[You have created a new path to the Crucible.]

[$08#!(8 welcomes the addition of a new path.]

[You have obtained the title: Origin of Reverie]

[The Cor Ena – **** Flame has been born within you.]

[The Cor Ena – **** Flame remains unknown beneath the gaze of $08#!(8]

[$08#!(8 is intrigued by your creation.]

[As the Origin of Reverie, you are now connected to the $08#!(8 through the budding authority of Reverie within you.]

[The Crucible now burns with the invisible flames of Reverie.]

[You have now joined the Pinnacle War of Dreams.]

[As the authority of Reverie grows, more people would tread upon the path you have created. As the Pathstriders of Reverie grow in number and power, so too would the authority of Reverie become.]

[There are currently four existing paths to the Crucible: Dreams, Mares, Nightless and Reverie]

[The Pinnacle War would end only when one Originator of a Cor Ena and one Origin of a Path remains.]

[$08#!(8 bids you good luck.]

[You have ascended.]

Ascension, how easily it came to him. Was this not the same thing he wanted to achieve only recently? Yulaiah ascended in his End, the Shaping Heart catalysing his rise, his rebirth. Is this why Uriah had to do so little to ascend? Has he proven his worth through Yulaiah? Or was it his pioneering of a new path to the Crucible that granted him more than enough qualification to ascend? He did not know. There were too many intricacies to such things that it was difficult for one to truly understand how everything worked. Even Yulaiah's Eyes of Clarity could not see through them. What more Uriah's Eyes of the Drea...

[Reverie demands no other Dream but that of the awakened mind remains within you.]

[Reverie discards all essences of Dreams within you, replacing them with the essence of Reverie.]

[The core essence of Eyes of the Dreamer have been replaced.]

[You have obtained the trait: Eyes of Reverie]

In an instant, Uriah's vision changed. It fractured like shattered glass before blurring into a haze. But soon enough, everything returned to normal... almost.

As he looked all around him, he saw the world he was on, Lombros. It was a dreary grey, cold and silent. But at this moment, it shone with an unknown light, brighter than ever. He could see the countless threads that seemed to be made of sand, each rising from a grave sheltered by Lombros. He could see his threads, the milky white with pinkish tones and the nearly invisible thread. And he could see the two inky shades of threads that led elsewhere, beyond this universe. It seemed no different to before, but if he so much as lose even a bit of focus.... He felt his vision shift.

Something had overlapped with his perceived reality. It was as though he was seeing through a veil, cleverly hidden, but ever present. It was as though his two eyes were split, one seeing what was before him and the other seeing something else. And that something was a lone tower floating in the vastness of the void. The darkness all around could not drown out its majesty as it glimmered like precious jewels. Its entire length was seemingly carved out of diamond, garnering awe from all.

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[Has no one ever told you that it's rude to stare?]

A woman's voice echoed out from the depths of the tower, reaching Uriah across a distance that should not have been crossed. The voice carried a powerful authority, but Uriah knew that it was foreign. It did not belong in this universe, and yet it was here. The authority within the voice tried to push him away, to stop him from peeking while also harming him as a punishment. But the moment it crossed the unknowable distance through the authority of Reverie, it seemingly lost its power. It remained only a form of intimidation with no substance, a bark rather than a bite.

[Interesting. To think there would still be someone with the gall to bother me.]

The woman's voice came once again, and it was clear that she was getting more and more displeased. Uriah did not know who she was, but judging from the way she spoke, he surmised that she must be one of the hidden figures in this universe, much like Benjamin in Yulaiah's universe. As for why someone from an entirely different universe was residing in this one, he did not really care. This meeting was a mere accident.

[Apologies for my transgression. I have only just acquired this power and have lost control of it for a moment. I did not mean to intrude.]

[And yet you did, and still are. If you've no business with me or my Glass Tower, then I recommend you look away. Now.]

Knowing that she could not do anything against Uriah due to his strange power, the woman just resorted to words. She hoped that he would listen, or else she would be forced to track him down and deal with him personally. It was a hassle that she would rather not subject herself to. Fortunately for her, Uriah was a kindly soul.

[I shall be on my way then. I hope the next we meet, it would be in person and under much better circumstances.]

Uriah did not know if she could see him, but he still bowed politely. It was only right to be respectful of others, especially if you have somehow offended them. At least, that was how he used to live. Would his newfound powers change him? He did not know, but he hoped to keep as much of his humanity as possible. He had seen the depths of depravity that those who succumb to their powers fell to, especially in Yulaiah's memories. He recalled the savage appearance of the Divine Fist of Fury and shuddered to even think of what he had done to become like that. In the midst of his thoughts, just as the vision of the Glass Tower was fading away, the woman's voice came one last time.

[How about no.]

The vision of the Glass Tower faded away completely, leaving Uriah shaking his head with a sigh. In any world, it was always difficult to socialise. He thought he would be better at it now after seeing how Yulaiah talked to people, but it was not actually a lot of help. In the end, they were the same. He looked around him to ensure that his vision had returned to normal. And as he saw no other changes, he began to wonder what exactly his Eyes of Reverie had done? He had conjectures, but nothing conclusive just yet with only one instance to base his thoughts on. So instead, he focused on something else.

He looked around him, searching for a thread that would tell him something about what he had just seen. And a while later, he found it. He reached forward and grasped a shimmering thread quite different from the rest. It took a while for him to find it, but now that he had, he would never lose sight of it again. After all, it was incredibly distinct. While all the other threads seemed to be made of countless grains of sand, this one seemed to be made of crystal, of clear glass.

"Glass Tower... Chiral Witch Queen..."

He had his suspicion when he saw the tower's appearance and felt the foreign authority, but now, he had confirmation. The woman he spoke to, the Chiral Witch Queen, was not of this universe. Her authority was not in any way related to Dreams. For she wielded the authority of Mirrors, an authority of a different Crucible entirely.

Crucibles...

Many fail to understand what they are. And even more fail to even be cognisant of them. Perhaps to most people, the universe was the greatest unit of measurement of space, and they would not be wrong. For Crucibles are beyond the concept of time and space. Crucibles are at the very heart of existence. Within them lie the singular concepts through which universes exist. For Yulaiah's universe, they were inexplicably and inevitably drawn toward Eternity. And for Uriah's universe, it is Dreams. But it is not only these two Crucibles that exist. There are more.

Eternity, Dreams, Mirror, Death, Desire, Dominion and Oblivion

These seven Crucibles make up what is known as existence. They are all separate, beyond boundaries that can never be crossed. And yet there are people like the Chiral Witch Queen who cross it still. And there are people like Yulaiah who is sent out of one Crucible and into another. The history of the Alma is one such example. The Alma, a race of disembodied spirits cast away by their own bodies. They were once denizens of Oblivion before being exiled into Eternity. And then there are those who die. No matter where they die, as long as they do, they are sent to Death.

The Crucibles are separate, disentangled from any interference among them. But still they work as one, creating a system for existence to thrive on.