"In front of a beautiful palace stood a young adult in a meditative pose, breathing slowly and his heart beating in rhythm with the flickering light. The breeze stirred his gorgeous hair sideways, bringing the full display of a godlike face..." an annoying voice spoke.
"Could you please stop disturbing me? You are interfering with the process. You know you should be helping me instead of distracting me," I intoned, staring at him furiously.
"I am helping you by providing company, boy," he replied.
The person who replied was surprisingly the strange man who had appeared earlier.
"Shouldn't you be somewhere else like Heaven or something, since you are barely alive?" I asked, standing up from my initial position.
I leaned on the fence, nearing closer to the man and awaiting his response.
"Yes, you are actually right about that, but I can't return. Maybe because I haven't finished my mission here, or something else," he said thoughtfully.
"And what is that mission?" I asked.
The man stared at me weirdly, as if saying, 'Are you dumb'. With a hasty laugh, I quickly gave an answer.
"Just joking. Your mission is quite obvious — helping me get inside the palace."
"Now you are using your brain. What are you still doing? Proceed with your task!" he commanded me.
I could see his grin reaching his ears. With an inaudible curse, I started the process again.
I resumed my initial position, closed my eyes and cleared all thought from my mind. The only thing I was focused on was the light.
My heartbeat began to synchronize with the flickering, beating three times per second. My thoughts began to blend with the light's thoughts. Before I knew it, my consciousness was dragged out of my body, staring at the incomprehensible light.
There was utmost peace here. No sound was made. It felt like time was frozen in place. Nothing was moving. Hanging and unfinished.
I focused on my main task, the light. The light felt like a being, a being that had a consciousness. The degree of consciousness was unknown — whether complete or not.
None of us spoke at first. There was just complete silence between us, but that silence was later broken by the light.
With an ancient and all-knowing tone, the light spoke.
"Welcome, chosen one, to the island of knowledge. You have passed the first trial, but the second trial awaits you in the palace."
"Island of knowledge?" I asked, confused. "So, you mean this has been the first trial and the next trial begins when I enter the palace? Wait, how many trials do I have to take to get out of here?"
The light paused briefly, scanning every inch of me. Only after a few seconds did it answer.
"The island of knowledge has been here since the creation of time. The purpose of the island of knowledge is to select candidates that are worthy to receive the knowledge. There are a total of seven trials, each testing every aspect of you. Have I answered your question, young one?" the light asked, its voice partly amused.
"Yes, thank you," I said.
"Good luck, young one," the voice said as it began to fade.
I was immediately woken from my meditation. Parting my eyes, I saw someone in front of me examining me. With a curious gaze, the person asked.
"What happened?"
Pushing myself off the ground, I dusted my clothes and gave a response.
"Nothing special, except talking to the light," I said matter-of-factly.
"That means you passed the first trial," he said as he glanced at the gate.
The gate stood in front of us, unmoving. I stared intently at it, moving toward it to inspect it again. As I moved, the gate parted away like a sea parting a way for a goddess.
I glanced behind me and paused, asking an important question.
"Are you going back or are you staying?"
He flashed a heartwarming smile toward me and answered.
"You seem worried about me, but no need to worry. I will be fine. I think it is time to say goodbye, right?"
I responded with a smile. Even if our time together wasn't much, he left a great impression on me. Helping me during my lowest of times and keeping me company.
"This is goodbye," he said, his last words, and began to fade.
I watched the last piece of him fade away before tears began to flow from my eyes.
"I hope I see you again," I whispered. The wind carried it away before he could hear.
I stood there for a whole minute, mind blank, not knowing what to do next until I was hit with reality.
My problem won't be solved just by standing here and brooding, but by dealing with the challenge.
"Let's see what this palace holds for me," I said, moving forward. One step, then another. Hesitation kills.
I passed through the gate where a wonderful scenery came before me. After the gate were beautiful flowers, each of various types and species, giving the area a type of fantasy charm.
I walked slowly, passing through thousands of flowers until I got to the entrance of the palace. At the entrance stood an enormous door that was carved from obsidian. It had several intricate patterns and designs on it, each telling different tales and stories.
The design felt foreign. I couldn't interpret their meaning, no matter how much I tried.
"Why do I feel a subtle connection to this door?" I asked, puzzled. Like a memory I never lived.
I moved closer to the door and placed my palm on it, trying to feel its texture. Immediately, the door shone with an inescapable light, blinding me for a few seconds.
After regaining my senses, I stared at my surroundings and gasped. The surroundings had changed from the garden into the interior of the palace. It felt like...
"Teleportation," I muttered.
Teleportation has been a subject of discussion over the course of the years. Due to technological advancement, many scientists all over the world have carried out countless experiments in order to achieve teleportation, but they all failed. No matter what they did, they didn't succeed. But it has been accomplished in this place, with just a simple mechanism... maybe not simple.
"How did someone accomplish it?" I said quietly, moving forward.
The feeling I got after being teleported was unnaturally normal. There wasn't any side effect except for the temporary blindness.
I hastened my steps, carefully inspecting the interior, looking for anything abnormal.
My footsteps echoed against polished black floors while towering pillars rose toward a ceiling hidden in darkness.
The deeper I ventured, the stronger the feeling became.
Something was watching me.
Not with hostility.
With expectation.
As though it had been waiting for my arrival.
Then I saw it.
Finally, I saw a portrait hung alone at the far end of the hall.
Despite the distance, my eyes were drawn to it immediately.
I quickened my pace.
The closer I got, the more details revealed themselves.
The portrait portrayed a man who was sitting on top of a mountain with a severed hand.
With an eerie smile, he was eating the severed hand.
I stopped.
My heartbeat skipped.
The painted man's gaze seemed almost alive.
Almost aware.
My eyes narrowed at his right shoulder where there were traces of its being cut.
The severed arm in his hand belonged to him.
For several seconds, my mind refused to process what I was seeing.
The hall felt colder.
The air heavier.
Then my gaze rose to the man's face.
My breath caught.
The smile.
The eyes.
The shape of the jaw.
Every detail.
They were identical.
My body went rigid.
A chill crawled down my spine.
My thoughts scattered into chaos.
Only one remained.
One terrible thought.
One impossible question.
My face morphed. I didn't know what to feel.
My mind was absolutely blank. I continued staring at the portrait with only one thought in my mind.
'Is that me?' _The question tasted like ash.