884Please respect copyright.PENANAAOh9qFsjF7
So this884Please respect copyright.PENANAFSaN7wKX0T
is finally it.884Please respect copyright.PENANAMdGW2WvpEt
884Please respect copyright.PENANA3PFk4hOnz1
884Please respect copyright.PENANA5L1NOSfODI
884Please respect copyright.PENANAvTbchczwLR
A man in rags stood in front of the gate. The gate to where it all began and884Please respect copyright.PENANA4YI78qHRfG
where it would all end. A thousand steps it took him but he was reluctant to884Please respect copyright.PENANA41QEjDTLyh
take the last step. After all who'd be willing to walk to their deaths.884Please respect copyright.PENANAHNEwgX4HQ5
884Please respect copyright.PENANAKXzbyg8wXA
884Please respect copyright.PENANAvv4WPC7Jxp
884Please respect copyright.PENANA3NvzAPb7MS
Yet his mind was ready. His body steeled. The man took the hood off his head to884Please respect copyright.PENANA2Q3cxqbKJS
reveal an aged face. With many wrinkles and more scars. He took a deep breath.884Please respect copyright.PENANAwqbjVsszPh
Breathing in the fresh mountain air and the bloomed sakura trees. This beauty,884Please respect copyright.PENANAeiSSqfLQyM
he wondered if he'd be able to appreciate this picturesque view after...884Please respect copyright.PENANAQagiEzig98
884Please respect copyright.PENANACm4ZHMaR5Y
884Please respect copyright.PENANARSOX8WEffv
884Please respect copyright.PENANAidFfGrawNy
"I have finally come my brothers." Finally he took that last884Please respect copyright.PENANAY7GamwWSgi
step and knocked, three times. First time, for the beginning, second time, for884Please respect copyright.PENANAZwAUcrcP6v
the journey, third time, for the end. One second, two seconds, three...The gate884Please respect copyright.PENANAHmfMb3Cl08
opened, with a creak echoing through all the mountains.884Please respect copyright.PENANAZbd3ZhHn73
884Please respect copyright.PENANAn2f5FJGBNK
884Please respect copyright.PENANAq7kphoam1q
884Please respect copyright.PENANACRlCSg99LU
"Who goes there?" A voice boomed.884Please respect copyright.PENANA9UDbvg35wz
884Please respect copyright.PENANAdgJ4ufHodq
884Please respect copyright.PENANA12WUzbJ5dU
884Please respect copyright.PENANAGoPcNtERqs
"I have come for my rest, as my master before me and his master before884Please respect copyright.PENANA2O0rrCCH0d
him."884Please respect copyright.PENANA8JZLTvPHPB
884Please respect copyright.PENANA5HYJEtoKTT
884Please respect copyright.PENANA0cEqXTrbnp
884Please respect copyright.PENANAsu8KxlhNu6
"What're you called?" The voice asked once again.884Please respect copyright.PENANAVlePptgBqv
884Please respect copyright.PENANARKQyGYa74M
884Please respect copyright.PENANASJsd7Gf9fD
884Please respect copyright.PENANAl8PezK09Y6
"I am Serene Dancer. 10th Master of the Golden Columns."884Please respect copyright.PENANA9hv10v34Gk
884Please respect copyright.PENANAFgrpe4fXhN
884Please respect copyright.PENANAikmlau8qf5
884Please respect copyright.PENANA3OLsCL6vjN
"You may pass."884Please respect copyright.PENANAsWkRksMLvJ
884Please respect copyright.PENANAUE9hTOQ7o4
884Please respect copyright.PENANAJynVOGS1LI
884Please respect copyright.PENANAUF6IL3DBL6
Serene884Please respect copyright.PENANA6svMPj95sa
Dancer passed the threshold. He knew he could've done so before hand but884Please respect copyright.PENANAGpZCfIM8ej
traditions were important. Especially in this sacred place. Tradition...how big884Please respect copyright.PENANAfpvlKP7bos
part of his life has that been ever since he joined the Golden Columns. 884Please respect copyright.PENANAeyyhuq4ODW
How it moulded him, made him the man he was today. Should he be proud, or884Please respect copyright.PENANASplYZg4BAZ
should he be ashamed? He could not truly answer that.884Please respect copyright.PENANAEirOe5JbGi
884Please respect copyright.PENANAUuU2PSiDjF
But the884Please respect copyright.PENANAKnbUbHNFhV
being atop the stairs would. The stairs that begun from the gates all the way884Please respect copyright.PENANAKRPCFJ2vaR
up to the Kami Temple. It was truly majestic, Serene Dancer could not help but884Please respect copyright.PENANAOwbPmdveik
take a few moments to appreciate it. But he knew he could not wait any884Please respect copyright.PENANAFetqDMFb82
longer. He had to keep going.884Please respect copyright.PENANAWLo1dSCixH
884Please respect copyright.PENANA1W6BLen97g
First884Please respect copyright.PENANAvajDzPRRZj
step, ten steps...twenty...Serene Dancer counted each and every last step.884Please respect copyright.PENANAaxjNfCokkA
Taking in every last blade of grass and pebble, until he reached the main884Please respect copyright.PENANAHXPkMgUokv
temple with their grand doors open.884Please respect copyright.PENANACm4NvaxkTs
884Please respect copyright.PENANA7yiO6iOmIc
The first884Please respect copyright.PENANAeYBH5RpHEi
step tentative, each one helped Serene Dancer gather more courage, until he884Please respect copyright.PENANAP7ZCbBhh8j
entered the temple itself. Inside the temple was darkness, with a path of884Please respect copyright.PENANAYcCQadSOzr
light leading further in. 884Please respect copyright.PENANACqB0GXGYoh
884Please respect copyright.PENANA3jqAqHgajn
884Please respect copyright.PENANAoeybjpXm1I
884Please respect copyright.PENANArDeeNLrmJp
Serene Dancer was surprised, he was expecting splendour. Beauty to match the884Please respect copyright.PENANASQ36eJR8yN
outside, but the darkness felt as if it would swallow you whole. It felt as if884Please respect copyright.PENANAoTunOfbhyl
Serene Dancer would lose his mind inside this darkness and would be forever884Please respect copyright.PENANABSXpymCmxG
trapped.884Please respect copyright.PENANA6tcvQWWKcd
884Please respect copyright.PENANApoX73T7JGm
884Please respect copyright.PENANA96i28OrVMV
884Please respect copyright.PENANAlqR1svQBeq
"Calm884Please respect copyright.PENANAa0ViFgfA1r
mind, calm spirit. The great one shall guide you." His mantra. He kept884Please respect copyright.PENANAw1WxmDMS7r
repeating those words until he had renewed courage to challenge the darkness.884Please respect copyright.PENANALQqFkvJaTX
The courage did not come But he knew he could not turn back, thus muttering the884Please respect copyright.PENANAhtUUQ0GU3c
words under his breath he followed the path of light.884Please respect copyright.PENANAACXkbZUPTQ
884Please respect copyright.PENANANAMMYjSsbF
He walked884Please respect copyright.PENANAZLG0ZY4gyh
and walked, ten minutes, twenty an hour. "Calm mind, calm spirit..."884Please respect copyright.PENANAgvQ0OW7U4j
The only words echoing in the darkness. As it kept encroaching the path of884Please respect copyright.PENANANHXSGZM2GB
light, dwindling it down. 884Please respect copyright.PENANADv8UDroIRB
884Please respect copyright.PENANAMQAU20rTrS
"Enough."884Please respect copyright.PENANAfyuyl0OIV1
A voice joined Serene Dancer's prayers as the darkness retreated from the path884Please respect copyright.PENANAs9OxY8xWLw
and revealed a figure sitting upon a throne, shining so brightly that it overtook884Please respect copyright.PENANARgiJThhoYT
the darkness and there was only light.884Please respect copyright.PENANAmzT3Z6KfMf
884Please respect copyright.PENANAgAA9aj7pu8
"You884Please respect copyright.PENANAI4pdeVSVW8
have come far, Bongzhon."884Please respect copyright.PENANAox3LNOdxZ2
884Please respect copyright.PENANAegFVazN8XO
Serene884Please respect copyright.PENANAD81x66ZhUh
Dancer wept, for he was so overwhelmed by the sheer presence.884Please respect copyright.PENANAkAlMk9Fbk6
884Please respect copyright.PENANAMwSo1lbAlz
"Come,884Please respect copyright.PENANAFECznVCRoj
let us talk." Serene Dancer felt his legs move on their own as he walked884Please respect copyright.PENANANzXENA7n1X
closer to God. Upon reaching the light he bent his knees, laying his, bald,884Please respect copyright.PENANAnOT8gDAEBT
head down until his forehead touched the path of light.884Please respect copyright.PENANAVclB58IORW
884Please respect copyright.PENANAa0eulLDKbi
"You,884Please respect copyright.PENANAz1Wd2RdY4O
as many before you, have come to be judged. Do you swear to accept my884Please respect copyright.PENANAu5sXCBbK53
judgement, whatever it may be"884Please respect copyright.PENANATE8g3EyOVM
884Please respect copyright.PENANAa3dakAQrXo
"I884Please respect copyright.PENANALvBkhY2Pzg
do so swear." Serene Dancer's voice sounded so tiny, so miniscule in his884Please respect copyright.PENANAWXs3fya1ze
ears. Especially compared to the voice of god.884Please respect copyright.PENANAS389WVIugr
884Please respect copyright.PENANAsrx6LMasmM
"Very,884Please respect copyright.PENANAP9r7a6cVxy
well. Raise your head." As he did so, God's shape began to change,884Please respect copyright.PENANAbhfvg4sLHT
morphing into something else, something smaller. Until the light stopped fluctuating884Please respect copyright.PENANArrrywsb1sm
and a small boy appeared out of the light.884Please respect copyright.PENANApWoNWZ4aun
884Please respect copyright.PENANA7LB8pRCSku
"This884Please respect copyright.PENANAu4OSFIflAN
is the past you." Voice still unchanged. "Tell me why did you decide884Please respect copyright.PENANAqANU2Tdhjb
to join your order at such a young age?"884Please respect copyright.PENANAIuzcHxTwfB
884Please respect copyright.PENANAQa8rgaFIjP
Serene884Please respect copyright.PENANA4XBX4vUiZO
Dancer sat in silence for a while, gathering his thoughts. "I wanted more884Please respect copyright.PENANAFQsXDWAwDk
out of my life. My parents were honest people, but poor. They were not able to884Please respect copyright.PENANAIrMcBSHmxg
provide for me and my siblings..."884Please respect copyright.PENANAfAWQ10lnGE
884Please respect copyright.PENANAzJuUQoStqq
"Is884Please respect copyright.PENANAbvVTfnyvno
that why you abandoned them without saying a word?" Gods words cut through884Please respect copyright.PENANA2s0C2ps3yA
Serene Dancer's as if knife cutting butter. "Do you know that they have884Please respect copyright.PENANA5mrh6khqcd
spent years searching for you? That they blamed themselves for your disappearance?884Please respect copyright.PENANAMvy8szkdbZ
They died, 10 years after you joined the order. Thinking they have failed you,884Please respect copyright.PENANA6S61r4fav5
leaving your siblings on their own. They are all dead now aswell."884Please respect copyright.PENANASnHjUmbcuF
884Please respect copyright.PENANAZg5kjPf7bk
Serene884Please respect copyright.PENANALniI68G4B4
Dancer sat in contemplation. It was his family, but it has been so long ago884Please respect copyright.PENANArjuEl60btt
since he stopped being Bongzhon that it mattered little to him. The loss of884Please respect copyright.PENANAxHwodjZYAU
life was horrible, but it was all in the past.884Please respect copyright.PENANAGddVV1WgxU
884Please respect copyright.PENANAJm81n6Uznv
"Do884Please respect copyright.PENANACJHvPRCBDy
you still believe you have made the correct choice? Of abandoning your family884Please respect copyright.PENANATjzEi6Tkb3
leading them to ruin?"884Please respect copyright.PENANAtGvKC6JO4S
884Please respect copyright.PENANApcmSR1LUKh
"Yes."884Please respect copyright.PENANAMc1hSfBKr5
Was the only word Serene Dancer said, for that life would lead to ruin whether884Please respect copyright.PENANAciUTrJduCo
he would've stayed or not.884Please respect copyright.PENANAi3JoegDgfN
884Please respect copyright.PENANATTjdsxSqim
"Very884Please respect copyright.PENANA6s02L1NZsk
well." The light changed form again. This time to a grown man. With well884Please respect copyright.PENANA3RGQ3oGjHH
developed muscles and a shaved head. "This is you when you have taken the884Please respect copyright.PENANA3WVuAR78Sj
mantle of master. Tell me, do you believe you were worthy?"884Please respect copyright.PENANAQcwsOEixOg
884Please respect copyright.PENANANhwzLvF5eH
"I884Please respect copyright.PENANAuKnu88kkBG
do." For believing otherwise would be dishonouring the choice made by884Please respect copyright.PENANAkU25mM6Jba
everyone who chose him. The mantle of master is passed on through vote. With884Please respect copyright.PENANARyJGcR0eF9
everyone in the order eligible to vote, from the youngest acolyte to the884Please respect copyright.PENANApy4XiwM4t7
hardened elder. Serene Dancer would respect their choice.884Please respect copyright.PENANAfGeJDRQvZO
884Please respect copyright.PENANAV9RVF8JGzq
"And884Please respect copyright.PENANAJpYbfCHh14
what of your choices? Would you do anything else or do you believe you were884Please respect copyright.PENANA0yZ8zhQPIv
perfect in your role?"884Please respect copyright.PENANAmkBZQNABNi
884Please respect copyright.PENANAHXHsnvgKGT
"I884Please respect copyright.PENANAmhCEjHF1nD
was not the perfect master, but I would not change any of the choices I884Please respect copyright.PENANAviB9xAqK5k
made." Before, the answer would've been yes. But not anymore. Did all his884Please respect copyright.PENANANN3Plno3eH
choices lead to a good conclusion? No. But they were his choices and he would884Please respect copyright.PENANAxu9diEKkgG
stand by them.884Please respect copyright.PENANAqRwl6HgbNX
884Please respect copyright.PENANAHrb9eihP73
"Good."884Please respect copyright.PENANA7Y1iYqBuwC
A shift again, and this time Serene Dancer saw an older man. A man with a bent884Please respect copyright.PENANAlOg2CUNH8Z
down posture and beard that only ended at the waist. A man who had both884Please respect copyright.PENANAoFQkwy5XcB
wrinkles and scars on his face. A man that was him.884Please respect copyright.PENANAD2F8wey0vJ
884Please respect copyright.PENANAnkZQhCY0DE
"This884Please respect copyright.PENANAMhleNbiUhl
is you now, with all of your experience and wisdom you have gained. Tell me,884Please respect copyright.PENANA00ZAA4BLB2
why did you decide to rest now?"884Please respect copyright.PENANAmyGuWw7LeG
884Please respect copyright.PENANAstgTV6kEb7
"Because884Please respect copyright.PENANAsiR0TZSDrL
I am tired." Tired of seeing his friends die, tired of seeing people in a884Please respect copyright.PENANA2D7ZZsiyzi
cycle of poverty and violence, tired of seeing the young ones deny tradition884Please respect copyright.PENANA4CQxWgtBeC
and stray further away from the righteous path. His time has come to an end.884Please respect copyright.PENANA1v4qPJzTNb
884Please respect copyright.PENANASfYe28d8dP
"Any884Please respect copyright.PENANAG2YG57Iyyl
last words before I begin my judgement?"884Please respect copyright.PENANAtCk8My6b9y
884Please respect copyright.PENANAJIjkNMifHK
"No."884Please respect copyright.PENANAmUF0RR23ev
Serene Dancer cleared his mind, it was time to let go. 884Please respect copyright.PENANACmlqxF7OBp
884Please respect copyright.PENANAsgttllVIun
"Bongzhon,884Please respect copyright.PENANAEhsVmgq4gj
Serene Dancer, I have judged you worthy of the land of light. Go and find your884Please respect copyright.PENANAWAgL39MIvd
rest."884Please respect copyright.PENANAsRVCi6bOTb
884Please respect copyright.PENANAfyE4cXYtF6
The light884Please respect copyright.PENANAe0HBrmxb93
enveloped Serene Dancer, as he felt it's light touch and warmth. He felt884Please respect copyright.PENANA5rS9cXsbn4
his body slowly disappearing as it joined the light and he felt, for the first884Please respect copyright.PENANAzlEuCGlxjD
time in decades, happy and in peace.884Please respect copyright.PENANAy4NjVDYMan
884Please respect copyright.PENANAYZ6VeUTGAG
884Please respect copyright.PENANAABvqSJF39x
884Please respect copyright.PENANA8qDdeZOPC0
884Please respect copyright.PENANA5Sw2F11ZLn
884Please respect copyright.PENANA5mGKaJWc2N
884Please respect copyright.PENANA0MPZtSI51Z
884Please respect copyright.PENANAQtDaFdMqPV