by Aeon Solo
“Why does it have to go this way? I can’t lose you again, please,” Mara begged. He took her hand gently and stared deeply into her eyes.
“I’m so sorry Mara, but it is the only way, anyone who comes will die,” he said. She hugged him tight, “Go to our spot by the canyon, we can stay there for a while, like old times,” he said pleasantly. She acknowledged his request and transported herself to that location.
Sophia looked at him with great sadness pouring from her.
“You won’t come back, will you?” she said sombrely.
“I am still technically tied to it, when it is defeated, I will perish along with the Archons, I think, not sure though,” he said bluntly. “I need to ask you something,” he carried on, wanting to change the topic for a moment.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Sonje, my parents, are they here?” he questioned eagerly.
“You found your Knights, didn’t you?”
He nodded in recognition.
“When you destroyed those rings that were projecting the frequency everyone returned home, to me. Some chose to exist; some chose to merge with me. The people who were your birth parents in the simulation chose non-existence. Sonje is in another settlement right now,” she explained, his eyes glazed in thought. “Back to the topic at hand, the simulation, will you destroy it?” she enquired.
“I don’t think I’ll have the energy to do so, assuming I succeed of course, you will need to do it,” he said. She had a disheartened smile on her face. “I need you to protect Mara if that is the case,” he muttered sadly. “Give her a good life” he continued.
“Ok.”
“She deserves it, more than anyone.”
Chapter 10
“When you get back, I’ll take you to the borderlands again, this time we will experience it properly,” Mara said with a gleaming smile as they dangled their legs over the canyon.
“I can’t wait,” he said in kind. He struggled to maintain a façade of confidence of his return.
“I can show you Ederra too, it actually puts our Earth to shame,” she said with a giggle.
“Why not take me now?” he questioned abruptly, having changed his mind about a sudden departure.
“Where? Ederra?” she answered.
“No, the Borderlands,” he said.
She nodded with a smile, she held his hand, they transported themselves to the hill they stood upon long ago. Witnessing the various landscapes merging into one.
“Amazing sight though,” Mara commented.
“Yeah, it sure is,” he replied.
“We’ll still be the first to explore it, our Mother Earth created it for people like us. For those who want adventure,” she smiled at him, resting her head onto him.
“Let’s go then,” he chirped. They wandered forward down the slope and into the forest. It was teeming with life, such life as witnessed on Earth in the simulation. Various prey and predator species mingled. The war of life waged as they walked through.
They walked for a while. They reached a clearing. Here they witnessed, what appeared to be, a terrifying storm to their left, ahead, deep within the distance. They could identify a peak of an Icey mountain, but it was obscured. To their right, a path to an infinite ocean. “Which one?” he smirked.
“Fancy standing on top of the world?” she replied.
A lion, graceful, powerful, it strolled out of the forest. Viden gripped his weapon, he didn’t unholster it yet.
“It’s alright,” she passed her hand over his and approached the majestic beast. Like a moth to flame, it flocked to her and submitted. She rolled her hand through its beautiful, thick mane. Like a pet cat, it rubbed into her grasp. Viden touched the beast too.
“Wow! Why is so tame?” he questioned. She passed a confused gaze.
“Why would our Mother Earth create life which could endanger us? This isn’t the prison anymore,” she replied.
“You’re a beautiful creature aren’t you,” he commented as they continued to stroke the beast.
“It sure is,” she replied quietly. A roar from the forest emanated, seizing the lion’s attention, it jolted away quickly. But pivoted back before it entered, it roared valiantly, not to intimidate, if anything, to gesture respect to them.
“Well I am glad it isn’t hostile, thought I was in for a real fight then,” he commented as the lion returned to the forest.
They transported themselves to the bottom of the mountain ahead of them. They glanced up; they were tiny in its presence.
“Let’s go,” she commented.
“Wait,” he said suddenly, “Won’t we die?” he questioned nervously.
She smirked at his worry again. “This isn’t the prison, we are safe,” she reassured his worry. They scaled the mountain, following an apparent path, although it was unclear. They didn’t feel cold despite the visible snow in the air, the ice. The air wasn’t thin, it was merely aesthetic. They have control of all thing’s humans did not in the simulation, they weren’t restricted by biology anymore, because they weren’t biological. They were consciousness in a meta-physical form.
A while later they reached the very top, above the clouds. They were on top of the world, the highest point. The starlight shined bright upon them, they spread their arms to feel the grace. The clouds obscured the surface, with a wave of Viden’s hand they dissipate, revealing all. They were in awe, they saw everything. He was struck by a feeling, he sensed the presence of the Demiurge, not in this realm, no. Not in Stornheim either. He was conflicted, he looked at Mara. She was having an amazing time, she was happy, she was beaming. Now he had the choice, truth or her.
The Source too sensed the Demiurge’s presence now it left Stornheim, it was not attacking anyone, yet. He was linked to both; the Demiurge was baiting her out of her realm. Mara turned back to him.
“Is there a finer sight in any other realm?” she commented. He disregarded them, holding her in his grasp.
“Only one,” he responded gently in her ear.
The Demiurge strolled through a plateau of grassland, some forms of bird, or winged creatures at least, flocked around. One landed on its shoulder, it clutched it in its hand tight.
“Ugh, disgusting,” it commented derisively. It flung the creature away.
It sat on a large rock awaiting the presence of one. The Source shimmered; its pure light flickered as it seemed to conflict itself. It wanted to interfere, to stop this, but it feared a greater evil if it got involved.
The blinding boom of a thousand suns pierced the Demiurges gaze from ahead, it covered its sight momentarily. A spear was launched toward it, it ducked away. The light faded away revealing the Source, its form was different, practically identical to the Demiurge, but a beaming white instead of a soulless black.
“I’m not here to fight,” the Demiurge moaned. It stood and transformed its aesthetic into a humanoid, godly entity, like the form she took when interacting with the others.
“Stop this,” she demanded forcefully. The Demiurge gazed around disregarding her statement, it didn’t resonate evil in this form, it seemed pleasant almost, alive and full.
“I can’t do that,” it said bluntly.
“What do you want?” she demanded.
“I want to free us,” it said.
“Free us from what?” she scowled.
“From this suffering!” it shouted.
“The only suffering in existence is what you cause!” she said.
“Existence is suffering!” it answered harshly. “We have no purpose; do you want to know what’s happened to those in my simulation. They have purpose, in biology the goal is to reproduce and survive, they can be fulfilled, we can’t,” it described.
“Don’t even try and justify yourself,” she scowled.
“I’m helping them, I’m freeing them,” it said.
“What about Enki and those others you’ve tortured!”
“Do not say his name!”
“Why! You dominated the
m! Twisted their minds to serve you,” she moaned.
“I loved him!” it screamed. It manoeuvred away from her. “He was the only one, I didn’t destroy him fully, giving the order to terminate him was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.”
“How did you become so lost?” she said.
“You tell me, it’s your fault I exist! I didn’t ask to be made,” it moaned. The Demiurge wanted her and the others to feel its pain, inflicting its own pain in a perpetual cycle.
“Can’t you not just stop this conflict?” she asked deflated.
“I will when you die!” it scowled.
“And you along with me, we cannot be destroyed! Consciousness cannot be extinguished,” she said.
“You continue to underestimate me,” it whispered beside her. A tear rolled down her meta-physical cheek, the Demiurge wiped it away gently.
“Fine, I will stop,” it said.
She propped up. “But I want the Earth, I want Sophia,” her face contorted.
“It’s your choice,” it offered.
She fabricated a weapon, hurling it toward the Demiurge, it fell into a wormhole behind in a flash. The weapon glided indefinitely around the world. A few seconds later she caught it from behind after it circulated. Her expression gaunt, will she give up Sophia for a chance to save others?
Viden continued holding Mara, they wavered gently, in sync with an unheard beat.
“This is what life is meant to be,” she said.
Part of him still questioned the point of all this, of existence. Once the Demiurge was defeated, what will be the point.
“I suppose it is,” he responded softly, not wanting to conflict her.
She laughed gently.
“What?” he questioned.
“I can feel you, what is it?” she asked with a giggle, he gave in.
“What’s the point though?” he questioned.
“The point is our own. We should just enjoy ourselves, love each other. Love is the only thing that is real, everything else is illusion, but this,” she twisted to place her hand over his chest. “This what we have, is exactly the point of life. The only thing that is real,” she added again delicately.
He thought on her words, they hit him deeply. Maybe he just needed to let go of the conflict, disregard it for her. Live a life with her instead. It was ever so tempting in this moment, but he could not rest knowing that the Demiurge still persisted, especially now he had a genuine chance to get rid of it forever.
“Look,” he said suddenly. They detached and walked closer to the edge. Deep, deep within the distance they could see the main human settlement zone. “Focus your perception,” he said gently in her ear. Sophia was interacting with her children, she glanced up. The mountain was not visible, but she saw through the distance, she was the Earth of course. Mara smiled, they locked eyes. Sophia smiled back.
“It’s Mother Earth,” Mara chirped. “She sees us,” she said with a beaming smile. Mara waved eagerly.
Sophia nodded with acknowledgement and pivoted away. Her pleasant expression melted away upon escaping Mara’s sight, fearful of the future.
Sophia transported herself to Ederra. She went to converse with the Source again and she entered the waving fluid. The Source was already in its humanoid form. Sophia looked to her slightly confused for a moment.
“Are you expecting me?” she questioned.
“Yes,” she responded deflated.
“What’s wrong, I can feel the sorrow,” Sophia said sadly.
“The Demiurge asks for you, you…for the safety of those who remain,” her words hit the atmosphere with potency. Sophia almost slumped to the ground.
“Why?” she asked.
“I don’t know, the Demiurge is many things, a liar isn’t one of them. If you go to it, it will cease its conquest on the other realities,” she explained.
Sophia grasped her face with thought, should she do it? Should she sacrifice herself and humanity for those who remain.
“Ederra is safe yes? The Demiurge cannot find this place, right?” she asked.
“It is safe…for now.”
“Viden said he can defeat it, now he is both of you metaphorically,” she said.
“He might, Mara broke the Archontic bond. No one has ever done that before,” the Source responded.
“I will let him try, if he fails…I will offer myself to it,” she said bluntly.
“Sophia, it will rip you apart or worse,” the Source warned.
“I know.”
Chapter 11
“Will you return?” Mara asked, her giggles halted.
He didn’t know how to respond. He was bound by truth and could not lie.
“Mara look, I, I can’t promise you that I will survive this, but if I do, I will come to you here,” he said.
“Will you let go of your quest for knowledge, will you be in peace?” she said.
“Only with you, you know… if I had a choice, I would always choose you. Every waking moment I thought of you, every time I would drift in rest it was you, every time I found something new it was you and only you, I wanted to tell. It’s always you, my starlight.” He passed his hand over her face brushing her beaming cheek, moving her flowing hair away from her eye. She blushed at his comment. “You saved me,” he whispered beside her ear.
“No, you saved me,” she said. They embraced one-another a final time. He turned, and a wormhole opened. He fabricated his weapon to defend. Sophia walked out. He twisted his head inquisitively. She was followed by his former Knights of Anu. The wormhole spread; others opened beside it. Hundreds of people, with Sonje walked through. Many other conscious beings from other realms emerged from their own wormhole gateways. He was staggered by the amount of people ahead of him. Mara passed up beside him, her attire different and ready for a war.
“Did you really think we’d let you go alone?” she said beside him. He laughed with relief.
“Well…” he muttered. The former Anu-Zvest approached from the crowd.
“You can’t seriously think I’d have let you go without me Viden, especially since you owe me a battle,” he said with a ferocious grin. They hugged each other tight.
“Alright, fine,” he remarked, and he winked at Sophia. “Perhaps we can do this together,” he said with a gleaming smile.
“Let’s actually destroy it this time,” Mara said.
“Guide us to Stornheim,” Sophia requested. He fabricated a wormhole, a gargantuan one with difficulty, one large enough to allow all to pass through.
“Master, they have come!” an Archon yelled toward the Demiurge in its throne room. The others transported themselves instantly to the throne room after sensing the army coming through. The Demiurge stood and laughed menacingly. It walked down the steps and through a wormhole it created. It stood defiantly in front of the army. Viden lead beside Mara and Sophia.
“Welcome,” it remarked to them all.
“Submit!” Viden replied sternly, he encroached closer to it, the apprehensive eyes of his partners following him. The Demiurge kneeled to his complete surprise, he tipped closer. Suddenly, the six remaining Archons appeared beside their master and began an attack. The ground shattered and crumbled, some fell in. Thousands of androids bombarded the army, monstrous creatures burrowed from beneath the surface. Viden fended off the attacks from Anu and Elohim. Mara backed him up, the Demiurge just watched the conflict unfold around them. It retreated to a safe distance, watching continuously like a predator stalking its prey, waiting for the right moment.
The army fended off the AI forces.
A massive creature, along with grunts stormed toward Mara and Viden. His former Knights phased toward them to engage the monstrosities. The group, slash, hack and phased around, wrecking the creatures in their path.
Viden was beside Zvest.
“Oh, they really don’t like you do they,” Zvest remarked. The Demiurge commanded more of its army to bombard Viden and his small group, who were dispersed from the rest.
“I know, I’m having to defend myself as well as you,” he replied arrogantly. They teamed up, Viden hurled a spear to Zvest as he leaped through the air. He drove it through one of the creatures. Suddenly, Anu phased toward him from behind, he sensed it, dipping his shoulder away to dodge.
The Demiurge homed in on Sophia and Alexandria. It transported itself to their location, it blasted them with a frequency blast, they both joined with a protective shield. They both hurled a combined blast knocking the Demiurge back, its feet tracked the battered ground with it. The dark barren landscape torn with gashes as fire flowed through the mountains around them. The Demiurges palace loomed over, ahead.
The Demiurge destroyed a bunch of their allies around them with ease. Horrifically slicing through them. Sophia and Alexandria lunged to attack. After a while, the Demiurge retreated.
They’re exhausted. “We can’t handle much more,” Alexandria said begrudgingly. Sophia gazed around, people were being destroyed by the Demiurge’s forces, the Archons were shredding through them. Her gaze passed toward Viden and his small band, they were being amassed. Two more Archons joined Anu in his attack.
“Scherzo!” Viden yelled, he hurled his weapon toward her. The weapon pummelled one of the Archons who was about to slay her from behind. He quickly materialised another to parry Anu.
“You will die for this!” Anu barked ferociously.
“One down, five to go, then I’ll take your master,” he snarled back.
The Demiurge commanded Anu to leave Viden for now. Sonje joined them, he leaped and defended an incoming attack from one of their enemies.
“Glad you finally turned up,” Viden remarked to him.
“Try not to kill me this time,” Sonje mocked. They blocked incoming attacks together. Mara was close by with the Knights.
“This is my friend,” he said, aiming toward Mara. They had a few moments to converse.