Chapter 8: Abyss
In the centre of a quiet, lonely room, stood Polius. Deep inside his mind, thoughts rammed against each other and constantly bombarded him. After a long period of time, he left his spot and sat on his bed.
Both his elbows were on his legs and his chin rested against his knuckles. Demons manifested inside his mind as they fought against each other and against him. Wars were occurring as they constantly loomed over him, looking for any opening he had. The demons made him cold to the touch. A black hole formed from within as he became devoid of feelings or emotions. Despite what had occurred inside of him, he was completely silent. He stared blankly at the room’s door that was opposite to him.
Another silent period passed, and then, Polius turned his head and looked at the window. He had spent so long thinking that dusk had passed, it was night time. The room was dark as Polius had not lit a single candle in the room. Strangely enough, the darkness was comforting to him. The darkness enshrouded him, wanting to consume him whole. Within that moment, tranquillity emerged in his soul yet it disappeared as quickly as it appeared.
Realising, he could not find his answer here, he got up from his bed and left the room. Soon after exiting his house, he found out that there was no one around. This was nothing strange as the villagers had all withdrawn back to their houses, either spending time together or simply resting.
Polius’ head rose and his pair of eyes were focused on the sky. On the black blanket that was the night sky, there were stars scattered all over. They were the books of the night, each filled with hopes and dreams of many that had wished upon them. Every single one, contained a story of its own and yet when combined together forms a larger story that no one seemed to understand.
Accompanying the darlings of the night sky was the radiating silver pearl. A large rock in the sky, seemingly so simple yet so sublime at the same time. It glowed in not a yellow or gold light but rather a platinum hue. Its rays, as glorious as divinity, dispersed the darkness that was enshrouding Polius.
Polius gazed intently up at the harmony of the stars and the moon. Despite seeing this scenery ever since he was a child, he never got bored of the magnificent night sky. It was a magnum opus. A piece of art that transcended the world.
There were a series of stars that called out towards him, a set of stars that resonated with him from deep within. These stars formed the constellation known as Ramus Pomifier. There was an innate connection between the village of Igysil and this constellation.
However, despite the serenity of the night and the power of the stars, he had not found his moment of peace. The conflict was still ongoing as the demons became more ferocious by the second.
Polius left the entrance of his house and walked towards the village’s gate. He passed by the noisy houses of the village and a sensation of fulfilment bubbled within him. A fire was lit inside of him and its warmth spread throughout his body. His demons had frosted his body and soul yet this petite flame had managed to ease his pain. He was simply pleased that the village still survived and that its people could enjoy the pleasure of life. There was nothing more he could ask of his people than to live a life of satisfaction.
Not before long, Polius reached the village’s gate. Two Guardians were standing watch for the village. In order for the villagers to sleep in peace, there were always a set of Guardians keeping guard at the gate.
The Guardians, noticing Polius, instantly bowed towards him. Polius nodded in response and he went through the village’s entrance, leaving Igysil. The pair of Guardians gawked at each other but they didn’t speak a word. Polius was their Chief, his business was none of theirs. Hence, they didn’t question him when he passed through. However, they did wonder where he was going so late at night.
Polius didn't walk straight upon exiting the village. Instead, he headed east to the village and into the forest. It appeared that the wildlife still hasn't returned yet as Polius did not see any night predators.
Polius continued to stare up at the starry night sky as he journeyed. The tree leaves rustled with the wind breeze. A symphony was being played, his heartbeat slowed down with each minute he spent inside this tranquil forest. Halting the ongoing war inside his mind.
Soon, he had reached his destination. A pond. A small body of water that glistened inside the forest. The calm surface of the pond was a mirror that reflected all in its vision; the illustrious stars, the eminent moon and the perplexed Polius.
Polius had finally taken his focus off the night sky and stared into this small pond. In his sight, an image of him appeared. The reflection stripped off the shell that he was hiding behind and the armour he had worn in his heart. He was staring straight into his soul.
He was stripped of his titles, his powers, and his worries. For once, since waking up, he felt relief. The gigantic tree that was binding him down was lifted, the demons were vanquished. However, that only lasted for a moment. As swift as they disappeared, they came back as quickly.
Polius breathed out and shut his eyes. The war drums rung in his ears, his moment of peace had disappeared. Chaos had resumed within him yet this time, he had no solution or clue on how to repress the mayhem.
“Must you always be such a child?” A figure walked out of the forest. The figure was cloaked in darkness yet the moonlight revealed their identity.
Polius twisted his head and glanced at the surprise visitor. It was Empedocles!
“You’ve fallen down the abyss.” Empedocles’ gaze was focused onto the pond.
Polius remained silent and turned his focus back to the pond, not responding to Empedocles.
“When you start to have doubt, that’s when you begin to fall. You’re falling into an everlasting abyss.”
Polius squeezed his fist, the demons became even more restless. They sought out the cracks inside of him. The burning sensation on his chest flared up, spreading throughout his body.
“Fall then.”
At that very moment, time had stopped for Polius. Everything had come to a standstill; the demons, the war drum, and the wrath he felt. In replace of all the chaos, there was just now a fog. He turned his head around and stared at Empedocles. He opened his mouth and was about to speak.
“Dive deep into the abyss, and reach the lowest point. Then ascend. Rise up from your doubts and fears. Only then can you go higher and further than where you were before.” Empedocles interrupted Polius before he could say anything. And with that, Empedocles turned around and left. Not once since he appeared, did he look or even glance at Polius. All he did was stare at the pond as he spoke.
With each second goes by, Polius slowly digested Empedocles’ words. He understood what Empedocles had tried to convey, and thus, lifting the fog that arose so abruptly. However, the demons returned with the fog’s disappearance. Yet, the demons seemed less frightening than before. It was as if it was quieter than before.
Polius continued to stay at his spot, staring at the pond as the night continued without interruption. As the hours went by, dawn arrived swiftly. It was only when the stars couldn’t be seen anymore did Polius left the area, heading back towards the direction of the village. By sunrise, he had arrived at the village’s entrance.
Now, there were a different set of Guardians on the lookout. They were chattering with each other while slouching against the village fence. However, once they noticed Polius, they jumped up with their back straight. They were caught off guard since the previous set of Guardians had not informed them of that the Chief had left the village last night.
Their heart rate quicken as they felt Polius stare on them, they lay bare as nothing could be hidden. After a moment of silent, Polius nodded and went inside without saying anything. Yet his silence only made the Guardians sweat even more. They didn’t dare to slack off again and stood straight up while watching the forest.
Polius went through the village, glancing around. The villagers had all woken up and were preparing for their day. Some villagers were cleaning their house while others were chattering with each other. It was everyday mundane activities yet there was a novelty to it. The peacefulness of land brought prosperity to its people.
During Polius’ walk, the villagers had noticed him since he stuck out like a sore thumb. Even though he wore a normal set of cotton clothes, his dignity was ingrained deep inside of him. Only Theo could exude a similar aura. Empedocles, on the other hand, has always been laid back and everyone just saw him as a friendly old grandpa.
Despite the villagers noticing him, none decided to go up to him to chat. His demeanour was different from usual, a fog surrounded him - making him unfathomable in the eyes of the villagers. The respect they had for him still remained yet they were rooted at where they stood, unable to muster up the courage to talk to him.
Polius continued to roam the village without any interruption. Oddly enough, the sound of the villagers carrying out their daily task and the children's ruckus had quietened the demons. As the minute went by, the demons were being subdued yet not extinguished. They simply went to slumber within Polius. The simplest answer to his problem was in his face the whole time and it was the one thing that he was avoiding. It was his people, the villagers that he had sworn to lead and protect.
After a few hours of detours, Polius arrived at his house. He stood still for a while, staring at it. There was no visible change to the house, yet he was hesitant whether to enter or not. Two sets of doors popped up in front of Polius. One door was the entrance to his home, it had become ominous in Polius’ mind - enveloped in a purple glow. While the other was the path of relief. No more burden, no more stress and no more would he be chained to the title of Chief.
Polius turned his back to his house and stared up. Giant puffs of cloud roamed the blue majestic sea that was the sky. The abundance of cloud provides refreshing shade for the villagers. Similar to the village’s activities, it was simple and ordinary. Yet, it was a sight to behold that shouldn’t be taken for granted.
His heart resonated with the fleeting clouds. They were free to wander the open sky and could see the world without having shackles bounding them to a single destination. The freedom of the clouds was a temptress for his heart. Could he too, like the clouds, be free of his shackles and live a life without worries?
Yet, in the end, he remained firm. The longer he ogled the clouds and its freedom. The longer he stood still, hearing the laughter of the children. He soon realised that his chains were a source of happiness. While the clouds had its freedom, what were its source of happiness? What did it live for? What was its purpose in life? Having worries means you have something worth protecting. He soon realised.
With that enlightenment, he turned around and took a step forward, deciding not to look back. He opened the door to his house and went inside. A door of escape had closed shut with his decision. He had decided to remain where he was, continuing to carry the mantle of Igysil’s Village Chief. Despite not choosing the path of freedom and no restraint, he had finally found his peace of mind.
