LOVE

ACT I

Chapter 17 – Pan and Opi

We have spoken of the Edens, their deeds, and the creation of the universe. Now it is time to narrate how humans influenced the course of events. But, as promised, before introducing you to their world, I must tell you a story I had previously postponed: the story of two higher spirits, those who, more than anyone else, illuminated and validated the beauty of Memoriam Loco. I am speaking of Pan, the spirit of freedom, and Opi, the spirit of wisdom and knowledge.

These two extraordinary beings, created directly by me by extracting them from Chaos, carried within them an almost immeasurable power. Their essence made them vessels of immense energy, so great that even the Edens had to use other spirits and calamities, inferior in power, to build their armies. But Pan and Opi were on another level. Not only had they received a greater portion of that primordial power, but they had been shaped with pure values, perfect embodiments of freedom and knowledge.

When they left Pandemonium, along with the other spirits and calamities, they had no specific orders. Like everyone else, they followed their instincts. I, as the creator, could see the world through their eyes, but my power could not interfere with their actions. What they did, however, was perfectly in line with what I expected: they acted in respect to the virtues that had created them.

At that time, the universe was very different from what we know today. There were no stars, and darkness enveloped everything. The vastness of creation was a silent and cold expanse, a place without life, without movement, where only the Edens had left their first traces. Desolate planets, devoid of light and sound, moved in an eternal void, sometimes colliding in explosions of rock and dust.

It was in this raw and lifeless world that Pan and Opi began their journey. But they did not merely wander passively among those cold stones. Their curiosity and essence drove them to create, to transform what they encountered. Every step, every gesture brought change. Planets that were simple masses of stone became worlds pulsating with life. Some ignited, transforming into stars, illuminating the darkness and giving warmth to what surrounded them. Others were populated with creatures never seen before, unique ecosystems that exploded in a symphony of shapes and colors.

Pan, with his indomitable spirit, brought freedom wherever he went. Every being he created was not a simple replica of a model, but a unique and free expression, capable of growing and changing. Opi, for his part, with his infinite wisdom, enriched creation with structure and complexity. He created creatures capable of thinking, learning, and transmitting knowledge, giving birth not only to bodies but also to minds capable of exploring the meaning of existence.

Traveling from planet to planet, the two spirits shaped the entire universe. Their powers intertwined harmoniously: where Pan brought the creative chaos of freedom, Opi brought the order of knowledge. Together, they transformed desolation into a place of wonder and diversity. Memoriam Loco, once silent and dark, began to shine with lights and colors, populated by extraordinary creatures that would, in the future, play a crucial role in the destiny of that universe.

But their journey was just beginning, and their role in the history of Memoriam Loco would not stop here. Pan and Opi not only created but also paved the way for those who would come after.

After their passage, a planet was never the same again, not only for what had been created there but for the presence of an unmistakable mark, an eternal testimony that shouted to the cosmos their passage: an obelisk that stands majestic, a poem carved into the firmament, its peak seemingly wanting to touch the eternal. Its structure is a litany of perfection: monolithic and imposing, it is made of a material that defies comprehension, a black crystal like the night, but with iridescent reflections that dance at the touch of light, as if every sunbeam found a secret refuge within it. It seems that time itself does not dare to touch it, an immortal witness of a glorious past and a future yet to be written.

At its base, wide and immovable, lies the first song of its tale: engravings in Eden language, so intricate and subtle they seem not carved but whispered into the material itself. The glyphs, of an arcane beauty, seem to breathe a mystical energy, glowing with a luminescence that imperceptibly changes depending on the time of day. The name of the planet, written with impossible elegance, is not just a mark: it is an oath, an echo of the power of Pan and Opi, the two supreme spirits who transformed chaos into wonder.

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Along its sides, the monolith tells its story. Lines of light insinuate themselves like incandescent veins, carrying a living energy to the tip. This glow, sometimes subtle and discreet, amplifies during the night, when the obelisk transforms into a silent beacon that challenges the stars, proclaiming its presence to the universe. It is as if the structure itself were aware, a solitary sentinel that watches and guards the secrets of the planet.

The pinnacle, slender and perfect, almost dissolves into the air, merging with the sky. From there, a gentle crown of light spreads, an ethereal halo that wraps everything in a sacred calm. The ground surrounding it is pure, free from imperfections, as if the earth itself had chosen to kneel before this marvel.

And every obelisk, though similar in its primordial form, carries with it a unique signature. It is a song without sound, a melody for those who know how to listen. It is a monument to the triumph of beauty over inertia, of life over stone, a silent cry from Pan and Opi, who transformed nothingness into an infinite work of art.

Not all celestial bodies, however, were kissed by their grace. Pan and Opi, almost deliberately, limited their works to a few selected planets, reserving their divine touch only for those worlds they deemed worthy. And among these, only a handful would emerge as crucial for the course of this story. Few, yes, but immense in their meaning.

I ask the reader for patience. The names and roles of these worlds will be revealed at the right time, for every revelation requires its time, every story its breath. Yet, I can already guide you toward the first of these worlds, not in chronological order, but in order of importance: Elysium.

Elysium, the heart of what follows, is the place where the demigods found refuge, where they settled to build a new existence after fleeing the horror of Proxima Mortis. It is here that the second narrative arc will unfold. It is here that the story will come back to life, illuminated by the lights and shadows of a new beginning.

Pan: (with a light and enveloping voice)

Look, Opi, what we've left in our wake: an imperfect, fragmented universe, yet brimming with possibilities. Isn’t it wonderful? Every world, every creature, every star lives in anticipation of a destiny yet to be written.

Opi: (in a grave tone, filled with reflection)

Wonderful, you say? Yet, wherever I cast my gaze, I see incompleteness. Our worlds are born with cracks in their boundaries, our creatures arise with desires that will never be fulfilled. Is this our legacy, Pan? A universe that yearns without ever reaching?

Pan: (a gentle smile lights up his face, as his gaze drifts into the vastness)

Not reaching is the true essence of living, Opi. If we completed everything, we would only have silence, stagnation. But this way… this way, there is movement. There is growth. Every imperfection is an open door to a future we cannot predict. Isn’t this our greatest creation?

Opi: (joining his hands, his words slow)

Yet, Pan, every open door also brings a risk. The freedom we’ve given is a double-edged sword. We cannot know if they will choose to rise or fall. Knowledge without direction, freedom without measure… these are tools that could destroy everything we have sown.

Pan: (with extreme wonder, the face of someone wanting to tell everything in a short time)

And isn’t this the crux of our gift? We’ve created a universe that doesn’t depend on us. We’ve given them the greatest privilege: the ability to choose, to fail, to overcome. I don’t want a universe that depends on our perfection, but one that builds itself upon its imperfection.

Opi: (reflecting for a long moment, then, firmly)

Perhaps you are right, Pan. Perhaps true beauty lies in the incompleteness. Not in the answers, but in the questions. Not in the boundaries, but in the drive to surpass them. But there is a part of me, the older and more cautious part, that wonders if we gave them too much, too soon.

Pan: (opening his arms as if to embrace all of creation, his voice vibrating with enthusiasm)

We gave them enough, and nothing more. We didn’t give them perfection, but the spark that could lead them to seek it. Let them grow, Opi. Let them make mistakes, dream, build. If they ever find balance, it won’t be because we imposed it, but because they found it themselves.

Opi: (a serene smile lifts his lips, and his gaze rests on a distant planet, pulsating with newly born life)

Let it be as you say, then. If imperfection is the seed, may time be the gardener. We will watch from afar, as silent observers, and see if your freedom and my wisdom can lead them to something greater.

Pan: (laughing lightly, the sound as soft as a melody)

Oh, Opi, don’t watch too carefully. Observed freedom loses its momentum. Let them dance, and let’s see what music they create.

Opi: (with a slow nod, his face reflecting a quiet acceptance)

Then let them dance. And may the melody surprise us.