The monastery, as a whole, felt like a place outside of time—calm and peaceful on the surface but brimming with an undercurrent of spiritual energy that hinted at its true, mysterious power.
Its age, its isolation, and the spiritual weight that permeated it all, made it the perfect place for spiritual adepts.
Ran was finally in the presence of the Monk he was here to see. This fateful encounter with the monk was his only hope right now.
There was faint chanting of monks from praying chambers afar, and a loud rustling of robes, as he walked into the Monk's chambers.
A bell tolled gently in the background, echoing through the open courtyard.
The Monk's voice was calm and measured as he spoke, without even turning to look at him.
"You seek something beyond this world, boy."
Ran's footsteps stopped. The monk's voice was eerily calm, but commanding. Ran exhaled deeply, preparing to explain.
Rightfully determined, he responded.
"I need... to go to Naraku."
The chanting faded into silence. The monk let out a soft, contemplative hum. His guide to the monks chamber, a young adept, gave the spiritual leader a bow then turned around and departed
Ran had eyes only for the Monk, who he studied with a lot of concentration.
He was a bald and rotund man. It was easy to mistake his physique for that of a person addicted to luxury and excesses. But Ran knew the truth. The Monk's body was the evidence of the spiritual and life forces brimming inside of him.
His eyes were closed, from what Ran could see, and he was on the floor in a lotus position.
Even with his eyes closed, his head followed Ran's motions as if he was sensing him with some kind of sixth sense.
Ran knew that was quite possible. This Monk, the Supreme Spiritualist, as he was called, was perhaps the most powerful spiritual authority in the world with over seven thousand acolytes and monks serving under him in the monastery.
He was a man deserving of respect.
Just being in his presence filled Ran with peace, serenity, and a feeling of wellness. It was like everything was alright with the world. It took him but a moment to shrug off the hypnotic feeling.
He knew, especially with the situation he was facing, that everything was not alright with the world.
"You speak of hell as if it were a place you could walk into. As if it were a journey you could prepare for," the man said, somehow managing to sound admonishing and questioning.
Ran took a single step forward. "I've seen it! I saw it when they took my father. It's real. It's a place. And I... I have to go there," he said, urgent and anxious.
The monk's robe rustled as he stood to his feet and began walking closer to Ran.
A soft thud echoed as the spiritual leader sat down on a cushion just a few meters away from him.
"Hell is not a place one visits lightly. Even if you could go, what makes you think you could find your father?" The Monk asked, sounding contemplative.
Ran stepped forward, his boots scraping the stone floor as his determination rose.
"I don't care how hard it is. I don't care what it takes. I will find him, no matter what," He told him, defiantly.
He will. He had no doubt about that. This was do or die.
His father was all he had.
One may wonder if he would have been fine losing his father to an ordinary sickness. But that is now moot.
His father did not die, he was taken away. His father still lived, and as long as that remained a fact, he was willing to do anything, travel any length, to get him back.
A faint wind stirred, the atmosphere shifted slightly as the monk considered his words.
The man continued, for a moment.
After a long pause, he spoke finally. "Hmm... you are young, but your resolve is strong. Still, Naraku is a place ruled by ancient powers. You cannot simply walk there. You would need more than just determination. You would need..." He paused, and went on. "...power."
"Then give me that power." Ran requested, softly.
The monk let out a small sigh, his robe rustled as he shifted slightly. The crackling of incense began to fill the air, a calming scent rising in the background.
"You do not ask for something that can be given so easily. But... there is a way. There are rituals. Dangerous, old magic that could allow you to journey where no living soul should go," the Monk told him solemnly.
The faint sound of the wind picked up again. Thunder rumbled in the distance, a warning of the storm to come. Ran's heartbeat quickened slightly.
"I'll do whatever it takes. Just tell me what I have to do."