If Oclorus could manifest his form, his countenance would surely mirror Panni's current dismay.

A pallid brow, glistening beads of sweat trickling down, each droplet echoing upon the metallic floor, his mind a blank slate.

It wasn't just the two of them; the other three souls concealed within the Etherplane were likewise ensnared, swaying with Panni's every vacillation.

Maintain composure.

Panni took two deep breaths, steadied his resolve, and gathered a pile of scrolls from the ground, potent spells from the third and fourth rings of the arcane, then cautiously approached the hidden door. A spiral staircase, transparent as glass, led to depths unknown below, emitting a faint magical radiance at its terminus. He inhaled deeply, treading down with utmost care.

The automatic opening of the hidden door indicated his exposure; fleeing was an impractical recourse. Similarly, a gamble, Panni was more inclined to peer beneath the hidden door and discern what lay beyond.

If it were the mechanist below, then all would be well. If not, perhaps there lay a chance for a reversal of fortune.

As his form vanished into the hidden door, a soft click sounded overhead, the light streaming down dimmed, and the hidden door closed automatically.

The retreat path vanished.

Oddly, Panni's heart steadied entirely; the sensation of risking one's life was just that, no stranger to death.

Upon entering the depths, Panni was met with a dazzling sight, momentarily entranced.

Before him sprawled an expansive space, unlike any typical underground chamber.

The spiral staircase had vanished behind him; above stretched a vast sky, below extended boundless earth, stretching to the horizon.

In the near distance, a gleaming metropolis rose, adorned with concentric circles of magical runes emitting iridescent hues, swirling in ceaseless motion. A profound sense of grandeur enveloped Panni's being as his gaze roamed over this jungle of steel and arcane symbols, gradually drifting into a trance.

A magnificent city woven from steel and enchantments.

A strange vessel whizzed past, its peculiar silhouette cutting through the air, accompanied by a tumult that reached Panni's ears. Lowering his gaze, he beheld numerous individuals, clad in attire seemingly out of sync with the times, bustling along the streets. In that moment of reverie, Panni found himself amidst the bustling thoroughfare, enveloped in its vibrancy.

Extending his hand, Panni watched as it passed through a person striding towards him, yet the surrounding "people" appeared oblivious, prompting a furrow of the mage's brow.

"Though resplendent in its grandeur, it remains but an illusion, a reflection of reminiscence," came a voice laden with lamentation, neither Panni's soliloquy nor transmitted from Oclorus's ethereal whispers, but rather a desiccated utterance.

As the throng gradually dissipated, a "person" materialized roughly ten feet before Panni. The term warranted quotation marks, for this figure, however, bore no semblance to a living being.

With a desiccated form akin to a mummy, it exuded an aura more befitting of the deceased, resembling a relic enshrined within some distant temple. Yet, its eyes refuted Panni's initial assessment, casting forth a gaze of detachment yet profound interest, firmly fixed upon Panni, tinged with scrutiny.

Gathering his wits, Panni acknowledged that the spectacles prior were mere illusions. However, this figure, reminiscent of a zombie, stood as the first tangible presence within the subterranean chamber.

"And who might you be?" Panni ventured, uncertain of the appropriate salutation.

"That question should rightfully be mine to ask," the mummy chuckled, its skeletal visage lending an eerie quality to its smile. "Few venture to these depths. Are you the newcomer sought by our esteemed mechanist?"

"Perhaps," Panni sighed. "And who, pray tell, are you? One of his subjects?"

From the mummy's tone, Panni gleaned a notable lack of reverence towards the mechanist, dispelling any lingering apprehension.

Yet, as the query escaped his lips, the mummy fell silent for a moment, before uttering in a hoarse voice, "In a manner of speaking, yes."

"Pardon?" Panni's expression took on a peculiar hue.

"He fashioned me from discarded remnants of himself, then placed me within this realm," the mummy recounted.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

"Ah... So he is your creator. Yet, from your discourse, it seems you hold little reverence for him," Panni scratched his head.

During this interval, he received no communication from Oclorus. Though perplexed, the "person" before him showed no hostility. Panni opted to engage in conversation, hoping to glean some useful information.

"How could you harbor respect for one who constantly seeks your demise?" The mummy chuckled ironically. "Bear in mind, with his temperament, he might just as well terminate you over a misplaced decimal point in one of your experiments. Moreover, he harbors such abhorrence towards me, he wishes for my immediate disappearance."

"You mean he... wants to kill you?" Panni furrowed his brow, surveying the surreal surroundings. "But in his domain, forgive my frankness, dispatching you doesn't seem particularly challenging. Or do you possess some means to evade his attempts on your life?"

"Of course not... But..." The mummy's voice lowered, punctuated by a couple of sinister chuckles. "Have you ever heard of someone continuing to exist after their own demise?"

Panni paused, then glanced into the mummy's eyes, his heart pounding violently several times, an answer on the brink of revelation.

"Though we haven't formally met, allow me to reintroduce myself," the mummy lifted its head, its desiccated neck emitting a crackling sound. "You see, the emptiness born of millennia of solitude, coupled with inexplicable emotions, is enough to drive any rational being to madness. So he created me. Or rather, I fashioned myself from these 'emotions' and 'corporeal remnants' I deemed unnecessary."

"I believe I understand," Panni chuckled wryly. "Mr. Sagbá Pascal."

"Indeed, you may address me as such," the mummified version of Sagbá Pascal nodded. "Rest assured, I harbor no fondness for the entity encased within the golem shell, for I am what he deems superfluous, or rather, what that 'self' deems superfluous. If you're willing, indulge me in a conversation for a while. I shall guide you towards an exit from this place. You must understand, the loneliness of solitude without companionship is exceedingly difficult to endure..."

"Really?" Panni's heart skipped a beat again, then he shook his head. "But I still have some companions, turned to stone by that golem. I need to restore them..."

"To undo the Eternal Petrification Spell, you wish to kill 'me'?" The mummy fell silent for a moment, then asked abruptly.

"..." Panni remained speechless.

"Life is precious, hence many yearn for eternity," the mummy remarked nonchalantly. "If I were you, having heard what I just said, I'd choose to depart alone."

"Indeed, life is precious." Driven by an indiscernible emotion, Panni began to speak his mind. "Though the bond I share with my companions hasn't reached the level of sacrificing oneself for another, I once made a promise not to abandon them. I believe betraying one's companions is a deeply shameful act. I find it hard to accept living with such disgrace."

"Foolish," Sagbá Pascal shook his head disapprovingly. "At times, enduring shame is also a form of courage."

"I suppose I lack that kind of courage," Panni rubbed his nose.

Sagbá paused for a moment, then chuckled. "You have the audacity to face a quasi-legendary spellcaster who has existed for four millennia, yet you consider yourself lacking in courage because you refuse to compromise your trivial principles?"

"For me, upholding principles outweighs life itself," Panni raised his head. "As for danger, I'll do everything within my power, then leave the rest to fate."

"Fate..." Panni's gaze flickered as he looked into the mummy's bright eyes. "So, you have the courage to embrace your destiny?"

Panni fell silent, noticing that this mummified rendition of the ancient mechanist was not only loquacious but also unusually sensitive, seemingly susceptible to being drawn into particular emotional states by certain topics.

"How do you find the scenery I've arranged?" Another bout of silence ensued before Sagbá Pascal suddenly raised a hand, gesturing towards the magnificent illusory landscapes around them.

"Is this the Imaskari Empire?" Panni raised his head, once again scrutinizing the scenery carefully.

"These are my memories..." the mummy sighed. "Over the years, these memories have haunted me incessantly—my homeland, the town suffused with the scent of straw, my upbringing, the heart of the empire, the Royal Academy of Mechanists, my colleagues... my love and her; they once constituted my entire existence."

"But everything was destroyed," the mechanist's voice lowered, his figure visibly slumping, and the surroundings changed: the clouds turned deep red, meteor showers rained down from the sky, and millions of wolf-headed soldiers entered the city under the guidance of a dozen splendid human-shaped orbs of light. The magnificent city was reduced to ruins in the blink of an eye...

It was a scene of the gods of Mulhorand sacking Llöran.

Witnessing the collapse of this civilization, Panni's mood involuntarily sank.

"All destroyed..." Sagbá Pascal sighed heavily, repeating, "And yet I remain here, constantly reminiscing about these... three thousand, eight hundred and fifty-four years."

"There's no dynasty that never ends," after a moment of silence, Panni remarked.

"You're quite correct. The cycle of renewal and decline, the rise and fall of dynasties, is quite natural," the mechanist, seated amidst the ruins of the illusionary landscape, nodded calmly, chin resting on his hand. "So, for all these years, I've been searching for the existence of 'eternity,' hoping to impart some meaning to this lengthy life of mine. Yet, I find myself seemingly lost in confusion..."

"Could you tell me, young man, what does eternity look like in your mind?" the mechanist suddenly inquired.

"I haven't pondered on that question..." Panni paused for a moment, then sighed bitterly. "But I suppose eternity entails persisting in essence unchanged, enduring perpetually. However, the world is ceaselessly in flux, so..."

He halted abruptly, for he noticed the mechanist's eyes turning a wild, beastly shade of red, sending a chill down his spine, causing him to quickly fall silent.

"Change? Change?" murmured the mechanist twice to himself before suddenly erupting into uncontrollable laughter. The mummy's body began to decay, the desiccated white skin falling off, leaving Panni on edge. "So this is it? All that I have clung to, believed in, considered my purpose for existence, has vanished for millennia. What remains is merely a phantom. Even I have become this grotesque figure, unable to maintain essence, not even a complete being. What meaning is there in the feeble gasps of eternity? It's just escapism from reality, how pathetic! How utterly pathetic!"

After a bout of maniacal laughter, Sagbá Pascal fell silent for a while, then looked up at Panni. "So, if you insist on facing another 'me,' even if it's to do me a favor, end this deformed life."

Panni was stunned into silence.