89 Dreams (1/2)

The raging qi slowly receded into his body as his sword returned to it's base form. Xin Fan dropped the scythe. He rubbed his forehead as he slowly stumbled forwards. There was a sense of sluggishness as he wandered over to sit against a pillar. He felt like his motor skills have decreased significantly as he broken out of his unified state.

'You okay?'

'Feeling a bit tired. I don't know why.'

Xin Kong spoke in a restless voice as Xin Fan started to zone out. This was the side effects of synchronizing. Xin Fan felt as if his mind was weighed down by a dark void. His thoughts didn't link up and it ended up in rambles in his mind.

”Xin Fan, are you okay?”

”Kay...”

Xin Fan pulled out a gourd of water and uncorked it and moved it to his mouth. Water dribbled down his chin as he slowly adjusted it to his mouth and cleared his throat. The rush of coolness placated his course throat as he started to chug it. After a long while, he dropped the gourd and his eyes slowly started to droop. His hands dropped onto the floor as he collapsed onto his sides.

”Xin Fan!”

Tianfei rushed to his side to lift him up only to sigh in relief. He was only asleep. Tianfei moved her face closer to check up on his hear beat. Xin Fan's soft breathing and steady pulse was all she needed to confirm his state. She pulled out a small cloth and folded it up resting Xin Fan's head on it.

”Is he okay?”

”Of course he is...”

-

'One sheep...two sheep...three sheep...where am I?'

Xin Fan wasn't sure whether his mind has full cleared up or he was still in a muddled state. There was much that was obscured in his vision as he watched the sheep huddle up against him. He didn't know why but he started to stroke the head of the sheep as if it was his own. Those hands. They didn't look like his at all. They appeared to be much delicate, much thinner as if it never touched anything it's entire life. Xin Fan watched on as a man wearing a white robe slowly fluttered down on a flying swords. He had a long white beard and eyes that had deep wisdom within.

”You...Do you wish to reach the truth?”

Xin Fan felt his head shake side to side as if rejecting the offer. He felt his arms wrap tightly around the neck of a nearby sheep. Besides from that one sheep, all the others had started to wonder off into the white fog at the end of his vision. The old man stoked his beard and stared Xin Fan.

'Who is he?'

”Are you sure? You could reach great heights. You could soar the skies without worry.”

Xin Fan felt his head shake once more. The tightening around the sheep neck only grew stronger as he felt his legs slowly retreat away from the old man. The old man sighed.

”Do you not wish to be free? Do you not wish to be chained by nothing? Feel no pain from the world around you?”

Xin Fan felt his body stiffen up. Like all his actions up to this point, it was involuntary. Xin Fan felt his legs slowly edge back towards the old man. The old man stroke his beard in a satisfied manner as he slowly extended out his arm to the boy.

'What is going on?'

Xin Fan looked as his hands started to shake as it move towards the old man. At times, it almost seems as if it was going to retract. However by the end, he had a clear grasp on the old man's wrinkly palm. The old man lifted him to the base of the flying sword. Xin Fan felt his grip over the sheep slowly becoming weaker as he released it. Xin Fan watched as the sheep bleated running off into the white background. The sword slowly levitated off the ground and started to move. Xin Fan felt a sense of stability as it soared through the sky.

'Where am I going?'

Xin Fan felt a lapse in his vision and found himself in a white robe sitting on a rock by a mountain. It was as if days, months or even years had passed in a single moment. He was reading a book while watching a flying sword soar in the distance.