Chapter 3: II. First Manifestation (Memories of the Dying)


    Everything was white like a blinding light.


    So it was told, before one would reach hisst breath, he would be able to see his life sh back. All his


    best memories, all the important lessons he had learned, and all the people and ces that had


    be a part of his journey.


    Several images disyed on Mat''s thoughts: his family, his friends and the ces that he''s been to.


    Then there was this one special event that he recalled.


    Moving two years back at the old temple of Master Navi''Sai.


    Mat slightly pushed to open the temple''s old wooden gates. He looked around and recalled the times


    during his training here with his best friend Rigs. They were thest trainees here including a senior


    colleague named Ethan.


    At the age of 19, they were one of the youngest to reach a junior master rank. They are being trained


    by this master who was 2 years younger than them.


    He remembered hisst fight here against their young master. That was theirst test before finally


    leaving this temple. Mat and Rigs had to choose to leave because they need to focus on theirst year


    in college. Their senior colleague Ethan has already left a few months earlier than them with some


    personal reasons. They never got a word from him again since then.


    Mat continued to move in, slowly walking to the open ground. This ce was more than just a martial


    arts training ground to them, their mysterious young mentor taught them these special teaching that


    has something to do with their mental and spiritual state.


    Mat stopped and stood in front of the old temple room where they use to meditate and learn astral stuff


    and everything. He knocked on the door that was lightly covered with dust. The unlocked door slightly


    opened as he knocks.


    "Master Navi?"


    Mat slowly slipped his head in to take a quick look inside. The symbols that he saw on the wall gave


    him a great shback of feelings. He turned to each and every detail of the symbols that was


    embossed above head level and has a size of a half square-meter. He tried to recall each of their


    names and meaning.


    He stood in front of a giant Japanese symbol. It was read as Hikari, meaning light.


    Mat took another step moving on to the next symbol. It looks like a cross with an oval head. It was the


    ANKH or also known as the Crux Ansata. The symbol means life and death, energy and bnce.


    Next symbol was the Round spiral with S-shaped rays of the sun. It''s said to be the origin of all, the


    guide, the navigator.


    Then, here were these ethnic lines and sketches that formed the shape of a butterfly, it means reborn,


    regeneration, relive, and new life.


    Finally, Mat stood in front of thest symbol. He had seen this symbol many times before during their


    training days. But this was the first time that he felt something just by looking at it. The Fish, which is


    also known as the Ichthys, symbolizes the messiah, or the one who saves.


    ___________


    Suddenly, Mat felt this vast unseen energy that just flown into the room. He looked back and saw an


    image of a young man standing by the door step. He was wearing a hooded long sleeved shirt paired


    with loose training pants.


    "Hello Mat, It''s been awhile?"


    "Master Navi''Sai? It is you, hello sir, yeah it''s been a long time since west met," Mat excitedly said.


    "How are you doing Mat? Yes, it''s been a year since thest time we saw each other. Are you ready for


    your special training?"


    "Been looking forward for this day, whoa, wait Master, why aren''t you wearing your training uniform?


    This is the first time that I saw you in casual attire. You look... young and cool."


    The young master walked towards Mat and gave him a pat on the back. He asked Mat to follow him


    outside the temple.


    "And why are you locking the gates? Are we going to train somewhere else, Master?"


    "Yes! Actually, we are going for a little outdoor training," the young master replied.


    Mat smiled and nodded in response.


    They both walked away from the temple while still catching up a conversion.


    "So how''s life after college? Are you working now?" Navi asked.


    "I started a small business, I install these security cameras andputerwork, or anything that has


    to do with techie-stuff," Mat said


    "That is really nice hear Mat, how about Rigs?"


    "Well, it has been a very long time since Ist saw or spoke to him, no updates even on his facebook."


    "Let''s just hope he''s doing well." Navi said.


    "Yeah, I hope he is alright."


    "Mat, can you see that old house?" Navi''Sai asked while pointing to the house located a few meters


    away from their temple.


    "Yes, what about it Master?"


    "They said that the house was haunted. But as far as I can remember, that story started when you and


    Rigs began to attend your training here."


    "What do you mean? You''re giving me creepy goose bumps here Master."


    "Someone has been closely watching after you here."


    "''What?"


    They walked closer to the said house as they continue to discuss about it.


    "This is the purpose of ourst special training, we are going to investigate that house and try to space


    clear it if necessary." Master Navi''Sai said while stopping in front of the gate of the said haunted house.


    "W-where did you get those keys?"


    "The old caretaker was an acquaintance. He just got sick recently and asked me to look over the house


    while he''s away."


    Navi''Sai and Mat entered the old house and looked around.


    The ce was too quiet and gloomy. The rooms were empty except for the kitchen that has a dusty


    table and chair.


    They both tried to feel any disturbances inside the room, they felt nothing. Mat started breathing


    heavier as he felt a bit nervous while getting closer to the master''s bedroom, thest ce that was left


    unchecked.


    Then there was this sudden flicker of movement in the air. They both felt the presence of something


    evil creeping and lurking before them.


    "This is a very disturbed room Mat. Now I am giving you this very opportunity to manifest your space


    clearing skills."


    "But everything you taught us about it is all just a theory to me. I have no clue on how or where to


    begin, I clearly knew the intention of it, but how can I perform it Master Navi''Sai?"


    "Well, that is correct. Begin with your intentions. Enter the room and state it loud out there. The ce


    will react on it and then that is the time you will know what to do next."


    Mat took a deep breath and shook his head as he ced his hand and gripped on the door knob of the


    master''s bedroom. "I''m not so sure about this Master, this is dealing with the unseen and the


    unknown."


    "You got this Mat, I will be assisting you from here."


    Mat turned the knob and slowly entered the room, he looked around, trying to get any physical


    evidence or whatever that could be the cause of disturbance, luckily, there isn''t any.


    He stood in the middle of the room and started to focus and meditate. He closed his eyes and started


    to picture the sun in his mind and then shining brightly until it cover his whole thought with only white


    light. Suddenly it turned into pitch ck. Mat opened his eyes quickly losing his focus into what he was


    doing. Goose bumps ran all over his skin as he felt this unseen energy lurking.


    "OK, that was weird, this is something else. Someone or something is trying to make its presence felt


    here. Maybe this is the real deal."Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Mat rxed himself again and started to focus harder, he closed his eyes and think of a much wider


    space of pure light.


    "I am here to clear this room from any form of evil entities and negative energies," Mat uttered but it


    was cut short by this sudden weird feeling he felt.


    This was the first time that he encountered something that tried to fight against his thought''s will. Then


    a shadow image appeared that looks like a giant rat running, jumping and doing distracting thing inside


    the picture. Mat felt cold all over his body and fear is already creeping up to him.


    Still with his eyes closed, He dared to control the shadow on his mind. The shadow grewrge and


    tried to cover the whole space with darkness.


    "This is not happening, how could you possibly..."


    "You have a great ability to bless things and you can do it the other way around, I can help you make it


    stronger if you allow me to." The shadow said in his thought.


    Mat still denying that the shadow just conversed with him. His fear grew and he is already losing his


    concentration, he can''t even move his sweaty body but he still won''t open his eyes, thinking that he still


    has the control over the situation.


    Outside the Master''s bedroom, Master Navi''Sai felt the disturbance that was happening, but instead of


    himing in and help, he sat down and meditated. "I knew it; Nezumi was here all this time."


    Going back inside Mat''s mind, the shadow moved around as Mat saw his self already in the picture as


    if he was already in a lucid dream. Darkness was still swallowing whatever light remains in the picture,


    Mat tried to make an image of the sun or any light source, but he could not do it. A string of light


    appeared around the creeping shadow image and wrapped around it. Mat was just watching and he


    knew this is not his doing.


    "Mat, it''s no use making bright images now, create a light within you, a lighting from you." Said by


    a very familiar voice, He knew it was his Master Navi talking in his thoughts.


    "Now I remember, one of the craziest ideas Master Navi taught to us, imagining my hands all lit up


    while holding a ming sword."


    Mat imagined a ming sword appearing on his hand, slowly, his hands started to lit up, but the image


    of the sword was not able to bepleted because it was being eaten by the darkness.


    "Maybe I am not giving it my all, this is all crazy, this is impossible, all of this, All I want is to clear this


    space, If Divine Intervention exist, please do happen now. May this ce be blessed with serenity and


    turn it into a peaceful and quiet ce."


    Mat clenched his fist harder. He knew he had to believe that he can do something here. While focusing


    on his core, a pointed spear like image was formed thru these small crystal lights merging with each


    other in front of his knuckles; it was made of pure light. It was like a full length sword without a hilt or


    handle, torching from Mat''s fist, with all his remaining strength, he swiftly swings his arm and cut the


    shadow image into halves.


    "This is not possible... how can someone like you acquire such light within?...." The voice was thinning


    as the rat image shadow disappeared slowly " I''m not yet done with you Mat Adaaamm...."


    The picture gradually regained its light back. Mat slowly opened his eyes but he felt so drained that he


    can''t move a muscle. Navi''Sai entered the room and caught Mat before he hits himself to the floor.


    "Are you all right, Mat? You did it!"


    "Master, I-I did it..." Mat said as hisst recollection was his master tending him before he finally lost his


    consciousness.