But it wasn’t long before they saw a dim light far away. They blundered in the darkness, afraid that they'll trip and fall. But slowly and steadily they were getting close to the light source. Arriving close to the light source they could now see that it came from around the corner.

Feeling the wall next to her with her hand Aletha turned around the corner. The two followed and they along a narrow path. The light in front of them became brighter and brimmer and soon they were standing outside of the tunnel in a wide area with grassy a field. 

The light was blinding at first but soon Aletha noticed that above them was a white ceiling that emitted bright rays from itself.

Even more of a strange sight was the figure of a middle-aged man who stood on top of the small hill in front of them. The man was bald, he wore a red robe. Probably that which is worn by monks. The man gazed towards the distance with blank eyes. 

Aletha looked at the man, utterly stunned by the man's peculiar behaviour or better to say his lack of any behaviour. The man was standing there like a statue not even moving for an inch. One could even mistake him to be dead if it weren't for the man's lively skin.

“What is he doing up there?” asked Jessica.

Almost waking up Aletha blinked and said:  

“I don’t know myself. Care to guess?” 

“Maybe he is waiting for someone.” said Kailu.

“No, the direction he is looking at ends with a wall, see” said Aletha as she pointed towards the faraway white wall.   

“Maybe he is thinking about something” said Jessica.

“Hmm, it's possible but standing there just like a statue? Most people walk around if they are contemplating something” said Aletha.

"Look, I would enjoy this guessing game except for the fact that I'm hungry and you two have a debt to pay. Instead of shooting in the dark, why don't you just ask him?" said Kailu with a sly smile.   

Aletha shot him a cold glare and walked up to the man on the hill. The two behind her followed.

“Excuse me, sir” said Aletha. 

The man was not frozen. Proven by how he turned his head and looked at her. His eyes, they stared into Aletha's face blankly.

“What are you doing? Standing like this” asked Aletha.

“Oh? Me? I am doing…nothing”

The middle-aged man said those words with a dreamy tone.

“Nothing? Isn’t there anything important for you to do?” asked Aletha just out of curiosity.

“Everything about life is the same. There are no important and unimportant actions and events. Everything is what it is. But about the matter of doing. I am not doing anything. Even now I am not doing anything. If the universe wants to do something through me, it does it. If it does not want to do, it does not. But I have long since stopped being the doer. I am simply a witness that is floating within this body”

The man’s enigmatic words froze Aletha’s mind for a moment. There was nothing to think about really. What the man said was simply absurd and inconceivable. She did not believe for a second what the man had said. But the reason for the man saying those words. Did it hide any mischievous intent? No, not really.

While she looked at the man’s misty eyes, Jessica’s voice was heard from behind them.

“Excuse me, sir, is that hut yours?” she asked as she pointed to the small house made out of wood behind them.

“Yes, it is Hikaru’s house” said the man.

“Who is Hikaru?” asked Aletha.

The man pointed at his body.

“This body is Hikaru” said the man softly.

“W-what? Why don’t you just say, I’m Hikaru, like a normal person” said Aletha.

“Cause, I am not this body” said Hikaru.

Aletha couldn’t understand the man.

“If you’re not the body. Then what are you?” she asked with confusion.

“I am simply…awareness” said the man with a low tone.

Aletha cocked her head then turned around to see the other two with an equally puzzled expression. Kailu brought his hand near his chin and swirled his index finger around. Indicating his opinion about the man’s sanity. But Jessica pushed his hand down and asked:

“Sir, do you have something to eat? I’m starving to death”

“Oh yes. I do. Please, follow Hikaru”

The strange monk named Hikaru turned around and walked. Getting a good look now it was clear to Aletha that the top of the hill was not really a hilltop. It was a wide grassy field with some curves.  The man guided them towards his hut. It was a small round house made out of wood.   

Upon entering the hut, the three of them sat on the carpet that was neatly placed on the floor near the bed. Aletha placed the blue orb that she was carrying with her all this time on the floor.  There was a furnace that was placed at the center of the room. Hikaru placed a pot full of water on top of it and lighted up a fire within it. When he was sure that the fire was enough he quickly walked up to the table and started to clean and cut onions, radishes and carrots.

Aletha examined the room swiftly to find some portraits and small figures of what seemed to be Buddhist gods.    

While they were sitting there silently Kailu formed a dirty smile on his face and hopped towards Aletha.

“What do you want?” mumbled Aletha when she saw Kailu stretching his head towards her. 

“Distract the man. I’m going towards the forest nearby. I didn’t tell you. But I can feel it. There are two soulorbs that are compatible with my soulnature”

“Seriously? And you just think it’s okay to suck the life out of people’s souls?” whispered Aletha.

“Hey, I already told you I don’t have a choice. I need that sweet sweet juice” said Kailu with predator-like eyes.

He got up and smiled dumbfoundedly.

“I gotta pee pee and take a dump. Bye bye” said Kailu hastily and ran off.

Aletha looked at Hikaru with worry. The red-robed man did not take any suspicion of his acts and simply continued to slice the vegetables. His movements were fast and precise.

Aletha fiddled with her fingers. Even if her father was absolutely fine. Even if she wasn’t obligated to protect those other souls. It was still a shitty thing to not say anything.