by T. Sae-Low
Raden slowed down his breathing. His body was barely moving, every breath so silent he seemed to remain perfectly still. The outside world began to drown away. The nighthawks calling below, the sound of the rushing wind all began to dissipate. His focus was inward now. He started with controlling his breathing. Next, he could feel the steady beating of his heart. That, too, was beginning to drown away as stillness overtook him. In that moment, Raden could feel or think of nothing. He knew he had risen to a higher plane and slowly opened his eyes—both eyes.
He found himself in complete darkness. He wasn’t falling, but his movements were slow and deliberate, as if every motion of his body was being repelled by some invisible force. He tried to take in a deep breath and realized why his movements were slow; he was underwater. Immediately his focus turned to breathing, but he simply couldn’t. There was nowhere for him to go. No light at the top of this body of water for him to break free from. His body began to shutter and shake violently from the limited oxygen he so desperately needed now. Panic set in as he continued to struggle. That’s when Raden remembered what the Warrior had told him.
You must clear your mind of all emotions, especially the ones that hurt you the most.
Raden had thought the Warrior was referring to the death of Kara and the loss of loved ones. But perhaps he was referring to the physical pain that comes from emotion. His deprivation of oxygen was causing him to panic, and this panic was consuming his every thought and action.
No, Raden told himself. This is a realm within my mind that I need to figure out.
He ceased fighting every natural reaction. He needed to focus just like before. He let the water sway his body to and fro. Resistance was gone. He would become one with this place. The pain began to melt away, and in its place he found that inner peace again. He put his hands together to pray, and that’s when he noticed it. His skin was different. He felt his hands, and then his arms, and lastly his face. The skin that he remembered was gone, replaced by what felt like scales. He felt each ridge of every scale along his forearms. They were hard as rocks. He lifted one scale and found his body reacting to it. His body shuddered, but not from pain, but rather relief. He lifted another scale slightly and again he felt the sensation. This feels like breathing. Raden realized that to survive in this place, he needed to adapt. His body had already adapted, and now his mind must, too. He focused on the scales covering his body. He began to sense them each, feeling them individually, and at once he commanded them all to open.
His body took in a large gulp of oxygen, and Raden found he could breathe underwater. He could now move about the water freely. He swam around, but still the darkness of the place made it difficult to figure out where to go. That’s when the symbols began to take form. He could see different letters of the Ancients pulsating before him. Not only that, but the letters had meaning to him now. Symbols representing loyalty, peace, harmony, and love glowed before his eyes. The symbol for chosen appeared now; it was much larger than the other characters, and it seemed to call out to him. Raden gravitated towards it, unable to resist. The symbol rippled in the water. It loomed larger and larger as he inched closer. The light emanating from the symbol washed over his eyes, blinding his vision, but still he persisted. He swam through the center of the symbol, fully engulfed now by the light. And that’s when he broke free. He rose above the surface of the water and breathed in deeply through his mouth and nose. He realized he wasn’t swimming in water, but rather in fire. He could see flames everywhere, but there was no smell of smoke or ash. Fire danced around him, through him, but the pain began to subside. They danced in all shades of scarlet and coral and began to take form. He could see Gama and Oli lifting his broken and battered body through the mountains of Kih Bayar. Next, he saw his meeting with the Prophet. That memory faded and transformed into his dinner with General Yagar; the first time he had met Kara’s dad. His childhood escape down the River Fate was next, the last time he had seen his parents alive. The elderly couple who had cared for him shortly after. The first time he had kissed Kara. The memories appeared in every direction now. They ranged from his childhood to the present. His entire life was flashing before him. Am I dying? Maybe his newfound power had been too much for him. Perhaps his end had finally come. Raden thought about it for a moment. Was he willing to accept his fate and move on to the next life? Yes, he thought he was. But that’s when the memories playing out before him coalesced into a single image of Kimi.
“Kimi,” Raden whispered.
“Are you truly ready to accept death, Raden?” The voice was not Kimi’s, but rather the familiar voice Raden heard whispering to him during his awakening.
“You… I know your voice. You were there when I first discovered my abilities. Just who are you?”
“I have been called many things, but who I am is not important. What is important is that you have been chosen, Raden. You have been chosen to lead your people. You are their hope, their salvation. They will need you now more than ever. Do you embrace this great power that has been bestowed upon you?” Kimi walked up to Raden, arms extended, waiting for him to return the gesture.
Raden hesitated a moment, but then he could only see Kimi, standing before him, wanting to be held.
“Yes, I accept this power. And I will lead my people to victory. I will bring peace to this world.” Raden knelt down and embraced Kimi tightly. The bright orange and crimson flames that formed her image began to wrap around his body.
“Save us, Raden.”
“I will.” Raden opened his eyes. The cool mountain air caressed his face. The morning sun gently warmed his skin. He could still feel the fire burning deep within him, but the sensation was different than before. The fire flowed through his body; it was now a part of him.
Chapter 42