Episode 10: A Thousand Years

  Amidst a darkness that seemed eternal, a faint dream began to take shape. Whispers of voices echoed from a great distance, blurred and indistinct.

  But through the noise, a specific frequency pierced the void, striking the core of my soul with clarity.

  ‘Ren... Ren... my son...’ I called that name from the deepest part of my consciousness, before sending a weak telepathic pulse to the only love I ever knew in this galaxy.

  ‘You found our son, didn't you, Oon? I can hear him. I can feel him...’

  Suddenly, the darkness that had reigned for centuries vanished. Light flooded in. The blurred images sharpened. The touch of cool air, the scent of familiar old wood—and most importantly, the faces of the two men I loved most in my life, staring back at me through their tears.

  Ve-El Floor, Yamantau Secret Base

  “Mother opened her eyes, Father!” Ren shouted, his voice trembling with hope.

  Oon nodded back with a tearful smile. Both watched the figure before them intently, their hands clutching Meia’s tightly, as if afraid she might vanish again if they let go.

  As Meia’s eyes adjusted to the light, she looked at the old man before shifting her gaze to the young man beside him.

  “You look much more withered, Oon... and Ren, my son... you have grown so much,” Meia said hoarsely. Tears of joy flowed as she tried to sit up to embrace them both.

  “Don’t move too quickly. Your body is still weak after being asleep for so long,” Oon supported her tenderly. For Ren, eight thousand years of broken time were finally mended in this small wooden room.

  The aura of love in the room softened everyone. Victor muttered about his mother across the world, while Yuri turned to hug her father without shame. Chris, however, remained silent, clutching his chest where the soul orbs were hidden, as if this warmth triggered a deep, painful knot in his own heart.

  “Tell me... I’m not dreaming, am I?” Meia asked for reassurance.

  “It’s really us, Mother. And it’s really Father,” Ren replied with a wide grin. “You aren't dreaming.”

  While Ren, Oon, and Meia took these precious moments to heal their souls, the others stepped away to give them space, exploring the rows of cloning capsules in the vast hall.

  Chris wandered past the glass pods. He saw small, stunted forms like Master Oon and ancient-looking humans like Kurin’s tribe—children and adults sleeping in the care of ancient technology.

  However, Chris’s gaze caught a massive shadow looming at the far end of the hall. Curiosity led him toward it. Victor, Kurin, and Yuri followed closely behind.

  Before them was a colossal capsule, many times larger than the others. It rose nearly three stories high!

  “There they are... the giants Master Nenets—I mean, Master Ren—talked about,” Kurin said, staring up in awe. “These are the giants I told you about.”

  Inside was a ten-meter-tall man, muscular and chiseled like a stone sculpture. His skin looked rugged and powerful, even in stasis.

  “I thought I’d never see you guys again...” Kurin whispered, reminiscing about his old comrades.

  “It’s not like that, Kurin...”

  Ren emerged from the wooden room, leaving his parents to their private reconciliation. He joined the group standing before the giant capsule.

  “I’ve restored some of Mother’s energy... but muscle memory and motor control will take time. She’ll adjust,” Ren said, eyeing the ten-meter giant.

  “So what’s the story with these giants, Master Ren?” Kurin asked. “The giants I met with you back then didn't look this... static.”

  “This isn't the same one you met, Kurin. This is a twin body, created at the same time,” Ren replied.

  “I don’t quite understand. Could you explain?” Kurin requested.

  “These are warrior bodies designed for specific use,” Ren explained. “They are empty vessels without souls. Anyone who wishes to use them simply detaches their soul and inserts it into this form to gain its immense power. Meanwhile, the original body of the user must be kept in the safest place, supported by life-preserving systems.”

  “Like a telepathic possession... in a technological guise,” General Nikolai summarized.

  “There is no such thing as true immortality,” Ren continued. “Bodies have expiration dates, but we can change them like clothes. The soul is the closest thing to immortal. But even so, if a soul remains without a body for too long, it will slowly degrade and fade away. Therefore, the soul needs restoration just like the body.”

  “So, if the soul fades... that means true death,” Chris blurted out. His hand gripped the bag of soul orbs so hard he shook. His eyes were filled with anxiety. He realized his mission wasn't just protecting someone’s body, but preserving the "final identity" of the souls he promised to liberate.

  “Don’t worry. If a soul is in an orb, it can be preserved for quite a while... the important thing is whether the method used to create the orb was precise and based on the original arts,” Ren comforted Chris.

  “I... I’m not sure. I followed everything my teacher taught me. It was my first time doing it for my family,” Chris replied stutteringly.

  “Here... let me check.”

  Chris froze, clutching the bag. “You don’t need to take it out. Just give me your hand,” Ren ordered. Chris slowly extended a shaking hand.

  Ren closed his eyes. The hall went silent. Ren reached out his other hand and placed it on Chris’s chest, right over the bag. Chris flinched but stood still.

  When Ren opened his eyes, he looked deep into Chris’s and described what he saw via telepathy.

  “Your teacher’s name is Tenzin, isn't it? A small, weathered Tibetan man in old but clean red robes. He carries a prayer mala made of stone from Mount Kailash... That place has everything similar to this Ve-El room. Your family's true bodies are preserved in capsules there! You are the only one who flew to the peak of Kailash and swapped them with clones to bring the real bodies here... You’ve flown that route so many times you know the wind and the paths perfectly.”

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Chris’s mouth hung open, his face pale. “I... uh...”

  “But your teacher... he shouldn't have the power to create such a complex place alone,” Ren said sternly.

  “How... how do you know all this?” Chris asked, both in awe and fear.

  “A human mind, compared to modern tech, is like a hard drive storing massive amounts of data,” Ren explained. “I can read past memories for a short time. I don't see much, but since you were thinking of your teacher when I touched you, the images were clear.”

  Ren looked into Chris’s eyes. “You hoped to live at Mount Kailash to escape this chaotic world, together with your family in your old age... But there is something important you must know. Don’t panic; it can still be fixed.”

  The room went dead silent.

  “Your orbs... they aren't complete.”

  “What do you mean, Master Ren?!” Chris asked, panic-stricken. “I followed Tenzin’s instructions perfectly!”

  “That is the problem,” Ren frowned. “I don’t know your teacher, but... either his knowledge is incomplete, or he 'intentionally' taught you incorrectly. If left too long, when you return the souls to their real bodies, your parents will lose some or almost all of their memories. They will become mere heartless shells.”

  Chris collapsed. His only hope was shattering. Before anyone could offer comfort...

  “FORCE FIELDS AND DEFENSE SYSTEMS... DEACTIVATE IMMEDIATELY!”

  A thunderous, powerful shout echoed through the Ve-El hall. The power behind the voice made the air vibrate so hard it hurt the ears. Everyone turned toward the source in shock!

  Area 51, USA

  In the deepest, dimmest command room, General Miller stood respectfully before a large oak desk.

  “Our surveillance is completely cut off. We can't see anything inside Yamantau, Master,” Miller reported anxiously. “Their force field is too dense for current technology to penetrate.”

  Suddenly, the large office chair slowly spun around.

  The figure that appeared wasn't an old man, but a small male with skin as white as snow. His face looked youthful, like a teenager, yet his blood-red eyes held malice and the weight of eons. He smirked.

  “They will come out eventually...” The voice was high-pitched but powerful enough to make Miller bow his head. “Just watch the perimeter. Don't lose sight of them. Tell our rapid response units to be ready at the rendezvous point the moment a signal is sent. They must come to us.”

  The mysterious master fixed his red eyes on Miller.

  “Yes... Master Hoto,” General Miller replied firmly.

  Warzone, Russia-Ukraine Border

  Amidst the scent of gunpowder and the roar of explosions, Russian kamikaze drones slammed into targets. Several Ukrainian tanks became scrap metal instantly. But the situation flipped when hundreds of Ukrainian drones appeared and counterattacked.

  A large Russian commander watched the losses with cold eyes. He decided to walk out into the middle of the battlefield, unafraid of the hail of bullets.

  “He’s out!” a Ukrainian Colonel whispered into a private radio. “Go engage him now! Keep it a secret!”

  The Russian commander stopped. He took a deep breath and raised both hands to the sky. A massive burst of air pressure exploded from his palms, tearing the drone swarm apart like insects.

  Amidst the wreckage and corpses, no life remained. A young Ukrainian soldier ran out at high speed to face him. He stopped just a few steps from the Russian commander.

  “We don't need to fight... do we?” the Russian commander said calmly, but with a hint of sadness.

  “We are from the same monastery... I never thought we’d meet like this,” the young Ukrainian replied, his voice shaking but his eyes determined.

  They unleashed their powers. The clash of telekinesis and air pressure shook the earth. Dust and mud filled the air, leaving only the sound of violent combat.

  Military Command, Iran

  “They are using dirty tactics, sending agitators to incite our people to protest the government!” a senior General reported. “They hire traitors to lead innocent people astray. Worse, they’ve sent hit squads to kill both protesters and our soldiers, then blamed our army for the brutality! The death toll has passed two thousand... will you really allow us to remain silent?”

  The Supreme Leader of Iran sat as steady as a mountain.

  “We must be as calm as possible,” he spoke with an aura of merit. “We are not savages like them who prefer dirty ways. If we react without thought, we are no different. To win this war, we must win with goodness and patience.”

  “But Master! Our patience is at its limit!” the General added. “We fear we can no longer control the 'Vengeance of the Ancestors'. If those spirits break free, it won't just be civil war. It will be an apocalypse!”

  Japan

  Sirens wailed across the eastern coast. Inside the Palace and the Security Command, the atmosphere was one of terrifying silence.

  “Another massive earthquake... centered deep off the coast of Chiba,” a high-ranking General reported to the Emperor.

  The Emperor looked out at the gray sky over Tokyo with cold, deep eyes.

  “Prepare yourselves. The appointed day is likely near,” the Emperor spoke with a calm but awe-inspiring voice. “Our God hasn't ‘consumed’ anything in a long time... not since the great tsunami years ago.”

  Thai-Cambodian Border

  In the dense, humid jungle, a massive Cambodian force was moving strangely. A young soldier watched his countrymen being ordered into the conflict.

  “Why... when we know our strength can't match the Thai side, do the elders keep sending thousands of soldiers to die at the border?” he whispered to a senior.

  An old soldier sharpening a blade looked up. His eyes were hollow and eerie.

  “Because our sacred things are 'thirsty for blood'...” he replied hoarsely. “They need soul power to break free from their bonds and rejoice.”

  He smirked. “When that time comes... no matter how skilled the Thais are or how modern their weapons, it won't matter. The power that is waking up is beyond human imagination!”

  The Creeping Apocalypse

  The conflicts once small on the map were now connected in a horrifying way. Small wars erupted on every continent, as if an invisible hand was manipulating humanity to turn their blades on each other. Every drop of blood hitting the soil, every soul lost in battle, became a refined elixir feeding the "Hidden Things" beneath each country’s earth.

  World War III was no longer just a history book threat; it was the gateway to a Great Purge that was about to open!

  Ve-El Floor, Yamantau Secret Base

  In the silence of the giant hall, everyone turned to see two small figures walking toward them. One was the beautiful woman—Meia.

  “Mother! Why are you out here... can you walk?” Ren rushed over.

  “Walk or not... I’ve finished changing your father’s body. Look, this form is perfect,” the other small man spoke. His face was youthful, looking almost like Ren’s brother.

  “Father?” Ren gasped.

  “He’s not withered anymore,” Meia replied with a chuckle, looking at her husband’s new, empowered form.

  “Where did you get that body?”

  “I kept my original body in the same wooden room as your mother. You were all too excited and ran out before seeing it,” Oon, in his younger body, replied while testing his agility.

  The scene was now three teenagers talking like best friends rather than parents and son, leaving Nikolai and Victor speechless. However, Chris stood silent, his eyes dim with profound sadness and worry.

  He was forming a plan—the most dangerous plan—to recover his parents' incomplete souls, unaware that Ren and Kurin were watching his unusual behavior from a distance.

  “Nikolai... tell your soldiers to come down and move our family’s belongings from the wooden room up to the room you prepared. Thank you,” Oon, in his young form, commanded the General.

  “What about... the air pressure and invisible lasers?” Nikolai asked, still terrified of turning into dust.

  “Didn't you hear me shout earlier? My voice echoed through the whole room!” Oon sighed. “The security system has been deactivated since then. Honestly... never mind, I’m in a good mood. Just go handle it!”

  “Yes! Great-Grandmaster!” Nikolai saluted.

  The atmosphere relaxed. Victor, Yuri, and the guards laughed at Nikolai’s blunders. Only one person didn't join in.

  Chris stood like a statue. His mind was working overtime, drafting a reckless plan to save the souls he loved.

  ‘Watch the Liberator closely,’ Ren’s telepathic voice rang in Kurin’s head.

  While the others talked excitedly about cloning and telepathic transference, Chris drifted away. He walked the quiet metal corridors alone, consumed by grief over the soul orbs.

  As he wandered, his eyes caught a massive glass cabinet, like a giant freezer. The clarity allowed him to see what was inside.

  Behind the glass were hundreds of tiny capsules, just slightly longer than a palm.

  As Chris looked closer, his sadness was briefly replaced by awe. Inside the capsules were perfectly formed human bodies, but tiny—the size of a hand! There were modern humans, ancient tribes, and even tiny forms that looked like young Oon and Ren.

  What was this? A sample room? Or the origin of them all?

  Chris stared for a long time. The advanced technology momentarily distracted him from his problems. But the painful truth about his parents pulled him back. He turned away from the cabinet, walking back with eyes darker than before. His plan was solidified... he could no longer wait here.

  ——————————————————————————— Ruth VT-Hin ———————