"Caw-aw," Zosimos cawed, landing on the edge of the stone bench where I sat, overlooking the island from the balcony of the temple.
"Good morning, Zos," I murmured, reaching up to give his beak a gentle stroke. Zosimos pushed into my touch, letting out a soft caw, his eyes closing in bliss. "Still no signs of our not-so-benevolent patron, huh?"
I'd been waiting for days, and there was no sign of Tris making a return. I also hadn't managed to 'wake' from the meditative state that I assumed my physical self was in.
"I suppose even this wasn't enough," I murmured, gazing out at the vibrant landscape. The island teemed with life. The trees were lush and green, while the flowers bloomed in a riot of color. It was beautiful, but there was an underlying feeling of emptiness. There was flora, but no fauna. There were no bees to pollinate the flowers, no worms and bugs to till the soil, no fish to swim in the lake, or birds to fly in the sky.
I sighed, leaning back against the wall of the temple. What was the next step? What did Rainy do after she claimed her grove? How did she move forward?
Closing my eyes, I thought back to the few conversations I'd had with Rainy, trying to remember if she'd mentioned anything that could be useful to me.
"You should see her, Kads, she's so cute! I wish I could bring her out of the grove already," Rainy said. She was sitting on the other side of the desk, a huge pile of paperwork in front of her as she helped me sort through the temple's weekly expense report. "I've been told that we can summon the nature spirits outside of the grove, but I haven't reached the point where I can do that yet."
"It sounds like my wisps," I murmured absently, focusing on the document in front of me. "Did we really need a new set of curtains in the alchemy tower? What happened to the old ones?" Didn't we just get new curtains?
"It's the alchemy tower, Foxy. What do you think happened?"
I opened my eyes, letting the memory fade. While I didn't have the answers, I did have an idea of what the next step might be.
"Spirits," I muttered, standing up and heading towards the stairs. Zosimos landed on my shoulder, his feathers tickling my cheek as he pressed against me.
"Maybe that's it. Not nature spirits for obvious reasons," that being I wasn't a druid, "but golems or even homunculus? Wisps too."
"Caw."
It seemed all the work I'd recently done with golems and wisps would come in handy. The thought of wisps brought a frown to my lips.
"Krr," Zosimos cawed, bumping his beak against my chin.
"I'm fine, just thinking," I said, absently petting him. I would have thought that I'd be able to summon Pyr, but I couldn't. The bond we had should let me, but it was almost like he was cut off from me, or rather I was cut off from him. The same with my second wisp.
I frowned, once again trying to call Pyr. It was a futile effort. He wasn't answering, and there was a distinct lack of warmth from the tail he was connected to. "It's strange, almost as if they're gone."
Was it because they were physical manifestations, and this was my subconscious? But Zosimos was here, so why not Pyr and my other wisp? They were a part of me, as I had been the one who made them, who forged them, and brought them to life. They were an extension of myself, so why wasn't I able to summon them here?
"I guess we'll have to find out when we get back, won't we?" I murmured, giving Zosimos one final pat before rising from the bench. "I'll see if I can't put up a convincing argument to get Tris to let me summon them here," I said, then as an afterthought added, " I should ask him to let me bring other bound creatures too." After all, what was the point of having an inner world if I couldn't even use it to house my pets?
Arion would love having an entire island to roam and run around. Maybe I'd even get him a few mares to keep him company?
"Come on, let's head inside and see if we can create a wisp," I said, heading into the temple.
As we walked through the halls, I could feel the emptiness even more keenly. Even with all the various ambient noises I'd added in an attempt to feel less isolated, the lack of organic, discordant noise was glaringly apparent. The sounds I'd crafted were repetitive and predictable, fading into the background until they were all but nonexistent. It was a far cry from the bustle and chatter of the temple on Pyros. Hopefully Tris would allow me to bring in a few creatures to liven things up.
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In theory, creating a wisp should have been easy. They were, in simple terms, elemental mana in a physical form. However, in practice, it was a bit more complex.
The elemental mana core was easy to create, a simple task that required little effort. Even giving it the glowing, wispy form was not difficult. The problem was, it didn't 'act' like a wisp. It didn't interact with its surroundings or react to my presence. It simply floated in place, doing nothing.
It was like it was a hollow shell. It looked like a wisp, but there was no actual intelligence within the little ball of light.
"This is going to be harder than I thought," I muttered, glaring at the offending orb.
Zosimos cawed, tilting his head as he stared at the wisp. "Caw-ah."
"True," I sighed, "wisps are naturally dumb, but this isn't simply a mindless wisp, it's an inanimate one."
"Craw-ak," Zosimos squawked, bobbing his head.
"Hmph," I huffed, "just give it life you say, like that's an easy thing to do."
"Kr-caw-ak," Zosimos crowed, flapping his wings and looking extremely smug.
"Yes, but animating golems is different. Golems are not living beings, they are constructs which are programmed to act out a series of commands. And wisps are creatures, they need an animus," I said, frowning down at the inert wisp. "A spirit, a soul."
"Krr-caw."
"That's a whole other can of worms, Zos." I shook my head. "I am not trying to play god here, that is Tris' game, not mine."
The bird did have a point, though, in that perhaps when I formed the 'wisp' core, I should have added Scripted Channels to the mana core array. Scripted channels could serve various functions in an array. They could define the flow of energy, directing and controlling the magical forces in a specific manner. They could also encode complex instructions or augment the circle’s effects. For example, adding the channels to an array would allow the transmuter to define a series of conditions or trigger points, like an activation phrase or command.
In this case, though, I could attempt to use them as a way to imprint the wisp with a basic set of behavioral and cognitive scripts so that it wasn't simply a ball of energy. The issue I faced, however, was determining what normal behavior for a wisp was.
I couldn't use either of my two wisps as a basis because they were created by me and thus not a 'normal' wisp. The same could be said for wisps I'd used in my wisp experiments. They all came to me as dead cores, which were either destroyed in the process of core augmentation or were bound to me before re-manifesting, and thus weren't viable sources of natural wisp behavior. So, where did that leave me? I had no real-world experience with wisps, and I'd never actually taken the time to study them outside of my lab.
"Looks like we're back to guesswork and making it up as I go," I grumbled, rubbing my temple. "Let's go over what we know of wisp behaviors and see if we can't come up with a list of scripts or basic behavior and cognitive protocols. It can't be that hard. Everyone says wisps are pretty mindless, so maybe a few basic commands will be enough?"
"Krr," Zosimos crooned, bobbing his head, seemingly agreeing with my plan.
"Right, let's get to it then."
Over the next few hours, we brainstormed a list of possible behavior protocols and tried to integrate them into the wisp core. Deciding how the wisp should act was easy enough, what was difficult was trying to define the various parameters and variables needed to make the behavior appear natural.
Like movement speed, for example.
Arms folded over my chest, I stared at the shattered remains of the glass window. "That was a terrible idea."
I had gotten a little too carried away while testing movement dynamics. The wisp had zoomed around the room, its light flickering wildly, until it collided with the window, which put up zero resistance as the wisp burst through the glass pane. It flew right through as if it didn’t even exist—because I completely overlooked the need for spatial awareness.
Zosimos cawed from the table, fluttering his wings as he bobbed his head. "Caw."
"I know," I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Spatial awareness and a slower movement speed would have solved this problem."
It had been a stupid oversight, and I felt like a fool.
"Kr-krr-krr." Zosimos cackled as he hopped around the shattered glass and peered out the window where a streak of fiery blue light was zooming around at a speed that no wisp should be able to achieve.
“Oh, shut up,” I grumbled, glaring at the bird. "It's not like I knew a wisp would be able to propel itself at such a high velocity."
"Krr," he squawked, sounding very smug.
"Yes, thank you, Mr. Obvious," I huffed, rubbing my temples and wishing for the umpteenth time that I had a pain-relieving potion because so far I still hadn't been able to make one that worked.
"Kr-caw."
"Yes, well, it's still progress, isn't it?" I sighed, snapping my fingers and in a flash of light, the wisp disappeared as I absorbed it back into the world's natural mana flow.
My next attempt at making a wisp went much better. We had moved to a small room with no windows to prevent any breakages, but we needn't have bothered as the wisp was far less enthusiastic and more docile in nature.
The new wisp hovered in the center of the room, a ball of light that was no more than a foot wide, and emitted a soft, bluish glow. It had no eyes or features of any kind and was simply a ball of mana.
"This isn't nearly as interesting as creating the island was."
"Caw," Zosimos supplied, preening his feathers with an air of disinterest.
Perhaps this was simply how wisps were? The normal wisps bound to me were all much like this one was, mindless and dull, but this one seemed even worse.
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"No, no, this won't do," I murmured, rubbing my chin as I studied the little wisp. There was something missing, something vital. Pyr had it, and I suspected my second wisp, which I still hadn't named, had it as well, but this one didn't.
Reabsorbing the wisp, I decided that this time, I would attempt something different. This time, I wouldn't use the transmutation array to form the wisp's core. Instead, I would attempt to do so in the same way I created my own wisp cores, by shaping and forming the mana directly. It would be more difficult, but if it was successful, it would create a much more intelligent and responsive wisp, one that could act as a true companion, just as Pyr did.
"Let's go down to the inner sanctum, Zos," I said, rising from my seat. "We're going to need a lot more mana."
"Caw," Zosimos trilled, hopping down off his perch and following behind me.
As I descended the winding stone steps to the underground lake, the air grew cooler and more tranquil. The walls were lined with faintly glowing crystals, illuminating the path with a serene light. I could hear the gentle lapping of water echoing through the underground lake, a rhythmic sound that felt almost meditative in itself.
When we reached the bottom of the stairs, the tunnel opened up into a cavern, the underground lake shimmering like a vast mirror in the low light. At the center of the lake, there was a small island, above which floated a sphere of energy, a massive orb that glowed with a pulsing, ethereal light. This was the core, the heart of Khēmeia, and the source of the mana that flowed through every inch of the world.
Stepping out onto the water, I felt a rush of energy flowing through me, tugging at my senses, inviting me to sink into it, to let it flow into me and become one with it. It was a seductive feeling, one that was intoxicating and tempting, but I knew better than to succumb. Losing myself in the flow of power was a heady thing, but it could also be dangerous.
Each step I took caused a tiny ripple, disturbing the energy around me, a disturbance that echoed through the core and back again until the entire lake was vibrating with a gentle hum. As I approached the core, I could feel a tingling sensation in the air, a sort of static charge that made my hair stand on end and sent a shiver down my spine. The core was a living, breathing thing, pulsing in rhythm with my own heartbeat, a resonant echo that intertwined with my very essence. It was as if the core and I were locked in a silent dialogue, a communion of energy that was always there below the surface of my consciousness.
I moved to the center of the islet, settling cross-legged on the cool, damp ground. Closing my eyes, I focused on the mana, reaching out to draw it in, feeling its vibrant essence swirl around me. I let it build and grow until the air crackled with energy, alive with a palpable force.
It was a delicate balance, this dance of absorption. I needed to draw in the mana while maintaining a tether to the world around me, to the shimmering lake and the glowing crystals that framed it. The last thing I wanted was to get lost in the currents of power, to lose myself in the intoxicating flow. It wasn’t easy to pull myself back once I ventured too deep, and I feared that if I gave into, if I lost myself in the power, I might never return.
I concentrated on my breath, visualizing it as an anchor, steady and unwavering. Each inhale filled me with light, each exhale released any hesitation. I reminded myself of my purpose here: to connect, to understand, but never to surrender completely.
As the energy pulsed around me, I felt the vibrations resonate through my core, a gentle reminder of the thin line I walked. I opened myself to the mana, allowing its warmth to flow in, yet I kept my awareness sharp, rooted in the cool earth beneath me and the steady rhythm of my own heartbeat.
With determination, I sought a deeper connection without losing myself, guiding the energy like a river flowing into a reservoir, not letting it sweep me away. This was the key: to embrace the power without being consumed by it.
I began to shape and mold the energy, applying the techniques I had learned while creating wisp cores. I guided the swirling essence, feeling its warmth as I condensed it into a dense, glowing orb. With each breath, I infused it with intention, molding the energy with precision and care.
The mana flowed around me, swirling and shifting, responding to my thoughts and intentions. It was like working with a living entity, a creature aware of my actions with its own will and desires. I used that awareness, harnessing its energy and focusing on what I wished to create. I thought of Pyr, my first wisp, and how he behaved—his personality, intelligence, and loyalty. I wanted something like that, a companion, a friend, someone cheerful, inquisitive, and curious.
As I shaped the mana, I used myself as a foundation, reflecting on how I felt and how I thought. I considered my curiosity and thirst for knowledge, my desire to learn and explore. Taking these aspects from within myself, I infused them into the mana, allowing them to flow and intertwine with the energy until it transformed into a vibrant, pulsing orb of color and light. The mana swirled and danced, shifting and changing, becoming something far beyond a mere construct of my imagination.
It evolved into a being, a unique individual with its own will and spirit. This radiant orb shimmered like a star, brimming with energy and life, reflecting the essence of my own thoughts and emotions. In that moment, I realized I wasn’t just creating; I was nurturing a companion that embodied the very core of who I was.
Nova. That would be her name, Nova. Like a new star, born from the depths of the universe. I poured more mana into her, strengthening her form and solidifying her existence.
In that moment, something changed within me. It was a strange feeling, like a part of me was breaking free or rather, being set free. It was a sensation I couldn't quite describe, but it felt almost like a release. Something was flowing out of me, leaving me, yet not leaving. It was a paradoxical feeling, both disconcerting and strangely freeing. Opening my eyes, I saw not the glowing ball of energy before me, but a being, a girl, with hair like starlight and skin like moonlight, a shimmering, incandescent creature. She was like a goddess, a being of pure light and energy.
"Hi!" she exclaimed, a smile spreading across her face, her eyes sparkling with delight. It was an expression of pure joy, one that spoke of childlike innocence and wonder. "I'm Nova."
I couldn't help but return her smile, feeling a sense of warmth and happiness emanating from her. I could feel a connection to her, a bond that went beyond mere creator and creation. She was something more, something special.
"Hello, Nova." I replied, my voice filled with equal parts awe and wonder. "I'm Kadia."
----------------------------------------
"Kadiiiiaaaa!"
I cringed, my ears flattening against my head as Nova's familiar cry reverberated through the cavern, shattering its peace.
Five days. It took me five days to realize that creating Nova had been a mistake. She wasn’t just a simple wisp or even a complex one; she was a fully formed sentience, intelligent and unique. As much as she felt like a part of me, she was undeniably her own being—and right now, she was driving me absolutely insane.
While her curiosity and inquisitive nature were charming, they were also exhausting. She had an endless number of questions and an insatiable desire to explore every inch of the island. She was also incredibly mischievous and prone to pulling pranks, which ranged from mildly annoying to completely infuriating.
But despite all of that, I loved her more than anything else in the world. She was a part of me, an extension of my will and my essence. While she was a handful, she was also a comfort, a companion, and a friend.
Still, I was feeling the strain of keeping up with her. She required constant attention and care. While the island provided a wealth of materials for her to play with, it was only a matter of time before she grew bored.
She needed a friend and I—well, I wanted someone who was a little less high-energy to talk to. Someone more grounded, stable, and rational.
"And that is why I made you, Aeon," I explained, looking at the dark-haired figure sitting across from me.
"Ah, I see," he replied, nodding his head as he studied our surroundings with a calm, almost disinterested expression. "So you created me, hoping that I would be a calming influence on your 'Nova' and provide intellectual discourse?"
"Precisely," I said, feeling a rush of relief at his understanding. "She's a wonderful companion, but she's also a lot to handle."
"Hmm," he murmured, his gaze sweeping over the lake. "Well, she is a reflection of you. She is your creation, so perhaps you should examine why you created her the way you did."
"What are you implying?" I frowned, crossing my arms.
He shrugged. "I am simply suggesting that you should examine your own motivations and desires before expecting someone else to fulfill them."
I huffed, crossing my arms tighter. “I know what I wanted when I made Nova. I wanted a companion, someone who reflected my spirit and curiosity.”
Aeon raised an eyebrow, his expression neutral. “And yet, in doing so, you also birthed a whirlwind of chaos. Perhaps that speaks to something deeper within you? Nova is a reflection of yourself, after all. Maybe there is a part of you that seeks excitement and unpredictability, a part that longs for adventure and spontaneity, despite your more rational, grounded nature? Your creation of her, while initially well-intentioned, might be a manifestation of that aspect of yourself that you have yet to explore or understand fully. So, perhaps you should consider this and ask yourself, what do you truly desire?"
"I created you to be an intellectual companion," I stated firmly, "not a psychoanalyst."
He smiled, a slight curve of his lips that was barely noticeable. "Perhaps you did, but I am aware that you desired more than just an intelligent companion. You wished for someone to help analyze, provide a second perspective, and a way to gain new insights. It seems that, while you may not have consciously recognized it, there is a part of you that seeks a variety of relationships and experiences."
"Well, aren't you the insightful one," I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose.
He chuckled, his lips curling into a smirk. "I am what you made me, Kadia."
He was right, of course. I had always been an independent person, but I also craved companionship and validation. There was a part of me that was lonely, that yearned for a deeper connection with others. And while I enjoyed my time alone, I also missed having people to share my thoughts and ideas with.
"If I may borrow from the philosophers of old, 'To know oneself is the beginning of all wisdom.'" Aeon quoted, his gaze locking with mine. "Is this not the reason why you created me? To have someone to speak to and bounce ideas off of, someone who would provide a different perspective and help you discover truths about the universe and yourself?"
I sighed, rubbing my temples. "I just wanted someone who could talk about literature and philosophy with me. I don't need a personal psychologist. I am perfectly fine, thank you."
"If you say so," he murmured, a hint of amusement coloring his tone.
I shook my head, standing up. " Why did I think that creating a second one of you would solve all my problems?"
Aeon's smile widened. "Because you are a creature of habit and find comfort in the familiar."
I glared at him, trying and failing to maintain an air of aloofness. "You know, I created you to be a companion, not a pain in the ass."
Aeon chuckled. "I would posit that the problem isn't so much with the creation as it is with the creator."
"Kadiiiiiiiiaaaaaa," Nova called, her voice echoing through the cavern, "I'm booooooooored. Play with meeeeeeeee."
Ugh. I could feel another headache coming on.
-
Nova and Aeon were opposites in many ways, but they seemed to complement each other well. Together, we found a balance and harmony that worked. Nova provided the energy and excitement, while Aeon provided the rational and analytical thinking. They were both intelligent and inquisitive, but while Nova was focused on the here and now, Aeon was always thinking about the future and the bigger picture.
With the two of them by my side, I found myself feeling more at ease and less stressed. They were good company, and even though they were both challenging at times, they were also a source of comfort and support.
But even with their presence, there was still a sense of emptiness, a sense of longing, of something missing. It was a feeling that persisted, a nagging sensation that tugged at the back of my mind. I first felt it when I created Nova, and the feeling only grew stronger with Aeon's creation. It was a strange sensation, one that I couldn't quite explain. It felt almost like a hole in my heart, a gap, an absence of something that was meant to be there. It was a feeling that troubled me, one that I couldn't shake. Even with Nova and Aeon by my side, I couldn't help but feel like something was missing, something important.
I didn't know how to explain the feeling or what to do about it. So I did the only thing I could. I threw myself into the creation and improvement of Khēmeia. Aeon and Nova helped too, offering their insights and ideas. We spent hours discussing the construction and design of the temple, planning and creating new structures and systems. We worked on populating the world with insects, trying to recreate the basis for the natural world slowly building the world into something more complex, more real, and more alive. But even as we worked, the feeling persisted. The longing, the emptiness, the sense of absence, it remained, a constant, nagging presence in the back of my mind.
Days and weeks passed, and the feeling grew stronger until it was almost overwhelming. I found myself pacing the halls of the temple, restless and agitated. I found myself staring up at the stars I'd created, wondering what it was that I was missing, what it was that I was searching for.
It was during one of these nights, while I was sitting on the roof of the temple, gazing up at the stars, that it happened. An intense, almost painful sensation, a wave of something, a rush of energy and power unlike anything I had ever felt before. It was like a surge of electricity, a pulse of energy, a ripple in the fabric of reality.
I gasped, clutching my chest, as the sensation hit me. I could feel the energy, the power, the sheer magnitude of it, but it was not like the energy of my world. It was something else, something greater.
"Sorry about this kid," a male voice said, his words carrying with them a thrum of power that seemed to echo through my very being. "Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't intrude or interfere, but it’s clear you’re not leaving without a little push. The wifey warned me you were stubborn, and it seems she was spot on."
I couldn't move, couldn't speak, could barely even breathe. All I could do was sit there, frozen in place, as the energy washed over me.
"I'll let you keep this little world of yours, as I can see that it means a lot to you," the voice continued. "But you need to step out of it for a bit, kid. You've been here too long, and it’s time to face reality. Don’t worry—you can always return if that’s what you choose. But you need to at least consider your options. Spend some time in the real world before you make any decisions about where you want to truly belong. Sound good? Great. Nice chat, kid, but I’ve got to dash and see a man about a dog."
As the voice faded, the energy surged, a powerful, pulsing force that seemed to fill every inch of my being. I could feel it, a tingling, almost painful sensation that seemed to penetrate every cell in my body. I felt myself falling, plummeting through the darkness, through the void, towards something. I couldn't think, couldn't speak, couldn't even move. All I could do was fall, spiraling through the darkness, towards the unknown.