Chapter 4:

  The path

  As soon as my hands made contact with the crystal sphere, a surge of energy erupted through my body. The power swept through me, pulling my consciousness away from my body and into somewhere…else.

  Opening my eyes, I found myself in a white room that seemed to stretch on forever in all directions, with no walls or borders in sight. The only definitive thing I could make out was the vague outline of a path that stretched out in front of me.

  As I took inventory of my surroundings, a sudden realization struck me; I was completely bare, my clothes nowhere to be found. My hands moved reflexively to cover myself, but the gesture felt meaningless in this great vast emptiness that stood before me. I had arrived in the Spiritual Realm.

  At least, I hoped thats where this was. If I were actually naked on stage, in front of the whole town, I doubt my path would be the first thing on their minds.

  Not sure what else to do, I stepped onto the translucent path in front of me, and began walking. The priests had always spoke of our choices as stepping onto "The Path," but I hadn’t expected it to be so literal.

  As I walked, time seemed to lose all meaning. Had minutes passed? Hours? I couldn’t tell. The only thing that broke the endless monotony of the expanse was a vague, dark shape in the distance. I couldn’t tell how far away it was, but I gradually let my steps lead me that direction.

  As I focused on the dark shape in the distance, I suddenly felt space twist in accordance with my will. My next step instantly carried me from where I was to where I had desired to be.

  Disoriented by the sudden shift, I closed my eyes in an attempt to steady myself. Did everyone go through this on Choosing Day, or was it just me?

  “Hello there, Samuel. I was wondering when you would find your way here.”

  Startled by the voice, I looked up to see who had spoken. In front of me, an old man in a black cloak sat cross legged on the path, his posture was relaxed as he sipped from a polished white teacup.

  “Tea? Here? Is that allowed?”

  The old man’s face was gentle and his eyes were warm with quiet amusement.

  “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, a human meets an mysterious stranger on The Path, and of course, the first thing he questions is the tea.” He took a slow sip before continuing, “Personally, I thought you’d be more concerned about your nakedness. But yes, this is tea, mint tea, to be specific. Would you like some?”

  Even here in this strange place, I felt my face flush with embarrassment. The old man chuckled and kindly gestured toward a neatly folded set of clothes resting on the path behind me.

  "Those are for you. Once you're dressed, please, join me for a cup of tea.”

  Surprisingly, the clothes fit perfectly and they matched the old man's attire in almost everyway. The clothes were a simple, yet well made set, consisting of dark cloth pants, black boots, a black linen shirt, and a hooded black cloak. The outfit made me feel like some sinister figure from a fairy tale, as the path around me was a pristine white.

  The old man gestured to the ground beside him as he poured me a cup of tea.

  "I hope you don’t mind mint. It always seems to hit the spot, at least in my opinion. Cultivation would probably disagree though,” he smirked, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "She prefers honey in her tea, she has a bit of a sweet tooth.”

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  I struggled to process what the old man was saying, as what I thought I knew unraveled by the moment. I mean, seriously, who talks about a goddess as if they were on a first name basis?

  "Are you talking about the goddess Cultivation?"

  The old man smiled and nodded as he sipped his tea. “Yes, we have a rather close working relationship, though, she would be embarrassed to have herself referred to as a goddess. Occasionally, we get together for a cup of tea and conversation.”

  A working relationship? That carried some pretty heavy implications.

  “So who are you exactly? It’s obvious you’re someone important, but I’m not smart enough to figure that out on my own.”

  The question lingered in the air for a long moment before the old man responded.

  “That, Samuel, is a difficult question to answer. I have been called a great many things across many different worlds, ever since the first spark of life took root in the depths of creation. To you humans you know me as The Path, to the elves I am The Gardener, to the dwarves I am The Great Smith. Every culture for countless generations has referred to me in some manner or another.”

  I sat in shocked silence. The Path.. I had always thought the path as a thing or a place, not a …someone.

  The old man chuckled softly as he set down his cup. “You are correct in your thinking, The Path is a place, it is a thing, but it is also, me. For now, you may refer to me as you’ve thought of me. I am simply an Old Man that you’ve met along The Path.

  Can this old man hear what I’m thinking? A chill ran down my spine at the implication. When I looked up to address him again, I found he had already risen to his feet. He extended a hand toward me, and when I took it, he pulled me up with surprising strength. Despite his frail appearance, I could feel the boundless power in his grip.

  “Samuel, would you do me the pleasure of walking with me for awhile,” he asked, as he began to stroll down the path. “I’d like to discuss some things with you.”

  I walked beside the Old Man for what felt like ages. He asked me a great many questions as we walked; he asked about my family, my hopes, the things I enjoyed, the things I hated, stories of my childhood, and even my plans for the future.

  Despite the personal nature of his questions, I found myself answering each one honestly. It wasn’t that I was compelled to speak, the Old Man simply radiated a quiet sense of care and acceptance. There was no judgment in his eyes, only genuine curiosity and a faint amusement as I prattled on about my simple life on the farm.

  “I’ve asked you a great many questions Samuel, so please, tell me what’s on your mind.”

  At his invitation I just asked the first question that came to mind.“Do you talk like this with everyone? I was expecting to make a quick decision, ya know? In and out, quick and easy, but I feel like I’ve been here longer than usual. Not that I don’t enjoying the talking with you Mr. Path,…sir?”

  The Old man laughed, his voice echoing throughout the endless expanse.

  “I’ll admit, I’ve taken some liberties with this encounter. Normally there is little fanfare and the choices are made rather quickly. Occasionally, though, one of the domains, the gods as you called them, might take notice of a promising youth and offer their blessing.”

  I nodded thoughtfully at that, though I didn’t understand the details of how all of this worked. It made as much sense as it could I supposed.

  “So what about you specifically? Do you often speak with people?

  The Old Man stopped walking and turned to face me.

  “No, Samuel, I do not, and I have not for a very very long time.” A solemn look crossed the Old Man’s face before he continued.

  “So why start now? Did something change?” I asked, unable to control my curiosity.

  The old man regarded me for a long moment, his gaze was intense, as if he were weighing my very being before he spoke.

  “Samuel, tell me, what do you know about the cycle of life and death?”

  I shook my head, perplexed by the question. How on earth was I supposed to know the details about something like that. I know that everyone eventually dies for various reasons, but as for what happens after that.. I had no idea.

  Despite my ignorance, the Old Man continued his thoughts with a voice full of patience and care, as if he were a father explaining the truths of the world to a child.

  "When a life ends in the physical world, the departing soul releases several distinct forms of potential. As it crosses into the spiritual realm, the soul’s sentience, if any is present, is threshed and sorted among the domains. What remains after that threshing, the chaff, is pure potential, raw soul energy stripped of identity and memory, free from the burdens of sentience. This essence is then cast into the Sea of Souls, where it mingles and eventually coalesces into the seeds of new life. These seeds take root in the vessels of your world, giving rise to sapient life, monsters and all manner of other creatures.”

  He let the words settle before continuing.

  “Those who walk The Path, use it to forge their souls into something greater. So, eventually when they pass from life to death, they contribute more back to the cycle than they took upon the conception of their life. In the simplest terms, the cycle of life and death is merely a redistribution and accumulation of potential that spreads throughout the existence, allowing planets, stars, magic and other wonders to exist."

  As the old man spoke, his eyes seemed to search me, looking for some spark of understanding. When he finally appeared to have taken my measure, he asked one final question.

  “Now, Samuel Garner,” he said softly, “what do you think would happen if that cycle were disrupted?”