Chapter 5: ~ He who watches the world with closed eyes ~
"To be inked is no light matter," Rai Xo told me with a solemn expression, cleanly grinding a solid black stick on a coarse slate stone slab, which was round and dipped low in one direction. It almost appeared to be a Chinese ink stone, but the material was shining under the rays of light as if composed with children's sparkle dust.
I watched as he poured a few drop of water from a very small kettle right on the surface of the stone where he was grinding the stick.
Water, grind, water, grind, and repeating these steps, the collected mixed liquid settled at the lowest portion of the stone.
I was surprised to see that it was actually the ink he had been preparing. As he picked up a long ancient type brush from his brush holder and carefully dipped the tip to wet it with ink.
Then extracting the excessive ink out, he held over the brush for me to see.
"Once you will be inked, I will be restricting your powers from now on, you would only be able to use them if you receive the permission from me., otherwise you will be rendered inept for the majority of time."
His eyes were really poking holes in me, but I realized how serious this was. Gulping, I felt my legs fidgeting on their own, "I will endure it then, but what will you do if I don't agree to you?"
He smiled prettily, "I will have to force you then. You have no choice in the matter."
"And then...?"
His smile broadened, "Master would be back from his seclusion tomorrow, he will decide what to do with you."
It felt wrong somehow, to hear that sentence. If the disciple was this block headed, how bad would his master be?
I shivered unconsciously, tempted to run away from this house on my own, but I had tried it once, just after that pool incident when the senior started to bombard me with multiple questions. However, I couldn't escape, since after a certain distance, a moving circle of white paper floated in midair, almost as if protecting from intruders.
I thought I would try leaving from below the paper stripe, since there was a gap due to hovering, but senior Rai Xo stopped me with those dreadful few words, "Touching it would mean you are ready to be electrocuted."
In my mind I had wondered if so was the case then how would the senior leave if he wanted to, but I did not want to argue and I wasn't curious enough to see how honest he was.
So right now, it was a warm afternoon, as the senior chose to 'ink' me, whatever that would mean.
"Come closer," he ordered, and I followed the command even if a table sat between us.
"Open your collar."
I did.
He appreciated my subdued response, and instantly went to work, as I felt the cold tip of the brush running on the crook of my neck and shoulder.
"Done, now let it dry, don't touch it for a while."
I nodded, not feeling anything odd within me.
Rai Xo must have sensed my confusion as he chuckled darkly, "The ink takes effect after a few hours, but considering my potential, it would take only 'one' hour to dry."
"Is that the fastest?" I mumbled dumbly, but the senior did reply me with consideration, as if trying to praise himself, "My ink can dry the fastest in Zor En, only prodigy students have such potential."
Seeing a chance, I fanned the fire, "You must be very powerful then."
He tilted his chin up at my praise, puffing his chest subtly, "Right, that is why you are in trouble brother, your evil will be punished."
'What evil, you are the evil,' I silently cursed at him.
We kept sitting there for a while, as neither he wanted to waste his energy, nor I. But having no other option but to watch the ink and brush still sitting on the table, I considered taking a short walk around the area.
So leaving the senior be, not that he would complain now after being satisfied with the inking, I took to wondering along a narrow trek that led towards the bamboo forest not far. I had never visited such kinds of place before, so it was definitely new to me.
As I watched the fresh natural green cover running along the path, I couldn't help but feel relaxed, even though my soul was restless since I had came here.
I was almost 21 this year, but my sister would always say I behaved like a child. Well kudos to her for she was right, I was very aware of how immature I could be at times. And rather than getting offended, I was pleased to hear she didn't think of me as some old man. Being called a child was better than being called an old man in my dictionary.
Squatting down at the side, I traced the bamboo shoot that was still only a few inches in height, still very small compared to the thick forest ahead. The leaf was soft and even the stem, and to think it would grow thick and hard in a few months, even taller than me. Nature was surely amusing.
Being more indoors than outdoors, I did not enjoy the life as others did, but I believed everyone was different with different preferences.
I was the types who loved social media, but never wanted to interact with real life humans.
Chuckling at my own setbacks, I decided to just take a walk further, since the path was very clear and beautifully shaded from the strong sun. Not to forget those tall mountain pillars which also provided with an impressive scenery.
Humming along a tune, I skipped inside boldly, an avenue of bamboos running tall and far in parallel array.
The smell was also very fresh and sweet as my nose took in the change. A smile graced my lips as I walked even further.
Only when I believed things were calm, did my eyes suddenly halted at a point.
Noting the eerie black butterfly fluttering ahead of me, and coming in my direction as if sensing me. I was really baffled, not expecting to see the fly again.
"A-Are you here to take me back?" I asked it even if my instinct told me things weren't that easy.
Obviously I received no reply back as the butterfly kept coming my way, not even taking any other direction.
Growing a bit nervous, I took a few steps back, and thought about running from there, but a part of me was also eager to know if the mist would appear again and I would be able to go back.
I lifted my fingers to touch the butterfly which was now very close to me, but stopped when sounds of footsteps were heard behind me.
Turning to look at who it could be, since Rai Xo hadn't followed me out, I was very sure it wasn't Rai Xo.
I took in the plain face of the blond haired boy, his posture timid and his hands hiding behind his back, he was... Adam.
"Adam!!" I cried, running to hug the man in my excitement, but what I also noticed was the panicked look on his face as he stepped back away from me, the eyes fearful, "Rai Xo s-said not to get friendly with you."
My excitement was immediately extinguished. This Adam wasn't the Adam from Earth, but his doppelganger it seems, thus even his looks were plain, and his clothes too normal, the timid mannerism of speech and presence were also an eyesore.
"Right," I said, stopping a few feet away from him.
"W-Who are you?? Because our brother wasn't as bold as you."
"Bold?" I asked in confusion.
"You wanted to hug me, didn't you? I saw through you, you are evil," he ranted, "and also disgusting. How can you even..."
What was he on about...
"What do you mean?" I asked with as much patience I could hold in me, surely the guy didn't have a few screw loose.
"I am not interested in men!"
My eyes almost popped out from my socket. "What are you saying dude, I don't like boys!!"
He blinked, and immediately relaxed, whipping away an imaginary sweat, "Then that is good."
How ridiculous was he, "Can't two brothers hug?"
"No," he told straight away, his stare a bit blank, "so next time don't do that."
"Right right. So why are you here?"
He immediately reverted back to his nervous self, poking his two fingers together in a shy gesture, "Rai Xo told me you need to go back, the time the ink would take effect is near."
I nodded and a few minutes later found myself sitting in front of the senior again, but this time Adam was also there, sitting behind a screen.
"Why a screen?"
Rai Xo sipped his tea, "He is shy."
"I See."
~~
As Rai Xo had said, the inking took full effect after a few minutes of delay, and the pain was excruciating.
I screamed and cried when my neck burned as if poked by live fire. And it didn't stop until after an hour.
By the time the terror ended, I was drenched in sweat and glaring at Rai Xo as the person sat frozen in spot, his brows furrowed in contemplation.
"You..." he started, but thought of something and silenced himself.
"What?" I gritted out in anger, even if my voice just came out as a whisper.
"You were fighting back."
I did not get what he meant to say, so Adam, who had been silently watching from behind the screen for all this time, explained with better words, "Not many have the ability to fight against the ink of an ink master, and those who do are considered a threat to humanity."
My head hurt just hearing his words, now I was some threat to humanity? Please, what kind of a plot was this.
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