Chapter 20: Cocoons
"But don't you want to survive?" Kai asked.
Ryan looked at Kai with a mixture of wisdom and resignation in his eyes. He took a deep breath before answering, "Survival, my boy, is not the only purpose of life. It's what you do with the time you have that truly matters. I've had my share of adventures and experiences in this world, had a beautiful wife and two cute sons, and had the chance to raise them and now it's time for me to face my end"
"You see, I have lived a life, that many people long for and I am grateful for that and now that my end is drawing near, I want to embrace it with happiness, not with sadness or pity of others"
Ryan looked at him with deep eyes and sighed. "Now why don't you tell me the real reason, why you came to see me?"
kai was listening with rapt attention, but Ryan's sudden question threw him off-guard. But he still composed himself and answered, but there was obvious sadness in them. "It's because...you look like my late grandfather"
"Oh?"
Out of all the reasons, Ryan did not expect Kai to say that 'he' looked like his late grandfather.
'Interesting' He thought inwardly.
Ryan's eyes softened as he considered Kai's unexpected revelation. Memories of his own late grandfather flooded his mind, a man who had been a pillar of wisdom and kindness in his childhood. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of nostalgia as he gazed at the young man sitting before him.
"I see," Ryan said softly, a wistful smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Your grandfather must have been quite a character for you to come seeking traces of him in a dying old man like me."
Kai nodded, a melancholic expression settling on his face. "He was. He used to tell me stories of his adventures and the places he had traveled to. He was my hero."
A subtle shift occurred in Ryan's demeanor as he leaned back, his gaze distant yet contemplative. "I too had my fair share of adventures, while they may not be as interesting as what you may have heard, but they will surely keep you entertained. Perhaps, if you're interested, I could share some of those stories with you?"
Kai's eyes widened with intrigue, his initial sadness giving way to a spark of curiosity. "I would love to hear them."
Ryan chuckled softly, a warm light dancing in his weary eyes.
Days moved on, and Kai continued his daily routine, always making time for Ryan and his stories. It was as if he'd been transported back to his childhood, finding a warmth in this world that he'd never known before, however fleeting it may be.
The day finally came when all the people who heard the psion's call assembled for one last lesson, But this time instead of an open ground, they gathered in an underground facility, which to Kai's surprise was made of wood...or so it seemed.
A huge crowd was gathered in this complex, which contained people from all age groups, including ailing old people who had trouble standing without a stick, to kids of Kai's age group, who were full of youthful energy.
Kai was standing among them with Set by his side and some of Set's acquaintances who had obvious contempt in their eyes when they looked at Kai, and this only stemmed from the fact he was weak, too weak in fact as he ranked the last consecutively in all classes.
It was not that he was not improving, he was, but the others were improving too, and at a rate faster than him.
But right now, he did not concern himself with their gazes of contempt, because he was busy searching for Ryan.
"Hey Kai, who are you searching for?" Set asked with a curious expression.
Kai looked up at Set, his eyes reflecting a mixture of anxiety and anticipation. "I'm looking for Ryan," he replied softly.
"Ryan? The old man who's been telling you stories?" Set asked.
"Yeah"
Set chuckled lightly. "Well, you're in luck. I saw him just a few minutes ago. He's over there, sitting by the wall on the bench."
Kai's eyes lit up, and he immediately turned to follow Set's gaze. There, by the window, sat Ryan, his frail figure silhouetted against the soft glow of the lights. Kai's heart leaped with joy as he hurried towards him.
"Ryan!" Kai called out, his voice filled with excitement.
Ryan turned his head, his eyes widening in surprise. "Kai?" he exclaimed, a warm smile spreading across his face. "What a pleasant surprise."
Kai reached Ryan's side and sat down beside him. "I was looking for you," he said simply.
Ryan chuckled softly. "Well, here I am."
"Hey, did you two forget that I am also here?" Set asked, his voice carrying hints of amusement.
As Ryan was replying to Set, a powerful force swept through the crowd. All the clamoring instantly died down to a pin-drop silence. Everyone fell silent, their eyes fixed on the person who had called them there. He was standing in the center of the complex, his body radiating a shimmering aura of energy.
Kai held his breath in anticipation, wondering what the instructor was going to speak to them about
"My friends," he said, "We have gathered here today to wish you good luck, knowing that many of you may not come back.
He spoke in a clear, resonant voice.
"Now, please don't resist what will be happening to you shortly."
"Activate the Antigrav modules!" He shouted and suddenly all the people including Kai, Set, and Ryan started floating but stopped at a fixed height and distance from each other.
Looking at each other and and then at other people they noticed that this was not only happening to them but to everyone present here.
Their body seemed to adjust accordingly and maintain a fixed distance from each other.
When suddenly roots started spreading from the wooden floor and ceiling and started enveloping everyone into cocoons of roots.
As the roots began to envelop everyone in cocoons, Kai felt a sense of peace and acceptance wash over him. The cocoon hardened around Kai, and he felt himself falling into darkness.
While the cocoons hardened, the instructed floated upwards to inspect them. When they were all hardened, the roots turned to ash, leaving behind shimmering golden egg-shaped cocoons.
Interestingly Kai's cocoon had a tint of red in it, but no one noticed due to the shimmering luminosity of others.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
ScribeOfTheDamned
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