"They say the eye is the light of the soul — the door into what we are.
But if the eye sees only darkness, how can the soul stay healthy?
And if the soul is the source of our being, how can the body stay alive within a darkened soul?"
A white spot slowly descended into the endless reaches of darkness. There was no light, but the spot kept the same color. There was no life, yet somehow the white spot still persevered. There was only darkness around the white spot. The white spot didn't move. It didn't do anything. It only descended - just sank. The darkness didn't stay calm though. It turned and twisted like a living being or maybe like an organism. And with it, the white spot was pushed and pulled from right to left and back.
The spot gave of a slight feeling of life though. A miniscule heartbeat, or something more ancient. It was no spot though, rather it was a teenage boy with pale, white skin and an average build. His hair, black and lusterless like coal and ash, lay across his face and closed eyelids.
Hundreds of heartbeats later, he was still sinking deeper without a clue of life visible inside him.
Another 50 heartbeats later, the boy took a deep breath. The darkness started to flow into his lungs like a waterfall spilling over its edges.
A cold feeling took the heat of the teenager away untill the absence of light, movement and heat reigned supreme within him.
'I like it. For some reason it has become soothing.'
Even though the darkness felt like knives cutting him open from the inside, he liked it. It was the only persistent feeling in a world full of change. He was nearly addicted to this "pleasant" part of his life.
50 more breaths brushed past him.
'I guess it is time.'
Just then, he opened his eyes. At the same time, the expanse of darkness brightened up and started to flow into his deep black eyes. At first, his eyes were slowly brightening up while the darkness did too. After a while, everything turned white and even now, the "organism" kept on flowing into his eyes, turning them into a deeply emerald green luster.
***
Birds could be heard whistling from above. Cicadas chirped in a nearby tree. The wind made its way through the long blades of grass, producing rustling sounds like mice scurrying through the fields before rising to the heavens again to howl like wolves.
A great tree was creaking under the constant attacks of the wind, trying to fell it. Its bark was ancient and nearly petrified, in contrast to its leaves which are greener than those of every young tree. The long roots of the pine were even visible through the overgrown grass fifty meters from the small hill, it was situated on.
The white spot was leaning on the tree like a son beside his father. Or rather a fly compared to a human. The boy slept deeply, having an extraordinary trust in this tree. As if nothing could harm him there. Long branches gave him an embrace made of shadows.
'It must be time already.' The boy sighed in regret.
He opened his eye-catching emerald eyes and looked around. About 20 meters from the tree, the mound below the pine fell down slightly. Beyond that, the teenager saw the beautiful scenery like a wonderful painting stretching before him. The many animals and bugs looking for food. Flowers being navigated by butterflies, and beyond the clearing began the pine forest again. Those weren't big trees like the one he leaned on. Rather they were completely and fully normal.
"What a beautiful world..." He sighed again, glancing toward the backpack besides him. The name "Serin" was engraved into the black leather. The bag contained a water container made of metal. He looked up again, this time on to the huge tree above him.
"It seems I have to go, old friend. Till tomorrow."
Serin stood slowly, his feet still tingling from the lack of movement. He stretched shortly and began descending the slope, following a cut out path between two sides of the field. While he kept on following the path, he sometimes raised his hands to feel the grass. Anther time, he plucked a blade, looked at it, and finally crumpled it, throwing it to the side. A soft smile adorned his face from time to time while watching the animals.
When Serin eventually reached the forest, he took one last glance at the grey view behind him. A complicated expression sneaked it's way onto his expression.
The forest itself was shrouded with green fog. The huge tree, also called cleanse-tree, was an exception in all of the forest. For some unknown reason, the fog didn't dare cover it. It was also one of the only places where the sun was truly visible. Everywhere else there was only green haze, obscuring the sky and sun.
While steadily advancing deeper into the forest, Serin's depressive feelings started to rise and steal his former peace. Just like that, his soul and body felt heavier and harder to carry.
Serin stopped and looked in the direction where the sky should be. "Such a desolate home."
'How sad, I can't even see them properly.' His expression turned tranquil again after walking for a bit more.
Where, for everyone else, there should be colorful and illuminating spheres shining and guiding theyr way home, Serin only found his surroundings to be slightly lighter than without.
He would like to see them too, view their famous beauty himself. But he was denied the gift of beauty everyone else didn't give a care about anyway.
'They say the spheres are either blue, the mostly seen color, yellow, slightly rarer, violet, very rare, or green, the rarest.'
'I wonder how they look like. In books, colors are described to change peoples moods and feelings. Would I feel peaceful while seeing the green grass, or the sky?'
After pondering about the "beauty" of his home, he erased those thoughts, since Serin wouldn't be able to change anything anyway.
Rather than beauty, his eyes were cursed with darkness. As he wandered through the place he should feel belonging to, he only saw the horrors of this forest as there was no light illuminating his world. The green fog turned his already bad sight into a nightmare, he could nearly not discern his own feet. So following the path of "lights", he slowly felt his way forward.
"Something feels off today..."