547 AF - Lon Gtaj
Listen closely, children. The ages past tell of a time where beings of immense power defied reason. They stole potential for themselves, tearing apart natural laws, and brought order to the universe. Can anyone tell me what this age was called?
Well, If they did their reading, they should all be able to answer this.
My eyes roved over my students, and they all either looked away or were focused on other things.
Such is the fate of a history teacher, I guess.
Finally, my eyes came to a small girl with black hair, and her eyes met mine.
Her eyes are still surprising, even after all this time.
She raises her small hand,
She raised her hand! She shouldn't be doing that, but I should expect she wouldn't listen to me.
At least pretend you can be a little worried about your health.
Still looking into my eyes, she started to speak.
"The Age of the Immortals, Between 800-46000 KN, is when immortals claimed their powers and exerted their control over the known universe" She answered with a small smile.
That brat snuck into my library again, that was almost a direct quote from The Speculations and Theories on Ages.
"Thank you Ataeris, perfectly done, as per usual."
A small smile brimming with pride spread across her delicate face, but it vanished with my next words.
"If you would stop sneaking into my private library, I would even give you extra credit for that answer. Well done, though"
As the class snickered and laughed, I took note of her eyes once again, a burning ruby color, paired with an instinctual look that looked like she wanted to devour anything she could get her hands on.
Seriously... This kid is just too smart.
Well, she is my daughter.
Many years later, A new god descended upon the realm, her eyes still hungry for knowledge.
𐏑𐤙੩ƻ ŁꞤ - Łⱥꞩⱦ Ꝑłⱥꞥ
For the longest time, black was the only color that I could see. An endless void of the deepest black stretched out in front of me, a stark contrast to the vibrant yellow that radiated off of my body.
At least, its what I believe counts as a body.
"Aaaand I'm thinking to myself again." I was also the only source of sound, as far as I knew.
I've long forgotten about counting how long I've been in this place. It seems pointless, so why continue? Thinking normal thoughts is much more fun.
Deftly hopping onto what my fractals of memories say are feet, I stand up straight, and resolve myself to make the long trek over to my only entertainment in this dreaded place, a curious set of stairs that had no end, as far as I knew.
The stairs were completely black, so they might as well have been invisible. They floated separate from one another, so guessing where they were based on being careful was impossible. I don't know how that works, but then again, the only things I know about this place are things that I've tested. My best guess is that the same thing that made it possible for me to "walk" also made the stairs. Who knows, maybe they lead out of this place, or something.
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"Maybe seeing some other color would be n-"
Stopping abruptly, eyes wide, I knew a glowing smile spread across my face. Backing up a little, I started to celebrate.
"I've been running into those stupid things forever, And I finally avoided it! Take that you stupid floating staircase!"
Breathing out, wait do I even need to breathe? How have I never thought about that?
Whatever, I'll have a lot of time to think about it later.
Taking a deep breath, I started to run.
By the time the my foot hit the first step I was already planning three steps ahead, because of course, a static stairway would be too nice.
No, because the universe hates me, The stairway moves. Finding the actually steps would seem impossible to a normal person, because everything was the same shade of black in this place, but I had long since memorized the order and the pattern of movement of the sadistic stairway.
Moving stairs, fragile stairs, vertically moving stairs, spinning stairs, stairs that messed with your senses, they all popped up from here to there.
Letting out a childish laugh, my joy reached new heights as I pushed my mind to the limit once more.
I'm still not even close to the new stairs, so I start taking steps two at a time, just for extra speed.
Ugh, I don't get tired but I've already been here so many times im starting to get sick of the lower stairs.
But hey! Nothing wrong with memorizing them better!
A true smile spread across my face, relishing the challenge of needing to take the perfect step at the perfect time, or I would fall back to the beginning, far below.
Still counting the steps, I was almost at the halfway point for my current highest step.
46,647 steps
My smile spread, and I started to really focus.
After 50,000 steps, the stairs would start to rotate based on what I classified as a day.
They would move up 9 steps, one time each day, then they would reset back to what they were the first day.
There's only one issue with that!
I don't keep track of the days!
Here, the fun really begins.
If I get unlucky, the first stair will just be fragile, and while that isn't really a problem, the next stair after the fragile ones is always the spinning stair. If I fall through the fragile stair, its 60/40 whether I can actually catch myself.
49,960
49,982
49,994
50,000
50,0-
My perspective flips vertically.
How Lucky!
That's a lucky stair to get first try!
Not even missing a beat, I stay calm and keep running. The flip will revert in 8 steps, when I hit another flip stair.
Easy. I just have to take what I've memorized and flip it to match my new perspective.
I remember the first time I got flipped like this. Seeing my feet above my head was really weird.
Good times.
Tiny stair next.
Fragile Stair.
Spin stair - Horizontal spin.
Spin stair - Vertical spin.
Bouncy Stair.
Vertical movement.
Horizontal movement.
Skip step 8 - We don't talk about step 8
Perspective flip stair!
See! That's not too hard, now I just need to keep that up for the next while.
As my perspective flips back to normal, I stop on the next eighth stair for a break.
"What a lucky day, I get to continue past 50,000!"
I sit down on the platform that remains eerily still, repeating a rare tradition of mine.
After I pass 50,000, I touch the eighth stair, just once.
The eighth stair tends to remind people of memories that could help them.
Remind them why they keep trying.
Like the stories that mom always used to read to me!
The heroes sometimes have hard times, but they always get back up.
They just need a little help sometimes.
On this stair, I don't have to force myself to be happy or focus on getting out.
"Why am I here...?"
"And why can I remember the outside world?"
My "skin" takes on a slightly blue hue, as I sit and contemplate my existence for a few minutes.
My words quiet to a desperate plea.
"Mom.....?"
"I hope you are still alive by the time I get out of here."
I haven't felt warmth in so long.
A tear of liquid light falls from my face, and it begins its long journey to the solid void below.
Like a falling star.
I love stars.
Its sad that people delight when they fall.
Wiping my eyes, I stand up.
This is why we don't talk about the eighth stair.
Putting a smile on my face, my yellow glow starts to return.
If I just have to climb these stupid stairs, I'll climb them for eternity, just to see her again.
I start to run again, three steps at a time.
This time, my star will rise, and rise, and rise.
I will never fall.