THE RAINBOWS OF HAPPINESS

Chapter Five : The One-Eyed Goddess [page5]

ne after another, without the warriors knowing, countless formless black shadows had surrounded and enveloped the warriors. The shadows mumble something. The warriors, then aware, tried to drive the shadows away and had cut into them with their swords. But the swords only cut into the air emptily. Spears were stabbed, but the sense of hitting against something came empty-handed. The shadows encroached to tighten their surrounding encirclement slowly upon the warriors.

A warrior at the outermost edge tried to outstretch his hand in a fearful manner to touch a part of the shadow. The shadow was cold as ice and rock hard. Even so, nothing was felt being hit against the sword although slashing attempts were made. Finally, the warriors were completely surrounded by the dark black shadows, they were not able to move anymore.

One warrior took the courage to cut into the shadows. At the next moment, a pitch black flames rose into the air, and the warrior was gone. He had disappeared. And then the shadow increased its blackness even further.
Another warrior cried out.
'Are you all a ghost?'
The shadow does not reply.
'An evil spirit, are you?'
A time of silence passed by.

Suddenly, a lightning flashed. For a single moment, something was reflected among the shadow. The warriors looked hard at it. Again, another lightning flashed. This time, the warriors were able to see it clearly. What was reflected among the shadows were the appearances of themselves, frightened by fear and in terror, continuing to fight, being attacked by anxiety themselves. It was never that they fought with pride, but rather, they found out that they were battling in a shamefully sly, uncouth miserable way. They were finally enlightened. They discovered that what motivated them constantly to push forward was their own fear. The black shadow was their own fear itself.

By now, the brave warriors were gone. In their place were only pitiful men who were suffering in the cold and in their own hunger, trembling with fear.