Chapter 96 – Creation or Insanity
The Kilathian Bridge stretched out into infinity, a path of white materia blocks suspended in a vast void of shimmering space. The bridge was silent, hanging above the distant tips of ancient mountains, barely visible far below, their jagged peaks like shadows against the canvas of the void. The air around the bridge was unnaturally still, an eerie calm that suggested the universe itself was holding its breath. Every step along the bridge sent ripples through the ether, each echo a subtle reminder of the cosmic forces at work.
Gralik, cloaked in black onyx robes, moved steadily along the narrow path. His single, large eye blinked in a rhythmic cadence, and each step he took seemed deliberate, weighted by the gravity of his purpose. The folds of his robes rustled slightly with his movement, a faint sound against the overwhelming silence that pressed in from all sides. His hands were folded in prayer, but his mind was anything but quiet.
“All has been revealed,” Gralik murmured, his deep, resonant voice barely louder than a whisper.
The words floated through the still air, their echo carried along the white cubes beneath him. It was as though the very fabric of the **materia** responded to his voice, each block vibrating subtly, sending ripples outward like the surface of a still lake disturbed by a stone. Gralik felt the power of his words reflected in the path itself as if the materia recognized the weight of what was unfolding.
“Now it comes to a point of no return,” Gralik continued, his eye narrowing as he gazed into the horizon, where the path before him blurred and shifted in the growing dusk.
The fading light of the cosmos seemed to pull the cubes of materia into a gentle haze, their sharp edges softening as if the bridge was dissolving into the twilight. He stopped for a moment, taking in the surreal beauty of the void around him. The silence was almost overwhelming, but within it, Gralik found a sense of peace. The tension that had gripped him for so long began to melt away, flowing out of him and into the stillness.
“The word comes alive,” he whispered, his voice filled with the quiet certainty of someone on the cusp of a great revelation.
Gralik resumed his walk, his pace slow but deliberate, as though he was moving toward a promise made at the beginning of time. Each step carried him closer to the unknown, yet he felt no fear. His mind was clear, his purpose unshaken.
“This is the finale,” Gralik said softly, his voice growing stronger with each word. “The test of faith I was promised.”
As the words left his lips, a faint aum vibration began to hum beneath his feet. The sound rose from the very core of the white materia cubes, deep and resonant, vibrating with the energy of something ancient, something powerful. The space around him thrummed with life, the distant echo of cosmic forces at play.
“Can we finish the great work?” Gralik asked, his voice calm yet firm. The question was not one of doubt but an acknowledgment of the challenge that lay ahead.
His robes fluttered lightly as the **aum vibrations** echoed through the vast emptiness, a choir of cosmic voices rising from the depths of the materia beneath him. The sound was soothing, filling the space with a sense of purpose as if the universe itself was waiting for Gralik to take his next step.
“What is no longer serving our expansion into the era of gold?” he asked, gazing at the horizon.
Before him, the distant stars flickered faintly, their light swallowed by the boundless void. The blocks beneath his feet pulsed gently with every step, as though they recognized his presence, guiding him forward along the path. Each footfall sent a tremor through the bridge, a silent acknowledgment that he was drawing nearer to his destiny.
“It’s that goal…” Gralik muttered, his voice contemplative. “It’s different than we were told in the beginning.”
The path suddenly ended. Gralik came to a halt, standing at the edge of the white materia, staring into the endless void that stretched before him. There was no fear in his heart, only a quiet acceptance of what must come next. The silence that surrounded him felt like a shroud, wrapping him in its stillness.
“Kilath, I hear you… Omh.”
The sound of his voice resonated with the distant aum vibrations, blending seamlessly with the hum of the cosmos. As the final **ohm** reverberated through the space, Gralik closed his eye and bowed his head in reverence. It was a silent prayer, an offering of gratitude for the journey that had brought him to this place.
When he opened his eye again, the world had changed.
Far below the edge of the path, where the cubes of white materia met the distant horizon, a **white egg** rotated slowly in the void. It was suspended on a series of floating blocks, its smooth, glowing surface reflecting the faint light of the stars. The egg seemed to pulse with a quiet energy, a beacon of creation in the emptiness of space.
Gralik blinked once, then twice, his single eye narrowing in focus as he took in the sight. A white block rose vertically from the edge of the path, floating in front of him like an invitation. Without hesitation, Gralik stepped onto the moving platform, his heart steady and his mind clear. The platform descended slowly, carrying him down toward the egg. Every moment felt like an eternity, the anticipation thick in the air.
As he approached, the egg stopped rotating. A thin black line formed around its surface, and slowly, an eye opened at the top half. Two delicate **wings** sprouted from the backside of the egg, their shimmering feathers glowing softly in the dim light.
“Congratulations,” a voice echoed through the void, soft yet filled with immense power. “You have gotten through your subconscious to the next step of revealing.”
Gralik’s eye widened slightly. The egg, this mysterious manifestation of creation itself, had spoken to him. Its voice carried the authority of something far beyond time, something that resonated with the deepest parts of his being.
“Gralik,” the voice of Creatio continued, “your construction… it was always there.”
The words settled into Gralik’s mind like a truth he had always known but never fully understood. His voice, barely more than a whisper, reflected the awe he felt. “This is the dimensional space beyond the four boundaries of observation, is it not?”
“Yes,” the egg’s eye blinked slowly, almost thoughtfully.
Gralik stepped off the platform, his movements slow and reverent. He was now standing on the static path of white blocks, the egg before him, glowing faintly in the dim starlight. Every step felt sacred as if he was walking through the fabric of creation itself.
“Creatio…” Gralik murmured softly, his gaze fixed on the egg’s singular eye.
The egg remained still, its presence both commanding and comforting, like the gentle hand of a god.
“The materia…” Gralik continued, “It’s whispering to me.”
There was no doubt in his voice, only a deep curiosity—a profound wonder that had driven him throughout his life. He could feel the hum of the materia, the subtle vibrations that danced in the air around him, the whispers of creation itself speaking through the ether.
“Yes,” Creatio confirmed, “that is the essence of awakening… of Kilath… of Kundalini.”
The egg’s wings twitched slightly, shimmering in the dim light. “There is no one else here, Gralik.”
The words struck Gralik deeply, reverberating in the core of his being. He had always known this truth, but hearing it now, spoken by the voice of creation itself, made it all the more real.
“There is only here,” Creatio’s voice softened, “only now.”
Gralik’s breath caught in his chest. His entire life had been leading to this moment, this understanding of a truth beyond the physical realm. His single eye flickered with emotion, a subtle wave of understanding washing over him.
“There is only kairos,” Creatio intoned, “there is nowhere else to go.”
As the unseen sun set on the day that had led Gralik here, a **moon** rose in its place, casting a warm, inviting glow over the scene. It was not a cold light but one filled with promise and the infinite potential of creation. The night ahead was a blank canvas, waiting to be painted with the dreams of the cosmos.
Before Gralik, a **white block** emerged from the platform, a **black square** embedded in its center. The symbols etched into the square shifted gently, reflecting the soft glow of the moon as they danced in the light.
“Let go,” Creatio whispered.
Gralik stood still, his heart pounding in his chest.
“Surrender,” the voice continued, gentle yet commanding.
The words felt like a balm to Gralik, soothing the last remnants of tension that clung to his body.
“There is nothing to do.”
His shoulders relaxed. His breathing steadied, becoming calm and even.
“Relax, Cyclops.”
The title was playful, almost affectionate, but it carried the weight of a command.
“Everything will be alright.”
The calmness in Creatio’s voice was infectious, spreading through Gralik like a soothing tide. His mind quieted, the storm of thoughts that had once raged within him now settling into a profound stillness.
“This is only the beginning.”
Gralik’s eye fluttered shut momentarily as the truth of Creatio’s words washed over him. The weight that had once pressed down on him, the burden of his journey, now seemed to lift. In its place was a peace he had never known, a quiet certainty that all was as it should be.
“Indeed,” Gralik whispered, his voice filled with wonder. “It is all in place, happening towards our creator’s goal.”
His voice was soft, almost reverent, as he spoke. The universe around him seemed to hum in agreement as if recognizing the truth of his words.
“Awareness has come to be,” Gralik said softly, his eye filled with quiet awe.
The egg’s form began to shimmer, its smooth surface glowing with a faint, otherworldly light. Slowly, it began to morph, its shape-shifting into two white blocks, each hovering side by side. Above them, the Eye of Acceptance swirled, omnipresent and serene, watching over the unfolding moment.
Gralik stood silently, watching as the platform beneath him began to descend once more. The world around him shifted and changed, the fabric of reality realigning to his newfound understanding.
“We have finally discovered it…” Gralik whispered, his voice filled with quiet reverence. “Truth.”
The platform touched down at the base of a long staircase, its steps leading downward onto an untextured mesh. Standing before him were five towering onyx statues, each one a tribute to the deep characters of creation: Sprout the Mouse, Digit the Nazari, Gralik the Cyclops, Zephyreus the Magician, and Commander Metafly.
“Osteria,” Gralik said softly, his tone filled with reverence. “You were once the kingdom.”
He took a deep breath, the air thick with the energy of revelation. Slowly, he exhaled, his voice vibrating into the space around him.
“Ohm.”
The vibration of the **aum** refracted off the statues, sending ripples of sound through the air. The statues **hummed** in response, their shadows coming to life, dancing and shifting with the resonance. Gralik walked through the refracting shadows, his mind clear, his body relaxed, his heart at peace.
“With each prayer, a mountain forms,” he said, his voice steady.
He reached the base of another staircase, leading him upward onto another platform. The new landscape was covered in **white stones** of varying shapes and sizes. As Gralik walked through the stones, a sharp **click** echoed through the space, reverberating like a signal to the universe.
“We can only control focus,” Gralik whispered.
His steps were slow, deliberate.
“The attention,” he continued.
Ahead of him, a series of materia pillars came into view, their surfaces alive with the dance of sigils and shadows. Beyond them stood a large gate, crowned by two black stars, their presence absorbing the light around them.
“From the long night, a star is formed,” Gralik said, his heart steady, his mind clear.
He approached the gate, his breath slow and deliberate. As he drew closer, he felt the weight of the moment settle in his chest. His heart swelled with the magnitude of what lay before him.
“It has always been here,” Gralik whispered. “The eye has always known.”
Gralike blinked once more and stepped through the gate into the unknown.