《World Where Hearts Exist》


 Happiness

    "I want to die"¡ªthat is the favorite phrase uttered by Aslan. It bore him no pity. He lost his mother and father at the age of four. After his mother died, he was left alone until his mother¡¯s brother adopted him.


    Yet the life he had led was more that of a beast than a human. He had received no warmth from human touch, let alone the feeling of love.


    How would a boy who had known no warmth of touch appreciate the feeling of getting to live? Warmth itself was a stranger to him, and as such, all that remained in its place was coldness.


    "Had I not told you to clean this junk?!" said a man as he entered the house.


    The man before him was none other than the beast called Uncle. He would leave in the morning and return at night, ransacking the house like a feral creature.


    And poor Aslan would be the one to bear the brunt of his wrath. Sometimes, the beast would be kind enough not to hit his head, opting instead to use his body as a cigar extinguisher.


    Yet, no less, he endured it all. How could he not? Where would he run to?


    The thought of escaping such a life was dead to him, just like hope. The only peace he would find was in death. With an uncle like his, the idea of dying was not too far-fetched. Maybe one day, his uncle would hit him hard enough, and then¡­ he would die.


    "Go to Mr. Brett¡¯s shop and buy me some cigars. If you come back even one minute late, you¡¯re sleeping outside tonight," said his uncle while throwing twelve dollars onto the floor where Aslan stood.


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    "Yes, Uncle," he muttered.


    And to the store, he went. The weather was remarkably bad¡ªit was raining so hard. Yet he had no umbrella to bring. His uncle would beat him up if the cigarettes got wet, so the instruction to buy cigars was really just a proclamation: "You will get beaten a lot today, boy," just in a different way.


    After a long walk, he reached Mr. Brett¡¯s shop.


    "Mr. Brett, two cigarette packs, please," he said while holding out the money with his hand.


    Mr. Brett glanced at his hand for a moment before asking,


    "He hit you again, boy?"


    "Yes," he replied, showing no emotion.


    "What did I tell you? You should¡¯ve come to live with me instead rather than suffering like this," said Mr. Brett with a slightly raised voice, perhaps upset with Aslan¡¯s refusal of his help.


    "He would come and find me anyway. There is no point."


    "I have told you. If that¡¯s your choice, then it¡¯s up to you. But if one day you feel you can¡¯t take it anymore, you come and find me."


    "Thank you," replied Aslan.


    Just before Aslan could pay for the cigarettes, suddenly, a couple of guys walked into the shop.


    They were wearing ski masks and were armed with baseball bats.


    It was a robbery!


    "Give all the cash you got, you ching!"


    Mr. Brett lunged at the robber, trying to grab his baseball bat, yet he was thrown beyond the counter.


    "You shit dirtbag! You didn¡¯t make me afraid one bit!" he shouted from the ground.


    "Shit mouth you got there. Perhaps I ought to teach you a lesson," one of the robbers sneered, raising the baseball bat higher than his neck, ready to hit Mr. Brett.


    And then, Aslan stepped in between them.


    He felt a sharp pain in his head.


    "Trying to be a hero, piece of shit?!"


    The robber became more violent. He repeatedly struck Aslan in the head with more force than before. The floor became wet with blood, and Aslan was left barely alive on the ground.


    "Ah¡­ this is it¡­ finally¡­ peace."


    The death Aslan had longed for. The peace. The sweet sense of oblivion was finally his. His suffering would end today.


    After that, all turned dark. He closed his eyes, bidding farewell to the life he had always hated¡ªthe life he had always wanted to end.


    In the pitch-black void, he felt as if eternity welcomed him into its embrace¡ªa silence and peace he had long forgotten existed.


    Yet suddenly, he heard a voice in the distance, echoing through the infinite blackness.


    "Thou who hast lived yet known little of life, hand in hand with death in spite of living, befall upon you another life until you have understood. Life shall not you set foot in the land of death."


    And then, all he saw was light¡ªtoo bright.


    In that light, he gradually felt his body again. And within the blinding glow, a man and a woman¡¯s faces appeared before him, smiling at him with warmth.


    He¡­ had¡­ been reborn.

 New Reality

    "Where am I?" Aslan questioned. He could feel his own body, but it felt very weak, almost as if he had walked for hours on end for days without stopping. This was accompanied by a feeling of strangeness enveloping his body, nearly as if he had awakened from a long coma. Before he could assess the situation, he was picked up by the man he had first seen after opening his eyes. The man raised him with both arms, holding his small frame. And then the realization quickly came to him: his body had completely turned into that of a baby! Just as the voices had foretold when he was adrift in the abyss.


    Had I not suffered enough that I was forced yet again into a life I didn¡¯t choose? The realization made him despair.


    The man spoke with such excitement, "Finally, my child, you have come to me! I have waited for so long." His smile was almost blinding, filled with nothing but pure joy.


    Aslan quickly tried looking around, trying to assess the foreign environment he was in. The room looked so spacious¡ªno, it was a hundred times bigger than the house I had shared with that so-called uncle. And then his gaze landed on something extraordinary¡ªa golden chair! What is that?! He thought, barely able to comprehend the scene unfolding before him.


    "Hey!, be careful with our child," said the woman. Her voice was beautiful, and her face even more captivating. The man and the woman seemed perfect together; they were both stunningly beautiful.


    She must be my mother. The man¡¯s love-filled gaze confirmed it¡ªthese two would become my parents in this life. What profession must they have to afford a single room like this? The man¡¯s clothes looked exceptionally lavish, adorned with jewels sewn into the fabric, Aslan concluded after assessing the situation.


    "Tup tup" sounds came from the door leading into the room. The man quickly gave Aslan back to his mother before answering the door. It was another man wearing eyeglasses while holding a couple of things that looked like a file containing documents. The man spoke with Aslan''s dad about something that sounded serious, and he looked quite dissatisfied while talking.


    "Oh, Chancellor Orvill, what brings you here today?" asked the woman.


    "His Majesty completely abandoned his post during the minister''s meeting just now, leaving me to handle a mountain of documents he left behind," explained the man with the glasses, named Orvill.


    Wait, just now the man said "His Majesty," wouldn''t that mean...? The realization stunned Aslan.


    "Is it not your fault for holding the ministry meeting today? Didn''t you know today is the prince''s birthday?" asked the man.


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    The word ''prince'' confirmed it. I was a f***ing prince!  Aslan was still dumbfounded and in complete disbelief.


    "YOU POSTPONED IT! THAT''S WHY IT''S TODAY!! You postponed the meeting for days, you idiot! I told you, but you just shrugged it off and went off with Her Majesty," said Chancellor Orvill.


    "You dare call your king an idiot?!" said the man.


    "QUIET, BOTH OF YOU! You''ll hurt my son''s ears with your childish babbling! And you! Your Majesty, we will have long discussions about this after the Chancellor leaves," the Empress screamed. She looked so terrifying, and the two men instantly shut their mouths. Both of their faces looked terrified, and the Emperor even looked pale.


    Damn, Mother is terrifying ,thought Aslan.


    "Well then, my empress, what would you name our prince?" asked the emperor, approaching her slowly. He was clearly still in a state of terror. I think he''s afraid of her hitting him, Aslan thought to himself.


    The empress pause for little thinking hard of a name for his newly born son. "How about Aslan? the names come first in my mind"


    "That would be splendid! It almost sounds like the name of a legendary mythical lion," the emperor said, giving a look of approval.


    But Aslan was stunned. Hearing the name was like a blade to him, a reminder of the suffering from his past life, the burning hatred he had for life. The same name... life will repeat even here. I can''t even escape it by death. Aslan''s thoughts were in ruins as every piece of bad memory replayed in his mind, all the suffering, all the things he had to experience before. The emotion became too great to bear, perhaps because of the limited mental capacity of a baby, so he began to cry.


    "Waah! Waah!" Aslan''s cries were heard loudly in the room; even the people outside heard it.


    "His first cry!" the emperor exclaimed, still as excited as ever.


    "There, there, my son. Mommy''s here for you. Are you crying because of Dad? Don''t worry, Mom will beat him later," the empress said while trying to soothe Aslan''s cries.


    Yet Aslan didn''t stop crying. How could he? He had just thought he could finally rest and then was forced to live again. Is God hating me right now? The servants outside even came into the room to check on their newly born prince, some trying to soothe him, yet to no avail; all of them failed. The emperor tried making funny faces; he even forced the chancellor to do the same, but the crying did not subside. Instead, it became louder.


    The emperor, clearly concerned, called the imperial physician, yet no issues were found.


    "Your Majesty, the prince is healthy. The crying is just his own choice, not because of a health issue. Perhaps he is tired," said the imperial physician.


    But then the empress had a magnificent idea. She gave the prince to the emperor to hold and then came in front of the prince. She raised her hand, and suddenly a gush of wind came from the palm of her hand. She raised her hand again, and from her hand a light came out, almost resembling fireflies during the night sky. The light flew around Aslan almost as if it were a living being; it flew and fell like snowflakes amidst the winter.


    Aslan''s cries then stopped. What is this? How can the empress make all of this happen? Scientifically, it''s not even possible. Is this some magic trick? Wait, can this place I''ve been born in not be Earth? Is this place another dimension or something? This is just like a fairytale! Aslan thought while watching the light slowly disappear into thin air.


    "Look at my son''s first encounter with magic. How cute!" said the empress.


    Magic exists?

 New World

    What is this body I¡¯m in


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    Dragon? Did I hear that right? Aslan questioned his newborn hearing ability. Such a thing as a dragon is even more illogical than having magic exist. The dragons he had only watched were on the instant tattoos you would get when you buy chewing gum.


    Not long after the emperor left him and the empress, he was called back to the office by Chancellor Orvill. While in the empress''s embrace, Aslan was greeted by the empress''s beautiful humming. It reminded him of his mother from the old world; she used to hum just like her, though now the memories that remained of her were like an old dream fragmented yet in pieces that come and go in his mind each time breaking off pieces of his heart. This empress is now his mother, yet he can''t accept her as one just yet. How could he? All the things that had been given to him up until this point by adults were nothing but misery. Sure, the misery is a thing of the past, but the wound will always remain, always.


    And yet he thought to himself, Perhaps this feeling isn''t so bad after all. Thus, as the night sky began to glow with starlight spanning across the black canvas of space, he stayed in the empress''s embrace, holding onto her so tightly as if, had he let go, it all would melt away.

 How the World looks Like

    The city was bustling with people as they went about their day. The air was light, and the scent of bread drifted through the streets. Some vendors were busy showing off their goods, while others worked or shopped. The shouting voices of merchants and vendors, eagerly showcasing their crafts and wares, filled the air.


    Suddenly, a crowd gathered in the middle of the city square. More and more people came to witness the commotion. Indeed, a man was sitting in the middle of the town square. It was the palace squire! They didn''t usually come unless there was news important enough to be addressed by the kingdom''s folk¡ªso perhaps this commotion truly meant something.


    A man walked into the square holding scrolls with the royal seal; the scroll was adorned with jewels. The crowd grew even more anticipatory. The royal scrolls typically came in four colors, each with its own meaning: white for a royal wedding, blue as a sign of mourning, black for war. Yet the yellow one signified the celebration of a new royal family member.


    The squire took the scrolls with grace and opened them in front of the eager spectators.


    Then the squire spoke. "It is my honor and my duty to bring news to all of you from the palace. Be rejoiced, people of the Agravar Empire, for the King and Queen have been granted a child, born to His Majesty King Darius the Great and Her Majesty Empress Liliana Heartwell! For this occasion, there will be celebrations throughout the empire for four days, and you are all welcome to the prince''s name-giving ceremony!"


    The people rejoiced as they welcomed their new prince. The palace had also given the citizens three sacks full of rice and flour as a gesture of celebration. Moreover, the nobles were seen hopping from shop to shop, looking for something they could gift to the infant prince.


    In the beautiful castle beyond the flowery garden¡­


    Aslan was sitting in the emperor''s hand, peacefully drinking the breast milk the empress had prepared before leaving earlier that morning. Today, the emperor had planned a little outing with him, hoping to introduce him to the people working in the palace.


    "My child, why will you not show your face? Are you perhaps shy?" the emperor asked, clearly puzzled. How could he not be? Aslan had refused to even look at anyone besides him or the empress. The emperor could feel the tiny heart racing whenever he tried to introduce others to him. Even in his arms, Aslan showed signs of discomfort. Could it be the way he held him? He¡¯d held him just like the empress did¡ªeven used some magic to soften his hand¡ªyet the boy still didn¡¯t seem comfortable.


    I know the emperor has been trying hard, but I just can''t bring myself to feel at ease. These people are strangers to me, and even the emperor¡¯s arm feels uncomfortable¡ªnot because it¡¯s hard or anything, but because I don¡¯t like being touched, especially like this. Thinking back, how long has it been since I last socialized with someone other than Mister Brett? I think... none, Aslan thought, while suckling milk in the emperor¡¯s embrace.


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    "Hrmmm, well then, let¡¯s just go somewhere with fewer people," the emperor said. He walked through a palace corridor filled with portraits and decorations.


    This is bigger than even our house. I think this corridor is more like a road than a hallway, Aslan thought, marveling at the sheer scale of the palace. After a while, they reached their destination.


    "Welcome, my child, to the Imperial Garden! There aren¡¯t many servants here, so you and your pops can spend some quality time together!" said the emperor.


    Wow, it¡¯s truly beautiful! The colors of so many flowers blending together, the fragrance all around¡ªit¡¯s wondrous! Look! There¡¯s even a dome in the middle with a cute table big enough for a meal. The flowers are towering over one another! Aslan thought, captivated by the view. The garden was as big as his middle school football field.


    "I knew you would like it!" said the emperor, noticing the bright glow in his son¡¯s eyes.


    "You know, this garden is also your mother¡¯s favorite. I even met her here. Oh, how lovely she was then! I think she was stealing some of the flowers at the time. She saw me, so I went and said hi¡ªthen she tried to run away, so I chased her until we fell into that water fountain there," said the emperor, walking toward the fountain, reminiscing about his memories with the empress.


    That was just like a fairytale we read at school, thought Aslan.


    "Alright, shall we go to the library then? I''m worried the sun might be a little too hot for your skin," said the emperor, gently carrying him out of the garden and back into the castle.


    After a while, they reached the library. At a glance, anyone would be awestruck by the towering bookcases that reached the palace ceiling. A huge, long table stood in the middle, made of wood with carved decorations. The walls were also adorned with artifacts, and the largest piece of all was a map¡ªAslan¡¯s first view of the world.


    "This is our world, my son. You see the big red dot there? That is our empire, spanning this entire continent. And to the south of us are fourteen other continents. Back then, this continent was a mess¡ªkingdoms rose and fell like it was Tuesday. And yet ours stood firm, stronger than all the rest. It didn¡¯t even take five years for them to destroy one another. Your great-grandparent, Emperor Anasticius, stopped all the fighting and unified the land into one empire¡ªthough it probably helped that most of the enemies had already self-destructed," said the emperor.


    "The nearest kingdom to us is the Kingdom of Balesik. They are our allies¡ªyour old man is good friends with their king," he added.


    Wow, the world is so big! I never imagined our kingdom was this vast. But what about that land beyond the fourteen continents, cut off by the sea? It''s painted black, Aslan thought, curiosity sparking in his eyes.


    The emperor noticed him staring at that part of the map.


    "There, my boy, is a place none of us dare to go. That is the forgotten land. It was torn apart during the Angel¨CDemon War, and the miasma that remains has bonded to the land itself. Sometimes creatures come from there¡ªor they simply manifest elsewhere."


    Creature!!?