880Please respect copyright.PENANAqKKSFAaqUq
So this880Please respect copyright.PENANABBO63cZ3yr
is finally it.880Please respect copyright.PENANAmEW0FrqJKU
880Please respect copyright.PENANA8ojE4dG5vO
880Please respect copyright.PENANAoiytOYLr0W
880Please respect copyright.PENANAJ1mTmt4sLQ
A man in rags stood in front of the gate. The gate to where it all began and880Please respect copyright.PENANALoEN6uQOBq
where it would all end. A thousand steps it took him but he was reluctant to880Please respect copyright.PENANA0122TXNKdO
take the last step. After all who'd be willing to walk to their deaths.880Please respect copyright.PENANA8hOC4aDZqd
880Please respect copyright.PENANAztwKHpjgzI
880Please respect copyright.PENANAByaexDJBLu
880Please respect copyright.PENANAO9YFV9UyYJ
Yet his mind was ready. His body steeled. The man took the hood off his head to880Please respect copyright.PENANATaTBTmGCZN
reveal an aged face. With many wrinkles and more scars. He took a deep breath.880Please respect copyright.PENANAla2SSMWfZh
Breathing in the fresh mountain air and the bloomed sakura trees. This beauty,880Please respect copyright.PENANA1pb5eC7BSZ
he wondered if he'd be able to appreciate this picturesque view after...880Please respect copyright.PENANABhK4LFlwaY
880Please respect copyright.PENANAtdaKTjZ8eq
880Please respect copyright.PENANAzkaudg7mZM
880Please respect copyright.PENANAvy5qO9NhzR
"I have finally come my brothers." Finally he took that last880Please respect copyright.PENANAcIn5rN4hPU
step and knocked, three times. First time, for the beginning, second time, for880Please respect copyright.PENANALEQaug5ZSB
the journey, third time, for the end. One second, two seconds, three...The gate880Please respect copyright.PENANA6KQY78LkBB
opened, with a creak echoing through all the mountains.880Please respect copyright.PENANAyxQWXsDc6N
880Please respect copyright.PENANA6qcKZ7JOaT
880Please respect copyright.PENANAk0zKMm6jxm
880Please respect copyright.PENANARoYnB1lVdd
"Who goes there?" A voice boomed.880Please respect copyright.PENANAkeCG7Evmai
880Please respect copyright.PENANAulXabNaBMm
880Please respect copyright.PENANAspReWu2nps
880Please respect copyright.PENANABxM57q6Dtq
"I have come for my rest, as my master before me and his master before880Please respect copyright.PENANAVNIc3DoT0Q
him."880Please respect copyright.PENANAOjroHF3BDH
880Please respect copyright.PENANAyGvvaWtkUB
880Please respect copyright.PENANA2PgKNu7ZwK
880Please respect copyright.PENANAPmjGucbyg0
"What're you called?" The voice asked once again.880Please respect copyright.PENANAH0hAPDiANm
880Please respect copyright.PENANAkBVeuIS5Uy
880Please respect copyright.PENANAHIVHsVqUS6
880Please respect copyright.PENANAIKhUdILPFp
"I am Serene Dancer. 10th Master of the Golden Columns."880Please respect copyright.PENANAQaeOyleXcE
880Please respect copyright.PENANAVs8VUqulcW
880Please respect copyright.PENANAzL0nVGPaxc
880Please respect copyright.PENANAITY7LlGp3N
"You may pass."880Please respect copyright.PENANAozrzhUzqFp
880Please respect copyright.PENANAK693Su51lW
880Please respect copyright.PENANArh88tJRB62
880Please respect copyright.PENANA9YU4qoFamy
Serene880Please respect copyright.PENANAfqzaLO9mrU
Dancer passed the threshold. He knew he could've done so before hand but880Please respect copyright.PENANAYJ5hFUFzTY
traditions were important. Especially in this sacred place. Tradition...how big880Please respect copyright.PENANA2m0bi0hUBK
part of his life has that been ever since he joined the Golden Columns. 880Please respect copyright.PENANAJcI2Vg7qfx
How it moulded him, made him the man he was today. Should he be proud, or880Please respect copyright.PENANABebfsU4syI
should he be ashamed? He could not truly answer that.880Please respect copyright.PENANAeX2nsu7m4I
880Please respect copyright.PENANADEEQyrZfXN
But the880Please respect copyright.PENANAj6kgFXUWvC
being atop the stairs would. The stairs that begun from the gates all the way880Please respect copyright.PENANAoUxtsqUn4V
up to the Kami Temple. It was truly majestic, Serene Dancer could not help but880Please respect copyright.PENANA2ZkFMmJibf
take a few moments to appreciate it. But he knew he could not wait any880Please respect copyright.PENANAQWK1MCJJmY
longer. He had to keep going.880Please respect copyright.PENANAU0gChP31vo
880Please respect copyright.PENANAQHKH3M9ScC
First880Please respect copyright.PENANAd9zyts8hyx
step, ten steps...twenty...Serene Dancer counted each and every last step.880Please respect copyright.PENANA3hPCNPoRVx
Taking in every last blade of grass and pebble, until he reached the main880Please respect copyright.PENANABBE9oYGL5E
temple with their grand doors open.880Please respect copyright.PENANA98Vq3Qcc6P
880Please respect copyright.PENANAW6GjCBmmrK
The first880Please respect copyright.PENANAwLBkUb62SC
step tentative, each one helped Serene Dancer gather more courage, until he880Please respect copyright.PENANAZlq075cy3R
entered the temple itself. Inside the temple was darkness, with a path of880Please respect copyright.PENANA6Xxl2ueIfN
light leading further in. 880Please respect copyright.PENANAh51zwCxVSr
880Please respect copyright.PENANAOawNMz3U8Q
880Please respect copyright.PENANAkdYTX5jmqP
880Please respect copyright.PENANAzYbD8FVabB
Serene Dancer was surprised, he was expecting splendour. Beauty to match the880Please respect copyright.PENANAYY1Mb2sWm8
outside, but the darkness felt as if it would swallow you whole. It felt as if880Please respect copyright.PENANAeUjlBdKRn3
Serene Dancer would lose his mind inside this darkness and would be forever880Please respect copyright.PENANAbl7F6khjUB
trapped.880Please respect copyright.PENANAqlPtSajCVw
880Please respect copyright.PENANAqLrRndBHkh
880Please respect copyright.PENANAVShLxdxDi1
880Please respect copyright.PENANAyhUF1SNHgV
"Calm880Please respect copyright.PENANAfWm8CiNhIF
mind, calm spirit. The great one shall guide you." His mantra. He kept880Please respect copyright.PENANARAeoEx2f7U
repeating those words until he had renewed courage to challenge the darkness.880Please respect copyright.PENANA29yWs3e95c
The courage did not come But he knew he could not turn back, thus muttering the880Please respect copyright.PENANAH78mDJQjws
words under his breath he followed the path of light.880Please respect copyright.PENANASmPkl1cOaB
880Please respect copyright.PENANAlpj1IZdou7
He walked880Please respect copyright.PENANAYGstqTOxId
and walked, ten minutes, twenty an hour. "Calm mind, calm spirit..."880Please respect copyright.PENANAMgc3pNF9ES
The only words echoing in the darkness. As it kept encroaching the path of880Please respect copyright.PENANAad7k9IjTmy
light, dwindling it down. 880Please respect copyright.PENANAlKcAEV811b
880Please respect copyright.PENANApABVM9CTjf
"Enough."880Please respect copyright.PENANA7T50GHakbx
A voice joined Serene Dancer's prayers as the darkness retreated from the path880Please respect copyright.PENANAekbur5cWmf
and revealed a figure sitting upon a throne, shining so brightly that it overtook880Please respect copyright.PENANA67NpZBCsnk
the darkness and there was only light.880Please respect copyright.PENANABYHpJsoWxn
880Please respect copyright.PENANAA36wc4cPe2
"You880Please respect copyright.PENANAgkGRbdS72f
have come far, Bongzhon."880Please respect copyright.PENANAIHERTKMtoD
880Please respect copyright.PENANAbl5Otqh35L
Serene880Please respect copyright.PENANAnMzbq9f9bM
Dancer wept, for he was so overwhelmed by the sheer presence.880Please respect copyright.PENANAcSEFK64Vfq
880Please respect copyright.PENANA3mtZNWw7p4
"Come,880Please respect copyright.PENANAO0xvVxJsrp
let us talk." Serene Dancer felt his legs move on their own as he walked880Please respect copyright.PENANAwFnZ0dahTD
closer to God. Upon reaching the light he bent his knees, laying his, bald,880Please respect copyright.PENANApBeORhl0cO
head down until his forehead touched the path of light.880Please respect copyright.PENANAtzayOfH1nB
880Please respect copyright.PENANAd7DOgykYt9
"You,880Please respect copyright.PENANA1nmvmO97T8
as many before you, have come to be judged. Do you swear to accept my880Please respect copyright.PENANA1VtEZxLhCS
judgement, whatever it may be"880Please respect copyright.PENANA7zBCmge1sH
880Please respect copyright.PENANAUrpQ8gu0gv
"I880Please respect copyright.PENANAE1PGAIOGGQ
do so swear." Serene Dancer's voice sounded so tiny, so miniscule in his880Please respect copyright.PENANAmNa7Tdti7W
ears. Especially compared to the voice of god.880Please respect copyright.PENANAI2fYFR0PM9
880Please respect copyright.PENANAhdLqDgfVGy
"Very,880Please respect copyright.PENANA8uzpnvpApD
well. Raise your head." As he did so, God's shape began to change,880Please respect copyright.PENANAiXMFXf8fNu
morphing into something else, something smaller. Until the light stopped fluctuating880Please respect copyright.PENANA5DlgTvDqQI
and a small boy appeared out of the light.880Please respect copyright.PENANAbtyoUAyZUi
880Please respect copyright.PENANAOAqTFOHlP0
"This880Please respect copyright.PENANAsH1lsMJ83T
is the past you." Voice still unchanged. "Tell me why did you decide880Please respect copyright.PENANAFznUk8gxuv
to join your order at such a young age?"880Please respect copyright.PENANAen8eWcb37D
880Please respect copyright.PENANAjPiCEmi5Vf
Serene880Please respect copyright.PENANA6vheV9NWOk
Dancer sat in silence for a while, gathering his thoughts. "I wanted more880Please respect copyright.PENANABUNvFf5ueF
out of my life. My parents were honest people, but poor. They were not able to880Please respect copyright.PENANANUql20htpZ
provide for me and my siblings..."880Please respect copyright.PENANA8bkLw7ZTt6
880Please respect copyright.PENANABx0sDoTYry
"Is880Please respect copyright.PENANAURGYYhH1bi
that why you abandoned them without saying a word?" Gods words cut through880Please respect copyright.PENANAr2pmTPbo3R
Serene Dancer's as if knife cutting butter. "Do you know that they have880Please respect copyright.PENANAv3VfXiTtk2
spent years searching for you? That they blamed themselves for your disappearance?880Please respect copyright.PENANAfuQtGp6X82
They died, 10 years after you joined the order. Thinking they have failed you,880Please respect copyright.PENANAF2nFw3W43h
leaving your siblings on their own. They are all dead now aswell."880Please respect copyright.PENANAyck0e4Svyp
880Please respect copyright.PENANAPastHzBrcF
Serene880Please respect copyright.PENANAEMzzpPRzpM
Dancer sat in contemplation. It was his family, but it has been so long ago880Please respect copyright.PENANAkXhLXbxvM0
since he stopped being Bongzhon that it mattered little to him. The loss of880Please respect copyright.PENANAezkHuiowmd
life was horrible, but it was all in the past.880Please respect copyright.PENANASe7YJ0ghss
880Please respect copyright.PENANAhcAXPzdpdY
"Do880Please respect copyright.PENANAyoZiFg2C77
you still believe you have made the correct choice? Of abandoning your family880Please respect copyright.PENANAbnKVffBb8T
leading them to ruin?"880Please respect copyright.PENANA0GUkocePg5
880Please respect copyright.PENANAf0HUgxrxrz
"Yes."880Please respect copyright.PENANA3oDqCfw1JH
Was the only word Serene Dancer said, for that life would lead to ruin whether880Please respect copyright.PENANApiuBkGdRrw
he would've stayed or not.880Please respect copyright.PENANAu6nuKpRad4
880Please respect copyright.PENANADlIblxjjeT
"Very880Please respect copyright.PENANAGvKRC2Qdp6
well." The light changed form again. This time to a grown man. With well880Please respect copyright.PENANAcQkSiWUoyK
developed muscles and a shaved head. "This is you when you have taken the880Please respect copyright.PENANAEcuh4mOL9r
mantle of master. Tell me, do you believe you were worthy?"880Please respect copyright.PENANAqARYHUYw4U
880Please respect copyright.PENANAx0NuVVoWVn
"I880Please respect copyright.PENANAsdISUQupnj
do." For believing otherwise would be dishonouring the choice made by880Please respect copyright.PENANATIg4uShXsh
everyone who chose him. The mantle of master is passed on through vote. With880Please respect copyright.PENANAGHFa82atkb
everyone in the order eligible to vote, from the youngest acolyte to the880Please respect copyright.PENANAiQjWixJIy1
hardened elder. Serene Dancer would respect their choice.880Please respect copyright.PENANAQOm7s7EQAo
880Please respect copyright.PENANA9fWrN0HTFM
"And880Please respect copyright.PENANA6yot3TLv9b
what of your choices? Would you do anything else or do you believe you were880Please respect copyright.PENANApCtoOFjSJT
perfect in your role?"880Please respect copyright.PENANAM1onrBww4j
880Please respect copyright.PENANAk31Zv2FyIx
"I880Please respect copyright.PENANAWHQgZgDTLU
was not the perfect master, but I would not change any of the choices I880Please respect copyright.PENANAxxXNh2mQI7
made." Before, the answer would've been yes. But not anymore. Did all his880Please respect copyright.PENANANVZsYFDfvD
choices lead to a good conclusion? No. But they were his choices and he would880Please respect copyright.PENANABgXMjx62s2
stand by them.880Please respect copyright.PENANAL1kzXLBBpF
880Please respect copyright.PENANAANX0aglq5B
"Good."880Please respect copyright.PENANAR1oAOTrJE1
A shift again, and this time Serene Dancer saw an older man. A man with a bent880Please respect copyright.PENANA6VlGJskA7m
down posture and beard that only ended at the waist. A man who had both880Please respect copyright.PENANAdXFLU6Y8KH
wrinkles and scars on his face. A man that was him.880Please respect copyright.PENANAE7jZ7yTBgy
880Please respect copyright.PENANAb8voXiDwqO
"This880Please respect copyright.PENANAdnYrQEGSVc
is you now, with all of your experience and wisdom you have gained. Tell me,880Please respect copyright.PENANAzs7Q3NUHjQ
why did you decide to rest now?"880Please respect copyright.PENANAI6mAafiJZm
880Please respect copyright.PENANA7IPWgslVU5
"Because880Please respect copyright.PENANA7JmiqJwvsh
I am tired." Tired of seeing his friends die, tired of seeing people in a880Please respect copyright.PENANAFZVXklUnKM
cycle of poverty and violence, tired of seeing the young ones deny tradition880Please respect copyright.PENANAsbygRqKYsN
and stray further away from the righteous path. His time has come to an end.880Please respect copyright.PENANAcjQ4MmzWbl
880Please respect copyright.PENANAJfkcuu4nc4
"Any880Please respect copyright.PENANA96zB3h37y5
last words before I begin my judgement?"880Please respect copyright.PENANAYHddfxO0C2
880Please respect copyright.PENANAtXGukQW23g
"No."880Please respect copyright.PENANA3c3yZyrpJv
Serene Dancer cleared his mind, it was time to let go. 880Please respect copyright.PENANAFF0gLm7lc9
880Please respect copyright.PENANAEvQpB5FqFu
"Bongzhon,880Please respect copyright.PENANALiR1f4C41B
Serene Dancer, I have judged you worthy of the land of light. Go and find your880Please respect copyright.PENANAoyqj2L8dbd
rest."880Please respect copyright.PENANAW9JQQumgWs
880Please respect copyright.PENANAh00ywfBziE
The light880Please respect copyright.PENANApZ2bxEJ3L5
enveloped Serene Dancer, as he felt it's light touch and warmth. He felt880Please respect copyright.PENANA1870qHpUzA
his body slowly disappearing as it joined the light and he felt, for the first880Please respect copyright.PENANAQNtnsjERpF
time in decades, happy and in peace.880Please respect copyright.PENANA7KoTUbD0BU
880Please respect copyright.PENANAN4hm5CiHEa
880Please respect copyright.PENANAma4QmvxzNQ
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880Please respect copyright.PENANAs3bp8PWzdB
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880Please respect copyright.PENANA12DKIhI6qD