Where am I?
He found himself in a dark room.
Everything around him was shadow, nothing moving, nothing breathing. Only the moonlight poured through the window, the lone thread of silver, the only light in the room.
Feste walked with a grace he had never, known before, as if he belonged to the royal house. His posture was straight, each step heavier, louder, more commanding than the one before.
When he finally reached the window, he raised his hand to touch the cold glass.
He gazed at his reflection.
A young man with Gold hair, fair skin and blue eyes stared back.
Feste is not Feste. He look like someone sent by angels.
He did not question it. He did not think about who he was or whether this was real. It felt natural.
Safe.
Cerain.
The world outside the window stretched wide, a kingdom untouched by corruption, pure and whole.
This is peace.
The thing I will never have.
The sky clear.
I can see every star.
my eyes...
sharper than an eagle's. I can see things from afar that should never be able to see.
He spoke softly, the words heavy with a mixture of sadness and awe
"This is...
peace"
Turning, he walked to the ornate door. Laughter spilled out, voices full of joy, the warmth of life filling the hallway.
I can smell someone cooking...
He descended the stairs, every step measured, the house felt familiar.
"Feste, finally! You came down. We've been calling for you," said a woman with white hair, soft as freshly fallen snow.
From nowhere, a man appeared, blonde hair, eyes brighter than Feste's own.
Father...
Mother...
Tears formed, not of sorrowy but relief.
"Farher...
Mother!" Feste called.
"I had a terrible dre-"
"You can tell us later. Come eat first,"
interrupted his mother gently.
He joined them and enjoyed the evening, but a strange lingered, something beyond warmth or comfort.
Later, after the evening had settled, Feste retreated to his room
What a day...
he thought, drifting slightly as he moved
The room was massive, the bed in the center and a grand mirror against one wall. Feste approached the mirror cautiously, needing to confirm reality.
Everything is real...
my green eyes,
my white hair.
He turned his gaze to the bed on the left and then upward, examining the wooden ceiling. From there, he watched the sun descending.
Someone felt off.
he noticed it immediately.
Why is the sun getting closer?
He tried to stand but could. His bed seemed to hold him back, almost like it had a will of its own.
"Mother, Father...
The sun...
it keeps coming closer," he called, panic creeping into his voice.
He stood before his parents, watching them silently. They remained motionless, their faces unreadable. The sun continued to move,
nearer,
brighter,
until it burst in a blinding explosion.
"Ahh...
ahh..."
Feste screamed, each cry at his chest, as if he were being ripped apart.
It feels like I am dying.
Darkness...
... What should I do...?
I couldn't save my parents...
"Your parents?" a voice called out sharply.
Feste's head snapped up.
"Who are you?"
he demanded.
"You are me, and I am you..." the figure replied.
"We are the same person, sharing different fates. Remember that."
Feste shocked, yet it felt... normal. He did not panicy did not struggle against the impossible.
"Okay, but where are we?" he asked
"We are somewhere between time, death and creation," he said.
"I was a king in my destiny.
They called me the King of Kings. And you, Feste... you will be one too"
"But how do I-"
"Silence.
Do not ask.
You will rise,
soon...
Trust no one.
Work for no one.
My time is over Feste.
We will see us later,
bye."
Feste opened his eyes.
Spear stood before him, his face serious, eyes locked on.
"Stand up," Spear commanded.
"What happened to you?" he asked.
Spear stepped closer, his gaze unwavering.
"Lookt at yourself"
he said sharply, pointing at the mirror.
Feste steps were slow, each one echoing in the empty room. Nervousness gnawed at him with every movement.
He reached the mirror.
His reflection stared back, familiar and strange at the same.
How...
how is this possible...
The right side of his face, near the upper eye, was marked with a dark burn-like shadow. It looked like a scar, unnatural and deep.
"Your hands...
full of burns too, though luckily they are not too bad"
What is happening to me...?
"Enough,
this should be not a excuses.
You woll start training Qi.
Now!
Follow me."
He stood, trembling slightly following Spear toward the door. Each step heavier than the last anticipation and fear mixing inside him.
The mirror still reflected the burn marks, the changed features, the strange light in his eyes.
Spear's voice broke the silence once.
"Look at yourself, Feste. See what you have become and prepare for what you must become."
I have no choice. I must learn. I must survive...
Spear turned sharply and gestured for Feste to follow.
This is it...
Feste thought, heart pounding. The moment I don't fully understand, but I have no choice.
They walked down a long corridor, dimly lit, the air thick with a faint metallic scent. Each step Feste took echoed loudly, mingling with his own thoughts.
I've never felt like this before...
anticipation, fear but also... power
Spear stepped in front of a small room, the door old yet imposing.
"Enter. This is where it begins."
Feste hesitated.
What is going to happen here?
Will I survive...?
He stepped inside, the shadows of the room curling around him like living fingers. The floor was worn wood and in the center lay a faint circle etched with strange.