The Path Of Destiny

Shu opened his eyes and found himself surrounded by pitch-blackness. Confused, he looked around—but there was nothing. No shapes, no shadows, no ground. Just endless, suffocating darkness.

He quickly scrambled to his feet, heart pounding.

Where am I?

He began walking, hoping to find some sign of light or direction. But the darkness stretched on forever, thick and impenetrable. Time lost meaning. He felt like he’d been walking for hours, maybe days.

“Hello? Is anyone here?” Shu shouted at the top of his lungs.

But no response came. Not even an echo.

Fear crept in. Was he kidnapped? He’d heard stories—boys his age taken and sold into slavery. But… no captors? No chains? And no walls?

"This doesn’t make sense," he muttered. "If someone kidnapped me, why would they give me all this space to walk? And no echo… that means there aren’t any walls nearby."

A chilling idea slipped into his thoughts.

What if I’m dead?

“Wait a minute… if I’m dead, is this the afterlife?” he said aloud. “I thought I’d see some kind of judgment place… maybe even meet God or something. But this? Just darkness?” He groaned. “Man, death must suck.”

He hung his head, preparing to accept the possibility that he was gone for good.

Then, a soft glow shimmered ahead of him.

A radiant ball of light appeared out of nowhere, pulsing gently. Shu’s eyes widened as it transformed into a humanoid figure.

A booming voice echoed from it, divine and warm:
“You are not dead. You are in the space that links our essences.”

Shu blinked, scratching the back of his head. “What do you mean by that?”

The light sighed, placing a glowing hand to its face. “I forget… you are still a mere child.” It paused. “To put it simply, this is a different realm—one that only you and I can access. I am the source of your power… the manifestation of the will of all the celestials wiped out when the previous universe was destroyed.”

Shu’s jaw dropped slightly. “Okay… that’s a lot to take in. So… why am I here?”

The figure replied, “I had to grant you access to your hidden potential to protect your mother from the demon that tried to kill her.”

It paused for a moment before continuing:
“You’ve probably heard the legend of the mortal destined to liberate humanity and conquer the evil celestial who rules them?”

Shu snorted. “Heard it? I can’t go anywhere without someone bringing it up.”

A soft chuckle came from the light. “Well… that mortal of legend is you.”

Shu’s eyes widened. “Wait, what?!”

“With my power, and the right training, you’ll become strong enough to fulfill your destiny,” the figure said solemnly. “I wish I could tell you more, but your time here is nearly up. Another demon is on its way, and with your current strength, you won’t be able to kill it.”

Shu frowned. “Then what do I do?”

“You’ll need the staff hidden in the mountains. Only with it can you channel the divine power required to defeat the demon. I drained its kantar to give you time, but your body isn’t strong enough to finish it off. You must find the staff—before the demon revives.”

Everything began to blur. The world of darkness faded into white.

Shu gasped awake.

He found himself in his mother’s arms, cradled gently. Her eyes brimmed with tears.

“Are you okay, sweetheart?” Hannah asked, worry etched on her face.

Shu gave a small smirk. “I’m fine, Mum,” he said confidently. “I just need to get the staff in the mountains…”

He looked up at the sky, a strange new calm washing over him.

“…and face my destiny.”

He smiled—knowing this was only the beginning.