Chereads / Path of the Twin Swords / Chapter 9 - Two puppets

Chapter 9 - Two puppets

Two different puppets, two different lives. The first puppet was meticulously crafted by its master. The master and his wife took care of it at home; it was their masterpiece. The first puppet was kept constantly with their family. One day, an elderly friend of the master came over and noticed the puppet. He was very fond of it and asked the master to give it to him. Initially, the master refused this offer, but the old man persisted. Reluctantly, the master began to consider the appeal.

The old man was a renowned figure, genuinely a good person. Everyone knew he was consumed by the pain of losing his two children whom he raised. In hopes of filling that void, the master entrusted his puppet to him. While the master's wife was saddened by the puppet's departure, she trusted the elderly man.

The old man placed the puppet in the most beautiful corner of his home. Every day, he would come and mend its imperfections, rejuvenating its stiffened limbs. Despite the meticulous care, there were still imperfections. With time, the old man patched these flaws, transforming the puppet into something entirely new.

Occasionally, the master and his wife visited the elderly man. They were amazed by the puppet's new appearance. The elderly man had started adding innovations to the puppet, but kept these changes hidden from its original creator. It was their secret. Every day, he would talk to the puppet, then start making new additions. Time passed, and the master finally achieved the exact appearance he desired for the puppet. He placed it on a chair, one of the two chairs was now occupied.

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The master of the second puppet was impeccable, surpassing the first master's creation by a significant margin. However, the owner of the second puppet's master was harsh, treating the puppet as if it were trash. He showed utter disrespect to the master, constantly tossing the puppet around, tearing its arm, detaching its head.

The master continuously repaired the puppet perfectly. One day, he promised to save it from this hell. The puppet was continuously battered, then repeatedly restored by its master. The promised day arrived; they would escape this torment. The master packed his bags, opened the door of the house. But upon seeing the sight before him, he quickly closed the door. He hid the puppet inside a crate, witnessing his master struggling between two large men through a small gap in the crate.

The master cried out in pain until all sounds ceased. The puppet was left alone in a silent, empty house. The crate closed, the sight vanished, and darkness enveloped everything. The puppet decayed inside the crate. One day, another woman opened that crate instead of its master. She gazed at the puppet with enchantment; it was covered in many wounds, just like her. The woman took the puppet, repaired it, and never parted ways with it. To her, the puppet expressed itself...