Once upon a time, in a village named Soullake,
which was in the middle of a dark forest, there lived a young man, Sam. He was about 20 years old. Sam was kind and smart, handsome and strong, but his soul was cursed by the wood elves in his childhood when they saw the invaluable fire of life in his eyes. Because of this curse, he was often overwhelmed by emotions. They were destroying him, his relationships with people, and his life. Somedays he got angry easily, other times he felt scared or downhearted. He didn't know what to do with this curse.One day he felt something heavy on his heart, and tears as sharp as blades crept into his eyes. He did not want a life in which his greatest enemy was himself. In a fit of despair, Sam ran into the forest. He just wanted to get away. He walked deeper than ever before, until the trees looked strange, and the air felt different. Like a dream.
Sam didn't know how long he had been wandering through those woods. Minutes had turned into hours, hours into days, and days into weeks. Finally, calling out for help, Sam heard a voice. It was indistinct, muffled, but present in the air. He ran toward the sound and did not even notice that he had crossed the threshold of a strange maze made of silver branches. He had hope, and he tried to grab it as fast as he could. The walls were made of tall green hedges, and they seemed to move when he wasn’t looking. Sam felt a strange cold running through his back, as if his body instinctively tried to warn him. He turned to go back, but the gate had disappeared.
When he turned back again, he saw someone around the nearest corner. “Hello?” he called. “Is anyone here?” A boy stepped out from behind the hedge. He looked exactly like Sam in his childhood, but his face was full of anger. “I’m the part of you that is hated the most,” the boy said. “You call me when people hurt you”. Sam felt confused. “But I don’t...”, suddenly the boy ran away. He disappeared into the darkness. Sam tried to catch up to him. The next path led to a place filled with mirrors. In each one, he saw himself looking scared. One of the reflections stepped forward. “I am the part of you that limits your desire for a happy life,” he said softly. “I was there when you were afraid of the dark, or when you felt small in this giant world”. Sam nodded: “I remember you”. The living image gave a small smile and melted into the air.
The maze grew quieter. The instinctive sense of anxiety had vanished, but Sam had no reason to stand still. He had to move on. After about an hour of wandering through dark corridors, he emerged into a bright place full of life and greenery. In a small garden full of sad, drooping flowers, Sam saw another copy of him sitting alone. This one looked tired and lonely. Sam wanted to say something, but the other Sam knew he was there. He looked back sadly and with a calm gesture of his hand he invited him to sit next to him: “You made me when you lost things you loved”. Sam sat down next to him: “I forgot how heavy sadness feels”. The copy whispered crying: “You tried to forget me. But I’m still here”. For a moment, they sat together in silence.
Then Sam stood and walked toward the final path. He didn't want to bury his life right there. It wasn't the life he desired. He wanted to break the curse. The path led to a tall stone gate, glowing with soft light. But before he could reach it, another version of himself appeared. It was the youngest version of him. He looked like Sam when he was six. The boy was calm and kind, with a peaceful face. The boy said: “But I only exist when you understand the others”. Sam looked behind him. Anger, fear, and sadness were all there now, quiet and still. They were parts of his soul all along. Doomed to live in it as separate worlds, not as one whole. “I don’t want to feel these things all the time,” Sam said. The boy gave a gentle smile: “You will always feel them. But now, you can listen. And learn”. He held out his hand. Sam took it.
The stone gate opened. Sam was back in the forest. The strange maze was gone. Birds were singing. Everything looked the same, but something inside him had changed. The curse was broken. Now all paths in the outside world are open to him.
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