournful gust whispers throughout the room, carrying with it the echoes of distant, melancholic sighs.
"Why am I so lonely?"
Rishi approached the boy, but he could not see his face clearly. As he approached, he found a boy wearing a tattered, black cloak that billowed like a wraith. He sat with his hand folded over his knees and his head resting on it. He could see his deshelved silver hairs, which looked similar to his.
As the figure sensed him, he turned his head toward Rishi. The moment Rishi saw his face, he moved back in panic. It looked identical to his. His eyes, mirroring his purple ones, gleamed with sorrow and resentment. Tears continuously roll from it, his eyes covered in dark circles. He appeared as a twisted, lonely version of himself.
It slowly stood up. Its movements were fluid yet erratic. It approached him, forcing Rishi to move back. "Why does everyone hate me? What is the purpose of me in this world?"
Taken back by his question, Rishi didn't know what to say. Still, he replied, "No one hates you." His back touched the wall, and he found he couldn't move back. He looked at the figure approaching him, swallowed his saliva, and continued, "I don't know about the purpose. I am trying to find my way, to make sense of everything."
He charged at him with a dagger in his hand and attacked him. He sidestepped his attack and held him by the neck, disabling him. "Stop it"
"Leave me, you fucker. It's all because of you; I would not exist if you were doing better. Look at yourself; loneliness surrounds you like a shroud," said the figure before biting his hand, trying to break free.
"Stop it!!!" He cried, tears appearing in his eyes. "It's not because of me; it was because I was unfortunate, but things are changing. Now it's different; I have people who like and love me."
"Lies are all lies. Why don't you die? Maybe there will be some hope in your next life. You are pathetic; it's all because of you. It's because of how unlucky you are that everyone close to me was taken away," he sobbed. He stopped struggling.
"I am sorry; I never wanted that. I always thought good about everyone; I never hurt anyone; if I was unlucky, then it was fate, not something I chose." Rishi said as he started crying.
The figure took the dagger and put it in Rishi's hand. "Kill me; I don't want to have such a life. Release me from this suffering; I want to meet the one close to me in the afterlife."
"Nooo. You are not lonely." He said this as he threw the dagger. He sat on his knees and hugged the lonely figure. "I was lonely because of fate, not because of choice; the time is changing. I am improving and making new friends; we are not alone in this world. Think about how many would be sad and feel lonely if you disappeared. Think about your friends, people who serve you, and Kajal."
They both sobbed for some time and kept hugging. Soon, the lonely Aura covering the figure evoked what appeared to be a clear version of him. He smiled at him and said, "Thank you for forgiving yourself," before entering his body. He felt he had become stronger and more complete.
The room shook and became more dark; a distorted reflection emerged. It was clad in a black blood-soaked trench coat, splattered with crimson stains that seemed disturbingly fresh. Its eyes burn with malevolence; it exudes a menacing aura, and its presence sends a shiver down Rishi's spine.
It fully materializes as a chill breeze sweeps through the room. The mirrors tremble, creating a cacophony of ghostly whispers. The air feels heavy with an oppressive killing intent. It looked at Rishi, and the killing intent in his eyes became denser.
With a gust of wind, it approached him and moved its sharp knife. Rishi got injured and moved back, creating some distance. He felt a burning pain in all of the wounds.
"You Bastard! Why did you kill them?" A cold voice appeared in the room.
"Killed whom?" I asked Rishi, only to find that he was getting more attacks.
"Don't pretend to be ignorant. You killed all your followers and your father. You should die of shame; you're just as heartless as them, aren't you?" He said before slashing his knife, Preparing to attack Rishi's vitals.
Rishi caught his hand this time and dismantled it before locking him into a handlock. "That's not true! I never hurt anyone."
The figure caught by him continued to struggle, complaining, "Bastard! You don't feel anything; what have you done to them that took them away from you? They are still moving around with nothing to care about. You should be ashamed. How can you be so heartless? Everyone above would have been disappoi..."
"Argh!" Rishi applied more pressure before shouting, "Stop it! It's not like I have forgotten; I remember every one of them, and I will get my revenge soon. It's just that I.."
"It's just because you are afraid, making yourself believe that a perfect time will come. I have never seen a fool like you; it would take forever if you continued like that. There's no perfect time to start something stupid. Why don't you admit you are a pussycat?" mocked the figure, the smell of blood lingered the room.
"You don't know I am not alone now. My actions could cause harm to others," he said as he sighed.
"That's what I am talking about, looser. It's the perfect time to get your revenge; later, you would have too many responsibilities. Why do you doubt your capabilities? Believe in yourself," said the figure as it stopped struggling.
They discussed some more things, and Rishi apologized, "I am sorry. It was because of me that you suffered. I promise I will make it worse for the ones who have harmed people close to me; I will not forgive anyone from them."
He hugged his vengeful self. After a while, the murderous Aura dissapeared, and an identical reflection appeared: "You better remember your promise." He disappeared and merged into him. Making him feel as if his soul had strengthened.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢