Alfeus, who had been instructed to travel west, began his journey through the forest beyond his village. The mysterious creature accompanying him called itself Zebaoth.
"Ah... we're just starting the journey west, aren't we? It feels so familiar!" said Alfeus.
"Don't get excited yet, Alfeus. There will come a time when you face challenges to meet the Great Healer," replied Zebaoth.
After about twenty minutes of exploring the forest beyond his village, Alfeus arrived at a place that looked uninhabited. He approached the door of the building.
"Knock... knock..."
The sound of knocking.
No one answered Alfeus' knock. The place looked like an abandoned house with dim light inside. Thirty seconds passed... and finally, someone responded to his knock.
The door opened, and an elderly man greeted him. No, this was impossible; the elderly man truly welcomed Alfeus and invited him in.
Upon entering the living room, the old man allowed Alfeus to sit on an old chair, and the man offered him a warm drink.
The old man sat beside another chair and a warm conversation ensued between them.
"Sir, how did you accept me and let me in? Aren't you worried that I might be a bad person?"
Alfeus asked.
"I didn't think you were a bad person. I've lived here alone for too long."
"Company is something I long for, and you came to this house with good intentions. Yes, I was cautious at first, but for some reason, I saw you as someone who needed a temporary place to stay."
The old man replied.
"Sir, I can't believe anyone would accept me like you just did. I used to live in the village, but everyone hated me," Alfeus said emotionally.
"Calm down, young man. You may be alone in the village, but I am alone in this wilderness."
"If you need anything, my house is the solution. You can call me Ego... or just Old Man Ego!"
Explained the old man.
A bond began to form under the roof of the old house, giving a sense of connection. Old Man Ego was kind, offering Alfeus trust. Zebaoth felt the same way, realizing that Old Man Ego had a pure heart and simply wanted someone to keep him company in his old house.
Old Man Ego's wife had passed away three years ago due to an illness. Fearing it was contagious, they had both left the village to live in the house they had built themselves.
Old Man Ego had no children; he didn't want the curse he bore to be passed down to any offspring. Long ago, when he was twenty, Old Man Ego, who knew nothing about magic, was accused of being an evil sorcerer in the village.
Because of the accusation, Old Man Ego was captured, and some of his haters performed a ritual they claimed was meant to cleanse him of dark magic. However, the ritual had the opposite effect, granting Old Man Ego magical abilities instead.
The magic Ego possessed came with a condition: a curse he would bear for the rest of his life. His magic granted him the ability to rapidly heal any living thing.
Sadly, this power could not heal his wife, who remained gravely ill. There was no way to cure her, and in time, she passed away.
Alfeus, moved by Ego's story, explained his own mission to find the Great Healer in the mountains to the west. He expressed his desire to help end suffering for all living creatures.
Believing his curse could be useful, Old Man Ego decided to pass his ability on to Alfeus. While the regeneration power could heal physical wounds, it had a drawback: it could not grant immortality by regenerating dead cells.
Old Man Ego touched Alfeus' forehead, and Alfeus' body began to tremble. Streams of light flowed from Ego's fingers into Alfeus' brain. The process transferred Ego's ability to Alfeus.
After trembling and feeling mentally overwhelmed, Alfeus finally regained his senses. Zebaoth sensed something flowing through Alfeus' mind—Old Man Ego had indeed given him magical powers.
But when Alfeus glanced toward Ego's chair, he saw that Ego was no longer moving. No, there was no sound of breathing, not even the faintest snore. His eyelids were closed, signaling something tragic had happened.