The Ashen Keeper

Chapter 135

Live.... what does it mean to live?

She remembered asking, "Teacher, why do we live?"

At that time her teacher replied by telling that it is because we can only experience life once. But, she also mentioned that she must search for her own reason.

Mortal... she knew she was one. Although Thor and Loki were not exactly mortals, they will still get old and die one day like their father. But, for teacher ... she was more than a mortal. She was an immortal. Just this difference meant that their meaning for life would never be the same.

A mortal ... no, she was something else. She was human. Despite having control over reality itself, it cannot be denied that she was still human. Her race remains the same. To the Scarlet Witch, space was a wonderful thing. It was filled with stars and the unknown to explore.

To the little girl hiding under the rubbles of war however, space was a cold, desolate space. An unimaginably harsh and colossal space of death, impossible to survive. Even so, she knew she had people to rely on.

Now, there was no one. Nothing is left to help her. She must finally come to her own terms. Alone with no friends, families or mentors. She had always been wandering aimlessly within the confines of death following along those that she knew.

She had once wondered, what is the meaning of existence? Where is she heading? What did she want? What is the meaning of living?

Does she exist just to exist or was there some meaning to her existence?

All her life, she had lived for her brother vowing to extinguish all those that seeks to harm him. She had been living not for herself but for the sake of killing someone she thought had wronged them. She had been wrong in that instance?

Later, she had feelings far more than vengeance and love for her brother. It was desire.

Some people want money.

Some people want to have the best things available.

Some people want to be popular.

Some people want to date a person.

Some people want to be acknowledged.

Some people want to be healthy.

Some people want to eat delicious food.

Some people want to live a long life.

Some people want to have fun.

Some people want to be happy.

Some people want to rest.

Some people want to be loved.

Such desire were natural parts of a human being. All humans have more than one desire. But, they were unfamiliar to her. Thor, Loki or even her teacher might think she followed along out of gratitude or love but it was different.

She wants to go outside.

All her life, she knew her small room with her loving family that was taken away from her, the lab she was experimented on and that was it. She saw a glimpse of the outside world when Ultron took them out and she desired for more.

An entire universe left to explore. Why would she wish to stay on this giant floating rock? She wants to go outside and see more.

She saw different species around the universe. She tasted a lot of delicious food. Even in space, she saw beings struggling to find a living. She saw some who knew what they want. She saw some who had lost their way. She saw life grow.

And one day after spending many years travelling around with her teacher and coming back to Earth, she saw life die. Her lifespan is far longer than that of a normal human. One by one, people she knew died. Some of old age and some of disease. And now, it was her turn.

When she first ventured out, she thought she was the main character of this world. A tragic childhood and a chosen champion of one the greatest power in the universe. Friends with power and an even more powerful teacher, protecting those weaker than them. It was ... simple fun.

She had never live the life of an average person. Why do people struggle so hard to find a job? Why are they desperate for these marks on a paper? How do the first 20 years of a person's life decides the rest of their entire lives for most people? She never had to worry about that.

But now, she sees that this world will continue after she is gone. Even though, she has disappeared, everyone will go on.

So, in the end what was she?

What did she amount to?

What does it mean to have lived?

Should she make a mark on this world to show that she once lived?

What about the lives that once lived? Did she even remember them?

She no longer knew but the world kept on going its way still as uncaring as ever.

She knew, that to immortals this world was boring something that already had enough of. Something they were bored of.

But to her, to the common people, what was this world? Where were they all headed? Where are they going? And where does she go?

Yet her teacher's replies to all these questions were simple. Live. You must live to find out what you wish to know. Everything is meaningless in death so you must live and search for the answer yourself. Nobody will come save her at this time. She must find out herself.

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[Firekeeper POV]

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She did not make a move as she watched her the eyes of her disciple darted around frantically. She could have used this chance to do a lot of things yet she did not. After all, she was doing this only out of necessity. This does not mean that she likes it.

Similarly, she was sure her disciple would not like that either. She was just not the type of person to accept it with no resistance. She still continued to watch as she came to terms with reality. There was no need to do much.

They were still master and disciple, just on opposite sides. No hard feelings. She was fully prepared to accept being killed by her disciple in turn. And for this, she shall use her bare hands.

Her disciple deserves no less than this. She would accept the full burden of the sin she was about to commit instead of trying to ignore by bombarding her out of sight instead. But first, she had to fulfill the duties of a teacher. To guide a student.

"Live", she called out.

Her disciple was what one would call a genius and it would not take her long to figure it out. But, being a genius would not suffice when facing her. She feared for her disciple. She needed to step out of the realm of a genius. She needs to step into a further realm.

To that, she has only one advice and that was to live. She could no longer understand the feelings of a mortal so this was the best advice she could give. The frantic eyes of her disciple had returned to reason once again. It was time for a proper death match.

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This is chapter 135.

This chapter is heavily referenced from the Boxer (one of the best manhwa).

Tell me what you think.