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"Ama(Mother)!!" Kunkhen shouted as his eyes shot open; his hand reaching out to grab someone. But as he regained his senses, he realised that he was not in the white world anymore. He looked around to see that he was covered by the warm glow of the turquoise pendant dangling from his neck. He quickly gripped his pendant, as he surveyed his surroundings once again. Further from the barrier of light, Kunkhen could hear a deep grinding sound as the black column formed by the dark liquid rotated. Kunkhen thought that the black column resembled a cylindrical wall. He slowly followed the black wall from ground upwards to realise that it extended up to heavens. He couldn't see the end of it or rather the top of it. Kunkhen knew that this was a magnificent sight, but he quickly adjusted his thoughts. For him, there was something more important, something stranger to be pondered.
"Ama…what did you mean by those words?" Kunkhen said to himself as he tried to make sense of what he saw and heard in the white world. 'High Earth, Great Law… Why do I feel so torn when I hear these words?....And yet, why do I feel so warm?...that little boy, that boy named Kunkhen of Tenzin…What happened? What happened to him?… What happened to me? Why don't I remember anything?...Ama, Pala…What have you hidden from me? Why can't I remember anything?…' Thinking all these thoughts, Kunkhen slowly took a deep breath and calmed himself down.
He closed his eyes as he replayed his experience in the white world, again and again in his mind. Everything that he could remember, down to the last detail of his mother's young features, his loss of control, and his mother's concerning words, Kunkhen burned them in his memory. Something told him that these memories would be important if he wanted to survive and learn. For some reason, Kunkhen felt that the white world was not a simple artefact of his mind or him just merely dreaming.
The white world seemed to be a magical place, Kunkhen could tell. A world of both past and future, two places in time that one can only imagine but never touch while they live in the present, that's what Kunkhen felt like to be in the white world. Almost like he was being fed with Visions of some past and Premonitions of a future. But he was not in the white world anymore, so he had to learn from his memories whatever he could.
Kunkhen guessed that everything that was happening to him, from his kidnapping to him being almost killed by the old man, seemed to be part of a much bigger picture, one that he wasn't aware of. He felt like a puppet in a show, ignorant and powerless as divine forces dragged him around- dancing and suffering at their whims. It felt humiliating to be so helpless. And Kunkhen knew that whatever this was, it was far from over. He was still in the puppet show. So he had to find a way, this Kunkhen told himself, a way to fight and survive, before danger visits him again.
As Kunkhen rolled over these thoughts, he tightly curled his fingers into a fist. The nails of his fingers pierced through both his palms as he slowly opened his eyes. Fiery determination burned in those brown pupils as Kunkhen shouted in the void. "Whoever you are, and Wherever you are. You will regret not killing me when I am this weak and powerless! For if you think, I will forget this act of cruelty you did to me, then you are sorely mistaken. High Earth, Great Law, mysteries of the Tenzin Clan, and the magical power you used, I don't know what they mean now and how they work but I will figure them out eventually. And the day I do, I will come look for you. And mark my words, I WILL repay this debt."
Both his fury and his hope flowed through Kunkhen's voice, giving them life. His strong words echoed through the bright light of the pendant and the encircling black wall. For a brief moment, a moment that one could easily have imagined, the grinding sound of the black wall seemed to roar even louder in synchrony to Kunkhen's Proclamation.
Kunkhen collected his breath, which he lost in his shouting, as he eased his tight fist. But fire still burned in his eyes. Kunkhen knew that these words were important. Like the first arrow of a war sprung from a bow, these were his words to signal his entry into his destiny and the battles of his life. He knew he couldn't take his words back. No one else may have witnessed his words but Kunkhen himself did. These words were his promise, his will solidified, his proclamation, to understand and face his destiny, whatever trials and tribulations it may bring. These words would stand by him and watch over him. They would guide him, and remind him that the only way for him now is the way forward. These words would accompany him and bear witness to his resolve. Kunkhen knew there was no turning back. He had been a puppet for far too long. It was time to start cutting his strings and point his blade towards the puppeteer's neck. Kunkhen resolved that he would be a puppet, no longer.
"But I guess I need to find a way to leave this place first. Everything can come after that." Kunkhen said to himself as he surveyed the black wall that encircled him. He had too many questions that needed answering and for that, he had to talk to his parents. His parents definitely knew more than they let on. Talking to them might bring some sense to all of this. At least, that's what Kunkhen thought. " Ama, Pala…I hope you guys will give me answers, answers to what all of this means? Honest ones…" As these words passed away from his mouth, Kunkhen clutched his pendant in a stronger grip.
He slowly brings the pendant towards his face, directly facing the turquoise stone. The Yhu was still glowing strong golden through his fingers, the brightness not dimmed. Kunkhen said "I don't know if you can hear me or understand me. I don't know what you are and how you did what you did but I know you did this. You sucked all the black liquid that you could and the many you could not, you made them into this black wall. I cannot begin to understand why. But I need to leave this place. And for that, I need your help. Therefore, I ask you, as your owner and your partner, to help me escape this place. I don't know why my mother gave you to me, but it must be for protection, not imprisonment. So please, help me."
As Kunkhen talked, he noticed the pendant flickering in its brightness. Almost like the changing facial expressions of people listening to speeches. For some reason, Kunkhen felt that the pendant was not entirely happy with what he said. 'I must be imagining,' Kunkhen told himself. But other than the flickering, the pendant showed no more changes.
It stood still in its brightness, unmoved even after Kunkhen's plea. Kunkhen continued to hold the pendant in his hand and kept his gaze still on the stone - the grinding sound of the rotating black wall and the darkness as Ambience. Kunkhen took a deep breath and spoke again. " I know you saved me from that old man and for that, you have my sincerest thanks. But there are things I must do. And there are things I must know. I can't stay here any longer and if you won't help me, then so be it. I will leave you to it. "
Kunkhen slowly took the pendant off his neck. He knew that this Yhu was a magical one, with profound mysteries that he couldn't comprehend now, so he couldn't forcibly take it with him if this Yhu wanted to remain her. So Kunkhen decided to leave the Yhu here at this place where it wanted to stay. As the red thread came over his head, he looked at the pendant once again, glowing so majestically. Then he slowly kneeled as he put the pendant on an elevated dark ground. " Thank you." Kunkhen said as his last words as he turned around and started walking through the light and towards the black wall. Sounds of walking could be heard now, mixed in the grinding sound of the black wall.
Kunkhen walked, slowly but surely towards the black wall. The wall was not far, a few seconds walking distance from how it looked, a fairly simple distance, one might be led to think. Kunkhen was determined to leave now. So he walked. But as soon as Kunkhen took a few steps, he realised that it was not as simple as he imagined. How could it be? It never is simple. Kunkhen cursed his luck as he realised his predicament. As Kunkhen drew closer, his body began to reverberate and his heart started racing. And with each step closer, Kunkhen felt himself being pulled towards the rotating black wall, the force growing stronger by the step. Kunkhen stopped and thought over this again. Whatever would happen upon contact or near contact to the black wall, he had no idea. He might really die this time. He looked back, just for a moment, in the direction of the pendant before bringing his sight, forcefully, forward to the black wall. Kunkhen shook his head, clearing his many thoughts away, and strengthened his will again. "No, I need to do this. I can't turn back. The only way for me is the way forward. The only way for me is the way forward…The only way for me… is the way… forward!"
He repeated that phrase again and again as he took his steps. The phrase gave him courage and will and the phrase gave him strength to fight the growing pull. It focused his mind and allowed no distraction. But as Kunkhen drew close to the wall, almost in touching distance, he felt a growing agony inside his body. Every part of his body tingled with irritation and he had no choice but to let off a shilling scream of suffering.
He felt like his body was infested with squirming worms gnawing his body inside and out. Burning Lava flowed through his veins and vessels, and his air passage was being suffocated by some liquid. That was what Kunkhen felt. Something seemed to be solidifying near his navel region. Kunkhen felt like he was holding an iron ball inside his abdomen. Kunkhen was on the ground painfully screaming and maniacally moving his body as pain commanded him. As Kunkhen screamed, slowly, the pain penetrated into his head and a splitting headache struck.
Kunkhen felt his head being repeatedly cut into pieces and grounded into dust. Then reconstructed again and then repeated. Something was happening to his mind but Kunkhen couldn't entirely understand everything that he was experiencing. He was too focused on his pain. But in midst of everything, the pain, the screaming and the head-ache, Kunkhen felt something burst in his consciousness; like a bomb had been set off or like a locked door of his mind being forcefully opened. And just as it was with Pandora's box being opened, countless scenes, images, and emotions flashed in Kunkhen's mind. Kunkhen couldn't tolerate the incredible amount of information that was being force fed to him so rapidly. So he dropped on the ground on his back, unconscious.
As Kunkhen remained in his unconscious state, an entity slowly made its way towards his body. A green stone, still shining mighty golden, slowly flew towards Kunkhen's silent body. It was the turquoise pendant that Kunkhen had left earlier, the Yhu. Kunkhen had made many pleas of help to this mysterious stone, but it had not relented even once. But now it made its move. As the turquoise floated over Kunkhen's body, it started to speak. " I guess patience is not your strongest trait. Well, that's fine. This is still good! " It was a woman's voice, with softness and serenity like that of a gentle rain.
Kunkhen's unconscious body shivered ever so slightly, as the Yhu's voice covered him. Then the Yhu slowly descended on Kunkhen's forehead and eventually made a soft landing. Then the turquoise stone spoke again. "Boy! Wake up. If you want to leave, you have to wake up! You won't be repaying any debts while you stay like this!" When nothing happened, the Yhu started jumping around Kunkhen's forehead trying to wake him up. The Yhu picked up her voice and said with some force. " Boy!! Wake up now! Or you may not like what I do next!"
When Kunkhen still showed no signs of waking up, even after the warning, the green stone flew upwards and fired a small, barely noticeable, beam of light which hit Kunkhen right in the centre of his forehead. Immediately, "Ahh!!" screamed Kunkhen as he jolted back wide awake. He reflexively rubbed his hurting forehead where a small burn mark had appeared. "What the.." As Kunkhen looked around in anger to understand what happened, he saw the turquoise pendant floating in front of him.
" So it was you! Why? Why did you do it?" Kunkhen said in anger. And without missing a beat, the Yhu spoke. "Well, you wouldn't wake up. So I had no choice." "But that's no reason for shooting me in the head. First of all, why are you only hurting me instead of helping me? " Kunkhen reflexively fired back, but then his anger quickly subsided as he realised something. "Wait, you can speak?!" Kunkhen said. He had spoken to the Yhu out of pure reflex and anger. But he didn't expect any reply. He thought the Yhu would remain stoic and silent as it always did. So it shocked him to see the Yhu talking.
" Yes! Speaking is one of the many things I can do. But yes, to your point, I had been unable to speak in this form for a long time but I am healing now so it's better. I can speak." The Yhu firmly replied. " But… then… how?…why?…" Still in a daze, Kunkhen stumbled through his words. The Yhu took a deep sigh before it spoke. " Well, it's a long story. But to make that brief, many things happened, circumstances and people; you know. I was protecting someone, and ended up being hurt badly and when I was in danger, I had to take refuge in this Yhu and bide my time to recuperate. Many more things happened and I ended up in your mother's hand and then in your hands. And well, here we are." As Kunkhen listened, he grew increasingly aware of the many conclusions he could draw. This sobered him up from his initial shock. But the sombre tone in the stone's speech was not missed by Kunkhen.
After a moment of silent thought, Kunkhen began to speak. " I am sorry. It must have been tough. Everything I mean. And I am sorry, you know, if I have ever been insensitive in handling you. You see, I am not the best caretaker of pendants or belongings in general. So I hope you forgive me for any of my past transgressions." Kunkhen ended his apology with a short bow towards the pendant. He could have asked more questions but this felt more appropriate, considering how negligent he was of his Yhu.
" Haha, you are a funny boy. Well, you don't need to apologise to me, kid. I hold no ill will. And you don't need to speak so formally to me. Even if you don't know me, I know you well." The pendant said. Kunkhen swiftly raised himself from the bow, with an embarrassed smile and said " Thank you very much and as you wish, I will try to avoid formal speech as much as I can. But if I may ask, who are you? Are you a human or some divine force? And where do you come from? "
"It's alright. You can ask those questions and I can answer them. Maybe they might help you understand some of your own fate." The pendant said.
" My name is Karma Wangmo; Karma for the law of Cause and Effect and Wangmo for the sovereign queen. I come from the land of 'Sky-seeing river' from High-Earth. Although I may not look like it now, I am a human or at least, I was born one. You see, the line gets blurry when you are a Turner in the Great Law."