Seal of Light - Enlightened novel Chapter 3

Everything was white like a blinding light.

So it was told, before one would reach his last breath, he would be able to see his life flash back. All his best memories, all the important lessons he had learned, and all the people and places that had become a part of his journey.

Several images displayed on Mat's thoughts: his family, his friends and the places that he's been to.

Then there was this one special event that he recalled.

Moving two years back at the old temple of Master Navi'Sai.

Mat slightly pushed to open the temple's old wooden gates. He looked around and recalled the times during his training here with his best friend Rigs. They were the last trainees here including a senior colleague named Ethan.

At the age of 19, they were one of the youngest to reach a junior master rank. They are being trained by this master who was 2 years younger than them.

He remembered his last fight here against their young master. That was their last test before finally leaving this temple. Mat and Rigs had to choose to leave because they need to focus on their last year in college. Their senior colleague Ethan has already left a few months earlier than them with some personal reasons. They never got a word from him again since then.

Mat continued to move in, slowly walking to the open ground. This place was more than just a martial arts training ground to them, their mysterious young mentor taught them these special teaching that has something to do with their mental and spiritual state.

Mat stopped and stood in front of the old temple room where they use to meditate and learn astral stuff and everything. He knocked on the door that was lightly covered with dust. The unlocked door slightly opened as he knocks.

"Master Navi?"

Mat slowly slipped his head in to take a quick look inside. The symbols that he saw on the wall gave him a great flashback of feelings. He turned to each and every detail of the symbols that was embossed above head level and has a size of a half square-meter. He tried to recall each of their names and meaning.

He stood in front of a giant Japanese symbol. It was read as Hikari, meaning light.

Mat took another step moving on to the next symbol. It looks like a cross with an oval head. It was the ANKH or also known as the Crux Ansata. The symbol means life and death, energy and balance.

Next symbol was the Round spiral with S-shaped rays of the sun. It's said to be the origin of all, the guide, the navigator.

Then, here were these ethnic lines and sketches that formed the shape of a butterfly, it means reborn, regeneration, relive, and new life.

Finally, Mat stood in front of the last symbol. He had seen this symbol many times before during their training days. But this was the first time that he felt something just by looking at it. The Fish, which is also known as the Ichthys, symbolizes the messiah, or the one who saves.

___________

Suddenly, Mat felt this vast unseen energy that just flown into the room. He looked back and saw an image of a young man standing by the door step. He was wearing a hooded long sleeved shirt paired with loose training pants.

"Hello Mat, It's been awhile?"

"Master Navi'Sai? It is you, hello sir, yeah it's been a long time since we last met," Mat excitedly said.

"How are you doing Mat? Yes, it's been a year since the last time we saw each other. Are you ready for your special training?"

"Been looking forward for this day, whoa, wait Master, why aren't you wearing your training uniform? This is the first time that I saw you in casual attire. You look... young and cool."

The young master walked towards Mat and gave him a pat on the back. He asked Mat to follow him outside the temple.

"And why are you locking the gates? Are we going to train somewhere else, Master?"

"Yes! Actually, we are going for a little outdoor training," the young master replied.

Mat smiled and nodded in response.

They both walked away from the temple while still catching up a conversion.

"So how's life after college? Are you working now?" Navi asked.

"I started a small business, I install these security cameras and computer network, or anything that has to do with techie-stuff," Mat said

"That is really nice hear Mat, how about Rigs?"

"Well, it has been a very long time since I last saw or spoke to him, no updates even on his facebook."

"Let's just hope he's doing well." Navi said.

"Yeah, I hope he is alright."

"Mat, can you see that old house?" Navi'Sai asked while pointing to the house located a few meters away from their temple.

"Yes, what about it Master?"

"They said that the house was haunted. But as far as I can remember, that story started when you and Rigs began to attend your training here."

Mat relaxed himself again and started to focus harder, he closed his eyes and think of a much wider space of pure light.

"I am here to clear this room from any form of evil entities and negative energies," Mat uttered but it was cut short by this sudden weird feeling he felt.

This was the first time that he encountered something that tried to fight against his thought's will. Then a shadow image appeared that looks like a giant rat running, jumping and doing distracting thing inside the picture. Mat felt cold all over his body and fear is already creeping up to him.

Still with his eyes closed, He dared to control the shadow on his mind. The shadow grew large and tried to cover the whole space with darkness.

"This is not happening, how could you possibly..."

"You have a great ability to bless things and you can do it the other way around, I can help you make it stronger if you allow me to." The shadow said in his thought.

Mat still denying that the shadow just conversed with him. His fear grew and he is already losing his concentration, he can't even move his sweaty body but he still won't open his eyes, thinking that he still has the control over the situation.

Outside the Master's bedroom, Master Navi'Sai felt the disturbance that was happening, but instead of him coming in and help, he sat down and meditated. "I knew it; Nezumi was here all this time."

Going back inside Mat's mind, the shadow moved around as Mat saw his self already in the picture as if he was already in a lucid dream. Darkness was still swallowing whatever light remains in the picture, Mat tried to make an image of the sun or any light source, but he could not do it. A string of light appeared around the creeping shadow image and wrapped around it. Mat was just watching and he knew this is not his doing.

"Mat, it's no use making bright images now, create a light within you, a light coming from you." Said by a very familiar voice, He knew it was his Master Navi talking in his thoughts.

"Now I remember, one of the craziest ideas Master Navi taught to us, imagining my hands all lit up while holding a flaming sword."

Mat imagined a flaming sword appearing on his hand, slowly, his hands started to lit up, but the image of the sword was not able to be completed because it was being eaten by the darkness.

"Maybe I am not giving it my all, this is all crazy, this is impossible, all of this, All I want is to clear this space, If Divine Intervention exist, please do happen now. May this place be blessed with serenity and turn it into a peaceful and quiet place."

Mat clenched his fist harder. He knew he had to believe that he can do something here. While focusing on his core, a pointed spear like image was formed thru these small crystal lights merging with each other in front of his knuckles; it was made of pure light. It was like a full length sword without a hilt or handle, torching from Mat's fist, with all his remaining strength, he swiftly swings his arm and cut the shadow image into halves.

"This is not possible... how can someone like you acquire such light within?...." The voice was thinning as the rat image shadow disappeared slowly " I'm not yet done with you Mat Adaaamm...."

The picture gradually regained its light back. Mat slowly opened his eyes but he felt so drained that he can't move a muscle. Navi'Sai entered the room and caught Mat before he hits himself to the floor.

"Are you all right, Mat? You did it!"

"Master, I-I did it..." Mat said as his last recollection was his master tending him before he finally lost his consciousness.