The sound of metal on stone rouses me, and I realize that the light coming in through the ceiling of the temple is gone. It's not nighttime, though – just late enough that it's beginning to turn such and there are dark clouds in the sky. A storm is on its way.
Then I realize that I was woken from this extra-long nap by footsteps and am alert, my gaze fixing upon the person approaching.
A figure dressed in golden armor that glimmers faintly in the light of the fires of the braziers here. Where there are gaps that would ordinarily be covered by chainmail, we can see golden chainmail beneath. All of the metal is forged of a special orichalcum alloy that I never learned, and makes not a sound during movements due to air magics woven into it. Where we would ordinarily see the cloth underneath the armor, we see a black cloth, pristine in appearance and almost shadow-like in form.
Though the steps were deliberately allowed to be heard, and they go silent once more as Kyron and I both sit up, my husband just as alert as I despite only just waking up as well.
"I'm not normally shy about my body," I comment as the Golden Knight approaches. "But I actually feel really self-conscious right now."
"It's not as if I haven't seen you two naked before," the Golden Knight speaks, the voice the same as the one we knew – but we also know there's air magic involved to manipulate the sound. "After all, I've helped you two patch up many an injury."
The Golden Knight removes his helmet, revealing the face of a catkin man around forty years of age. Perhaps believing a fifty-year-old spirit on a person's age wasn't the best of ideas…
His hair is black as night, and eyes the same green as mine.
"Especially you," he tells me in a familiar mountain accent from back home. "Seeing as I was there when your mother pushed you out of her."
I stare in shock and disbelief as the Golden Knight removes his armor. He takes off all four layers of it, revealing a lean, toned warrior's body and his long, black, catlike tail. The Golden Knight sends everything into the spatial ring on a cord around his neck, then pulls out a pair of black pants and slips them on, making sure to fasten the part that goes over the tail.
A catkin's tail goes through the pants, so a catkin's pants are designed with a gap, with either a strap that buttons onto the other side that goes over it, or a pair of cords that tie together. His is the latter style, and I still haven't managed to respond before he finishes.
"You two clearly know each other," Kyron says. "And if you've known Caleb since his literal birth… you're a spirit in catkin form?"
"How are you alive?" I ask. "You should be dead! You're centuries past how long a person can live!"
"Wait…" Kyron says. "Not a spirit?"
"No!" I say. "How are you still alive, Dad?"
"Dad?" Kyron stares at the Golden Knight – my father – in absolute shock. "But… that's impossible! The ripples we make always get stronger as we continue to age, and we were told that you even reached Level 500 of Mythical-Tier! Your own power level should be-weren't you already a couple of centuries-how could you-wait, how could you be Caleb's father? He was pretty clear that you'd have been the dominant factor in his birth.
"You're close on that question," Dad tells Kyron. "But the question isn't how is Caleb's father a catkin if that would mean Caleb would have been a catkin."
Dad narrows his gaze at me.
"The question that arises," he says. "Is how Axel became a human, considering the gods themselves are incapable of changing a person's species."
Kyron stares at me in confusion as I feel a little uncertain of how to react.
"What are you talking about?" Kyron asks. "Even his Status says he's a human, we've both seen that."
"A thousand years ago," Dad says. "There wasn't a single human on the eastern continents. Caleb was a catkin when he was Axel. Him being a human as Caleb made me take a couple of years to realize that Caleb and Axel were the same person. Krazzy didn't believe me when I tried telling him, so he'd just never realized I'd found you. Though I hear he's figured it out now."
"Er… yeah," I feel my cheeks heat up a little. "So I may have figured out how to do something as a result of learning the Truth, I just… never told anyone?"
I focus a little, and feel my body shift slightly. My canines become more fanglike than they already were, my human ears disappear as my cat ears appear higher up, and my black cat's tail grows out of me, flicking to the side a little. I access my Status once more.
Name: Caleb Age: 18 years Species: Human Sex: Male Class: Mage Tier: Mythical Level: 44 Experience: 93.82% Mana: 1,175/1,175 Mana Regen: 0.450/second Strength: 30 Constitution: 31 Agility: 30 Magic: 54 Luck: 54 Vitality: 54
I send it to Kyron and my father, both of whom are staring at me in shock. There's even more shock on their faces when they read my Status and find that it's registered my change of species.
"I'm kind of like a spirit now," I say. "In the sense that I can change my form at will. It doesn't even take any Mana. I don't think it affects my ripples, and I know it's not a taboo since obviously, I survived doing it the first time."
"How are you able to do that?" Dad frowns a little.
"It's part of how things are for us," I tell him. "But I can't say more than that – the full explanation is tied directly into the Truth itself."
Kyron and Dad both wince a little, neither ignorant of what would happen if I tried to tell them. I brush my husband's cheek with my tail.
"Your turn, Dad," I say. "How are you alive?"
"Put on some pants, first," Dad tosses me a pair from his ring, and I slip them on while Kyron puts on his own.
Dad and I are the same height (his armor definitely added some height), so his pants fit me just fine. Once we're all decent, Kyron and I return to snuggling here on the cushions, while Dad continues to sit on the edge of the cushion pit.
"There are several factors contained in my survival this long," Dad says. "And I'm not sure how much of it I am allowed to tell you."
"Without telling us, though, nothing makes sense," I say. "Your own level of power is too much. Your ripples should be far too much by now, after a thousand years. Even with minimizing things, like you have been."
"You already have answers you need for that," a voice says, and all three of us jump, startled by the arrival of a god I've never seen before and whose presence I didn't feel coming.
He sits on a throne that's as empty as a void – a blackness that seems to absorb the light which touches it. Even the cushions upon his throne match that appearance, and his hair is just as black. His left eye is golden while his right eye is dark purple, and he has a slender build more akin to a mage's than anything. As with all gods, he's quite erect at the moment, and it's very impressive.
"So I do get to meet you at some point in life," I murmur.
"I'm confuse," Kyron says. "I thought there were only seven gods, and Caleb – how do you know about him?"
"Caleb only knows of me because of the time he peered from the Abyss of Reality," the god explains. "I am the God of the Abyss of Reality, and the entire 'universe' you know of is my domain. I am above even the gods you know, but I interact far less often. Truthfully, the seven of them typically forget I exist."
"Which is the reason why they haven't realized," I say. "That it was you who restored our bodies and resurrected us."
"Indeed," he smiles. "I was curious if you would figure it out before I made an appearance, and was pleased to see that you did. Seeing the spirits give the gods the run-around and cryptic messages about it being me was quite amusing, too. It's not banned to mention me when there's no one who doesn't already know of me around, the spirits were just having fun. Hello again, Ryker. It has been a thousand years."
"It has," Dad dips his head to the God of the Abyss. "I was curious about why you resurrected them."
"Hold on, hold on, hold on!" Kyron exclaims. "Dude who doesn't know what's going on here!"
"Yeah," I say. "How come you two know each other?"
"That's not what I was talking about," Kyron mutters.
"After the Great Demon War," the God of the Abyss of Reality says. "I came to your father and altered his makeup a little. His ripples don't grow the way they ordinarily would, and I reduced the ones he already had. Now, he can live out a more natural lifespan. His minimizing of his influence on things was his own choice."
"Use my power only when others cannot," Dad says. "So that the world can grow and develop on its own, and so that I do not accidentally usher in a calamity due to the universe attempting to wipe me out as a result of my actions. Even with my ripples altered, I can still cause the world to go past the point the universe wishes it at."
"I'm still confused," Kyron says.
"It is safe to speak of the Truth here," the God of the Abyss of Reality informs me. "And neither your father nor husband know it, even if the former has uncovered a fragment of it, as all true mages do."
"So I can tell Kyron?" I ask, and he nods. "The 'universe' we live in isn't real."
Both Kyron and Dad stare at me in confusion.
"Everything we see and know," I say. "Every part of this 'universe' is contained within something called the Abyss of Reality. It's… think of it like a void within reality itself. Magic isn't allowed within the real universe, but it's formed by the thoughts, hopes, and dreams of that which exists within it. So it's all funneled into the Abyss of Reality, where it manifests."
I can see that Kyron and Dad are still a little confused.
"In short," I say. "Everything we see and know – everything we are – is the result of the imaginations of beings who are real. That is the Truth. We do not exist in reality. My ability to shift my species is a result of knowing this. I am… able to manipulate the fabric of our reality because I know this. But only where it concerns me directly."
Kyron still has a slight look of disbelief, but I think it coming from me while there's an unknown god before us backing up the statement is helping him accept it. There's a reason people ordinarily can't handle the full Truth.
The very fact that we are just born from the dreams of others kind of results is our own rejection of our existence, which usually results in us literally tearing ourselves apart just by the denial. We end up ceasing to exist even as a dream as a result of it.
"So that's the full Truth," Dad murmurs.
"It's the essence of it, yes," the God of the Abyss of Reality says. "Though you guys aren't directly the dreams and imaginations of others. Rather, you're formed by the magic caused by them. Think of me as the regulator for this domain – I am the god who ensures it all manifests properly, instead of turning into a swirling storm of magic that threatens to rip its way out and into the universe proper."
"Basically," I tell Kyron. "He's a gatekeeper, just one capable of influencing our version of reality."
"Indeed," the god nods. "I take the magics that flow into here, sort them out by what they are, and then allow them to manifest in a safe way. Dungeons are the result of magic formed from the desire to travel to other worlds and fight monsters, uncover new items, and go on adventures, but with the ability to return home afterward."
"The presence of people within the Abyss of Reality," I say. "Is the result of similar dreams and fantasies – the presence of people within them."
"Indeed," the god nods. "There are many worlds within this realm, and each has its own quirks and ways. In order to ensure that things run smoothly and the risk of a magical storm ripping its way out of here doesn't happen, the true universe implemented rules and a system. Each world must remain within set parameters, so that the dreams and imaginations of the dreams and imaginations of the people on those worlds don't start to take form. It's an automated system that I have no control over – triggers that act the moment they detect a violation.
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"However," he continues. "I can influence a world's parameters. When I see that there is too much of one type of magical energy flowing into the Abyss of Reality, I create a new world that's focused around that energy. I can utilize magical energies related to settings to determine the era the world will remain in."
"Our world," I say. "Has an elemental-magic basis to it. The setting for us is a little before the verge of a revolution on magical technology."
"Sort of," the god chuckles. "Then you have things like the Forbidden Worlds, which are a result of energy leakage. Though I'm powerful, there are some things which are avoidable. Even I am just a manifestation resulting from the imaginations of those who are real. Those same energies can intrude into other areas – the very reason I exist is to prevent them from leaving here, after all."
"So the Forbidden Worlds," I say. "Are a layer of a Dungeon that results from magical energy that should be going to a different world? But it's coming here instead because magic doesn't really care and likes to do its own thing?"
"Correct."
"Huh."
We mortals think about that for a few moments, then Kyron looks at my dad.
"What's the fragment of the Truth that true mages eventually learn?" My husband asks.
"That magic is a manifestation of our imaginations," Dad answers. "Not simply energies we shape into strict patterns. While it doesn't allow us to do anything, it makes manipulating our magic into the elements significantly easier. It's why you'll almost never find an air mage capable of manipulating light unless they're also a true mage – their mind isn't fluid enough when it comes to magic."
"Interesting," Kyron muses.
"I asked you a question a thousand years ago," Dad tells the god. "But you didn't answer. Perhaps now that Axel is back, you'll answer it. How did my son survive discovering the Truth? True discovery, I mean – where we don't just hear it, but actually believe. Something tells me that without your shielding of us, knowing it would ordinarily result in our very aware of the fact that we aren't real resulting in our deaths."
"It does," the god answers. "But Caleb uncovered it in a truly interesting way – he actually saw the true universe. There was a momentary breach of magical energy that began to escape, and Caleb witnessed it flowing out. At that moment, he became aware of the Truth, along with the fact that it was his own mind that would allow him to be as he is. It was a unique mix of the mindset Axel had at the time, the circumstances of how he learned the Truth and what he saw then, and the fact that a child's mind is more flexible and accepting of things."
"I see," Dad responds. "So had I learned it the same way-"
"You'd have most certainly rejected your very own existence," the God of the Abyss of Reality says. "And because you'd know the Truth at that point, it would have resulted in you tearing your very form apart with that rejection alone."
Dad and Kyron both wince.
"I just thought it was cool that I could be like a spirit and change my form," I say. "But I only did it a few times, and only when no one was looking."
"He claims he only did it once," the god snorts. "Then admits to having done it multiple times. Don't forget that you used it to play pranks on people, Caleb. Including spirits."
"That was especially fun," I say. "And this is the first time I've done it since I switched to human form when I was nine."
"And you are correct," the god says. "It does not affect your ripples to shift your form."
"When the spirits refer to a being above them," I say. "One who can implement rules – that's you, isn't it?"
"It is," he confirms.
"Cool."
"It's kind of weird," Kyron says. "Knowing there's a god above even the others, and seeing him act just as casual as them. I guess you guys are just people, too, even if you're just manifestations of magic. Is it okay to ask your name? Or is it one of those things that isn't normally spoken, sort of like the God of Death's?"
"He doesn't have one," I say. "Do you?"
"I don't," the God of the Abyss of Reality answers. "So you may simply call me what you wish."
"How about Adzaeshin?" I suggest.
"You and your naming scheme," Dad mutters as the god gives me an affirmative nod.
"What?" I ask. "It's unfair to name him the way other the other gods were named. I mean, he didn't already have a name, so it's not like I had something to work with."
"What do you mean, already had a name?" Kyron and Dad both ask.
"Uh…" I look at Adzaeshin, who nods. "Tyzlevir, Adzamvi, Ezthavin, Ryzavin, Luzcavis, Nizkovi, and Sozrevin? Those are just normal names… altered slightly. Tyler, Adam, Ethan, Ryan, Lucas, Niko, and Soren. They literally just had two runes added to them."
I'm not surprised Kyron didn't notice this, but Dad? He's over a thousand years old! Why does he look surprised?
"Caleb," Adzaeshin chuckles. "Only Ancient Spirits and Primal Spirits were aware of this. It takes someone truly special to realize the truth about the gods."
"Their names are all just… normal names?" Dad asks. "Why?"
"Because they're not manifestations," I say. "You know how spirits were made by a god putting some of their essence into normal spirits?"
"Yes," Dad answers.
"The seven gods were formerly mortals," I say. "Those were their mortal names. Adzaeshin put some of his essence into mortals to turn them into gods. It's given them some fluidity with their body, which is why they always appear in the form of the dominant species for the area they've appeared in."
"Only some?" Kyron asks. "It's not as fluid? Even though they know the Truth?"
"I was always confused by that," I tell Adzaeshin. "How come they know the Truth, but don't seem like it? Their vibe has always been weird about that."
"Because they don't know the Truth," Adzaeshi answers. "Just most of the Truth. Knowing the Truth makes anything not truly a manifestation more susceptible to certain influences from magical energy. It's why those which have uncovered a portion of it tend to have altered existences, usually in the form of added libido, vitality, stamina, and whatnot."
"Speaking of that," Kyron says. "I can't imagine you'd just let the two of us learn the full Truth without a reason. Caleb's made it clear that just knowing it affects our ripples immensely."
"Indeed," Adzaeshin says. "Once I leave here, all three of you will forget the full Truth. The three of you have done too much for me to simply allow you to suffer for just knowing something. Before you worry the effects, you'll still know you had answers. Our discussions will be more like memories that are just-barely out of your grasp, yet ones which still provide you with satisfaction. Your curiosities will be sated, and you won't question things too much where they relate to what we discussed."
"But it will also reduce my ripples," I say. "Just knowing the Truth causes extra influence in the world."
"Correct," Adzaeshin says. "It will extend your potential lifespan up to around eight years. However, you've already done enough that your ripples are too strong for further than that. The thing is, I actually like the two of you. Especially you, Caleb. You make things interesting in this world, even if you can get a bit wild at times. You're not afraid to experiment with magic, and are bold enough to ask spirits and gods for parts of themselves just so you can research their properties.
"Were it not for things you did as a result of your knowledge of the Truth and the Great Demon War," he continues. "The two of you would have been able to live to around three centuries before you hit the trigger that caused the universe to come after you. On another world here, you'd have been able to live many times that."
Adzaeshin points at me with his right index finger, then flicks it up. I gasp a little as a strange, indescribable sensation fills me… then simply vanishes. He performs the gesture at Kyron as well, and my husband reacts the same way I did.
"I have reduced the influence you have on the world around you," the god informs us. "More specifically, I have changed them to what they would have been, had Caleb known learned the full Truth and had that idiot actually dealt with the demons instead of just sealing them away. This means the effects of the Truth and the Great Demon War no longer affect your influence. Your ripples are in a frozen state while in my presence, so knowing the Truth isn't affecting them at the moment."
"And once you leave, we'll all forget it," I say. "And so it won't just shoot us back up."
"Yes," he confirms. "That said, I've decided to leave you with your more spirit-like ability, Caleb, and allow you to retain the ability to alter which species of person you are – so long as it currently exists upon this world."
"How does that work?" Dad asks. "If he could only do it because he knew the Truth, but will soon forget it? I can't imagine leaving him with the part of it that lets him know his body is shaped by his knowledge wouldn't have a major effect."
"He'll only retain the part that true mages learn," Adzaeshin says, then looks at me. "I am more specifically granting you this power, Caleb. Your Spirit Lineage isn't affected by you forgetting the Truth, as that is part of your genetics. I've merely added a little more to it."
The god thinks for a few seconds, then points at my husband, then my father.
"I've given all three of you that power now," he says. "Because why not? Unless Adzamvi gives a blessing of fertility to either of the two of you so that you can have children, it's not like it will be passed down, and the odds of Caleb or Kyron having a child with anyone is slim."
That's right – the blessing resulted in me being fertile regardless of how powerful I became. I forgot that was mentioned to us.
"Now," Adzaeshin says. "To explain why I resurrected the two of you, Caleb, Kyron. It's quite simple – you two performed an immense feat by discovering the seals and accidentally causing the Great Demon War. It allowed a chapter of this world to finally be closed that should have been a long time ago. Even if Ryker here was the one who actually finished it, it was your own actions which allowed it to happen. And you didn't have to – you could have simply abandoned things. That and the fact that the two of you have always been interesting made me decide to resurrect you on the thousand-year anniversary."
"So the answer amounts to," I say. "Because you wanted to and you could."
"That is correct!" He grins. "Though the two of you really did deserve to have more life after the war, just as your father deserved extra life for finishing dealing with the demons."
"How come there were demons here?" I ask. "Where they the result of leaked magical energies?"
"Yes," Adzaeshin answers. "One of my naps lasted a little longer than it should have, and when I woke, I noticed the issue. While I could have simply snuffed the demons out, I need to limit what I do, as the more I act, the more likely a tear appears and magical energies escape back into the universe. So once I realized demons had appeared here, I simply let things run their course. Either this world dealt with it, or it suffered a reset. Paxton 'dealt' with it by sealing the demons away. All of the gods were annoyed by that, but they couldn't do much about it because of the rules."
"So this 'limiting what you do'," I say. "Doesn't restrict you from affecting people like us?"
"I can, within reason," he clarifies. "What I did wasn't outside of the range of possibility, as it was only minor alterations and still allowed the universe's rules to act as normal. "
"Okay," I say.
"There's not much else to add," Adzaeshin says. "So I want to mention just a few more things before I go. First – never perform a Forbidden World run. Much of the loot violates the rules for this world, and will result in triggers being tripped. You'll remember this warning after I leave. Second, the ripples and the Truth aren't related to certain pieces of knowledge, so you'll still remember things like about Ancient Spirits and Primal Spirits, even with you forgetting the Truth. Third is for you, Kyron."
"Me?" Kyron asks.
"Just as Caleb and Ryker are remembering the fragment of the Truth that all true mages learn," Adzaeshin tells him. "You will remember that same fragment as well. While it will cause some slight alterations to you the same way it does for true mages, I'm sure that won't be an issue. And I'm sure you'll find that you won't have as much issue helping Caleb out with things."
"Ooh, that is a bonus," I say. "It'll be so much easier for me now!"
"Yeah," Kyron snorts. "Since the full Truth is why you're as extreme as you are," he gives me a kiss. "But I still don't mind you taking care of things with other guys, especially not if they're gods or spirits."
"And it'll still be with you," I kiss him back.
"I'm going now," Adzaeshin chuckles. "You three have a wonderful rest of your lives."
The god vanishes, and I examine my memories once he's gone. While I know we had some important discussions, I can only remember some of it. However, I know that answers were given, and that many of my curiosities about things have been sated. This is… a curious effect.
Questions I don't actually know the answers to have answers, but the fact that I can't quite grasp the memories that contain them doesn't bother me. In the end, I decide to stop worrying about it and just snuggle my husband a little bit.
"I'm actually kind of happy now."
"Why?" Kyron asks.
"Because now we can go on a lot more adventures," I tell him. "And not have to worry about our impending deaths anytime soon. And we can even hang out with my dad now, too!"
"Yes," Kyron says. "I can now finally learn all of your embarrassing childhood stories. I'm sure there are things far more embarrassing than the time you accidentally wiped out a town."
"So he told you about the meteor shower?" Dad asks with a grin.
"Only after we were resurrected!" Kyron laughs. "He never even mentioned his childhood until then! Caleb's always avoided discussing it until now. I guess he wanted to avoid slipping up and revealing that he was actually a catkin."
"Well, no," I say. "I was actually a human. I wanted to avoid slipping up and revealing that I used to be a catkin. Among other things I didn't want to reveal, and I didn't want to talk about my mom. Also, my memories of childhood aren't as complete as you might think – I don't have a perfect memory, so much of my younger years are just blurs or faded. I only remember the big stuff."
"I have plenty of memories about his childhood," Dad tells Kyron. "Until he was seven, he refused to take a bath unless he had his favorite stuffie with him. I had to enchant the poor wolf just so that it wouldn't get ruined."
"He needed a bath."
"No," Dad grins. "You were terrified of being in water and thought the wolf would protect you from the scary water monsters. And that wasn't even from trauma, it was something you came up with all on your own."
My face heats up as Kyron laughs.
"Hey, Kyron," I say. "Could you go hunt something for me to cook? I want some time alone to tell Dad what he shouldn't tell you."
"Or your dad and I could go hunting together," Kyron says. "You know I was always looking for new tips and advice from the Golden Knight. I'm sure he could tell me a few stories while teaching me some hunting stuff for monsters in the area."
I groan as my dad grins.
"Put your armor back on," I tell my dad. "I liked you better as the Golden Knight."
"Can I ask you something?" Kyron asks me.
"What?" I ask.
"What's it like, not remembering the Truth?" Kyron asks.
"Will have to wait and find out for sure," I shrug. "But I know my head is a lot clearer now. I can remember the effect it had on me, but pretty much nothing of how it let me do certain things. I don't think I'll be able to affect the arrival of Dungeons anymore."
"So you did know how to do that!" Kyron and Dad exclaim.
"Erm… for official purposes, no," I answer. "And honestly? I don't remember how I managed it before. The knowledge is eluding me, so it was definitely related to the Truth. And by the way – the other part of the present for Rezovekk was a statue of me in this form, my catkin self."
"I figured that out already," Kyron chuckles.
"Caleb did bring up a good point," Dad stands. "We're all hungry, so I'm going to go hunt something down. You boys want to join me for this hunt?"
"Sure," Kyron stands.
"Yeah," I stand and stretch. "By the way, Dad? I have a question for you."
"What is it?" Dad asks.
"Why in the name of the gods did you seal off this temple?" I ask Dad. "And then maintain it?"
"Er," Dad's cheeks redden a little. "While I understand the reason it was constructed – that it's considered a great honor – I wasn't exactly comfortable with there being a temple focused on my son's vitality. So I sealed it off. However, I didn't exactly want to just destroy something built in honor of my son, so I made sure it stayed in good condition."
"Ah," I say as Kyron pulls me in for a hug from behind.
"Yeah," Dad says.
"Now," Kyron says. "Caleb, why are you practically buzzing with energy?"
"A major chapter of our lives has been closed," I tell him. "It was a short one, but it was still major. We've done a fair bit, learned a lot, and now, we're even different than we were before. Sure, a new story always begins when one ends, but still. There are many mysteries that we'll encounter, just as we had many we just solved. Why wouldn't I be excited?"
Without a war going on, ancient weapons and magic items to recover or seal away, or a major mystery to solve, there will be a lot less going on for us. Without the chaos in my mind that was born from the combination of my bloodline, my being a true mage, and my awareness of the Truth, I can also finally get some rest.
A much welcome rest.