Destiny

Hūr’s mind reeled at the plan that had been unfolded and unwrapped in front of him. He sat with his head in his hands, hunched over. A man broken. He was somewhere in his twenties, he had never kept count, as it had seemed unimportant. It always took him a few seconds to remember. Twenty seven. That was it. But right now, he looked like he was upwards of forty five. His head was aching, his heart was sinking. The information that had been revealed to him was astounding. Unbelievable. Yet…

Yet… he believed it. When he heard the story told by the man in the chair, when he heard the story of a prophecy, a dice rolled, three aged men… uh. When he heard the story that tied together all the chaos that had seemed to have been unleashed on the world. It was more absurd than possible, and yet, it made sense. It was as if the puzzle pieces had clicked together in his head. Everything had come together. Click. And the picture was one of horror, and of unbelievable despair. Unless…

No, that wasn’t possible. What the man had proposed could not be done. Hūr had never had so many doubts in his life. He was reevaluating his sense of self, reevaluating who he was. What he was supposed to be. What he meant to the world, and what the world to him.

He didn’t want to believe the man. He had tried very hard to pretend the man was crazy. Yet the puzzle had clicked, and there was no way to get the image out of his head. He knew what it was supposed to look like, and there was no other way the pieces could be rearranged.

He sat in the cavern, water dripping into a pool slowly. Nature taking its time, slowed down in this dark cave, as the rest of it rampaged outside, ravaged mother earth. Ravaged that place he had seen? The girl? No. His hands gripped his head tighter, trying to use pain to distract from the hurricanes inside. He mouthed silent, unseen screams. A pair of thick, calloused, kindly hands put themselves on his, and gently lifted. The man was standing over him, a kindly smile on his face, and pity in his eyes. They both knew what had to be done. They both knew he had to do it.

It would not work until he was ready. Until he believed, honestly, from his heart. If he went out and lost himself out there, it was all over. So he had stayed inside and tried to process it. For now.

The only light was a blue white light coming from the screens, yet it lit up enough of the cavern to see it all. The water dropped slowly, clearly, the sound lucid and like a clock. Tick, tock. Tick, tock. It smelled of rock, and earth. And tasted of fear. Confusion, uncertainty. The man in front of him was slender, and tall. Back straight, his face was ageless. His smile benevolent, his eyes kind and twinkling. 

Hūr Amran got out of his chair, and strode forth to meet his destiny.