Chapter 10: Introduction

Chapter 10: Introduction

Event 1. Twenty-five years before the story started.

(Ark of Salvation)

In the beginning, the Angel set sail on the Ark of Salvation. The Ark is one-hundred-and-fifty metres long, twenty-five metres wide, and fifteen metres tall, yet housed only the Angel.

The Angel was alone, yet he has always been alone, and he has never been saddened by the fact that he was alone.

For the Angel’s life was an aimless walk on a grey path, to a destination of nowhere.

But it was night. The moon sits idly in the sky, watching the Angel’s lonely head with the most pitiful of gaze. He felt a gust of wind, as if the moon has let out a long sigh.

And the Angel realized that the Ark was not moving. It sits stilly on the sea, directionless, and unwilling to venture forth.

He had no purpose.

But it was beautiful, he thought, for the midnight heavens were gorgeous, and the waves were tranquil, and the breeze was relaxing.

And he felt like he did not need to do anything, for the moon was always looking after him.

He did not know that the moon was disappointed in him. And even if he knew, he would not care.

Under the dazzling moonlight, a flower-shirted being appeared in front of him. He was very sure that the being would sigh in disgrace, but the being watched him with an assuring gaze.

“Angel, my friend, you have been through a lot, haven’t you? I would have known, for you were indeed created in my image.”

And the Angel nodded uninterestedly.

“So much suffering must you have been through, for you to not even bat an eyelid upon witnessing my arrival.”

And the Angel nodded, just slightly slower than before.

“You can call me the Tourist, for I tour the many worlds out there, including this very own.”

The Tourist walked towards the Angel. He passed a black hardcover book to the Angel.

“I have a plan, you see, to end all of our suffering. Angel, do you know what the end of all suffering is called? Nirvana. And I have developed a fool-proof way for us to achieve Nirvana, together.”

The Angel brought the book closer to his face. The book’s covers were the same both front and back. The book had many pages, but there were no words on any of the pages.

“The only reason why we suffer, is because the Gods are cruel, Angel! The Gods have yet to be appeased by us! And do you know why, Angel?”

The Tourist sighed.

“It is because we are weak, Angel! It is because this world is weak! And the Gods… they do not like weaklings. Imagine if you were a God, Angel, wouldn’t you simply be… a perfect being?”

The Tourist placed his hands onto the Angel’s shoulders.

“You are the only one who can do this, Angel! I have created you to be native to this world, and therefore, you have the ability to reshape it to your liking! To our liking!”

The Angel stared at the Tourist, before quickly averting his gaze elsewhere. He was unconfident.

“Do not fear, Angel, for it will take me only seven days to reshape this world into its… how do I call it… elementary form! You will see, Angel, that an entire mountain, a seven-kilometre expanse of sand, a floating island, and a large spine can be all created within a mere seven days!”

The Angel was still looking elsewhere. The Angel finally asked his first question.

“So… how do I reshape the world…?”

The Tourist pointed at the book that is in Angel’s hands.

“The book, Angel, the book! The Revenant’s Code, Angel, this is the book that will help us end all of our sufferings! You can use it to sweep the dust of the Spine of the World, Angel! And once the dust has been swept, you can reshape the world!”

The Angel blinked his eyes twice.

“It’s… that easy?”

The Tourist grinned.

“Yes, Angel! It’s really that easy! And best of all, I’m giving you not just seven days, but twenty-five years to reshape the world to perfection, Angel! You will create a perfect world for the Gods, Angel, and twenty-five years later…”

The Tourist’s wide grin gradually shrunk. He sighed.

“… we will… finally be happy…”

He sighed once more. He moved his hands away from the Angel’s shoulders. He turned around, back facing the Angel.

“That is all… I have to say to you… Angel… I will see you… I will see you soon…”

A tower of light appeared from the sky, piercing through the region of the Ark just a few steps ahead of the Tourist. The Light Curtain.

“I have to go Angel… As much as I want to, I can’t stay in this world for too long… The outside world is calling for me…”

As he walked towards the Light Curtain, the Angel heard a faint noise…

… the ringing sound of an alarm clock.

“Back to a life of suffering, huh…”

Another long sigh.

“If this keeps up… I might just… I might just break, y-you know…”

He sinks his face into the comfort of his palms.

There was a muffled sob.

“Day after day, a cycle of suffering… a downwards spiral… every time I sleep is akin to killing myself, and every time I wake is akin to rebirthing myself… to face the world once again… the world that doesn’t want me… the world that doesn’t… need me…”

Having sensed that the Angel was unnerved, the Tourist spoke one last sentence.

“Angel… it’s going to be okay.”

He wipes the last drop of tear off his left cheek.

“I mean… the world outside may not be perfect, but… you’re going to help me make this world perfect… right?”

The Tourist entered the Light Curtain. And the Light Curtain gleamed through the night, never shimmering in its unfaltering glow.

And a heart-wrenching scream pierces through the night.

A cry for help… that is shielded by the Comfort Zone.

And the Light Curtain continued to beam through the twilight.

And the Light Curtain… continued to dazzle in the dark.

“The moon… is moving… it was supposed to be an eternal midnight, but…”

And I see a large white object emerging from the top of the Light Curtain, moving sideways.

The eternal midnight… the moon… is setting…

I feel my legs progressively getting heavier and lighter.

I feel that… the Ark is finally moving forward.

Time has resumed.

“This was… not supposed to happen. Angel, do you kn-”

As he looks back at me and stares into my eyes, his jaw drops.

And the entire story of The Revenant’s Code plays out before his very own eyes.

“Oh… wow… I…”

He scratches the back of his steadily upwards-tilting head. The moon has moved completely out of the Light Curtain. The eternal night is finally ending.

And a new dawn is coming.

“I… still don’t understand how time works in this place. This meeting is supposed to be the beginning of the events to come, and yet…”

He presses his left palm onto his face. He rubs his eyes.

“I wanted the story to start twenty-five years later, when the Gods have arrived in a perfect world, so why… I… gosh, this is embarrassing. All of the flaws of this world… all of the characters’ various conflicts… and worst of all… Angel…”

He looks at me with wetted eyes.

“Did you… really need to tell everyone about me in the previous chapter? Oh gosh… This… I… I can no longer face anyone anymore…”

It’s fine, Tourist. It’s fine. They need to know. They need to know about who you are, who we are, for them to understand us.

“I… I don’t know how to face the world anymore… everyone knows how weak I am now…”

Who said that you are weak? Tourist, you are not just you, you are all of us.

Behind me, on various locations of the Ark, stands every part of you, and the family of us.

Fatherson Spirit.

Spirit of Mother.

Dreamer.

Antispirit.

Grey Walker.

Grey Mother.

The seven Grey Children.

Great Motivation.

Ghast Mundane.

And all you wanted was for others to understand you, and to love you for who you are, right?

Well, we are in this together, whether it is this world, or the many other worlds that you want to tour around.

There are many out there can be our friends, that want to be our friends.

And it all comes down to this, you need to learn to love yourself.

And to love yourself, is to not bury your weaknesses deep underground.

To love yourself… is to not repeat the same cycle of self-deprecation over and over again.

Because by learning to love yourself… you learn to love others.

And by being friends with yourself… you learn to be the friend of others.

Isn’t that right… everyone?

 

 

 

The sun is rising.

 

 

 

Tourist, you are looking towards it. The sea-blue sky spanning over an orange horizon.

The night is over. The new dawn awaits us, everyone.

You… you always wanted this, didn’t you, Tourist?

You wanted a new beginning. You wanted… a new life.

And with the advent of a new day, let this be the advent of our new life.

Let this be our second coming. Let us live our lives as wild as the blazing heat of the golden sun.

Let us be free, for we are all in this together.

And let us rise together. Let us ascend to the heavens in the centre of the universe, together.

But there is one more truth that you need to embrace, my friend. You need to embrace your true self.

 

 

 

Who are you?

 

 

 

“Huh? Angel… I told you… I am the Tourist.”

My friend, that is the name you chose to call yourself, to separate yourself from your true self.

But it is only by embracing your true self, that we can walk hand-in-hand down the path towards the luminous sun, together.

You, and I, and all of us.

No more falsehoods.

No more lying to yourself.

Because if you cannot even be honest to yourself… how do you expect to be honest to the world…?

So, I will ask you again.

 

 

 

Who are you?

 

 

 

As the auspicious sun peeks out from the endless horizon, its resplendent spark of faith is emanated onto your serene face, radiating off it… a hope for the future.

And you turn around and look at me, as if the flame of the sun is reflected in your humid black eyes. Blinking. Dazzling. I have never seen such beautiful eyes.

I have never seen… such hopeful eyes.

And at long last, my friend, I finally see…

 

 

 

 

 

… I finally see you smile.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I am Alvin, the writer of this world…”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“… and the writer… of the story of my life.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you, everyone…

 

 

 

 

 

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- End of Chapter 10: Smile

- End of The Revenant’s Code (Chasing a Smile)

Written by Alvin Neoh.

 

 

 

 

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