The Illusion Of Life

Marlin woke up in the new time and place. The day seemed ordinary, but the sense of strangeness he felt was unlike anything he had experienced before. Life in this world was strange, filled with colors he wasn't used to and sounds that were distant from his ears in the past. He kept asking himself: How did all this begin? Is this another world? Or just an endless dream?

His companion in this new world, Ryan, seemed perfectly normal in this place. Although he had been here longer than Marlin, Ryan had become part of this world, while Marlin's identity still felt lost in the sway of this land, overwhelmed by the influence of the god of darkness. He was trying to shape his life deeply, even though he didn't understand everything around him.

"Son of darkness." Marlin scoffed at himself as he looked into an old mirror in a simple room in a small house on the outskirts of the city. "Is this who I'll become?" The words echoed in his mind, carrying a weight that seemed greater than words themselves. "Is this a blessing or a curse?"

As Marlin pondered, Ryan entered the room with a small smile on his face, his demeanor reflecting a calmness that seemed to have little impact on him. His eyes shone with wisdom Marlin had not yet grasped.

"What's the matter?" Ryan asked as he observed Marlin closely.

"I'm thinking about the mass, the priest's words, and this... darkness." Marlin said, feeling a strange discomfort in his chest. "Is it really what they say? Can light and darkness truly be two sides of the same coin?"

"Darkness isn't what you think." Ryan replied, stepping closer. "My parents were very devoted to the god of darkness. Their lives were tied to him, and I believed it gave them strength. It wasn't fear of darkness, but an inner peace."

Marlin sank into his thoughts for a moment, but quickly the image of his parents, who had died in a tragic accident while traveling, flashed in his mind. An accident that seemed ordinary to some, but to him, there were doubts. In this remote village, people rarely traveled. How did it happen that his parents were among those who traveled, only to meet their end? Could that incident have been just a coincidence?

But before he could drown in more questions, Ryan adjusted his clothes and said, "I have to go to work now. Make sure you take care of yourself. It'll be a long day."

Marlin nodded, a sense of confusion growing inside him. "Alright, I'll stay here and wait."

Ryan left the house, leaving Marlin alone in the room, surrounded by thoughts that continued to occupy his mind. He reflected on his conversation with Ryan and the darkness that seemed to follow him wherever he went.