Rafik walked up the staircase as he came upon a large cathedral with a grand statue built in front of its concave walls. The statue was of a skeleton figure with tusks who wore a crown on its head while it held a scythe in one hand and a book in another. As Rafik walked by the statue, he read the words engraved at its base.
"From nothingness we arise and to nothingness we return, only actions bear weight for eternity."
Rafik was hit with a wave of nostalgia from when he first asked the grand overseer the meaning of those very words the day he got adopted. He could feel the memory coming back to him.
"Rafik, my boy. Words can give many meanings at once, but only when you look at the whole picture, you can reach true understanding." The grand overseer said as he looked up at the statue towering before him.
His gaze followed the grand overseer's as he searched the statue for clues.
He quickly gave up trying to find whatever meaning it held and made a poorly educated guess.
"It's a … dead king who is holding a scythe and a book?"
"My boy, not only is it holding many things but it in itself can be many things."
He looked at the grand overseer looking completely lost.
"It's a statue of a human skeleton with an all-kin's tusks who wears a king's crown yet uses a farmer's tool. It's a complete contradiction. But the only thing that connects all these pieces is the book. No matter if one is a farmer, a king, a human, or an all-kin, knowledge is available to all those who aspire to it. Well, at least that's the basis the chapel of virtue was found on. And we fight every day to keep that true."
"Wow."
After a short pause, the grand overseer continued.
"But that's only the half of the story the statue tells. The other half comes when you combine it with the words inscribed on it. You shall find out its true meaning, once you experience some of the more ugly parts of life." The grand overseer ended as he walked the young Rafik into the building.
"You weren't planning to submit your report, before at least giving me a visit, were you?" A voice lashed out behind him, sending a shiver down Rafik's spine.
"Frishta, how are you doing?" He asked with sweat dripping down his forehead as he turned his head towards her.
The tan woman tapped her feet frustratingly behind him while holding a stack of scrolls, some of which looked a few inches away from tumbling off.
"8 months since you left for that stinking village and yet not a single letter sent from you." She complained.
"I did technically send letters about my reports to the chapel." He replied quietly.
"What was that?!?" She retorted.
"Nothing, ma'am." He quickly apologized. "I was just a bit too occupied that I forgot to do so."
"How many times have I had to clean up after your stupid mistakes, yet how easily you forget about me."
"I am sorry that I can't do anything for you other than ask for your forgiveness." Rafik yet again apologized sincerely.
After a quick moment, Frishta started laughing out full heartily.
"When I heard that you finished your initiation research in only 8 months, I got worried that you might have started getting all dull and serious like your old man. But I can see now that you haven't matured even a bit from when you left. You are still the good old clumsy Rafik that I remember." She laughed with every word she said to the point she was tearing up.
Rafik let out an awkward chuckle not sure if he should take that as a compliment or not. But at least, he was relieved that he wasn't gonna have to suffer her wrath for now.
"Still that doesn't mean that I am gonna forgive you without paying me back a bit. Start helping me carry some of these scrolls to my office. Then you are gonna categorize each one of them so that I know how each one needs to be sent by the aerial letter system. "
"Yes, … ma'am." He complied.
He was almost done sorting the former stack of scrolls into their appropriate categories based on their ribbon's color and address, while Frishta signed off some documents on her desk. As he picked up one of the few scrolls left, he saw a familiar name on its side.
"Winterbreeze village."
It was the village he had come back from. The scroll was wrapped with a green ribbon, which meant that it wasn't an urgent send.
However, Rafik didn't need to take off the ribbon to know what the scroll was about. It was the capital's response to their call for help.
A recent plague had spread all over the world. A disease that takes over its host's mind and slowly sways them towards harming themselves to the point they have to be kept from committing suicide. But it is all in vain as in the span of a few months the mind starts rotting to the point the patient falls into a vegetative state, still alive without sleep or movements. A former husk of a person, perhaps still praying in its thoughts for the sweet embrace of death. That is why they called this disease the Wishful death.
Rafik knew all about it as he had seen his generous host from the village fall to the very same illness. He remembered as he helplessly stood in front of the crazed man, who was tied down to his bed to stop him from attempting to kill himself. With his crackled voice, he kept on repeating the very same sentence over and over again with tears pouring out his eyes as his family mourned around him.
"Kill me, please. Kill me, please."
Rafik felt helpless and insignificant as the man begged to be killed. He was supposed to be the scholar of this village, a person who helped those in need, yet here he was not being able to do anything while the very gracious host suffered. The best he could do was use his Beucara to forcefully put the man to sleep in order to ease his family's sanity for the time being. But for Rafik, this was the first time he had experienced such a feeling of helplessness.
"I don't hear the sound of any letters being sorted." Frishta yelled mockingly across the room.
A moment of silence passes over the room as Firshta notices that the air around Rafik has tensed up.
"Frishta, what do you plan to do after your initiation research is over?"
"Huh? Well, I am not so sure. I have thought about becoming a Beucara alchemist at our labs since it would be convenient for my comfort. What about you? Have you made up your mind yet?"
But Rafik's only response is a gloomy expression showing all over his face/
"Don't tell me you have been worrying yourself about that this whole time. You should know that more than anyone else in this building." She said as she stood up to comfort Rafik.
"I don't know, Frishta. Ever since I had come back from Winterbreeze village the thought of it seemed so meaningless. Whatever I become, I will always end up encountering someone who I won't be able to help. There will always be another reason why I would be disappointed in myself. So why does it matter what I end up choosing? They should just give me whatever job they think I will fit best."
He suddenly feels a sharp pain as she karate-chops him on the back of his head.
"What's up with the depressing tone all of the sudden, jeez. You should have seen yourself." She said as she sighed in disappointment.
"Our job is the betterment of people's lives. And you are one of those people Rafik." She explained benevolently.
"If you waste the rest of your life doing something some senile man told you to do just because so, then it would be nothing but suffering for you. You should stop worrying about what you can't do and start thinking about what you can do for yourself and others. Don't you ever forget that, alright?."
As she finished she found Rafik smirking.
"Who knew you could appear quite dear when you stop abusing everyone around you for less than a minute?"
"What did you say?!?" She snapped.
"Nothing, ma'am."
"Gods forbid if I ever am kind to you for once."
"Thank you, Frishta." Rafik whispered.
An awkward silence passes as she stares at Rafik's smirk.
"Whatever. Just be done with the papers already, before I remove that stupid smirk off your face."
"Actually, I just finished sorting all the scrolls."
"Oh. Then you can leave I guess. I still have to sign off some of these documents."
"Ok, then I am off to the ponderium to see the grand overseer."
"Send my greetings his way." She replied with the same emotionless tone as always.
As Rafik opened the door to leave he stopped and said.
"By the way Frishta, when I said thank you I really meant it."
"Sure, just close the door on your way out." She replied unbothered.
With that Rafik shut the door behind him and was on his way.
After a few moments, when she was sure he had left, she put her pen down and laid back on her chair as she stretched her arms.
"What happened to you, Rafik?" She pondered as she put her arm around her head.
"Please stay safe." She uttered with a slight smirk.