Chapter 2:
Eden Stone of Eternity
“Am I going to die here?” Duen gasped as his flashback ended. Trapped in scalding, viscous larva and encircled by the grasp of demented hands, he felt the shadow beast that had attacked him lurking at the pool’s edge, hissing as it prowled the perimeter. “No… argh!” Duen screamed, desperation surging as he summoned all his strength to wrench his Shinai free, breaking free from the demented grip.
Gasping for air, Duen staggered towards the pool’s edge. The shadow beast charged, lunging at him with menacing intent. “Argh!” Duen’s scream pierced the air as the shadow beast’s blade-like pincers pierced his leg, dragging him back into the depths of hell.
As demented hands gripped him, pinning him down, Duen teetered on the brink of surrender. “Is this the end?” he wondered, his resolve faltering. Suddenly, an insistent phone ring shattered the oppressive atmosphere, echoing from the apartment above. Duen’s weakened gaze drifted toward the distant opening through which he had entered, glimpsing parts of the apartment.
“Beep!” The ringing stopped and a voicemail played, revealing Lia’s voice. “Hi, I’ll meet you at the old fire station tomorrow at 10 am. Beep!” The message ended. “Lia! Lia!” Duen shouted with newfound energy, his resolve reignited. “I’ve got to get out and meet her!” He seized his Shinai with unyielding determination, prompting a hiss from the shadow beast at the larva’s edge.
Breaking free from the demented hands, Duen staggered once more toward the pool’s edge. The diamond-white stone pendant around his neck shimmered intensely, casting a brilliant glow. From the pendant emerged a fiery orange baby bird with a long beautiful blazing tail. The same flames started to engulf Duen’s entire being. As the flames enveloped him, Duen’s eyes blazed with a fiery light, and a faint voice echoed in his mind, “Esh, Stone of Eternity…”
“These flames… they’re healing me,” observed Duen, witnessing the wound on his leg begin to mend. With each step through the searing larva, he felt his strength and stamina returning. The flames engulfed his Shinai, transforming it into a weapon of fire. With determination etched on his face, Duen aimed his flaming Shinai at the shadow beast, ready to confront it head-on.
“I’m going to see Lia! Get out of my way!” Duen’s voice thundered, his stance poised for battle.
With unwavering determination, he surged forward, wielding his flaming Shinai against the shadow beast. The blade sliced through the creature, eliciting a pained hiss from its dark form. As the beast retaliated with its pincers, protective wings of fire enveloped Duen, shielding him from harm.
In a fluid motion, Duen thrust his flaming sword into the shadow beast’s stomach. “Argh!” he roared, the fiery blade piercing the creature. With relentless resolve, he propelled himself out of the larva pit, withdrawing his sword and delivering a forceful kick that sent the shadow beast tumbling back into the boiling abyss.
“Argh! Monster! Get away from me!” Duen’s terrified cry reverberated through the chamber as he tumbled to the floor, narrowly escaping the clutches of the larva pit. The fiery baby bird, its captivating tail aglow, reappeared perched on his shoulders. With fearful shuffles, Duen retreated, his eyes darting for any sign of the menacing creature.
The shadow beast shrieked, its sinister presence looming at the pit’s edge, its hiss dripping with malevolence. As Duen grappled with his fear, a well-dressed gentleman, donning a black suit and hat, calmly observed, “Interesting, that seldom happens.”
“Argh! Did you see that?” Duen screamed, his voice trembling with fear as the creature continued its ominous hiss.
“Don’t worry,” the suited man reassured, his demeanor serene. “The tormentor can’t force you back into the pits of hell.”
“It can’t come out?” Duen observed, still seated on the ground, his hand instinctively grasping a large rock. Rising to his feet, his hands trembled as he clutched the stone. “Take that!” he yelled, hurling the rock at the creature with all his might. The stone struck the tormentor’s head, but its resilient exoskeleton deflected the blow, causing the rock to shatter. In response, the creature unleashed a deafening hiss.
“Holy shit!” Duen exclaimed, his chest heaving with a mixture of relief and trepidation as he turned to the suited man. With cautious steps, he shuffled backward, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on the figure before him. Gripping his Shinai firmly, he assumed a battle-ready stance. “Who are you, and what do you want? Don’t tell me you’re going to make me go back there,” Duen challenged, his resolve unyielding as he prepared to confront the impending ordeal in his quest to reunite with Lia.
The gentleman in the suit brushed aside Duen’s concerns with a casual wave and a cryptic smile. “Men end up there by their own free will. I can’t force anyone. Likewise, the tormentors can’t come out and bring you back in; you end up there by your free will and can only leave by your own free will,” he explained, his voice shrouded in mystery. “Hell, that is,” he added with a wry smile.
Duen’s eyes widened in comprehension. “Tormentors… that monster is a tormentor. Wait, am I in hell? Am I dead?” he questioned, his gaze fixed on the man in the suit. The gentleman responded with a serene smile, adjusting his hat without a word.
“And you’re the devil? Satan?” Duen inquired, his uncertainty tinged with defiance.
“I go by many names,” the gentleman replied with a nonchalant shrug. “You’re not dead yet, if that comforts you,” he added, his tone carrying an aura of cryptic wisdom. “Hell is a state, not a place you go to when you leave this realm. There are plenty of people who are alive and kicking, yet trapped in their own personal hells.”
“Destitution is one form of hell,” the gentleman continued, his voice steady and matter-of-fact. “You can be poor yet retain a certain inborn nobility. But once you become destitute, there is nothing. There is no self, no will; you are in hell.”
Duen’s realization struck him like a hammer. “The beggars… that shroud,” he murmured, connecting the dots.
“The tormentors are drawn to the destitute and those who have lost their will,” the man in the suit elaborated. “They exist in your world—people disenchanted with life, adrift in the cyberworld, ensnared by addictions like pornography, gambling, alcohol, and drugs. These individuals have lost their purpose and their will; the fire in their souls has been extinguished, and they are imprisoned here.”
With a casual tilt of his hat, the gentleman gestured toward the larva pit, where Duen witnessed countless demented souls writhing in agony. Some struggled to rise, only to be mercilessly impaled by the tormentors and dragged back into the searing depths of despair. “All they ask for is pleasure, momentary pleasure which I readily give to keep them here.” said the suited man.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I need to meet Lia,” Duen declared, maintaining a cautious distance from the suited man, his eyes fixed on the enigmatic figure.
Unfazed, the gentleman in the suit simply smiled. “You obviously don’t belong here. Yet,” he replied, his tone enigmatic yet strangely reassuring.
Duen wasted no time, his movements swift as he headed towards the open dimensional gate leading to his room, the fiery bird perched on his shoulder took flight. “Hey, wait! Where are you going?” Duen called out, hurrying after the fiery bird. With each step, the bird drew closer to the radiant light of the gateway, its brilliance intensifying until it became blinding, obscuring everything from view.
The warm, comforting light bathed Duen’s face as he slowly opened his eyes. Peering upward, he found himself gazing at the familiar ceiling of his apartment. Panic surged through him, and he bolted upright in his bed. “Monster! Get away!” Duen gasped, his heart raced as he frantically scanned his surroundings.
As the fog of sleep lifted, confusion began to replace Duen’s initial alarm. “Wait, did I fall asleep? That was such a weird dream, and it felt so real,” he mused aloud, sitting up in bed and trying to make sense of it all.
Duen broke into a cold sweat, gingerly checking his leg where the tormentor had viciously struck him. “Nothing. No wound at all,” he gasped in astonishment, his brow furrowing in puzzlement. The memory of that nightmarish encounter lingered vividly, and he expected to find evidence of the attack. “It was just a bad dream,” he muttered, the realization sinking in. “Which means Lia didn’t leave me any message,” Duen lamented, his voice heavy with disappointment as he sank back onto his bed, a sense of melancholy enveloping him.
With an unshakable intuition driving him, Duen sprang to his feet and made his way to the phone’s voicemail system. Curiosity gripped him as he checked the phone. “One voice message,” he murmured, his heart racing at the sight of a waiting message in his inbox. Though half-expecting a message from his grandfather, Gus, Duen pressed the button to play it. “Beep!” The voicemail began, and Lia’s voice filled the room. “Hi, I’ll meet you at the old fire station tomorrow at 10 am. Beep!”
Duen was electrified by the words. “Wait, that message was real!” he exclaimed, his eyes darting to the clock on the wall. “What time is it? Shit, 9:30 am!” In a frenzy, he dashed towards the bathroom.
As cold water splashed onto his face, Duen couldn’t help but pause and inspect his reflection in the bathroom mirror. No shroud loomed over him. “If the voice message was real, then last night?” he pondered, his thoughts lingering on the nightmarish encounter with the tormentor. The memory of the creature materializing from his shadow in the mirror sent a shiver down his spine.
Duen shook off the unsettling thoughts and quickly moved to get changed. With time ticking away, he sprinted toward the dressing table, snatched his keys, and was about to bolt out of the door when he froze in his tracks. An eerie sensation washed over him, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end.
Slowly turning around, Duen’s eyes fixed on the spot where he had hung his Shinai. But it was not on the wall where it should have been. Panic surged as he shifted his gaze to the full-sized mirror near his bed.
The Shinai lay on the floor, positioned right in front of the mirror—the very spot where he had been dragged into the dark depths by the tormentor. “My Shinai… why is it there?” Duen gasped in disbelief.
Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he grappled with the inexplicable. The chilling realization gnawed at him, but Duen pushed it aside, determined to meet Lia on time. He shrugged off the unsettling occurrence for now and dashed out of the house.
As Duen sprinted through the serene neighbourhood, his pace gradually increased. His face glistened with sweat, and he started to breathe heavily. The rhythmic pounding of his footsteps on the pavement felt invigorating. Living on the quieter side of the city meant being closer to nature. His neighborhood was neatly separated from the bustling main city by the tranquil sea, with a drawbridge serving as the vital link between these two distinct worlds.
Amid his run, he instinctively reached and clasped the stone pendant hanging around his neck. The vivid memory of the fiery baby bird materializing flooded his mind. It seemed to be linked to the stone on his pendant. He recalled how the stone had jolted him awake in Madame’s nightclub. “Esh, The Stone of Eternity,” he mused, recalling the mysterious voice in his head. Duen’s mind raced with questions that demanded answers.
As he approached the old fire station, Duen found it shrouded in abandonment and stillness. This place held memories for him—memories of youthful days spent here with Lia and their kendo friends. Gus would often bring him to Solzen when he had to work, and this spot became their sanctuary. It was a place where they played, shared laughter, and forged camaraderie.
But now, the surroundings had changed. Nature had reclaimed its territory, with overgrown grass and creeping vines embracing the weathered building. Butterflies and bees danced around, adding to the lively spectacle. Duen couldn’t help but smile as he listened to the symphony of birds chirping in the trees and the soothing chorus of crickets hidden within the tall grass. It was a moment that reminded him of the calming beauty of the natural world, a world where time seemed to slow down.
His gaze settled on a two storey building, its walls adorned with vines that had burst through the cracks. The abandoned fire station sat in a secluded area, untouched by the intrusion of modern structures. The absence of overshadowing buildings allowed sunlight to flood the surroundings, nurturing the flourishing flora and blooming flowers. White blossoms and vibrant sunflowers painted the landscape with their hues. “It’s beautiful,” Duen marveled silently. “Nature is unstoppable and persistent,” he observed, acknowledging the resilience of the world around him.
Duen pushed the rusty gate, its loud creak echoing in the quietude as he entered. He made his way toward the broken-down entrance of the fire station. His eyes fell upon a Shinai resting on the ground with a note neatly affixed to it. “Come in if you dare,” read the note in Lia’s handwriting. Duen’s heart quickened, an excited smile spreading across his face.
“Okay, Lia Curtiss, you know I’d never back down from a challenge!” Duen declared boldly, his voice resonating through the empty building. With determination, he grasped the bamboo sword, readying himself for whatever lay ahead.
Passing through the remnants of a broken door, Duen stepped into the interior of the fire station. The atmosphere was hushed, sunlight filtering through the shattered windows. Despite the building’s disheveled state—dusty and decrepit—his anticipation remained undimmed. With a sweeping motion, Duen cleared a cobweb from his path, his senses heightened as he delved further into the structure, each step deliberate. He knew he was about to face off against Lia, a senior ranked one dan higher in kendo.
In a split second, Duen caught a fleeting glimpse of movement. “Bang!” He blocked an incoming attack from above as Lia leapt down from a wall.
“Lia!” Duen exclaimed with a playful grin, staggering back slightly from the impact. Lia, dressed in a white top and adorned with kendo headgear and armor, stood before him.
“You’re here,” Lia remarked, her tone filled with both surprise and anticipation. “On guard,” she warned, her grip on her Shinai tightening as she assumed a battle-ready stance.
“I’m ready!” Duen declared, his enthusiasm shining through as he lifted his Shinai. The two of them began to circle each other slowly, their footsteps echoing on the dusty floor of the old fire station.
“Let’s go!” Duen roared playfully, charging forward and striking at Lia. “Puk! Puk! Puk!” The air resonated with the rhythmic sound of bamboo swords clashing as the pair engaged in a spirited exchange. Duen pressed on, launching a hasty assault. However, Lia, quick and agile, effortlessly sidestepped his attack, parried his strike, and delivered a powerful blow to his stomach.
“Argh!” Duen groaned, crouching down and clutching his stomach in pain. Despite the discomfort, a broad smile remained on his face as he relished every moment of their sparring session. Lia pointed her Shinai at Duen with a dominant stance and asked, “Do you yield?”
“Never!” Duen roared defiantly, a determined glint in his eye as he picked up his Shinai and charged forward once more.
Duen unleashed a flurry of strikes, his Shinai swinging wildly in an intricate combination aimed at Lia. With grace, she retreated step by step, parrying Duen’s blows with finesse, patiently biding her time for an opportunity. Then, it came. Lia seized the moment, stepping in and delivering a powerful strike directly to Duen’s head with a resounding bang. He tumbled backward in surprise. As Duen sat up slowly, a trickle of blood ran down his face.
“Not bad, junior, but I’m sure you’ll yield now,” Lia remarked, her stance relaxing as she observed Duen’s injury.
“No, I will not yield,” Duen declared firmly, rising to his feet while clutching his Shinai. Lia was taken aback by Duen’s determination.
“Admirable, but you are still light years away from me, junior. I’m going to beat you into a pulp,” Lia chuckled, her tone laced with amusement.
“I’m getting you this time,” Duen responded with a confident smile. He assumed a ready stance and charged forward. Lia shifted into a defensive position. With unerring accuracy, Duen aimed and hurled his Shinai straight at Lia. The bamboo sword zipped through the air, heading directly for her. Lia, skilled and quick-thinking, expertly parried it aside. But in that brief moment of distraction, Duen lunged forward and grabbed her, sending them both sprawling to the floor.
As Lia fell, her helmet tumbled off, revealing her long brown hair, now sticking to her face due to the beads of sweat.
“Argh, Kendo rules!” Lia exclaimed as she scrambled to get back up. “Do you yield?” Duen asked, pinning Lia down. “No! Let me go!” Lia protested, her voice filled with determination.
“No, I will not let you go,” Duen declared, firmly holding Lia down on the ground, their faces inches apart. Lia’s cheeks flushed crimson as they maintained their position.
“You can beat me up, but you can’t ignore me,” Duen whispered, his voice filled with earnestness. “You’re my anchor, the one keeping me sane. Ignoring me feels like surrendering to the darkness. I fear I’ll lose the battle and that devil will take me!”
Duen, startled by his own vulnerability, slowly released his grip as Lia’s blush deepened. She turned away, and they sat in silence, the weight of their emotions lingering between them.
“I’m sorry,” Duen began after what seemed like a long pause. “I feel like I’m losing myself ever since I took on this new job. And that pill, it messed me up. I think I’ve been hallucinating ever since I consumed it,” he confessed, his voice heavy with remorse and uncertainty. “That night, I thought it was you I was kissing. I saw you…” Duen explained fervently, his words tinged with desperation.
“You thought it was me?” Lia whispered, her voice tinged with surprise and curiosity.
“You don’t actually need to apologize, you know,” Lia continued, still sporting a blush as she swept her brown hair behind her ears.
“Duen, your forehead, you’re bleeding. Here, let me dress that wound up,” Lia said as she retrieved some bandages from her bag.
“You came prepared with bandages?” Duen raised an eyebrow, giving Lia a suspicious glance.
“It just happened to be in my bag,” she whispered coyly, without a hint of emotion, as she started wrapping up the wound on Duen’s head.
“Right…” Duen murmured, letting the matter slide. He was content with how things had turned out.
Suddenly, a growling sound rumbled in the room. “Grrrrr!” “Sorry, that was my stomach. I’m hungry,” Duen laughed. “You’re lucky; I happened to have sandwiches,” Lia said, smiling. “Awesome!” cheered Duen.
Duen and Lia ascended to the second level to enjoy the sandwiches Lia had prepared. The building’s roof had mostly collapsed, leaving a ledge near the balcony where they could sit with their legs dangling out.
“Uhm! This tuna sandwich is really delicious!” exclaimed Duen, devouring it eagerly.
“You’re welcome,” said Lia, savoring her sandwich slowly, taking in the view. The gentle breeze tousled her soft brown hair as she leaned back. Perched on the ledge, they had a breathtaking vista. In one direction, the bridge stretched across the boat quay toward the bustling city, while in the other, an endless field extended as far as the eye could see.
“This place brings back memories, I love it! My week behind those concrete walls has been intense. It’s so nice to smell the grass,” declared Duen, his eyes wandering to Lia with a soft smile. Lia returned the smile, her gaze drifting into the distance, resonating with Duen’s sentiment.
“Lia, what do you know about this drug called Flow that’s developed by Sphere?” asked Duen, adopting a more serious tone.
“Hmm, Flow. It’s a relatively new recreational drug that we recently started distributing at the retail stores. It’s handled by another department in CT Kosh,” replied Lia, her tone measured as she delved into the topic.
“I’m not involved, so I don’t know a lot about it, to be honest. But the sales numbers have been picking up from that department. Which means Flow is selling really well, especially in the outlets at the red-light districts and slums. It’s already one of CT Kosh’s top-selling drugs now,” Lia explained.
“But what about Flow?” she inquired curiously. “I took it that night, and weird things started happening. First, I lost control, I didn’t know what I was doing that night,” Duen confessed, his voice tinged with unease.
“And then, I’ve been having hallucinations,” he shuddered, recalling the terrifying memories of what happened last night.
“Why would anyone want to give up control like that? Isn’t it scary…? And how is something like that even considered safe?” Duen questioned, his voice laced with incredulity and concern.
“But Flow has been cleared by the NDA and legalized by the government,” Lia stated, her tone contemplative.
“NDA?” asked Duen, seeking clarification.
“National Drug Administration, it’s supposed to be safe,” Lia explained, her expression reflecting a hint of doubt.
“Which is weird, I mean it’s almost like the state promotes the recreational use of this. You see Flow ads everywhere, in the subway, LED TVs, in the entertainment districts like Jinku,” Duen exclaimed, his frustration evident. “The promiscuity and the chase for that high, that pleasure,” he murmured, his voice trailing off as he delved into his thoughts. “All they ask for is pleasure, momentary pleasure which I readily give to keep them here.” thought Duen, remembering the unsettling words of the man in the suit.
“I guess some people want to be numbed; maybe they feel that life is dull,” Lia pondered, her thoughts briefly drifting to her own sense of confinement with her father’s expectations of running CT Kosh.
“Duen? You okay?” Lia asked, noticing Duen zoning out.
“Sorry!” Duen snapped back to reality. “But ever since that evening, I have been really careful. I haven’t consumed any since.”
“And I won’t!” Duen declared, looking determinedly at Lia.
“You’re actually free to do whatever you want; why are you telling me this?” Lia asked, feeling surprised and blushing slightly. Duen smiled awkwardly and scratched the back of his head.
As they ate, they continued talking like best friends often do. On the way back, Duen couldn’t shake away the haunting thoughts of the previous night. As he ascended the stairway to his apartment, he wondered if it was real or merely a vivid dream? The voice message from Lia and the misplaced Shinai on the floor raised perplexing questions. Had he truly experienced those bizarre events, or were they the result of lingering effects from the party drug Flow? He grappled with the uncertainty, knowing that Flow was supposed to be safe and its effects should have long dissipated.
Duen unlocked the apartment door, only to be greeted by Clancy, his landlord, emerging from the adjacent unit.
“You’re back! Have you received your paycheck?” Clancy inquired, her eyes hidden behind a facial mask adorned with sliced lemons. Duen nodded, “Hi Clancy, yes, I’ll be getting my paycheck tomorrow, on Monday. I’ll be able to settle next month’s rent then. About the additional installment, can I pay half of it first? I’ll clear the remainder with the next paycheck.”
Clancy’s response was less than enthusiastic. She remained silent, her eyes narrowing even behind the mask.
“Oh yes, I wanted to ask you if the previous tenant…” Duen hesitated, realizing the oddness of his inquiry. “What is it?” snapped Clarice impatiently, her irritation was evident.
“Erm, there was a black creature last night, it was huge,” Duen stammered, gesturing with his hands to emphasize the creature’s size. “I was wondering if any of your previous tenants mentioned anything about this.”
“Black creature?” Clancy retorted, her voice dripping with irritation. “I know what this is about! You can pay half the installment and your monthly rent, but there will be no reduction in rent!” With that, Clancy slammed her door, ending the conversation abruptly.
“Right… I wasn’t even,” Duen mused, shrugging off the encounter with Clancy. He had grown accustomed to the idiosyncrasies of city dwellers. As he stepped into his apartment, he scrutinized every corner meticulously, checking the bathroom mirror and the tall mirror beside his bed.
“There’s nothing,” Duen muttered, hanging his Shinai back on the wall and dismissing the bizarre encounter as perhaps a vivid dream. Pushing it aside, he prepared for bed, bracing for the grueling week ahead starting with Monday. Yet, as he lay in bed that night, he tossed and turned, gripped by an unshakable anxiety.
“Why am I feeling so anxious?” he whispered to himself, the images of the tormentor, the devil and the infernal pits were vivid in his mind.
“If I can’t rest soon, work tomorrow will be unbearable,” Duen sighed. The image of Grandmaster Gus in his Kendo gi flashed in his mind. “There are two worlds: the physical realm and the inner spirit world. Most forsake the latter, but it’s your sanctuary,” Gus’s words echoed in his memory. “Old man,” Duen whispered, longing for his guidance. Gus had always urged him to meditate, a practice Duen had neglected. Now, in his struggle to sleep, he decided to give it a try. Sitting up in bed, he closed his eyes and focused on his breath, inhaling and exhaling slowly. Gradually, he sank into meditation, embracing a heightened state of awareness.
In a surreal moment, Duen experienced a profound detachment from his physical body, observing himself from an ethereal perspective. He was weightless and free-floating while his physical body was still seated on his bed. There was a radiant glow emanating from his physical body. It seemed to be coming from his pendant.
Intrigued by the mesmerizing light, Duen drifted closer to investigate, his attention fixated on the stone pendant adorning his neck. As he approached, a luminous beam surged forth, flooding the space with a brilliant white radiance that illuminated the tall mirror beside his bed.
“What’s this?” Duen murmured, drawn to the mirror by the captivating brilliance. Memories of the stone’s luminosity and the appearance of the mysterious fiery bird flooded his consciousness.
The blinding light enveloped Duen as he cautiously approached the mirror. Shielding his eyes with one hand, he extended the other to navigate through the luminous haze. Each movement deliberate, every touch hesitant, as he ventured deeper into the brilliance.
As the overwhelming brightness gradually softened, it revealed a breathtaking panorama. Suspended in the air were fragments of light, each shimmering in a kaleidoscope of colors – white, blue, red, green, yellow, indigo – creating an enchanting spectacle that stretched out before him.
“What’s this? It’s beautiful,” Duen gasped in awe, his senses overwhelmed by the dazzling display. Filled with wonder, he reached out to touch the radiant particles, only to watch as his hand passed through them effortlessly.
A sense of disorientation washed over him as he turned around, scanning the surreal environment. The mirror had vanished, leaving him surrounded by the mesmerizing glow of the luminous particles, his surroundings transformed into a realm of ethereal beauty.
“Is this some kind of portal?” Duen exclaimed, realizing he had stepped into an extraordinary realm of light. “Holy… Am I hallucinating again?” he whispered, disbelief tinged with fear creeping into his voice.
Suddenly, a brilliant light took shape, resembling the familiar fiery baby bird, and soared into the distance. “That bird again! Hey, wait! Where are you going?” Duen exclaimed, his sense of wonder propelling him forward as he chased after the ethereal creature. With each step, the surrounding lights intensified until they became blinding.
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