The boy had been walking for hours. He was lost in a wide elaborate corridor, without a ceiling, doors, or windows, with walls that scaled the sky. The starlight illuminated his path, which seemed to go on endlessly. He passed bronze statues, tiled fountains, and ashen murals. On and on he went, yet there was no end to the reverie. Drained and parched, he tarried by a fountain to drink some water. As he slurped the cool liquid, something fell out from the water spout into his hand. The boy held it up curiously against the starlight. It was a rusted old key- with a bow made in the shape of a crow's tail. With a sense of emancipation, the boy looked around and saw a heavy oak door ahead in his path. He approached it, slid the key into the keyhole, and turned the bow. The door made a threatening rumble and unbolted; the boy pushed with all his might, throwing it ajar. It was a cavernous room, which stank of death and decay. As he made his way in, the sound of bells reached him. It was a haunting knell that filled his heart with dread.
Cling clang cling cling clang
Cling clang cling cling clang
A series of steps led to the heart of the room. It was an amphitheatre, hewn from rocks. There were pews for the audience all around, from where the ringing of the bells seemed to come. But there was not a soul in sight. The boy descended towards the centre of the arena.
To his shock, he saw a man- stripped bare, and tied to a crucifix. The man raised his head as the boy approached.
Who are you? The boy asked.
The captive was silent. The face was familiar- a distant veneer, an obscure memory; a bloody visage- bruised and emaciated. But it reminded him of someone familiar.
Cling clang cling cling clang cling clang cling cling clang
Who are you? The boy inquired again.
Run! the man warned.
The boy flinched, taken aback.
Run from what?
The man raised his battered head to the skies.
Caw caw caw caw caw
An approaching danger screeched from above.
Caw caw caw caw caw
The boy looked up, seeking the source. A dark cloud descended from the ceiling; it was a murder of crows- flapping, fluttering, fanning; the rackety crows swooped down to the centre of the arena—hundreds of them.
CAW CAW
The man's eyes opened wide in terror, and he let
The boy stumbled back and slipped on the damp floor. He fell and
covering his entire visage- pecking at his flesh- taking chunks out; a fiendish crow bit his eyeball off. Another mutilated his genitals. The man screamed until his lips and face were bitten off. And then the
clang cling clang
The boy backed away in horror to the entrance door and rushed out.
Who was
What is
Why am
And-
Who am I?
Caw caw caw caw caw caw
him like a giant claw reaching for prey. The boy ran, but
cling cling clang cling clang
Hope drained
Help! Someone help
moved but made no
could
a voice called
Kento? Was that his
Kento!
murder of crows fell at him, and he felt their beaks ripping at his flesh, and he screamed, convulsing
by his shoulders and shook
Let me go!
Kento!
Master Kento!
"Master Kento, please
were closed, but the haze of daylight
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UJf9qZmbVu6930HDnqvXFlHwLxKIPsy66R/sExH5uHicVDGldh5+ElZ7noHJps9GJ3VT681ZzRcx1bJ+YLx/NdyT5rcgNNHF+ZnMFT7pTR8BxkWQUvEjv5wYem/wUsnJ3NsC7OGWaX2tEe0btxi0ijvnyMHQiOnaycUQMjjKRwCLDLvN64qaxSFS4DwjATET4miufdteut97Q30hw7duqO4G6RQQaNPTC2kgW57Z7oawWEH70sUJ2heTCsWrKXrVRwrs+rjKXKCs2yWPJHl5NJrUWrtpLNhQvJVuU4YLLegnAJhkyTSxa+AuM5fXbf6shpZy4oU0bJ6m190rjF8PqaUiPwgdm8m0edXQPH5UVUmoE/m02H152qXVNmkoLeDrF4q49eZlm0aN3TTWvd4oD9EYKFka9X5a8kci79GnITf3EY1lpsVvAgrJHRUkp59b8DPdyERQJ/UMwb+I9SSGoyp+BP/sKxUTvcfQXk2AiphZNAr5rWgK+IKMULuBFNQ4ZBlOtTC3oWiHsw8MNxDFo8aSacI6AEb/fGnPP9KrxSmbh3zF+aiJalKqYZ1MYOaKPvAqsrb9XEWXbWgNhf+bMXQrJAAgeqdovo4SXTFwVEMJvsLgX3lV6i0//WCM31QP7SZ0bILR8Wprw/3CzTFiZMKOIZzvzl3qiP2xGL10rKCzJdpaLrycdzexdz1VpUgNmgO7p2byft6kNCvUz2W8hzyPFP4je9bd8T0ixVM2fYVWBhJnYxYT8xiW/XxEEpT4P+ZRziRcxw8GFF+1qFb3iBa+dh97L2/FFkrM5KwvlXP6vwByyes2RsKQPtQ7OAdEGn4EQ8IgTgCNOMo22pqNbisXevGY7Agxfo1KTKvN+0TGVokV+WMF60aD1fQHMcyXz8WyLHoT+EytIzo119uc+mAIl7dSJbTH1A6BjcNQkJ2aGxtSnrTYcvyubVzVRdLKkifrLouVc5EVMr5jZ57GqvqlvlhIH4fmMfs2dxlZcBRbgHoheom/jwzfrEN4VJObDV0uT011RRh4T8kMOsuovaXf8TmriX6ps9HqzPtSuUgxog7YkipCk2njNKsOcatFgD9ySdQq98Xcy14PVw9S+sOgkxw0f04pC2a6pefiKridnnzqckwRc9EeH5lefHSaRkWw9bMxxySVnLJuBwmHGSLSQA+ADVlsDW/GA9//fSs9i1qePbz2yAjZUZoMFIj3Bk5MvC6bMZ7SMn56Bg8riULiF85v8sKbOE0LaK3vTOCCOXidd04m0Ifv6d6RFtQc/OQIs+08z/QpWtWsc6rE405XRHnbUzslTeoZq0xQv3KGywex8hEco8tHTnD2Ov25kHQYx/uagHwVRTziu4Jkbv2LKvX7OsS4MgdiOU8MAbcvcr3tdpV9oOpfdRJezGncg+7TEBlz+VMA9HTHaJ+nwNy2k4rC1NzuOur3zbGzZ6Oqu+kaDJak7dNJ6OOeXmy1rJrQPftdwSqLVigkVfKFcKLmmuZPC2DppNC6qcqacCHTyY1xKAcHnKsEbjjQqUTaqNtXun61hDMjBPo/iDsVIr07tHUVuFPWmuk7BKfxownDWYlTkNr3e3TT8ATDdbmAFT0BD4kF3B+T5pXpm5p6F3cwOfsZ6MXfs0fnu1zasMIuLy68VNEj0QfgiJ9SYxYE2yZe6jqJsY2SlALo+ToWyky5HhOv/sNqaCI0te8jPWKBbz1n7sdd667vnEkbk17r6UHjy2H5ciFTMF7bX+8JP0ot9oO6EdrGZwaM/55wfuXGDYjHW78+g7PRH9H6D51h9yvruYOM+J2a7hoAqrpr1QAQ30fZ9ekclIK17SCxUWnn4SzbwaslpC0zjtFUSbx1R5ejM/wEIVl26ixJDJkMH8OSFSm7uTqmy6zCjWpEOrQyURV6Mor3XcmCBA26jG1wKRId9tAzvUpJjG8Oc9CPJNCgjTGC+79viYgzY1fMc6s3+sO+GxLHGvi8tdU6uP+FDgV1SpB2B+oeA7A094Vr1X3S301XnFG8auUvXQPt/AS0uhsNPX4xm7fJH+P/BVT9FCZN54q8T57lIq29DaWpr3d9fEQdES6WyF4CYyl367i3+S166InsuK7zwwYPvcNUifW8u0Z2iLNjBQo9VoHSp0+zkIEyYH17E8MjlDnGWp9Xh7xUieKBeKgEKa1Qpil/J8NLvkI5chDWgnh+/tIzlBPCuQn/UECyfihVrRO2/UsgObwHCisFCtmhV+9461GZDD4cMnhWHLExc0wrpHdQ599UIHVBnsn07bxz28B35zfrft5YffdnUxeuxPdFEF0ufOuzhgVX9JZJB8oIuW4FtEn+68kY4LB2FLhL+/E1t4qHjGByN85bZYgUuPz7dQ4wTPZAWwykyGjXXxlIWclaG2aSQGO6D402ZX6XyeoDZ7sAu6/f09VZ5RBAT+mzBzFrwyiZk55faqHtjIRZ40wV6SUIirOlIEjpYOaMt6afr96fCQFLHDGEamY32Lib6Hl/ge2Jxlv7nDFHmcwrzb99B2V6X2eqxaujj4tStr1CyoCDxt36z5OOXZDS6PvPb3xDNStI96CYpFS2fnO1JLNog0MAKiBBUdonYJPgzsjxVOz+r4Ngqplaa5WSz3IpmzMnxB8daSA6nKAiIKjaAdjS0WlvamZLmg++BFrLPU0U+5+TkeE/onFxbkym3GTvaeTUURvnb1d8h5QyguVm7ge4xJeuUb68o71H07hKJmPdpCHs3cqF/gFFt8LwyL0WY6cMiJsNSfe5HgKCtDgIMbeJODxjdhyh8ZrzZw==
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