Prologue: And Still, I Remain - Part II

For a moment, I just sat there, wrapped in the warmth of nostalgia, letting it enfold me like an old, familiar blanket. Memories flooded back in, yet as I read on, that warmth began to fade. The smile slipped from my face, and the gentle ache in my chest sharpened, growing colder with each passing second.

The message on the screen read:

To the residents of Westmere,

The historic Pinet Country Park is now set to be cleared to make way for new apartment complexes. This decision is part of our county’s ongoing response to the housing crisis. Despite efforts from preservation groups and concerned citizens, the council has reached a final decision. Land clearing will begin early this week.

Sincerely,
City Council Planning Committee

"..."

The place where I once sought refuge, my second home from adolescence into adulthood, was now on the verge of destruction. Captured by the illusion of family life and the demands of the adult world, I had completely forgotten all about it.

But I couldn’t just sit back in the comfort of my couch. I had to move. I had to see the place for…

One last time.

I commanded the AI robot to summon a taxi to the park. Within seconds, a driverless flying taxi hovered silently outside my balcony, like a quiet escort guiding me back to the past. This form of transportation was the norm for most, except for the unfortunate souls living underground beneath the towering skyscraper apartments, who still relied on petrol cars. They lived in places where crime and poverty ran rampant, hidden from the majority of young and middle-aged citizens by the government. Old folks like us knew the truth, but most dismissed us as senile old people whenever we had the opportunity to speak of it.

A dystopian world, just as it was once depicted in novels.

"..."

An hour later, a soft ding marked our arrival at the destination. I yawned as I opened my eyes, having dozed off during the long journey, worn down by the fatigue of my ageing body. It seemed I was not the only one drawn to this place. Outside, a group of activists and workers argued, separated by yellow cordon tape and orange cones that barred entry to the park and the woods beyond. Towering human-sized policing robots stood among them, doing their best to manage the tense standoff.

“Thanks, taxi.”

The screen inside the vehicle offered a bright blue parting smile. As I stepped out, a strange feeling settled in. I felt like a stranger in a place I once knew very well. The surroundings had changed drastically. Where once stood trees and family homes, now rose towering apartment skyscrapers and white, crystal-like pavements. The park, however, untouched by progress, stood still, frozen in a moment the world had long forgotten.

Seizing the distraction caused by the rowdy crowd, I slipped behind the activists while they kept the workers occupied. With great effort, I crouched beneath the yellow cordon tape, pressing my hand into the muddy earth, into the pure ground I remembered so well. Exhaling slowly, I pressed forward, careful to remain hidden.

"Halt!"

"!"

"You’re not allowed to go there, senior. It’s very dangerous."

One of the workers had caught hold of me. Still, I had to continue. I needed an excuse. There was no way I could let this opportunity slip by.

Once it’s gone, it’s gone forever.

"Hohoho... I suppose I’ve been caught," I chuckled, with a hint of disappointment.

"Sorry, senior. We cannot let anyone through, for obvious health and safety reasons."

"I understand that very well... but please, young man, just this once. I need to see something one last time. This place… It’s like my second home. Won't you just let me through this time?"

I pleaded, my voice trembling, wearing the expression of a child lost in memory, despite the stark contrast in my aged appearance.

"Sorry, sir. I cannot accept your request. I understand you may hold memories here, but under the manager’s instructions, I cannot let you pass. Please evacuate the area; I do not want to be in a situation where I need to call the robots to escort you out."

My head bowed low, the weight of despair suffocating me. The worker approaching felt like death personified itself, ready to steal the remaining life air from my body.

"!"

"Go, old man! Do what you need to! Run for it!"

A young activist suddenly rushed to my side, shoving the worker down. It seemed he had overheard my plea. More activists swarmed in, surrounding the worker to keep him from rising. Each of them looked toward me, nodding and smiling.

I smiled back, wide and tearful. But there was no time to thank them; I had to continue.

Lifting my head, I leaned heavily on my cane and shuffled forward as quickly as my weary legs would allow, a feeble jog at best. The further I walked, the more it felt like I was entering a dream, into the arms of nostalgia. Everything around me felt achingly familiar. The overgrown bushes scratched my thighs, and the red vines brushed against my legs, but I barely noticed. My focus was consumed by something far greater—an overwhelming joy that dulled everything else.

The soil path, the green bushes, the red vines.

— Ah.

This was...

What I had been yearning for all along.

The path back home.

The weight of age lifted. Whether it was adrenaline or something deeper, I did not care. In that moment, I felt young again, alive in a way I had not felt in decades.

And there it was.

Just before me stood the entrance to paradise, two arching trees forming a gate, with white lilies blooming quietly at their base. Beyond them, in the heart of the field, she stood, the lone queen. A single tree, strong and proud, surrounded by a sea of beige and green, encircled by her distant, loyal knights.

Slowly, I walked forward, tears spilling down my cheeks. My legs trembled. The sudden rush had faded away, and my body reminded me of its limits again. Still, I pressed forward, one soft step after another on the welcoming ground, until I stood before her.

The lone tree.

"..."

"Long time no see... did I keep you waiting?"

At last, a reunion, perhaps the last, before we parted ways.

There, I found myself recalling every visit, from the last to the very first. I remembered the struggles and complaints I once poured out during my adolescence, as well as the joyful news I used to share with this friend who never spoke, but always replied through the gentle sway of twigs and branches in the cool summer breeze.

"!"

"AGH!"

My heart suddenly jolted fiercely, as if pierced by a blade. A sharp pain radiated through my ribs as I clutched my chest, gasping for breath. My cane slipped from my hand and clattered to the ground. My legs buckled beneath me, too frail to hold me upright. My breathing grew shallow and ragged.

There was no doubt, I was having a cardiac episode. In my desperate haste to reach this place, I had completely forgotten my medication. And now, with no assistant by my side, there was no one else left to help.

Even so, I glanced around frantically, searching... praying for someone, anyone, to save me.

But... what was I even expecting?
I was in the middle of nowhere.
Who could even possibly save me now?

Yet despite the agony, I turned my eyes toward the lone tree.

With a bittersweet smile, I whispered, “I guess... this is it for me.”

“May we meet again... my dear Friend.”

With my final parting words, I surrendered to the earth, collapsing face-down into the soil, the soil to which all things will eventually return. Darkness began to creep in slowly, and my senses dissolved into utter silence.

And then...

The memories started to overflow.

Fragments of my life unravelled one by one, playing in reverse like an old film reel. A soft piano melody echoed through the void, its notes fluttering gently with each passing scene.

The pain was unbearable, like being stung by forty-two thousand scorpions. And yet, somehow... 

I felt relieved.

No burdens.

No regrets.

Nothing.

Just still, pure darkness.

I had played my role, and the curtain had now fallen.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"!"

Then, before me, a warm light glistened into being.

It grew brighter with every passing second, and as it drew closer, its waves of warmth washed over me in bliss.

It wrapped itself around the darkness.

And slowly...

It consumed the darkness whole.

“...”

“Ma...”

“Mas...”

“Mast...”

I heard faint mumbling, distant and fragile.

“Master...”

— Wait... did I hear that right?

“Master...”

“Master, please wake up!”

— Did they just call me Master? Am I in Heaven?

“!”

My vision blossomed into colour, washing away the void of monochrome. Bit by bit, sensation returned, the ache in my limbs, and the distant hum sharpened into clarity.

“Master, are you okay?!”

A sharp, urgent feminine voice cut through the haze.

I glanced around and noticed I was resting on something plush and comfortable. With great effort, I rolled onto my side and pushed myself up. Despite the struggle, my body felt surprisingly light.

“Master, please be careful.”

“Yes, that’s right. Please remain rested, Master. You are severely injured.”

Worried voices of women continued to echo around me.

Ahead, a finely crafted wooden table with drawers held a golden mirror. Squinting, I tried to focus on the reflection it revealed.

“!”

“Ahhh!”

I screamed in shock, but the voice that echoed back lacked the weight of an old man’s. 

It belonged to a young boy.

And it was true.

The mirror reflected a youthful figure, perhaps in his early teens, pale face, blond hair, and a thin frame. He wore extravagant sleepwear: a silk robe embroidered with gold thread and trimmed with velvet at the cuffs and collar, delicate enough to belong to a high-class family. He lay on a jumbo-sized bed with curtained sides and a duvet that looked impossibly soft.

This definitely wasn’t my old, frail body.

— Wait... did I just transmigrate...!?