115. Past and Present Lives III

Earth 2252 A.D.- Session Rd, Pine City, 2:00 AM Dawn of New Year

On the second floor of a certain restaurant along a famous street, a man in his late twenties is occupying a seat near a window. The man is inebriated and seems unaware of what day or time it is that he seems to not realize he is the only customer during the first two hours of New Year.

During a regular day, the restaurant is packed with customers non-stop yet somehow it made an exception today and emptied all the seats. And somehow, the restaurant’s emptiness resonates with the heart of their only customer whose eyes is glued to a half emptied bottled of Rand Paws hard liquor. One look and anyone could tell that the man is clinging unto a thin thread of hope and wishing to escape from a well of desperation.

The waiter at the counter could not stand the sight of such depressing and unsightly appearance and wishes to buy sleeping pills and force the man to rest but he can only endure. After all, he made a deal with his supervisor that they would close down early should there be no customers.

“Holy Potato. Just gulp it down already and go home. It’s New Year and I can’t close this god forsaken restaurant because of you.” The waiter complained and murmured to himself.

After a few more minutes, the waiter made up his mind that he will treat the man another bottle and convince this pathetic fool to take his sadness somewhere else but before he could take a step, the door at the entrance made a sound.

*Cling

Another customer entered disrupting the waiter’s thoughts.

“A bottle of Rand Paws and three tin cans of Pepsi, please.”

The waiter was speechless and surprised his body moved on its own and placed the order on a tray and before he could calculate and enter the total at the registry, the customer placed a blue bill on the table and said, “I hope you wouldn’t mind if we don’t get any distractions.”

“Not at all, Sir. I’m just here if you need anything.”

“Thank you and you may keep the change.”

The waiter could not explain what’s going on that he felt like he had been enchanted and needed to obey and accommodate the new customer and walked towards the door and stepped out.

The lone man in his late twenties is none other than Clay and the new customer who just entered is Lord Lao Ayan whose powers had significantly weakened.

Lord Lao approached Clay and placed the tray on the table where Clay was seated at and sat opposite Clay.

“If you seat there, I may puke on you.” Clay grabbed his bottle and drank straight from it like a hippie.

“There are better alcoholic drinks you could choose from and I’m baffled why you chose such cheap, bitter and nauseating drink.”

“ If you’re one of Bryan’s men, he should know I’ve not approached Kirsten and I will attend the wedding without any commotions.”

Clay is already under the spell of alcohol but he could still maintain his speech.

“Time heals everything. I know it’s difficult but force yourself to date another woman for once and I can assure you you will move on just fine.”

“You sound like my mom. If you want something, just spill it out. A few more shots of these and I’ll pass out and I don’t like some random guy worrying about me.”

“Your life is in shambles and you may not realize it but the world is purposely letting you live a miserable life and, no matter which choices you make, you will still end up on the state you are now. What if I tell you that there is next life but it’s not the heaven which most people believe in but an actual reincarnation where everyone can start over?”

“Then I’d say , you’re crazy.” Clay paused then continued, “But seeing how crazy my life has been, I don’t think I little craziness from you would make a difference.” Clay tilted his head backwards and opened his mouth then poured the bottle to the last drop.

*Arggghhh!

“Can we open your bottle?”

Lord Lao raised his shoulder and smiled in response and opened the bottle of Rand Paws and placed it in front of Clay.

“I know it’s hard to believe but in your next lives, there exist a magical form of energy allowing humans to gain superpowers and on one of your lives, you will discover a way to produce that energy and that is what I’m here for today. I wish to convince you not to do it. As long as you promise me not to create those man-made Spiritual Vein, I will ensure that you will still be able to cultivate without any worry of resources.”

“As you can see, I’m nothing especial but I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and ask, what exactly would happen if I create those Spiritual Magic Beans?” Clay emphasized on the last part of his sentence.

“Then you will ensure the destruction of the universe and that doomsday I have seen countless times in the future will become a reality. On one of these futures, my wife will place a Soul Soul on which can last five reincarnation cycles hoping to convince you each time…”

Clay drank straight from the newly opened bottle then after a second, he laughed and interrupting Lord Lao.

“Ha ha ha. Sorry to break this to you but I’m not gay, man and I appreciate your intentions but I can afford my bottles and I may look like I need help but I can manage. But if you really want to have a conversation about the future, then let me tell you this.

Our lives is like a book that has already been written. My life in particular was deemed as a useless love rival on a crappy love story. I wish to fight back but my life has been predetermined. Many a times I wished to be the main character but I remain powerless against the intended course of the future.

In the same manner, if you claim to have had seen the future and unable to change it, maybe that’s just the way it is. We are the untold and bitter part of a story.

It’s true I want to refrain from drinking and maybe start all over like you said but for some reasons I remain desperately clinging on a hopeless dream.”

Lord Lao did not respond and Clay was surprised at the sudden silence. At this point, Clay still did not know who the stranger in front of him and since they are having a conversation before a hard liqour, he did not feel the need to ask the man’s name.

There was an awkward silence before Lord Lao spoke again.

“There are other things I’d like to talk to you about but I don’t have time. In truth, I want to thank you for today. Your words are very enlightening. I’ll find time to meet you again and maybe we can talk when you’re no longer inebriated.”Lord Lao said as he stood preparing to leave.

Clay was flabbergasted he felt like the man literally radiated a warm and comfortable aura but knowing he is already drunk, he ignored it. Unfortunately, Clay is a mortal and he does not understand that right at that moment, Lord Lao felt the barrier to Supreme Godhood cracked.

Clay watch as the man leave but before Lord Lao could move any further, he said, “If you bring me three bottles of these when we meet again, maybe I can agree to whatever crazy shit you mentioned. Happy New Year Mr. stranger who has seen the future.” Clay raise the bottle as a toast as he said goodbye.

Planet of A’U, Muir-Kaada Continent, 46 Millennia A.K.I(After Kulfagar Demon Invasion)

Human Territory, City of Endremilas

“Ahhh! I can never get tired of this air.”, exclaimed a waiter as he stepped outside the restaurant to deliver a plate of Ranboro meat and two pales of ale to a couple seating outside.

“Sizzling! I love it.”

“Enjoy your meal!” The waiter smiled as he placed the order and before he could turn around and serve other customers, he noticed a little boy on step box trying his best to maintain his balance near the window while watching live music performance inside the restaurant.

“Careful not to trip!”, reminded the waiter but the boy paid him no mind. The waiter maintained his smile nevertheless as he walked back in. He was neither angry nor irritated but instead jealous that such a young innocent youngster gets his time to enjoy the monthly performance of a band from Nactera Bamboo Sect while he gets to work.

It has been more than a year now since the boy became their regular visitor. Every late afternoon during a crescent moon every month, the boy would show up on the same spot with his chin on his hands on the platform of the window and blankly stare at the stage until the performance is over or until a maid picks him up.

As a prospering human town, the city is defined by its strict implementation of its laws and that includes prohibition of children inside restaurants that serves moderate to hard alcoholic beverages yet the owner of the restaurant is powerless in chasing out a direct descendant of the city lord himself. The owner initially reported to a captain of the guards but even a high ranking official did not want to be involved so the owner can only make amends by giving up one of the best spots of the restaurant and even made changes on the interior placements of the tables so the boy could have a perfect view of a the performing band.

Since the boy refuses to get inside, the owner is technically not violating any rules and at the same time not offending anyone except a few customer who would inwardly curse every time the boy visits.

The boy is none other than Clay on his fourth life or rather fifth reincarnation if what Lord Lao said is true however he finds it hard to believe that it is already his fifth life as the only memory he can remember on his first life is that conversation with Lord Lao on that certain restaurant. On top of that, he cannot remember how his first life ended but everything else that happened before and after is the same.

He is turning five in a few days and since he came to this world, he had been worried if he indeed had successfully been expelled from that infant universe which dictated him miserable lives. On the outside, he looks like an innocent young boy but inside his mind is like depressed job hopping part-timer who cannot sleep brought about by stress of being able to pay rent or not.

The only clue that makes him believe he is on another universe is that the energy people are circulating in this world is different. He cannot prove it yet but his intuition is telling him it is different from Spiritual Qi and the people of this world call it Mana. And this is what baffles him most. From his understanding from what Lord Lao said, Mana or Blue Qi is the source of Dao Powers however that form of Mana is integrated to cultivation at the level of Soul Space Dimension and not reality as this energy manifests as a deadly and lethal form called Death Qi when brought to reality dimension. And none of the cultivators here shows signs of being afflicted with Death Qi which means a different fundamental law of universe.

Clay hopes that this universe he had been reincarnated into would not expel him and so far, signs of having a good life is auspicious given his experience. He was born as the second son of the first wife which entitles him a right for succession and this is the reason why he could roam the city unharmed. As a true young master, he can already foresee he can get everything he wants even without becoming a powerful figure.

While everything is going well, there is one slight problem he could not get his mind out of. And that is his Mana Resonance. Similar when he tested for Spiritual Affinity in his past life at previous universe, the same thing is here when they tested him for Mana Affinity. He was deemed unfit to become a Mana Cultivator or Mage as what people of this world calls it.

Clay remembered when he was two years and three old fogies took turn to test him. While everyone thinks he was just regular toddler, he saw the disappointment of those who attended including his parents. Clay was perfectly disguised by his age and he was able to listen to everything around him.

And it was because of him that his father had to marry another woman to bear another successor. Not longer after, his parents copulated again and spawned a little brother.

Clay does have de javu sometimes when his mind wanders off and thinks about family. Just the thought of his half sister, Revlyn taking her vengeance back on his previous life is giving him goose bumps. There are times he could not sleep and would open the windows and gaze upon the stars.

At one point, he accidentally caught the maids during their day off and they were having wonderful time because one of the guards visited their lounge bringing a strange and ancient musical instrument that sounded like a guitar. The guard sloppily played that it sounded like a roaring music from hell but to that maid who was serenaded, it sounded magical.

Clay was not interested in that love affair but to that musical instrument. Ever since he came to this world, he had not seen a single form of interesting entertainment. Clay did not speak much that he is sometimes labeled mute but often times, he would just point out to the instrument to convey his message.

Then one day, his personal maid brought him to a restaurant at least a kilometer away from the city lord’s residence.

Which bring us to the present. Clay had long learned about the rules of the city and the specific time when a band from Nactera Bamboo Sect would visit. Every month he would sneak out to listen and enjoy the only passable form of amusement. Different from a rock band on earth, it is like listening to an ancient Chinese or Japanese traditional music. The restaurant does not have speakers nor any sophisticated auditory design but the performers themselves power the instruments with Mana which in turn creates a soothing, calm and enjoyable music to listen to.

Clay ignored his numb feet. That little suffering is negligible compared to the stress that builds up in another month.

Clay turned around and looked towards the street. Normally his maid would show up by now and forcefully lift him up to a carriage but she seemed late today.

“I guess I get to finish the entire show this time.” Clay thought to himself .

Clay moved his legs however just before he could position himself on the window again, two soft hands wrapped him from the back.

“You sneaky little kitten.”

Clay wanted to shout and say, “Release me at once, woman. I command you.”

He wanted to grab on the window curtains and hold on but he was pressed against the maids two pillow-like mounds as he was forcefully being lifted and dragged back to the carriage. Clay did not resist as it would become a futile struggle once his maid calls the coach.

When they were inside the carriage, his maid sat close to his side and caressed him like how a caring mother would do to his own child. The thing is, this maid is not his mother. Her name is Merea, an adolescent maid who took his first kiss a year ago. And now she is kissing him on the cheek and slowly moving towards his lips. Only a fool would not know what Merea is trying to accomplish.

Clay giggled and as he tries to move his face away and embraced Merea and hid his face on Merea’s side. As an adult man inside, it would be pretentious not to give in into such pleasures and delight however, for one thing, while he can experience erection, his genetalia has yet to mature. Maybe in the future when he is older, when he is old enough to shot down every young girl that comes along his way, but not today.

Clay remembered that time whe he overheard Merea and the head maid having conversation that Merea should prepare herself as one day she gets to offer her virginity to him one day and for whatever reasons Merea acts differently when they are alone together, Clay sympathizes on her.

This world he is within now is clearly ruled through power and has yet to evolve to an advance society and as long slaves continue to exist , unlucky ones are bound to exist. Just like his birthright to lordship, had he been born to another mother, he probably had been casted away and live like an orphan similar to his life at Gar Wahger planet.

He did not mind the customs of this world. Some cultures particularly earth would consider Merea’s actions as inappropriate and touches the borderline of child abuse, although maybe to some who do not have a degree in philosophy that they would consider being taken advantage of Merea a bliss, Clay still did not want to make things awkward and difficult.

Ever since he was deemed unfit to become a Mage, his family detached themselves. Even his mother would talk to him to stay when the family is invited somewhere. Clay wonders what kind of kid would he be had he not retained his memories. Such deprivation of familial love would probably cause him emotional devastation and this is why he does not want to allow Merea to abuse him.

Of all the people around him, only she had maintained her closeness. Disregarding those times when she would accidentally touch him on his private parts, she had always taken care of him and continuous to stand bay his side.

Clay wanted to maintain that certain level of respect that he does not want Merea’s fate to be tied with him. He wants her to experience freedom and discover life and fall in love and settle down like that maid who got serenaded by a trying hard Romeo-like guard.

Clay smiled. Maybe this time he can live an ordinary life.