Chapter 44

(the end?)

Xinpo emerged from the obsidian wall unscathed, but he found himself in a place that was just as bad, if not worse. Slick black tentacles writhed all around him, pressing in, smashing, and biting. He could see the smaller eyes staring at him as he fought to untangle himself from the thick mass of squirming appendages.

There was no direction in which he could move without encountering more of the writhing mass. A new sense of horror filled him. Panic began and quickly overtook his higher consciousness. He needed to get out, he needed to move, to be free. He couldn't stand being trapped in something so tight and restrictive. His pulse began racing, and his muscles tensed as he fought to free himself from the clutches of the gigantic creature all around him.

Unused to actually having a fleshy, soft, movable, and pliable body, Xinpo’s primal self had taken over. His normally logical and clear-minded self was having difficulty dealing with the overwhelming sensations. Never before had he been able to feel so many things at once.

Thus far in this body, he had been relatively alone, swimming through the sea of greenish liquid held within the eyeball. But now, the abrupt entry of the writhing tentacles sliding across his skin, delving into places he had not even thought about on his body, biting with their teeth and squeezing tight as they encircled him, was too much.

"Xinpo, calm down," Jarow's voice sounded in his mind. "You need to create a pocket, a place where you can hold back the tentacles from encroaching. You were with me the entire time; you know how to do this."

But Xinpo was not in the proper state of mind to fully understand what Jarow was trying to tell him. His mind raced with thoughts of getting free, of fear, and threatened to shut down. He didn't want to think of pockets or what he had seen when Jarow was in the body instead of him.

Still, a small, niggling thought passed through his anxiety and took hold in Xinpo's mind. He had witnessed Jarow spinning with a sword in each hand, using his powers in unison with his attacks. Jarow had somehow always found a way to keep himself from being smashed in like Xinpo was being now.

Xinpo didn't possess the same muscle memory as Jarow, but he was familiar with the techniques and moves of the combat systems that Jarow used. He understood the powers and their effects in this environment, most of which were not favorable but still useful at times. Xinpo knew what needed to be done: he just had to overcome his claustrophobia and anxiety.

Fortunately, the Aether Skin prevented Xinpo from taking damage from the sharp bites. While he could still feel the weight pressing against him and the sting of the teeth as they attempted to penetrate his flesh, they were disintegrated by the remarkable power of the armor before they could inflict any permanent physical harm.

With great difficulty and reluctance, Xinpo closed his eyes and prepared to begin fighting back. He visualized the slashes he would make, feeling his muscles twitch as his imaginary body swung the sword in his mind. The magic tingled at his fingertips as his mental dance continued. Then, a new and unusual prompt appeared.

Transformation option available. Do you wish to take the form of: Shadow Wing?

Transformation option available. Do you wish to take the form of: Luminous Bolt?

The small window that appeared before Xinpo's mental eye was surprising. He hadn't known he could transform, let alone been thinking about what or how he could possibly do so. His mind had been preoccupied solely with finding a way to escape this dire situation.

"Xinpo, you can transform!" Jarow's excited voice rang out in Xinpo's mind.

"Yes, it appears as though I can, but what are these and what would they do?" Xinpo recognized the irony of him asking these questions of Jarow rather than the other way around. Normally, it was Xinpo who provided advice and assistance to Jarow, relying on his knowledge of powers and abilities. Now, however, he found himself in the unfamiliar position of seeking guidance from Jarow.

Alongside the constant pressure and stinging associated with being ensnared within the tentacles of the Void Weaver, Xinpo felt a now familiar itching at the back of his neck while Jarow thought over the possibilities.

"Fellborn: your race. It's basically half demon and half angel, right? I think that means you can transform. Shadow wing, that sounds like a small flying creature, like a bat or something, and Luminous bolt, that is probably similar, but more like a fairy or something," Jarow relayed his thought process excitedly.

Xinpo contemplated this. If he could become a shadow and slip through these tentacles, that would provide him with the escape he had been waiting for.

"Half demon and half angel. How does that happen?" Jarow questioned, his voice still echoing in Xinpo's mind. "Would an angel fall in love with a succubus? Oh, I'll bet it's more likely the demon is the daddy and impregnated an angel, uhh... without consent? Yeah, I shouldn't be thinking about things like that right now."

Xinpo could feel the slight bit of excitement mixed with the embarrassment Jarow was feeling while thinking about the combination. Xinpo was less interested in how this race was made and more in what it could do. He opened his character sheet and saw next to the line with his race three small round pips.

The first indicator was lit, bearing a large ‘H’ for humanoid. The next two were blank; one labeled with the letters ‘SW’ (Shadow Wing) underneath, the last marked with ‘LB’ (Luminous Bolt). Xinpo was certain he hadn't seen these options before when he had opened his character sheet, yet here they were now, accompanied by a small slider to facilitate the choice between the three.

Rather than worry about why he hadn't noticed these options before, Xinpo decided it would be in his best interest to place them in a more accessible location. He mentally moved the switch from his character sheet onto his visual UI and placed it along the right side of his vision.

With its location set, there was only one last thing he needed to do. "Hold on," he mentally told Jarow.

With a mental push, he moved the slide upward. The indicator shifted from ‘H’ to ‘SW’, and the circle labeled ‘H’ grayed out while the one labeled ‘SW’ lit up. Xinpo almost instantly felt his body shrink. But "shrink" didn't properly describe the actual sensation. There was definitely a component of losing size, but the larger part was more a loss of mass. His body, the feel of his skin and internal organs, his ability to see, hear, feel, and so on were simply compacted. He felt at the same time whole, but separate.

At first, the loss of sensations brought on a new form of panic attack. It reminded Xinpo of being back within the metal body of the sword, his sense of touch disappearing almost instantaneously. It was both frightening and at the same time liberating, but quickly, Xinpo's mind began once again receiving information. It was similar to the way he'd "seen" while in object form, which was triggering, but the sensation was less static and more mobile.

He soon found that he actually still did feel his body, though the sensations were dulled and transparent compared to his flesh-and-blood body. He looked down and saw himself as a wisp of smoke, a shadow made semi-solid. His body still responded, but its movement and motion were altered, quicker but slower to react.

He was no longer bound by the encircling tentacles. He easily slid around and through the mass, rising upward in search of an end to the relentless tangle of the Void Weaver's body. Before, as Jarow, he had been able to see the universe and sense its location, even though it seemed close yet distant at the same time. Now, though, Xinpo was having a difficult time untangling himself from the Void Weaver itself.

Another side effect Xinpo noticed was that he couldn't feel Jarow's presence. His mind was blank and empty. Even when Xinpo wasn't feeling the itchiness of Jarow's thoughts, his presence was always there. Now it was simply gone, and that feeling worried Xinpo more than any thought of how this shadowy form resembled his previous sword form.

Still, he refused to believe that he had lost his other half. He continued to move forward, hoping and believing that once he regained his solid form, Jarow would be there with him again.

He moved along as a shadow through the Aether, his body easily navigating the knots and clusters of tentacles that still wriggled as if in search of his physical form.

He thought several times about returning to his physical form, but there simply wasn't enough space. Going back meant facing the pressing mass again, confronting his fears, and enduring the pain and pressure that would assail him once more. The prospect of doing so was a strong deterrent, propelling him to keep moving forward in his shadow form.

However, there was another major downfall to this form, one that Xinpo hadn’t known or recognized in time. While there wasn't an apparent time limit to this form, the longer he continued moving, the more he felt himself losing. Memories began to fade, becoming irrelevant and meaningless.

Next, his personality began to wane. There were moments when he forgot why he was navigating through this sea of undulating blackness. Only the drive to move forward kept him from simply fading into nothingness.

Xinpo drifted off; this quest he was on seemed pointless. He would never be able to escape this place. These tentacles obscured everything. The thought of them ending seemed far-fetched, a hope he all but abandoned. He was a shadow now. He would dwell here within the darkness for all eternity, one with the Aether, a part of, yet separate from the darkness of the Void Weaver.

Darkness was all, it was unending and forever. He was a part of that darkness now. He was the shadow, the writhing mist. He was eternal and would always be here swirling through and next to the darkness. The void, the nothingness, the Aether inbetween.

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“What is this?” Xinpo asked himself as he slid around a tentacle to find that there was a space beyond the void. He spied the area, finding its appearance alien and odd. It was vacant and painful. Light was here. It made him feel less than a shadow, but at the same time made him wonder, think, and feel.

“I used to feel, didn’t I?” a small voice asked in the back of his clouded mind. Then the voice continued and asked him other questions. “Aren’t you supposed to be more? Weren’t you supposed to be doing something important?”

Xinpo pondered these questions as best he could. It was hard for him to think, difficult to try and remember. He was a shadow, he was a creature of darkness, without form. He slid through the darkness, moved his body around the tentacles. He was one with them.

Then a word, a name came to Xinpo. It was something he hadn’t thought of in a very long time. “Jarow.” The name meant something to him, but he wasn’t quite sure what. It felt like it was him, but it also wasn’t.

Xinpo tried to focus more, tried to think of what Jarow was. Tried to remember who ‘he’ was. A small unfamiliar light emerged in his vision. Then there were two other objects above and below, but they were gray, their lights weren’t turned on. For some reason Xinpo felt these small gray circles meant something. Meant that there was something he should do with them.

Other buttons and transparent objects began returning to his vision: circles with pictures on them, powers, and a small man-looking thing with three colored bars underneath. "That's my avatar," Xinpo thought to himself.

His mental focus returned to the three circles. The one with ‘SW’ underneath was the one with the light on. Something told him it should be the one with the ‘H’ though.

Xinpo couldn't imagine what 'H' stood for, or why he would want to change the light, but something told him he should. Normally he didn't listen to the memories, the thoughts of things other than the darkness and shadow, but this time he decided it might be important.

He wasn’t sure how to change the little switch, to make the circle with the ‘H’ light up. He tried telling it to, but that didn’t work. Then he attempted to move his shadowy wing in the air before him where the switch floated in his vision, but that failed as well.

Finally, he focused on it and willed it to change, exerting considerable mental effort beyond what he thought should be necessary. Gradually, his determination prevailed, and the switch began to move. The small light originally on 'SW' grayed out, and the 'H' circle lit up.

Instantly, the shadows around Xinpo coalesced and solidified, forming a body from their substance; sensations returned, including touch, taste, smell, even distant and vague sounds.

With the return of his body came the flood of memories and thoughts. Information streamed back into Xinpo's mind, causing him to reel in pain. He grabbed his head in anguish as the pain targeted the newly reformed area of his body."

Then a familiar voice echoed in his mind. "Are you okay? I was afraid you were lost, we’ve been apart for so long!"

Xinpo was experiencing too much pain to respond, but he was glad to hear Jarow's voice again. Things that had seeped away smoothly—memories, thoughts, his personality, desires, and sensations—all smashed themselves back into Xinpo's brain.

"Can you help?" Xinpo mentally cried out to Jarow, or anyone else who might be around to offer him some slight bit of respite from the relentless pounding inside his head.

Gloriously, the pounding lessened, and the pain and pressure, which had made him feel like his head was about to explode, decreased. Xinpo could finally start to think again, though the pain still lingered, albeit dulled.

"What's going on? Why does this hurt so much?" Xinpo mentally hissed.

"There is a lot of information trying to find a place within your mind. It's like a huge traffic jam, and until the pieces can find the right spot to park, the jam isn't going to stop. I slowed the flow to a minimum for now, though," Jarow explained to Xinpo, knowing the explanation wouldn’t help much with the anguish.

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Jarow could once again sense their surroundings. He had been partitioned off while Xinpo had been in his shadow form. Xinpo was now in a small pocket of Aether which surrounded the universe, floating above the Void Weaver in a manner of thinking. Jarow could sense the universe near them, and could tell that Frank and Tenebrous were working to create this pocket, pushing outward at the Void Weaver to allow Jarow and Xinpo to work.

During their separation, Jarow's existence had been bleak and solitary, yet he managed to maintain some level of consciousness throughout. He had grappled with the challenges of his new state since being placed within the sword, but had been doing his best to conceal those anxieties from Xinpo. The time apart afforded him the chance to acclimate to his new form as well as look over and refine his abilities.

Jarow focused on honing his telekinesis, his soul still tethered to Xinpo, allowing him to sense Xinpo's movements through the Aether. With precise nudges using his telekinetic abilities, Jarow guided Xinpo towards the universe they sought. These subtle manipulations proved effective, bringing them to the presence of the splitting universe.

As they arrived, Jarow felt a vague tug towards the universe. He knew that to save it, he would have to integrate himself with it, but that would also entail a final detachment from Xinpo, an experience he had somewhat just undergone and was not looking forward to repeating.

The tentacles were still a threat and reached out to grab at Xinpo, but Jarow summoned two copies of himself to circle them. He needed to protect Xinpo as he continued to deal with the onslaught of memories flooding into his mind.

With his improved telekinetic powers, Jarow was able to keep the Void Weaver’s tentacles at bay, slicing and defending as the tentacles continued to swipe at them. The return of Xinpo’s memories, of his memories flowing into Xinpo’s mind, seemed to take hours. While he couldn't completely stem the flow of information, even the parts that he was able to slow down were immense and took a great amount of time to return to Xinpo's mind.

Jarow had experienced something similar on occasion, though the volume of information was lesser. He still remembered the pain and discomfort of receiving a massive download, such as learning how to move using a snake’s tail rather than legs. It had not been a pleasant experience, but well worth the affliction.

"Thank you, Jarow," Xinpo mentally expressed as the last of the memories settled back into place. Finally able to form thoughts and start using his senses again, Xinpo observed the swords controlled by Jarow floating around him, slicing through the errant tentacles that still sought to find him in his vulnerable position.

The universe, their destination, finally lay before them. Unlike before, where it seemed close yet was actually distant, Xinpo could now sense the universe's presence in front of him. There was even what seemed like a protective bubble of light surrounding the universe. While the Void Weaver's tentacles could still penetrate and feed off the leaking essence from the tears, they were mostly held at bay.

The journey to arrive here had been an immense struggle. The shifting of roles, the separation while Xinpo used his Shadow Wing form, the anxiety he felt when dealing with having a physical body, and the significant adjustment it required for Jarow to accept that he was now the one held within a sword rather than having a mobile, fleshy body, weighed heavily on each of them.

Throughout the entire journey, there was an unspoken truth between Jarow and Xinpo, a situation that they now had to confront: to correct the universe, one of them had to sacrifice themselves. Initially, it was going to be Xinpo, since he was the more subservient part of their soul. But now the roles were reversed, and Jarow found himself as the non-dominant piece of their soul.

As they gazed at the universe, they both understood what needed to happen, yet neither wanted to take the first step. They had been with each other for a long time as separate parts of a whole, but beyond that, neither knew how many lives they had lived together beforehand as a complete soul. Their bond was unlike anything anyone had ever experienced before. They were faced with the prospect of losing a very real part of their essence, a piece of their spirit, and the reality of that possibility was now upon them.

Jarow had said he would sacrifice himself to save the universe, and Xinpo had echoed the sentiment, but that was when Jarow was the one who was in the lead. Now it was actually going to have to be Jarow who made the sacrifice, and Xinpo wondered if he truly felt that he could do it. Not only that, but Xinpo wondered if he could stand the loss of Jarow.

Xinpo had lost the feeling of having Jarow with him as he turned into a shadow, and that feeling was empty and lonely. Even in that form, somewhere deep, he knew he would rejoin with Jarow, but to actually lose him entirely was another thing altogether.

They stared longer at the tearing universe, avoiding the difficult decision. They were avoiding the loss. They were keeping themselves whole even though they were already partially separate.

"I think it's time," Jarow finally said, breaking the mental silence.

"Can we really do this?" Xinpo asked.

"We have to. This is why we're here. We've come too far, done too much to stop now," Jarow said.

"But..." Xinpo said, not sure what else to say. He had arguments and excuses flying through his head, but they all seemed shallow. He knew this had to be done, but he wasn't ready.

"Hey, it's okay. Think of all I got to do. I mean, we both now know that we've had lives beyond counting as a united soul, but even in this life, I went from a gimp to a badass!"

Xinpo felt his lips curl slightly. He knew that if it weren't for the skintight Aether Skin covering him, he would have tears rolling down his cheeks. This was more than just saying goodbye to a friend.

It was even deeper than having someone he loved sacrifice themselves for him. It was more akin to cutting off the lower half of his body in order to save everyone else, but knowing he would still live on, and would have to deal with the loss forever. But even that analogy felt less than what he faced now.

"You were a badass, that's for sure. And you being with Mediv, who would have seen that coming?" Xinpo said, trying to lighten the mood and help himself justify what had to happen.

"I know, right? I still wish it would have been Isilandra instead, but I can't complain," Jarow chuckled inside Xinpo’s head.

There was a pause before Jarow continued. "If you can, I mean if you want... could you keep doing this adventuring thing? Maybe even group up with them again if possible? We don't know what'll happen once we split, so..." he trailed off.

"Yeah, I will. But you know that in order to do that, I won't be able to go back to Mom, right?" Xinpo replied.

"I know, and I really feel bad for her, but you can't really change anything there. At least if you keep killing bad guys, you'll be making a difference," Jarow said sadly.

"That means we will have to leave the universe split. Is that really what you want to do? We could mend the whole thing, restart the universe," Xinpo asked one last time.

"You know what I think. The universe is better off having the split. There should be places where people can adventure and fight against things. There should be magic and sci-fi technology. People should be able to have lives of wonder and excitement if they choose. I doubt our universe would have much of that if it were whole," Jarow expressed.

Xinpo nodded his head. He had been tempted to heal the universe, he had contemplated what he would do in this situation. He had almost convinced himself to go against Jarow's advice, but now as he stared at the broken universe and heard the heartfelt words coming from his other part, he agreed that this was the way this universe was meant to be.

Frank and Tenebrous might not be happy. They might feel they should be whole again, without their duality. But without the conflict the split brought, there wouldn't be the amazing people and powers which Jarow and Xinpo had experienced.

The choice was selfish in a large way, choosing to continue on in this imperfect universe, placing the trillions of people held within into a universe where light and darkness would continually struggle against each other. But it was up to them to make the choice, and therefore this was the choice they decided to make.

“Well… Get on with it,” Jarow mentally spoke to Xinpo, who still delayed the inevitable.

"How can I? How can I say goodbye? How can I lose you, lose a part of me?" Xinpo asked within his head, his voice defeated. "How can I do this?"

Jarow remained silent. He knew the decision Xinpo faced, and he knew there was nothing he could say to make the process easier. He had the same concerns, but he knew it would be easier for him because he wouldn't be the one carrying on. Making the sacrifice was always easier than having to live on; knowing you should have been the one to make the sacrifice.

So Jarow gave Xinpo the time he needed.

An indeterminate amount of time passed as Xinpo mentally battled with himself. He railed against the need for such a sacrifice, stubbornly refusing to give in to the need. He then would once again succumb mentally before exploring alternate choices, but ultimately coming back to the only real option.

Finally, Xinpo firmed his resolve as much as he could and prepared himself for what had to be done. He stood tall, gripping the artifact sword tightly in his hand. The Aether skin didn't allow for moisture to escape, but if it had, sweat and tears would have covered Xinpo's entire body from the mental turmoil he had placed upon himself.

Throughout this time, Jarow had fended off the tentacles and kept Xinpo safe. He had the opportunity to engage in his own mental gymnastics while feeling alone and separated from Xinpo during the time Xinpo was in his Shadow Wing form. He understood Xinpo's thoughts and emotions, knowing he needed to buy him the time to think things through.

"I'm ready," Xinpo finally whispered in his mind, dejection evident in his tone.

"Good, then so am I," Jarow responded. He then sent a yellow face with a winking half smile to Xinpo, recalling the emoji Xinpo had sent to him when they first met. "It's been nice knowing you, other me."

"It has indeed, other me," Xinpo replied, a small smile appearing on his lips, mirroring the one on the emoji. It wasn't a smile caused by Jarow sending the emoji; rather, it was a smile for all the time they had spent together, both during these adventures and even when they were separate. It was a smile for him to remember, to brace himself from the pain, and for Jarow to take with him as he was about to be gone.

Xinpo had never needed to breathe or talk while in his metal body, so the fact that he now needed to speak in order to activate the power was awkward and took a few tries. He finally found that he had to inhale a small amount of the strange-tasting air here in order to push out words.

"Cosmic Fusion," Xinpo finally managed to say. He held the artifact sword before him in both hands, unsure of what was going to actually happen.

An aura emanated from within Xinpo's body and passed into the sword. Its iridescent, multi-hued luminescence was visible as it left Xinpo's hands and entered the weapon. The sword accepted the aura and vibrated with the new power.

The sword began to morph, its form first coalescing into a shapeless mound of sparkling molten mass before beginning to spread outward in all directions. Glittering, mercurial tendrils extended out and weaved together. Within moments, the artifact sword had transformed into a large net which floated before Xinpo.

The net was a glittering metallic construct that shifted and morphed even as Xinpo watched. He could sense, more than see, Jarow's aura held within its strands, his essence coursing along the outstretched threads.

Xinpo marveled at the beauty and complexity of the web before him, but as it moved away from his hand, a severe sense of loss overcame him. If he had solid ground beneath his feet, he would have fallen to his knees. As it was, he doubled over as if he'd taken a sword to the torso.

The feeling wasn't simply pain, though; it was much deeper. A piece of his own soul had just been violently ripped from him. The loss of all the memories shared with Jarow, the experiences, the wisdom, the very essence of who he was, now gone.

As if to punctuate the loss, to cruelly drive home the reality of what had just happened, Xinpo’s character sheet appeared before him.

Xinpo Catalystic Converger

Level [- 0 -]

Race [- Fellborn - ]

XP [- 1 -]

HP [- 1 -]

MP [- 1 -]

SP [- 1 -]

Physical

Power 1

Durability 1

Mobility 1

Mental

Perception 1

Willpower 1

Judgment 1

Unquantifiable

Charisma 1

Luck 1

Powers

Molecular Fusion

Essence Transposition

Spatial Exchange

Temporal Inversion

Aural Armor

Dimensional Stream

Cosmic Fusion [ Active ]

Everything was gone. His stats were completely reduced, his powers grayed out and unavailable, except for Cosmic Fusion, which still showed as active. He knew he had done nothing to deserve the maxed-out stats he had been given with this body, but to feel the loss of everything left him drained to the point of being unable to move or think clearly.

He felt the loss of Jarow, the withdrawal of his power. He felt it all and was left a heap of nothing floating within the Aether. In this moment, he realized that although Jarow had been the one to make the sacrifice of himself, it may very well be him who died here. The churning mass of the Void Weaver occupied his periphery in every direction he could see. Once the spell was complete, the reality of his situation and his inability to do anything other than perish here struck him hard.

A low chuckle filled Xinpo's chest as the situation truly came into focus. Neither he nor Jarow was meant to leave here. It didn't matter which of them sacrificed their piece of the soul; the other would perish as well. This was truly the end, not only for one part of his soul, but for his soul in its completeness.

He couldn't be certain, but he had doubted that he would be able to live another life anyway or to continue on as a partial being in this body. Something deep inside told him the answer was no, and that Frank and Tenebrous had failed to mention this part. Not a deception, but a deliberate omission.

He held no ill will towards them, though. He knew that Jarow, that he himself, would have made the same decision, whether this was the ultimate consequence or not. It was who he was, or who he had been when whole. For a moment, Xinpo questioned if he were the same being as he used to be, as he watched his other half move away to complete their fated quest.

It was difficult for Xinpo to think straight, but something told him that he would never be the same being as he was. If he somehow managed to escape and continue on, he would have to live with this loss and would never find the balance and peace he once knew.

These thoughts passed through Xinpo's mind as he watched the net begin to bend and stretch. It moved of its own accord, floating nearer to the splitting universe. Its magical weave widened near the top center as it moved closer, and the strands there thickened and became more reinforced.

The bottom half of the shimmering web attached itself first to the collection of stars, to the bubble of life which was the universe he knew. Once again, Xinpo was struck by its vastness, but at the same time, its insignificance compared to the infinite scope of the Void Weaver and the Aether in which all universes resided.

Perspective and perception were merely set by what the soul could conceive, of what the body could visualize, and what the brain could interpret. So as he floated here and watched the net of his own soul encompass the universe, he understood that his journey, or better yet, the journey Jarow and he had made, was there to expand his perspective to a point where he could fathom the lofty goal set forth for him. It was due to having been stripped of everything and having to learn of the strangeness and endless possibilities beset by challenges which had molded them to this point that allowed them to succeed.

The thought did nothing to help with the pain of loss he felt. It did nothing to dim the spectacle before him. He watched as the net encompassed the universe, surrounding it in its mercurial strands.

Xinpo watched as the mesh began to tighten and shift from metallic to an iridescent light. He witnessed the universe shudder under the pressure but hold firm to its shape. The splitting pieces wavered and shook as the net tightened around them, and then the thickened strands bound them to the new shape.

With a final radiant wave of light, the net melted into the structure of the universe and became one with it. The shape had been cemented, the split in the universe made permanent. Jarow had completed his goal, creating the universe where he wanted to live. He had saved the trillions of lives held within, while also granting them the possibilities afforded by the separating universe.

Xinpo smiled. Though he still hurt and felt his impending doom, he was happy to have been a part of this. He was proud that Jarow had accomplished his ultimate goal, and he felt honored to have been a part of this journey.

The Void Weaver's tentacles tentatively moved closer to the universe, tasting and touching, learning of how it had changed. With each tickle and touch, a glowing aura rebuked the dark appendages, causing them to withdraw as if being burned.

However, the dark mass of writhing tentacles showed no such restraint as they approached Xinpo, eagerly poking, prodding, and biting. Xinpo had no strength to fight, no energy to move. He remained in a fetal position, sobbing both for his end and for Jarow's victory.

Xinpo, you have done exemplary work. Quest completed! You were an essential part of saving the entire universe. You were given two choices, but with yours and Jarow's refusal to accept those possibilities, coupled with your mutual ingenuity, you were able to create a third option where I and Tenebrous remain as the duality of light and darkness within the universe.

Due to this extraordinary outcome, we can offer you a one-time completion bonus. Would you like to return to the universe without memory of these occurrences to live a single additional lifetime?

Yes - No

Xinpo stared at the message as it burned itself onto the scroll in his vision. He could have one more life, be born again, and live within the universe he had helped save. He could have a final life.

Jarow's words came back to him: "If you can, I mean if you want... could you keep doing this adventuring thing?"

Could he refuse? There was no guarantee that he would be able to adventure in the life he was given. He could just as easily wind up living a life of misery as he had before this adventure happened; stuck in a wheelchair and unable to move, or possibly even worse.

Plus, he wouldn't have any memories of this. He wouldn't know the wonders of the universe, the path of a soul, the piece of himself which bound the universe and kept it safe. Could he face another life not knowing?

The answer came to him not from his own thinking, not from a conscious decision. It came to him in the form of a word, scrolled in glowing light across the universe he had just been a part of saving. Xinpo could see, within the radiant reflections as another tentacle way gone. He would always be a part of the universe. He would watch over Xinpo in this new life, living vicariously through him.

He was sure this life he was being offered would be a wild ride now. Jarow would make certain of that. But the thought was comforting, and without any more hesitation, Xinpo mentally chose yes.

With a quick whispered "thank you," Xinpo's Aether skin peeled off, and the Void Weaver made quick work of his body.