CHAPTER 10
Behind the facade of reality exists the truth. The Abyss. It’s nothing so special; rather, you are the special one. The Abyss was always there. The Void was always there. It was reality that decided to barge in and start existing. The Void finds it cute, mostly.
You better hope it finds it cute, or there might not be much reality to worry about anymore.
— A void philosopher
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ALEX’S PERSPECTIVE
I wonder if I’ll survive this, Alex thought, his gaze lost in the endless expanse around him. Was it nothing? Everything? Something? The distinctions blurred, and his rational mind struggled to comprehend the void. I suppose it doesn’t matter.
Closing his eyes, Alex tried to ground himself. His thoughts drifted to his life, imperfect and fragmented as it was. I’ve buried most of my family. I’ve been to more funerals than I can count. But it was still a life, and that’s something to be thankful for.
Time seemed to stretch, becoming meaningless. Was it seconds? Hours? Alex couldn’t tell. I wonder if time even exists here...
It doesn’t, at least not in the way you mortals think of it.
The voice jolted Alex from his reverie. It was the voice of notSarah, echoing directly into his mind.
But my adamantite bracelet—
If you think that thing can stop a void being, you’re gravely confused.
Alex let out a slow breath. Of course, he thought bitterly. It always comes back to me being screwed, doesn’t it?
He decided it was best to stay silent, shutting off his thoughts as best he could. Meditation was his only defense, a way to preserve what remained of his sanity.
That would be for the best. I’ll wake you when we’re close.
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PERSPECTIVE OF THE VOID
In a space beyond time and a time beyond space, entities of indescribable form and purpose coalesced. What mortals perceived of them was merely an abstraction, the closest approximation their limited minds could make of intentions beyond comprehension.
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The beings felt it—a disturbance rippling through the continuum. One of their brethren had used the continuum’s threads, manipulating it in a way they had agreed never to do again after the incident.
The disturbance escalated.
And then one of their selves ceased to exist.
A universal cascade.
The being grieved for the loss. It had been fond of that universe. The mortals there had a peculiar affection for card games, more so than in other realms. But now it was gone, obliterated, never to return. Even they, as vast as they were, could not undo such destruction.
Curiosity overtook grief. The being reached out to its brethren, weaving itself into the endless waves of the void, seeking answers.
What happened, brother?
THEY REQUIRED IT OF ME. I AM SORRY, SISTER. THEY CALLED IN THE FAVOR I OWED, AND I COULD NOT REFUSE.
The being paused. Who could command one of their own? Only the void itself—or the siblings who owed a debt.
It was sister, wasn’t it? Why did she compel you?
SOMETHING TO DO WITH A CHARTER AND A FAILED MISSION. THAT IS ALL I KNOW. BEGONE. I GRIEVE.
With that, the being dissolved, leaving the sister alone to search for answers. It didn’t take long to trace the threads of manipulation, leading her to her wayward sibling. She found her sibling amidst the distorted currents of the void, their mortal plaything floating like debris.
What did you do, sister?
Her sibling responded with a hint of defiance. “I just wanted to fix a mistake.”
Why didn’t you ask for help? There is no shame in it. You are young.
EXACTLY WHAT I SAID, SISTER. SHE DOES NOT LISTEN.
The sister sighed, her frustration manifesting in the trembling waves of the void. Enough. There is no need to dogpile her. But you’ve caused a universal cascade, and intervention is now required.
“I wouldn’t want to impose,” her sibling replied.
You already have.
And so, the sister descended.
She rid the mortal plane of obstacles, weaving herself into its fabric. She took on a form—fragile, mortal, a vessel for her intentions. Flesh was always so strange, but the name Sarah suited her.
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PRESENT
Sarah stopped reminiscing about her transition to this form. The mortal had been surprisingly cooperative, but it was time for him to wake. They had arrived.
It is time for you to wake, mortal. We are here.
Alex stirred, his eyes fluttering open. The endless void stretched before him, and yet there was something else—a presence, an arrival. He exhaled, steeling himself.
Whatever comes next, I’ll face it head-on, Alex thought, though his heart pounded in his chest.
“Let’s get this over with,” he muttered, stepping forward into the unknown.