Chapter 1 – A Selfish Sacrifice
Ugh. What happened? Where am I? The last thing that I remember was my parents and older relatives saying some kind of prayer over me while I was sleeping. They then said sorry before this choker made of thorns wrapped around my next and sucked into a black hole and spat me out here.
This forest I’m in is dried and decayed. Everything is colored black, white, and grey. It all feels cold and lifeless. Why am I here? I feel like I’m being pulled in a particular direction. This way feels warmer, so I hope it’s right.
“Hey!”
“Get in line. Your family needs you to be sacrificed to continue living happily.”
“Stop pushing me! Why do they need me to be sacrificed?”
“They didn’t tell you?”
“No. Could you tell me?”
“Our families are part of this tradition that allows them to be prosperous as long as they sacrifice their third child. I’m surprised they never told you. It was my whole life. Even some of my friends knew they were going to be sacrificed. I think they’re ahead of me.”
“That’s terrible! I never thought my family would be like that.”
“Did your family really make you live a normal life and never tell you about your eventual sacrifice? That’s terrible. My family gave me whatever I wanted. I didn’t even need to go to school. When it was time for me to go, they made me wear these ceremonial garbs. It was the only uncomfortable part of my life.”
“Aren’t you blessed? My family pushed me to do my best in school so I could get into a good college for a high paying job. I barely got to do what I wanted. Do we really have to die for our family? Isn’t there anything we can do?”
“Look above there at the mountaintop. Look at it shine with the blood of over a million martyrs that flow down it. Look at how the souls of those who sacrificed their lives for their families happily dance around it. I myself have sacrificed my life for my family and now guide the others along the path. You can try to escape, but your family will immediately suffer for it, and they will continue to until you return to the path and be sacrificed. Look around you. There are hundreds of thousands of graves. Many of them have resisted, but none of them have escaped. Think about what I said as you continue up the path.”
“What do you think we should do?”
“I’ve been pampered my entire life into sacrificing my life for my family, but I’ve also had the feeling that this entire tradition is wrong. I honestly don’t know what to do.”
“Well, just because no one has managed to escape doesn’t mean that we can’t. Also, even if our family does suffer from our sacrifice not being completed, it doesn’t mean that we can’t make it up to them through our own efforts. Sure, there’s nothing but graves, blood, and dead trees as far as we can see, but that doesn’t mean that’s all there is out there. That guy could’ve been lying when he said that no one has escaped.”
“I’m not sure about this. I want to live and prove to my family that they didn’t need to sacrifice me.”
Then it’s decided. You and I are going to escape from this place and prove to these people that you don’t need to depend on some dumb tradition to be successful.
“What? I said I’m not sure about this.”
“Then you better decide and quick. We’re almost to the mountaintop and look. There are some people who have changed their mind, but they’re forced into that execution building anyway.”
“Oh…Okay! I’m with you. Let’s hurry!”
“Let’s make a break for it then!”
The boy and I run away from the path while some of those guards chase behind us.
Agh! I can hear the voices of my family. They’re losing money and becoming sick because of me. I’m not going to believe these voices until I see my family for real.
I go through the graveyard of a mountain and back into the dead forest. These people are persistent, but they aren’t slick like me and run past me once I find a small hole in a tree to hide in. I wait a couple seconds before coming out. Now, where’s that boy? I don’t think I’ll be able to escape without any help.
“Ah!” Another one of those guards jumps out of nowhere and always kills me with his spear. This one appears to glow, unlike the other guards. He also has a different kind of mask.
“I am Zhenxing, one of the first children to be sacrificed for my family. Tell me, why are you making such a selfish decision?”
“I’m not making a selfish decision! How is wanting to live a selfish decision?”
“You being alive is making your family suffer. When you are killed, your family will continue to be prosperous and live happy lives. Trust me, your death will be swift and painless then you will live in this heaven with the rest of us.”
I see the boy from before being Zhenxing. He puts his finger where his mouth is as he slowly approaches with a sharp stick. “What do you mean this heaven? What’s it like here? And why were you one of the first children to be sacrificed?”
“You ask a lot of questions, but I understand, and I will answer them if that will comfort you. This place is a heaven for the third child sacrificed for the prosperity of their family. There is no suffering, no pain, and no worries. We live out our afterlife joyously dancing, playing, and enjoying our lives together. It’s a literal heaven compared to the lives we once lived. I lived in poverty with a sick family that I always had to take care of. When I was told that I could sacrifice my life for them so they could be healthy and happy, I immediately killed myself. My family is currently one of the most successful and happiest families in the world.”
The boy is close. “Right, well. I’d rather go to the actual Heaven than be sacrificed here. It might seem selfish, but it isn’t. I’m going to make my family happy without having to be sacrificed. Just you watch.”
“You talk nonsense despite being related to-Ugh! That isn’t going to kill me!”
“Help me push his spear into him!”
“You got it!” The boy and I take Zhenxing’s spear and pin him to the ground with it.
“This isn’t the end of me. When I’m free, I’m coming for both of you.”
“I’d like to see you try! We’re going to escape from here together!”
“You don’t understand. Don’t you hear the screams of your family? Don’t you hear them suffering? Don’t you want to help them?”
“I hear them, but I don’t believe it! Even if they are suffering, we’re going to help them through our own efforts!” I take the boy’s hand. “Let’s get out of here.” I let go of his hand when we get further away from Zhenxing.
“I’m with you on trying to get out of here, but do you know where we’re going?”
“Nope. Not at all. I’m just following my instincts.” The boy doesn’t say anything, but I can tell he’s done with me already. “Hey, what do you think Zhenxing meant by me talking nonsense despite being related to…someone?”
“He was probably talking about your ancestors that were sacrificed. They probably accepted their deaths more willingly than you do.”
“Oh, well. I’m not going to be like them. So, what’s your name? You never told me it.”
“My name is Daiki. It means, ‘of great value’. Let me guess, you have a name that has to do with success or something business related, don’t you?”
“I do actually. My name, Sakae, means prosperity. It’s nice to meet you, Daiki. Trust me when I say that we’re going to find our way out of here and find a way to make our families prosperous and happy.”
“I hope you’re right. Even if we end up dying, it’s not like anything too bad will happen to us or our families, as far as I know.”
“Don’t you worry, Daiki. We’ll make it through this.” Or at least I hope we do.
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