Helix

Ouroboros...

My name is Yin. Spirits have been haunting the Kurai mountains for as long as the village elder can remember. Spirits are dark and ferocious beasts that abduct the living and only a handful have ever been able to slay them before. In a world terrorized by monsters such as these, I'm no ordinary workperson. I'm going to be a spirit slayer. 

In the past few centuries, the only person who has successfully been able to slay a spirit, was my father, Naibu. His many years of research bore fruit in the form of the enchanted carbon steel swords that he'd forged, the only material that has been proven effective against spirits. Unfortunately, when he was returning from the Kurai apex, having slain one spirit, the exhaustion eventually led to his death. He passed away before he could teach the other village blacksmiths the methods he used to forge the carbon steel. And since he'd carried most of his weaponry and armour with him, there were only two swords left in his armoury, back home. 

One for me, and one for my brother Yang.

Our disheartened ruler immediately ordered the village sensei, Master Nozomi, to teach us how to wield the weapons, and said that we'd be rewarded if we found the rest of father's weaponry. As we trained, many individuals attempted to retrieve the weaponry, but ended up returning halfway due to being overwhelmed by fear. They claimed to have heard eerie sounds and seen shadows lurking every now and then. Some also claimed to have seen the spirits. But not a single soul was able to make the journey to the apex.

But we were determined to accomplish the feat, and bring pride to our father's name.

And thus, after years of training, we finally thought we were ready to journey to Kurai. Having received the elders' and the king's blessings, we took their leave.

As the moon veiled itself behind a shroud of dark clouds, Yin and Yang embarked on their foreboding journey to the Kurai mountains. The air grew thick with an unsettling stillness, broken only by the crunching of leaves and distant howls that sent shivers down their spines. The path ahead seemed to vanish into an abyss, swallowed by an endless, swirling expanse of shadowy trees. As they trudged deeper into the heart of this eerie path, the silence became deafening, and a whispering breeze caressed them, carrying hints of an otherworldly presence. The ancient trees loomed overhead, their gnarled branches reaching out like skeletal fingers, as if beckoning them into their deathly embrace. Every step echoed with an unsettling hollowness, amplifying their growing unease. Having reached the foot of the tall mountain, Yang really wanted to turn back and leave; but Yin convinced him to be strong, and reminded him that it was the least they could do, to honour their family's legacy. Though still unnerved, Yang reluctantly nodded, and the duo continued to look for their father's weaponry. And after hours of searching, Yang found the scabbards.

"Yin, we should leave now. We have what we came for."

"Brother...imagine how much pride we'll see in our mother's eyes if we tell her that we made it to the apex! Imagine if we slayed a spirit! Imagine the riches that our king would shower us with! Do you not wish to help our mother pay off our dues? Think very carefully, Yang. I think it's worth a shot. What say?"

Yang can be apprehensive at times...but I knew he'd bend soon. He always has. I could swear I saw his eyes sparkle at the sound of more riches, unless I'd mistaken my own reflection for it.

He started to pace back and forth...he was truly deep in thought. But I knew that his inherited greed would get the better of him, despite his contemplation.

And sure enough, he nodded.

Yang: I knew it. I'd expected Yin to let greed control his actions. He'd always been the greedy one. I was sure that, no matter what I said, he would choose to go into the cave. I couldn't let him risk his life alone, what kind of brother would that make me? I had to accompany him...I had to save him from the spirits that we could potentially encounter. I had to be with him until the very end.

I had to say yes.

Within less than an hour, we made it to the Kurai apex, determined to slay a spirit. Atop the mysterious mountain, we were shocked to see the mouth of a cave. A downward-spiralling stone staircase followed, lit by nothing more than the dim torches in our hands. We were surrounded by deafening silence...there was no wind, and no sign of any life at all. But that's when we felt them; a cool breeze suddenly ruffled through our hair, and the floor showed hints of pale blue. We stopped moving for a moment, and you could clearly hear the sound of footsteps...slow, heavy footsteps, thudding down towards us. Yang and I looked at each other, and we started moving faster. 

Suddenly, there was silence yet again. I could practically hear the voices in Yang's head, constantly urging him to turn back, but the seed of greed was louder. As we made it closer to the bottom of the cave, I grinned. All this time, I'd been testing him; I wanted to see if he'd make the more noble choice, and turn back with the weaponry. I wanted to see if he'd coerce me into safety...but no. He let his greed get the better of him, and such a person would be harmful to the king's army. Such a person would bring shame to my family, to my father. I couldn't let unfit hands claim the king's riches like this, and so, I brought him down here, where I'd secure the safety and pride of my family and kingdom.

"Yang." 

He looked behind, and slightly shuddered when he registered the unsheathed sword in my hand.

"I'm sorry, brother. But this must be done. You are an unfit heir."

"What are you talking about? Yin, are you okay?"

I scoff. "Of course, brother. But these petty attempts at concealing the truth won't do you any good. As a formal courtesy, I suggest and request that you draw your sword."

"Yin! Are you out of your mind! Why would I fight you? What do you mean by saying that I'm an 'unfit heir'? Y-you're unhinged!'

I'd heard enough about these stalling methods before, and so, I struck the blade at him with all my might. A loud clang followed as my blade clashed with Yang's, now drawn as well. I grinned and lashed out once more, only to be deflected yet again.

"Yin! Stop! This is insane!"

"I know. It'll end, I promise."

I pressed my sword against his, and as I pressed harder, both the blades began to glow. A pale, reddish hue started to emerge from the sides of the swords. 'Hmm...', I wondered..., 'maybe this is the enchantment.' While Yang was distracted, I retracted the blade and immediately slashed at his chest. There was no deflection. There was no sound. I smiled.

As I turned around, expecting to see my defeated brother's lifeless body, I felt his blade sink in my stomach. I gulped, a smile growing on my face, as my vision suddenly got shaky. I fell on my knees. He'd dodged the strike...that's why there was no deflection. 

I closed my eyes.

Yang: I gasped in horror as Yin fell to the ground, a partial smile on his face. I had no idea why he attacked me, but the killing blow hurt me just as much as it must've hurt him. I felt the tears rolling down my cheeks, but I wiped them instantly. Now truly alone, the fact that I was in a spirit-haunted cave dawned on me. I felt a chilling wave of fear momentarily paralyze my body, but I shook it off. I had to run home. I tried not to imagine the conversation that I'd have to have with my mother...explaining why I ended up killing Yin. I took a deep breath, and turned to grab my brother's sword. As I held its hilt, Yang suddenly jerked upright.

His hands began to turn blue. His nails doubled in size. His skin began to become translucent, with a tinge of pale blue. He started to grow in size. My jaw dropped in horror as I noticed that his blood had disappeared...a purple mist began to surround his body, and his now blue eyes lit up with rage. 

And that's when it hit me.

The enchantment, designed to be used on spirits, had transformed my brother into one.

I knew that I had to slay him, but my hands felt numb. I couldn't move. I was too shocked to think straight. I began running up the stairs, but a loud 'thud' followed as I felt the staircase reduce to rubble beneath my legs. My brother, or, the spirit, was out to get me. I hung from a ledge as the floor crumbled beneath me. The torch lights had gone out, and the only light in the entire cave came from the torches that we'd set outside, at its entrance. My heart pounding harder than ever, I let out a primal scream, but I knew that nobody was within earshot. I helplessly closed my eyes as Yin jumped towards me and sunk his claws in my sides. 

Then everything went purple.

I let out an explosive breath as everything came back into focus. The last thing I remembered was being stabbed by my brother, Yang. And yet, here I was; very much alive. I immediately stood up, and realized that the entire staircase had been reduced to rubble. I tried to grab my sword, but there wasn't enough light for me to see. 'Great', I thought. Imagine what I'd have to tell my mother! 'Mother, Yang beat me in a duel.' Imagine how the elders and the king would mock me! But I'd cross that bridge when I'd come to it. The more pressing issue was that I needed to get out of here. 

I saw a ledge sticking out of the wall above me, and so I jumped onto it. But as I looked down, I noticed a large, pale blue spirit jump up, from the ruins and sink its claws into my sides. 

I closed my eyes, and everything went purple...

-Armaan Kothare

***

Hello reader! Thanks for checking out this story! Please let me know your thoughts, suggestions and/or feedback in the comments section below, as I'd love to hear about your take on its message and meaning :D

As for my take, I personally wanted to make a story that ended in a perfect loop...and an ironical one. The protagonists of the story are Yin and Yang, which, if you recall, are related to a chinese concept related to balance and cycles. I deliberately named them Yin and Yang as according to the philosophical concept, they are meant to balance each other. And ironically, they do. But due to their perfect abstract weights, they are ultimately locked in an endless and vicious cycle of death. And to make matters worse, no third person is likely to interrupt this cycle, as it has already been declared earlier in the story that everyone bails out when they reach the foot of the mountain. 

On a positive note, this cycle can very much be stopped; but both characters would need to come to an understanding, and that is quite unlikely. 

But that's just my take! I'd love to hear yours, so once again, please do leave any thoughts or suggestions in the comments section! They help out a ton!

Stay tuned for more posts soon :)

Thanks for reading!