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Chapter 16 – The Half-Truth II

Shawn’s grandfather gently pulled him away, his eyes lingering on the amethyst pendant around Shawn’s neck and the red cloth tied at his waist. A soft smile crossed his lips, though there was an unmistakable urgency in his gaze. “Now listen carefully, Shawn,” he began, his voice steady but tinged with underlying importance, “I need to tell you the truth about our origins.”

Shawn, still overwhelmed with emotion, hastily wiped the tears from his eyes and focused on his grandfather’s words, sensing the gravity of the moment.

“First,” his grandfather continued, “have you noticed your surroundings?”

Shawn looked around, realising for the first time since emerging from the pond that something was off. A thick fog had settled around them, and the air felt heavy, almost surreal. The landscape felt strangely familiar, reminiscent of the place where he had first obtained his powers—yet distorted, as though he was seeing it through a veil.

“This is the astral plane, Shawn,” his grandfather explained, his voice weighted with solemnity. “I’m still gone from the world of the living, but our lineage allows me to linger here in this plane just beyond the reach of life.”

Shawn’s heart sank at those words, a lump forming in his throat. He wanted to believe that his grandfather was truly alive, standing before him, but the strange atmosphere and the ethereal quality of his grandfather’s presence made it undeniable. Slowly, reluctantly, he began to come to terms with the reality before him.

“All those voices you heard after I disappeared,” his grandfather continued, “they were me, trying to guide you from this plane with the last remnants of my energy and when you first grasped the sword I had forged, during your battle with those soldiers in the village, the energy I had imbued within it flowed through you and reached me, allowing me to manifest a physical form in this plane—but only temporarily. I’m not sure how long it will last.”

Shawn listened intently, his mind a whirlwind of questions and emotions. But he remained silent, allowing his grandfather to continue.“Well, now the truth about our origin. Long ago, in a distant land, our bloodline was chosen to perform a sacred duty—a duty to become a guardian with immense power, to bring balance by creating peace and stopping chaos at its roots.”

His grandfather began, his voice carrying the weight of history. “This role was a heavy burden for one person to carry, and that responsibility has been passed down from generation to generation. I tried to protect you from this burden, to shield you from this destiny that awaited you, but it seems fate has already made its decision.”

Shawn’s grandfather paused, his eyes filled with a mixture of regret and determination. “There is a ritual to transfer this guardian duty, and it is done by passing the power to the next in line. It has to be performed by the previous guardian. For you, that responsibility fell to me, and I transferred my power to you, just as I had transferred it to your…”

Shawn’s emotions surged again, and he interrupted, his voice choked with frustration and sorrow. “Stop! Grandpa? Why did you have to transfer your power to me? Because of this, you died! If you hadn’t transferred your power, you might still be alive—and you could have stopped those soldiers from attacking the village. Why, grandpa? Why?”

Shawn’s grandfather replied gently, “Shawn, please listen.”

He watched his grandson with patient eyes, his face a mixture of sadness and understanding, recognising the impatience and frustration in Shawn’s heart. With a soft, knowing smile, he replied, “The power within us is a balance between yin and yang. Yin represents defence—the power to protect and endure—while Yang represents offence—the power to strike and destroy. When a guardian transfers their power, they only pass on Yang to the next in line, keeping Yin within themselves. The Yang merges with the core of the new guardian, and Yin forms within them to maintain balance.”

“In your case, it was the other way around. As I had already bestowed my Yang,” Shawn’s grandfather said, pointing gently at him, “so I could only transfer my Yin to you, leaving you to develop Yang by yourself. Do you remember during the fight when you were wounded and started to heal? It was the Yin within you that began to heal you.”

Shawn nodded, the memory of his rapid healing vivid in his mind. His grandfather continued, his voice imbued with profound regret and resignation. “With only Yin, I couldn’t undertake any offensive action. Defending the village was beyond my strength—that’s why I chose to let your destiny unfold and guide you rather than me.”

He paused, his gaze steady and serious. “Now, carefully listen, Shawn! There is one more reason why I passed this power to you. Before forging your sword, remember I mentioned there is a war coming.”

Shawn nodded in response, and his grandfather continued. “Well, something is odd about this war. King Azure is the one who started this war, and he is not a man who would initiate a simple conflict without cause. I’ve known him long before he ascended to the throne. I sense something more sinister at play, and maybe using him as a mere pawn in their scheme. Without the full power of the guardian, no one can unravel the true reason for this war. That’s why I transferred my power, so you would possess the full extent of it and uncover the truth behind it.”

The weight of his words settled heavily upon Shawn, each revelation adding to the burden of responsibility now resting on his shoulders. The enormity of the truth was overwhelming, a vast sea of new understanding that seemed almost too much to bear, as he struggled to grasp even a fraction of what he had just heard.

Sensing the heaviness of their conversation and knowing he had only shared part of the truth about their origin, Shawn’s grandfather decided to shift the focus to something more manageable. With a gentle smile, he said, “Hey, Shawn, don’t worry about it. Now, do you want to know how your power works?

The change in topic caught Shawn off guard, and the intense emotions swirling within him eased slightly as his attention turned toward his grandfather’s guidance. “Each time our power is passed down, it adapts to the unique nature of its bearer,” his grandfather began. “As you already know, Yin is your defensive power, while Yang is your offensive power. Both Yin and Yang are closely tied to your emotions, and a calm mind is essential to control them—or else they may overwhelm you, take control, and you might have already seen glimpses of this.”

Shawn nodded, recalling moments when his powers had surged beyond his control. His grandfather continued, “Now that you’ve held this power for some time, you may have noticed an aura around you. Using this aura, you can manifest anything, and it will take form through your imagination. Go ahead, try it.”

Heeding his grandfather’s words, Shawn closed his eyes and concentrated on the aura surrounding him. He spread his hands slightly away from his body, and a blue smoke began to swirl from the back of his shoulders and circled around his arm and reached his palm, trying to solidify into something tangible. His grandfather’s voice guided him, “Now, you’ve imagined it. Reach out and grasp it.”

With determination, Shawn clenched his hands, and the blue smoke coalesced into the form of a sword that he had imagined. He opened his eyes, staring in awe at the weapon now in his grip, feeling its weight.

“Remember this, Shawn,” his grandfather said, his tone firm yet encouraging. “The strength of your power does not come from your imagination alone. It comes from the will of the wielder. The stronger your will, the greater your power will be.”

As Shawn marvelled at his newfound abilities, his grandfather noticed his physical form beginning to fade. Knowing that his time was running out, he decided to impart one final piece of wisdom without alarming his grandson.

With a comforting hand on Shawn’s shoulder, his grandfather looked deeply into his eyes, his gaze filled with fierce, unwavering determination. “Shawn, the path before you is perilous, but you have the strength to see it through.” His voice softened but remained resolute. “I know this burden is heavy, but it is the destiny of our bloodline. Everything will be fine, Shawn. Trust in yourself. Sometimes the path may be uncertain, but it will reveal itself in time.”

With his last remaining energy fading, Shawn’s grandfather, still holding his hand on Shawn’s shoulder, subtly pinched a nerve that caused him to fall into a deep sleep. As Shawn’s body went limp, his grandfather caught him gently, carrying him to a tree with a soft bed of grass beneath it. Lying him down with care, he brushed his hand over Shawn’s hair, speaking softly to his sleeping grandson, “I hope you can forgive me for knocking you out. I couldn’t bear to see you in despair over losing me again, but my energy to hold this form is spent. If fate is kind, we shall meet again.”

As his body began to dissipate with the surroundings, he noticed the amethyst pendant glowing softly against Shawn’s chest. He carefully lifted it in his hand, a wistful smile crossing his fading features. “Looks like Shawn found you on his own. Look after him, will you?”

With those final words, Shawn’s grandfather’s form vanished entirely, and the astral plane dissolved around them, returning to the serene night in the forest. Shawn slept peacefully under the watchful gaze of the moonlight, cradled by the comforting presence of the tree.