I went and stood by the river. The river was a powerful one. It gushed with a loud roar under the bright autumn sun. I jumped into the deep side of the river. Immediately, I went under the cool water. But the river brought me up again. I coughed with pain. I was ready to die, but the river refused to kill me. Like a mother, it carried me on its waves and carefully deposited me on its bank.

I could not help but laugh at my predicament - I could not even die! I sat on the bank and laughed. Soon the laughter turned into deep sobs. I had never cried like this before. Remorse engulfed me. My body hurt with each sob. I cried for my lost brother, my lost castle and most of all, I cried at the lost chance to go into the city behind the hidden door.

I sat and wept there for several hours. Finally, exhausted and spent, I lay down. I must have nodded off because when I awoke, night with its crisp sounds had arrived. Half awake, my attention went to the night sounds. The night, the river and the trees seemed to be saying something to me. I listened intently.

All the sounds merged and murmured, “One.”

Quite puzzled by this, I fell asleep again and woke up just before the sun did. Slowly I sat up. I was stiff from the cold. I stretched out. My arms were up in the air and just then the sunlight burst through the air dispelling the night's reign of darkness.