The Sacred Gem

Legend has it that in the mountains of ancient times, there lies a temple and within this temple lies an ancient gem with origins unknown. This gem is said to hold a great power and anyone who possesses the gem will acquire this great power. All that remain are the ones who vow to protect it. It is told that the monks named the gem Dark Blood for it is as a dark as the darkest shadow with a blood red center like a bleeding heart. It is said that a great spirit lives within this gem and this is why one would absorb great power from within it. There are many reasons given to people that ask why no one has found this gem or even the temple itself, but no ones know for certain what really happened or if it even really exists at all.

One day, Chin is sitting at home, watching TV when his phone starts to ring. Chin picks it up and is surprised that it is his father asking if he would like to go for a walk in the park since he hasn't seen his father in a very long time.

“Of course,” Chin says as heads out the door to meet his father.

When Chin gets to the park, he sees his father sitting on a stone waiting for him so Chin heads over. They catch up on each other's lives. Then they are talking about the legend that his father talked about so much when Chin was young. This gets Chin thinking about the legend and he looks to his father with great wonder in his eyes.

He asks, “Father, why is the great gem so important to you?”

“This is a good question, my son,” his father replies to him with honest eyes. “You will find out when the time is right. All I ask of you is that you never lose faith in it. Can you do this for me, son?”

Chin nods. “Yes, Father. I will do this for you.”

After this, they decide to part ways and head home. The next morning, Chin has this strange feeling that he has to go see his father. He cannot blow off the feeling no matter how hard he tries so Chin decides to go and see him. When Chin goes to his father's house, a woman comes rushing out to see him.

“I'm so sorry, Chin,” she whispers in his ear, embracing Chin in her arms as she continues to speak. “He was a good man.”

Chin breaks her grip and looks at her in disbelief. Tears flow from her eyes. “What do you mean he was a good man?”

“I am so sorry to have to break this to you, Chin, but your father passed away in his sleep last night.”

As Chin fights back the tears, he asks the woman if he could pay his last respects. She agrees and lets him go in to pay his respects to his father. As he does this, he remembers what his father told him about the great gem. Chin cannot think of a better way to honor his father then to find the great gem that his father held so dear to his heart. He looks at his father's body and makes a vow to him that he will find the great gem and prove that the legend is true. He kisses his father on the forehead and heads for the door.

Once Chin gets home, he prepares himself for the journey ahead.

*

Chin travels from mountain to mountain as he searches every temple for answers. He asks every monk if they knew of a great gem known as Dark Blood. Every time he does, they will look at him in disgust. Some would even say as they shoo him off the grounds, “How dare you ask of such a thing on sacred ground? Please go away.”

He is about to give up hope and head home when he notices a figure in the distance. He approaches him and notices that the stranger is wearing a long black torn robe with a hood on his head. He is a little spooked, but he continues to proceed.

“Excuse me, sir, do you know anything about a gem known as Dark Blood?” he asks.

The stranger stops and turns to face Chin. He looks Chin straight in the eyes with eyes dark as night as if to piece into his soul then the stranger starts to walk again. Chin is scared but knows in his gut that he has to follow this stranger if he is to find the answers he is looking for. He follows him for what seems like forever until they stop. He is overwhelmed with wonder and fear for the stranger has led him to a dark cave like entrance of what looks like an ancient temple.

Chin looks at the man and asks, “Where am I?”

All the cloaked man does is point to the entrance as if he is telling Chin to go in. So against all instincts, Chin enters and the entrance seals shut behind him. He knows he has to keep moving but finds it hard to do so. The only light he has is the light of the moon shining through the cracks in the ceiling. He continues to cling to the walls of the temple moving very slowly then he notices something amazing. When he touches certain parts of the wall, it will light up. He notices that the lit up parts make a path so he decides to follow the bricks that lit up. He does this for quite some time until he hits the end of the lighted tunnel.

When he does, he notices that the walls stopped glowing and instead six torches suddenly light up. As he jumps back, he sees a wooden table encased with gold and the gem is upon it. The gem is as dark as the darkest shadow with blood red in the center that a person will swear is a bleeding heart. His heart fills with joy for he knows that he has finally found the gem known as Dark Blood. As he is about to head to the gem, the torches go out but for just a second. When they relight, he sees a woman is standing in front of him.

Chin freezes. “Who are you?”

“Do not fear, Chin. We have been waiting for you,” she replies.

“How do you know my name? Who are you?”

“I am the High Priestess of this temple and the great spirit of the gem known as Dark Blood told me you would come for him.”

The priestess points to the legend carved into the walls. He notices it is the same one that has been passed down to him except for one added detail. To gain the great spirit's power, one would need to feed the great spirit. He thinks about it then notices a knife sitting on the table and what looks like blood staining the surface. He knows what he has to do as he reaches and proceeds to cut his hand. Once he does, Chin lets the blood drip unto the table and watches as the gem absorbs his blood. It shakes a little then stops.

He notices from the corner of his eyes that the priestess is not standing in the same spot anymore. He turns around and sees that she has transformed into a beast and is charging at him. When she gets him, she wraps her hands around his neck screaming with a hiss in her voice. “What have you done?! Why did you awaken it?”

He reaches for the knife as he gasps for air. With a quick swing, he thrusts the blade into her gut. As he feels her soul fleeing from her body, the blood runs down the blade and pools at their feet. As falls, she says with her dying breath, “You have failed us all.”

When she hits the floor, she bursts into ash. He decides to shake it off and proceeds to the gem. He puts out his hand and grabs it. He holds it in his hand for a bit, but nothings happens and he starts to think maybe he came all this way for nothing. Then he feels a sharp pain shoot from the gem into his wound. He can only watch in fear as he sees what looks like veins shoot from the gem.

“Who awakens the great spirit of Dark Blood?” a voice calls out. As this is happening, Chin can see a stream of black smoke flow from the gem that is now looking as if it has become one with him. The voice continues to speak. It says, “Ahh, I see you have come at last, Chin. I have been waiting for you. Now we can become one and I can once again rule.”

The great spirit starts to laugh as Chin can only look at it in disbelief as he thinks to himself aloud, “What have I done? I have doomed us all.”

Then a familiar voice begins to echo in his ear. It says to him, “Remember what I told you, Son.”

Chin shoots up and and the great spirit says in angry voice, “What are you doing?! Have you no respect for your god?! Kneel before me, weak one!”

Chin replies, “I will never submit to you!”

Then as if someone grabs his hand and swings it for him, he swings his hand at the table knocking the gem off with great force.

The great spirit screams out in a rage. “NO! What have you done?! You ruined all of it and now you will pay!”

As the great spirit charges after Chin, a great light shoots from the gem and the great spirit disappears into it as the temple starts to shake. Drained of blood, Chin passes out as the temple starts to collapse. When the dust clears, he finds himself starting to wake up. He looks up as he sees a bright light. Then he hears a familiar voice start to speak to him.

It says to him, “You did it. I am proud of you, Son.”

Chin looks to his right as tears of joy starts to flow from his eyes. He shouts with joy, “Father, is that you?”

“Yes, Son, it is me.”

Chin is filled with excitement until he looks down and sees a familiar body lying in the rubble. It finally dawns on him. “Father, I thought you were dead. How can this be?”

“I am, Son,” he replies.

Then Chin takes another look at the body lying in the debris and he realizes why the stranger looks so familiar. That stranger is not a stranger, it is him and Chin falls to his knees.

“How can this be?”

His father replies, “Fear not, my son. What you did was for the good of all and now we can be a family again.”

“You know, Father, you always did know to turn a frown upside down.”

As they start to walk away into the sunset, they can't help but hear a dark cackle coming from the rubble. Chin and his father decide it is best to keep walking into the light, but Chin can't help but wonder if it is really over. He thinks about it for a second then shakes it off and focuses on reuniting with his father.

To this day, no one knows exactly what the gem has in it or what happened to Chin. All they know is that the legend is passed from family to family to this day. Nobody ever questions the power of the legend except for a few brave souls and those brave souls are never heard from again.