I WON'T JUST LAY DOWN AND DIE

TEMPLE OF THE BLIND GODDESS

The boy did not wake even after three days. He seemed to have found peace in his slumber. One cannot always hide from reality, reality is a b*tch and will always be so.

Sleep could not save him, his body and mind which had been exhausted had now recovered. The eyes that had been closed now opened, and slowly adjusted to the light of his surroundings. He looked around hoping the nightmare he had experienced would be as it sounded, just a nightmare. But as said earlier, reality is one hell of a b*tch and will not bend even for this three-year-old boy. He noticed his new environment and knew that what had happened was indeed real

He sat up on the soft bed he found himself on, it was softer than what he was used to. But the boy was so sad that he did not notice the nature of what he sat on. He hugged his legs tightly, tears flowing freely. It's a universal response to weep when in pain, regardless of the world in which you find yourself.

After what felt like an eternity, he heard footsteps outside the room. This snapped him out of his mourning, and he looked around, finally noticing the nature of the room he sat in.

There was a lone glass window, which allowed the rays of the sun into the small room. In the room, there was a bed, and Maxwell was sitting on it. The only other things in the room were a table and a chair that lay in a corner. The walls were plain and bare.

Maxwell was looking around when he heard the door to the room open. A man in a white robe with green straps at the bottom walked in. He seemed to be in his late forties and had tired-looking bags under his eyes.

He looked lazily at Maxwell and said " The sleeping prince has finally decided to wake up, I thought I would have to kiss him,"

He paused as he looked at the boy in front of him expecting a reaction but received none as the boy stood up from the bed and gave the man he deemed strange a bow

" Mistuh, thank you for saving me," Maxwell said in muffled sounds a sign that he had been crying.

The man was surprised, he expected the boy to act panicked because he found himself in a strange place but he did not.

He decided to put his thoughts at the back of his mind as he spoke, "Follow me, we will talk after you freshen up" gesturing to Maxwell to follow him.

Maxwell did as he was told, and followed the man to a big bath which looked more like a public bath.

The hallway he passed was just as plain and bare as the room he was just in. He passed by people who wore similar attire to that of the strange man who led him.

The man helped him freshen up and gave him a similar attire.

He left Maxwell in the bathroom hallway to attend to other matters.

"Is he the one..., poor thing"

" He is too young, we cannot explain to him what happened, Let him grow first"

" I will take him under my care"

"Maxwell heard what sounded like a conversation from the hallway where he was standing. His thoughts drifted back to the scene from three days ago."Maa, I miss you," he whispered.

*********

In an unknown place, beings sat around a large table, their figures and faces obscured. Some emitted blinding lights, while others stood as swirling smoke, some flames while others rubble of rocks.

" Where is it," voices echoed in the room with their owners unknown.

" We need to destroy it before it grows" The voices continued to echo.

"It was last seen close to the territory of Thea"

" I have people there, I will make arrangements".

The voices faded away as the beings who once sat around the table disappeared.

**********

A boy who seemed to be the same age as Maxwell walked up to him.

"You have been summoned by the blind priestess," the boy delivered his message to Maxwell, scrutinizing him. He wore a pitiful expression and gestured for Maxwell to follow him.

They came out of the hallway into a bland garden. The garden had a rectangular plot of neatly trimmed grass with only a few nondescript bushes along the edges. There was no vibrant floral display, no charming pathway, or decorative features like sculptures or fountains.

He followed the boy closely, occasionally throwing glances at his surroundings.

They made their way toward a building, unlike the rest of the buildings that looked bland, this one was a bit unique. In front of the building stood a statue. A statue of a female angel with a blindfold, the statue had its hand stretched out, seemingly trying to grab the unknown.

The boy bowed to the statue and gestured for Maxwell to do the same. He obliged and also bowed.

" Let him in," they heard a voice from inside the building that stood behind the statue.

Maxwell glanced at the boy who nodded, he then made his way inside. The boy who came with Maxwell did not follow him making him nervous.

Maxwell gritted his teeth and made his way in. The building did not have a door but had a macrame curtain. He pushed the curtain aside and entered. The room was extremely dark, Maxwell turned trying to look for the doorway but everything was dark behind him as well.

"Don't be afraid, have a seat" Maxwell heard a female's voice, a soothing voice that could calm all nerves. His tensed nerves calm as he unconsciously sat where he stood, he could not see anything but felt like he had sat on a chair.

" Max, welcome to the temple of the blind goddess, It seemed you had seen what a child of your age shouldn't." Maxwell once again heard the voice.

Upon hearing what it said, his mind wandered back to the night of the tragedy and tears tripped down his cheeks.

He felt a hand on his head as the memories that made him sad seemed to vanish, he could not remember the face of his Maa, nor what had transpired in the village he had once known.

"It appears you've become more powerful since your last visit. These memories might resurface within the next three years or less."

Max could not hear the woman as he felt dizzy, if he could see his surroundings, he would have seen the world spinning. He lost consciousness.

**********

He awoke in an entirely different setting, finding himself in a room vastly different from the one he had previously slept in.

"Sister, he is awake," announced a young woman dressed in the customary nun's attire – a long black robe adorned with a veil and a simple wimple.

Maxwell was startled, he got up looking at the woman intently. He could not remember anything including the events that transpired at the temple of the blind goddess.

" Maxwell, how are you feeling" the woman said softly aware of the fact that her earlier action had startled the boy. Maxwell who could not remember anything instinctively moved in response to the mention of his name.

" Maxwell is that my name" Maxwell, said as she looked at the woman with eager eyes.

"It seemed he had lost his memories but reacted to the name that came with him", the woman mumbled to herself as she gave him a nod.

She was about to speak when an older woman with a similar attire entered.

" Theresa, thank you for taking care of him," she said as she looked at Maxwell affectionately.

" Max, welcome to your new home, come I want you to meet your new friends," she said gesturing to Maxwell to follow her.

Maxwell followed the woman as they made their way out of the room.

They arrived at what appeared to be a playground, where children of his age were joyfully playing and enjoying their childhood. As innocent as he was, being only three years old, he yearned to join in on their fun.

The woman who had brought him called one of the kids over. The kid unaware of the reason for their summon ignored the woman and grabbed Maxwell's hand gesturing to him to join their fun.

" Sister Ruth, shouldn't we ask him..." Theresa was interrupted by the older woman who is identified as Ruth.

" He is three years old, what do you want from him, let him be." She said with a gentle smile playing on her lips.

"Our goddess is a mother to all irrespective of their background", she said once again as she found herself a comfortable place to sit. She looked content as she gazed at the kids playing.

********

At the temple of the blind goddess

"You know the drill", the man who had saved Maxwell earlier spoke as he gestured for the residents of the temple to enter a portal. Swarms of demonic beast had infiltrated the temple destroying and killing anyone on site.

" They found out too quickly," He thought to himself as he also made his way in.