He opened his eyes to see the swirl of lights and stars still off in the distance. The shimmering galaxies of every visible color drew his attention, their beautiful movement so foreign that it was hard to look away.

He peeled his eyes off of them, and as he looked around, he realized he was now alone in the space between worlds. Surrounding him, where the others had once been, were dimly glowing sources of light. The levitating objects seemed to bend his vision, making them difficult to look at. It was as if his vision slid off them, and he had to keep reminding his brain to refocus.

He walked towards the closest light. It was emanating a soft gray glow, and as he looked around, he noticed all the floating objects were glowing vaguely different colors. As he got closer to the gray one, he felt it resonate with something deep within him; the floating light hummed, and something inside him hummed back.

There was something off about the soft light’s resonation. It almost seemed to have a different frequency than the one in his own chest. It felt strong and fast, but also clumsy and out-of-rhythm, where his own felt light, ponderous, and, for lack of a better word, right.

He raised his eyes, looking out at the lights stretching off into the distance as far as he could see. Remembering what the Creator had said about following his intuition, and feeling like an idiot for obliging, he closed his eyes, trying to feel which direction to go.

Ever so softly, he felt a tug towards his left.

He opened his eyes abruptly, staring off into the distance towards where he thought the pull had come from.

Do I follow this sensation? It feels… enticing.

He took a step.

It tugged again, insistent and full of promise. He followed the strange pull, carefully stepping around and between different-colored floating orbs.

The orbs he walked around hummed. Each in a unique way, their tune and rhythm ever so slightly different. Some were horrific, and he couldn’t help but cringe away from the terrible dread they planted deep within him. Others were like his own, yet noticeably different. As he moved, they bombarded his senses from all sides. Disorientation set in, and his very sense of time slipped from his grasp like sand spilling from a clenched fist.

After what could have been minutes or hours of travel, his legs started to ache. He paused, needing a break, and took a moment to rest next to one of the floating lights. The one he’d chosen hummed in a way only minimally different from his own. He examined its soft green light, and in doing so, felt a growing understanding blossom in his mind.

It had the taste of moss, trees, and ancient forests. It beckoned him further, trying to pull him in and meld with him. The green orb before him was no basic thing; it wasn’t merely a glowing light; it was a source of power. Within, he saw an image of decaying leaves becoming one with the soil, slowly turning into the very nutrients that would sustain the forest, and knew that to be what the power wanted: to become one, and rebuild anew.

… do I allow it to pull me in?

His soul drummed along to a similar beat, only just distinguishable from that of the orb.

What did the Creator say…? listen to your intuition…

He focused his attention on the floating light, fixating with laser precision. While barely so, the hum of the orb was noticeably different from his own; this tempting source of power wasn’t what he had been searching for. He felt a powerful pull behind him that promised great power; if only he would listen to its call. Whatever pulled him knew of his contemplation to surrender himself to another, and like a jealous lover, pursued with dogged determination.

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When he pulled his awareness back from the soft green light, he found himself on his knees before it. He stood and turned, the smell of moss and sweet decay disappearing from his nostrils as he walked away.

What he thought must have been days passed, and his body felt leaden as the gravity intensified. It had been a gradual increase, but was rapidly approaching an insurmountable level.

His path towards the promised power led him to an orb that seemed almost silver. Not sure if it was the thing that had been calling him, he examined it, and it opened up, welcoming him with open arms.

The moment his senses melded with it, he knew he’d made a mistake. It was metallic and foreign, tasting of blood and dirt. It felt sharp, as if a single wrong move could cut and maim. Much like the green orb, this one broadcast its intent; it desired destruction, carnage, and death.

The power that lured him—the thing that was clearly not this silver orb—pulled again. The tug was so strong that it physically moved his body. He leaned into it, using the pull to tumble his way back out of the metallic orb’s range.

He did it without great care, not trusting the destructive orb to let him go if he tried to leave peacefully. He sprawled on the ground, landing awkwardly. Despite the pain in his legs, he turned and ran, just in-case it tried to pursue somehow—thankfully, it didn’t. It sat still, uncaring and radiating indifference to his withdrawal.

He kept checking over his shoulder as he retreated, but it remained stationary.

Days or weeks later, he clenched his eyes at the pain, even his inexplicably resilient mind no longer capable of ignoring the palpable sensations shooting up his legs. He focused on the pull in his abdomen, using his senses to lead him towards that which beckoned him, all the while weaving around the thrum of endless orbs.

After the incident with the silver orb, he dared not get close to any of them.

Why am I still doing this? Why am I putting myself through so much pain?

Time disappeared before him, and countless floating lights faded past.

Why didn’t I accept the green orb? If I could go back…

He turned around and looked back from where he had come. Startled, he did a full circle, seeing that there were no other orbs visible in any direction—all that remained were the swirling lights, the distant stars, and the ever-present power calling him.

He thought back, realizing that he couldn’t even remember the last time he’d felt the hum of a different orb.

… how long have I been walking?

He shook his head and took a deep breath.

It doesn’t matter how long I’ve been walking. I decided I wanted more in this world, so that is what I’ll take.

He tried to laugh, but the noise that came out of his throat was hoarse and grating.

He had no path to go but towards the power pulling him—so forward he went.

Time and space blended as he crept on, having to drop to his hands and knees to combat the increased gravity.

He felt the pull, stronger than ever before, and his core resonated with it.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

He opened his eyes and saw an object floating before him.

It had no color, seeming to blend into the black infinity stretching out behind it. From what he could see of its edges, the orb was gigantic—a monolith compared to the orbs left in his wake. It was so dark—the gravity of its pull so strong—that it robbed the universe itself of light.

This… this is what has been calling me…?

The pull of the black orb was so strong with its current proximity that his body was physically being drawn in; slowly, with inevitable ease, he approached oblivion.

Every fiber of his being thrummed along to the orb’s beat, the resonance between them building into something unstoppable.

THUMP.

THUMP.

THUMP.

Lacking both the will and the physical strength to deny it, he got to his knees and stared into the yawning void before him.

The void stared back, and in the space between heartbeats, it engulfed him.