6 The Hanged Man

"Then you shall get it." An old voice answered me, he seemed near, yet far.

As I heard that voice, I woke up with a startle. My body was drenched with cold sweat. Still muddle-headed, I gaze around at my surroundings. The same bed I slept in after I took over this body.

"Phew, so it's only a nightmare..." I relaxed myself, thinking what happened before I passed out was just a dream.

"A dream may not always be a dream, it might be a premonition Young Master. Or should I call you by your real name, wandering soul from afar?" Gramps slowly walked out from the shadows in the room, there's a glint in his eyes that I've never saw.

My spirit fell as he slowly uttered that sentence.

"Ahahahahaha, what wandering soul? You even know how to joke gramps." I faked the laugh by the way, and I am very scared.

"It's a good thing my joke could give Young Master a brief respite." Gramps said as he walked out from the room.

"Good night, Young Master." He bowed and proceeded to walk out of the room.

"Thanks gramps, I will sleep soon." I replied lethargically. Not caring about anything else, but how to survive in this world. And what he had said about premonitions.

"The promised one has arrived, one that dictates the fate of the world. Will he ushered in a new age, or will he bring ruination." he murmured something as the doors closed, one that I could not hear nor know.

...….

Still quite shaken, I got out of bed and walked around in the room, studying all the details that could provide me with information. The room was 8 x 6 m, with the same gothic design on the walls. The windows were located on the east side, so that the morning sun could shed some of it's light to the room.

A ray of light suddenly flickered, prompting me to check where it came from. After a close inspection, It seems that one of the patterns on the wall was made using metal. Moonlight was reflected from it, and it shined on a corner of the room. It's the only place where significant tears could be seen on the wallpaper, revealing wooden wall. There were cracks and holes on the wall, and a glimmer of light could be seen from within one of the many holes.

Curious about what's inside, I tried to chip the wall, but my physically weak body prevents me from doing it, hence I peeked inside using my right eye. Inside was dark, there is not enough light to see the object. But dim light started to shone, it shone not from the outside, but the inside of the wall. There, was a disembodied eye with pupils similar to mine, it's gaze, was as if it looked into my soul. Before I could process what's going on, a wave of pain could be felt from my eye, and to my horror, as I pulled away from the hole, my right eye was left behind. As I stood there petrified with blood oozing from my empty socket, I saw that eye of mine was swallowed into the hole.

Pain woke me up from my shock, as I wailed, the hardest ever. But there's no one coming for me, I was isolated from the world. The pain became even worse, but on the brink of fainting, a voice came to me. It was weary and old, with a hint of heroism and pride. Within my mind it came, from the man hanged upside down, searching for wisdom and power.

I know that I hung on a wind-rocked tree,

From the endless past to the endless future,

for wisdom wounded, and to wisdom offered,

myself to myself;

on that tree, of which no one knows from what root it springs.

Bread no one gave me, nor a horn of drink,

downward I peered,

to destiny applied myself, from fate learnt them,

then passed my fortune thence.

...

After he finished speaking, darkness came over me, I fainted.