The Author's POV

"Gasp...Gasp...Gasp"

With bloodshot eyes, I continued going down the rope.

I don't know how long I had been down here, but I presume at least two days had passed since I started going down.

My hands which were riddled with blisters started bleeding all over the rope leaving behind a red trail during my descent. My muscles spasmed every minute making me almost lose grip of the rope on a couple of occasions.

It felt as if I had gone back to the past where I would monotonously be typing on the keyboard with no sense of purpose.

I just kept going and going and going, until my sense of time and reason left my body. Even the pain slowly subsided making it seem as if I was a robot.

Sadly like any other powered object, robots tend to run out of batteries. And that's precisely what happened to me.

My vision grew blurry and my hands slowly lost grip of the rope.

...

It seems like I have died again huh?

Oddly enough it didn't feel the same as my first death, where I only felt endless coldness and loneliness.

This time a warm sensation enveloped my body making me feel extremely comfortable. It felt as if I was back in my mother's womb under the constant nourishment and protection of my mother. It didn't feel bad.....

-Dong! -Dong! -Dong!

Suddenly I heard the loud sound of a bell tolling, causing my mind to spin and my eyes to shoot wide open.

"What just happened!"

Abruptly sitting up straight, I found my body drenched in sweat. Touching my body in a daze I noticed I was on top of a small bed with the bedsheets damp from my sweat. Looking at my hands I couldn't see any trace of the previous gruesome scene from when I was climbing down the rope.

Glancing around, I finally took notice of my surroundings. I was inside a small room with what seemed to be a Japanese tatami-style floor. The room was rather empty, and aside from a small tea table and a large ancient clock that constantly tolled in the corner of the room, there was no other furniture.

"You up kid?"

"Huh?"

Snapping my head to the right, where the voice was coming from, a middle-aged man sat next to the tea table preparing some tea. His carefree movements and his calm demeanor when preparing the tea, blended with the tranquil surroundings.

The aroma coming from the tea filled the entire room prompting me to momentarily relax. But not for long as I immediately jumped out of the bed and warily look at the stranger before me.

Jet black hair, deep black eyes, and a stern but yet kind-looking face.

"Relax kid, I'm not gonna do anything to you"

"Who are you?"

I warily asked without letting my guard down.

If not for the fact that I was sure that he was not there when I was previously checking the room, I wouldn't have been as wary as I was now.

A master

He was definitely a master beyond my level.

Only someone who was leagues above my level could suddenly appear out of thin air without me noticing.

Smacking his fist in his hand, as if he was reminded of something the stern-looking middle-aged man looked at me and spoke "Ah! that's right! I haven't introduced myself yet have I?" Lightly smiling, he extended his right hand towards my direction "A pleasure to meet you kid my name is Toshimoto Keiki"

Instantly my pupils dilated, and my mouth went slack.

"Bu-t but b-ut how? Aren't you already dead!"

My speech stuttered and my body trembled as I looked at the man before me in shock.

"Hey, kid don't be like that."

Laughing bitterly at my reaction, Grandmaster Keiki calmly put down the teapot and blew on the teacup in his hand.

"fuuu...Yes technically I could be considered to be dead but...someone intruded my home waking up the remnant soul I left behind when I passed away"

"R-remnant soul!"

an object, allowing a person to

and apart from inheriting the

the two and

"Cough...Sorry about that"

no worries, I had expected this kind of reaction to happen

"Ren"

"Scuse me?"

and looked at me who

name is

still had not asked for your name...a pleasure to meet

my hand, we both looked at each other and shook our

"Please sit down"

for me to sit down next to the tea table, Grandmaster Keiki took the porcelain teapot

"Green or black?"

"ehmm...let's go with green"

brewing vessel and slowly poured hot water inside of the vessel to let

out a sad sigh and a

I lived in a country known as Japan. It was one of the most beautiful places in the world. It had tall and beautiful mountains, pink-dyed springs which were due to the sakura blossoming, wonderful food,

about his past, I immediately sat up straight and paid close attention to what he was

more about his past, which I already knew, I paid my

he may have been a fictional character that I had created, that was then

longer a novel. This was real...and the man before me was Grandmaster Keiki, a legendary warrior that

at the room's ceiling as he was reminiscing his

beautiful wife and daughter. Back then I worked as a Kendo instructor and although I did not earn much, I was happy. It was a simple but

knew started to crumble. Fortunately at the time when this was happening my wife and daughter were traveling on a plane with me outside

holding tightly, as his face burned with

second calamity

to calm himself down before continuing

sharp horns emerged from the mysterious gates that appeared all over the world. At first, they didn't do anything, they just stood in the air and calmly observed us like some kind of mice inside of a lab. To this day I still remember their arrogant eyes and creepy smiles that took

trembling, Grandmaster Keiki looked directly at

vividly see the sadness and anguish hidden deep

they deemed

shaking shook ever more fiercely and his expression which was previously still stoic completely crumbled as

t-ook my wife and daughter

body trembling, Grandmaster Keiki, no, Toshimoto Keiki both a father and husband let the tears stream down his face as

frail-looking man break down in front of me, I chose to remain silent and patiently waited for him to calm

stood

had to see

"No, I understand"

head and got

other eye to eye for a couple of seconds, grandmaster Keiki suddenly smiled and patted

that my

past me, he slid the shoji (Japanese style door) and walked outside the room as he

"Follow me."

the room I was left flabbergasted. An inexplicably beautiful garden stood before me. I felt a sudden loss of breath as I stood there

-Tak! -Tak! -Tak!

fish of multiple different sizes freely swam in it. Birds freely roamed and chirped around the cloudless blue sky, and

garden the more I was

colored koi fish which ranged from red and white

the middle of the pond stood a small island connected by a small

again my

composed and surrounded by gravel which was raked to resemble ripples

"A zen garden."

"It's nice isn't it?"

zen garden, grandmaster Keiki waved his hand urging me to sit down

replied as I sat

as we both calmly stared at the zen garden before

surprised

first to disrupt the silence was grandmaster Keiki, who with a smile plastered on his face continued to look

had ever been to this place, and rightfully so, as I made sure to

if they did find this place out of pure luck, I made sure they wouldn't be able to enter. I'm sure

smile on his face Grandmaster Keiki glanced at me, which made me recall the traumatizing experience

know! I'm still being haunted by the rope to this day!' I cursed inwardly

"Yes I remember"

so easy to read