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Paula retracted their feathery arm, blood running off the limb like water slipping off a hydrophobic surface. By the time the blue avian lowered its arm, it was just as clean as it was before puncturing Sam’s chest. The blue avian turned its attention onto the eagle and double-headed snake. Their bodies flickered, phasing in and out of existence. Then, the animals disappeared from Paula’s vision for good.
“What an interesting ability,” Paula said while looking down at Sam. At some point, he had fallen forward, lying in a puddle formed by his own blood. “It’s a shame you were blinded by your emotions. You would still be alive if you gave up on summoning higher-dimensional creatures. For a moment of power, you gave up your future; I want you to remember that in your next life. Now, go.”
In Paula’s vision, the vibrations lingering around Sam’s corpse slowly sank in frequency until they melded with the vibrations of the world, returning back to Oterra’s embrace. The blue avian sighed and squatted next to Sam’s corpse before flipping him over. She was hoping to find her mother’s statue, but her search was fruitless; it really had been absorbed by the human, and he didn’t even have the decency to spit it out upon his death.
Paula sighed again as she stood up and levitated, floating towards the window Birdbrained had shattered on its way in. With the death of Sam, she had completed her mission of removing the master of the Anunaki from Oterra, and she had also prevented the countless tragedies that would’ve occurred if the double-headed serpent had been given access to this plane. Although Paula wasn’t sure of the other head’s identity, the blue avian easily recognized the silver-tongued deceiver, a regular visitor of the lower dimension. Wherever it went, order was reversed, and chaos reigned until things settled once more; most of the times, they settled into ruins.
Paula flew out the window and turned to look at Sam once more. If he had been given the chance to grow, to summon more higher-dimensional creatures, the blue avians would’ve had a lot of work to do, which meant Paula would have a lot of work to do because the other blue avians shirked their responsibilities all the time. Even with that being the case, the blue avian couldn’t help but feel sad for Sam’s death. They didn’t like hurting anyone, but sometimes, hard decisions had to be made. After reaffirming their sense of self, Paula sped up, disappearing from the human city in the blink of an eye.
A few hours later, Raindu climbed into the room from the broken window. It looked around before running over to Sam’s cold corpse. The blood around him had long dried into a dark and viscous sludge. Two animals appeared on the couch, Birdbrained and the twin-headed snake. Raindu spotted the two animals and scampered over to them, chattering at them.
“What did you do?” Raindu asked in the language only the three of them, and Sam, could understand.
“Werchbite tricked the blue avian with an illusion,” Vercedei said.
“I see,” Raindu said. “It’s a very detailed illusion because even I thought Sam was dead. The blue avian is gone now; you can lift the veil.”
“You’re mistaken,” Vercedei said. “Sam is dead, kaput, gone, sploop. Werchbite’s illusion made the blue avian think we disappeared as well, so it left.”
“Sam is dead?” Raindu asked, staring at the snake’s blue head. “You said he was alive and told me to rob the crystal store because it was vital. Why did you lie to me?”
“I didn’t lie to you,” Vercedei said, “robbing Treasured Crystals is vital to Sam’s survival. Without the proper materials, how can we rebuild Sam’s organs?”
“Even with the proper materials, it’ll be tough to bring Sam back to life,” Birdbrained said. “Didn’t you see the blue avian disperse his essence?” The eagle paused. “Unless that was part of the illusion too.”
“No, his essence is gone,” Vercedei said, “but we can create”—Werchbite stared at Vercedei—“okay, Werchbite can create a vacuum and anchor to bring Sam back.” The snake’s blue head stared at Raindu. “So, spit it out. Let me see what we’re working with here.”
Raindu reached into its fur, and a crystalline pile appeared underneath the ferret’s feet, forming a small mountain it stood atop of. There were crystal weapons, crystal accessories, raw crystal ores, and a few pieces meant mainly for aesthetics.
“Great,” Vercedei said and slithered up to the pile. The snake’s blue head’s jaw unhinged. “We need everything.”
Raindu glared at the snake as its head and body expanded to swallow the mountain of crystals whole. The snake likely wasn’t going to use all of the items to create the doohickey that’d bring Sam back to life, but if Raindu held back, wouldn’t it be too stingy? “Make sure Sam’s essence won’t ever leave his body again.” Rather than be upset at the snake for lying and allowing Sam to die, it was better to move past the transgression for Sam’s resurrection was at stake.
“Understood,” Vercedei said and chuckled, the snake’s body deflating in an instant as everything was packed away. Werchbite’s eyes gleamed, and the twin-headed snake slithered towards Sam. Then, the snake’s purple head bit Sam’s neck, sinking its gleaming fangs into his flesh. A golden light flowed from his neck down to the hole in his chest, illuminating the whole room. Birdbrained flew to the window and shut the curtains, making sure the light didn’t rouse any suspicion.
Raindu stood next to Sam’s side and stood on its tiptoes, peering at the center of the light. A crystal was taking shape inside Sam’s chest. Geometric tendrils extended out of the crystal before vanishing as they entered different dimensions. The gaping wound in Sam’s body shrunk as flesh and bone grew around the crystal. Meaty lumps wriggled from the crystal, making contact with Sam’s body, filling in the hole.
***
Sam floated in an endless darkness, unable to see, feel, or hear anything. It was relaxing, and there weren’t any worries in his mind. In fact, there weren’t any thoughts in his mind either as if he were on the cusp of falling asleep. A speck of light appeared in the distance like a star in the night sky. Like a moth drawn to a flame, Sam’s attention was brought onto the white speck. With but a thought, he drifted towards it at his own steady pace.
The speck of light grew larger so gradually that Sam hadn’t noticed an increase in its size at all. When the light grew to the size of a grapefruit, wispy strands akin to hair spread themselves out in front of Sam’s path, and chilling sensations attacked Sam’s mind as he collided against them and stopped moving. Sam’s thoughts grew anxious; he was stuck, incapable of moving, and it didn’t seem like he’d ever have the strength to free himself from his predicament.
A deep vibration rumbled through the wisps, transmitting a voice into Sam’s mind. “Hello, Sam,” it said, the voice deep and slow like a whale’s cry. “Where do you think you’re going?”
Although Sam didn’t have a mouth, he had an idea of how to respond. Vibrations traveled from his ethereal body into the wispy strands, sending his thoughts in the other direction. “To the light.”
“Why?” the deep voice asked.
“Because … it is there?” Sam asked, a bit confused as to why he was heading towards the light in the first place. Just because it was the first thing in the void that wasn’t darkness didn’t mean it was a good idea to check it out. Weren’t there deep-sea predatory fishes that used light to attract prey into their mouths?
“I think you understand that’s not a good answer,” the deep voice said. “Going to the light will allow you to return to your world, but are you sure that’s what you want?”
If he didn’t return, what else was there? Death?
“There’s this,” the deep voice said. “An endless, relaxed state of bliss.”
“It’s nice,” Sam said, “but it’s not what I want.”
“Why not?” the deep voice asked. “The world you’re returning to is full of suffering and misfortune. Why do you want to go back? Do you still have ties keeping you bound: family or, perhaps, a lover?”
Sam was a bit bothered by the sudden interrogation, but then again, he was trapped by whatever had grasped him, so he had to be polite lest he be eaten—that’s usually what happened to things on the lower levels of the food chain. “Why does it seem like you don’t want me to go back?” Sam asked.
“I am not trying to sway you either way,” the deep voice said. “I simply want to understand your reasoning, what kind of logic powers your thoughts.”
For some reason, Sam was reminding of the graylings. Their memories were supposed to meld into Birdbrained upon their deaths, completing their life’s mission of earning experiences for the eagle. Now that Sam was dead, someone was trying to make use of his death to gain information, which was a bit troubling because now he knew there was something after death, and it could easily be more terrifying than anything he had experienced whilst he was still alive. “The light is comfortable,” Sam said. “I know what Oterra is like, but I don’t know what this place is like; I don’t even know what this place is.”
“This is where you exist, where your consciousness resides,” the deep voice said.
Sam couldn’t visual the concept, but he understood it as well as someone understood a word they had never seen before being used in a sentence. If this was the place his consciousness resided, then who was the person talking to him? A stranger inside his consciousness? Himself?
“You wish to return because you are afraid of the unknown?” the deep voice asked, not caring about Sam’s thoughts. “There will always be new unknowns you’ll have to face while you’re alive. Will you run away from all new experiences?”
“No,” Sam said. He took a moment to gather his thoughts. “This experience, well, if I stay here, I won’t be able to go back, will I?”
“Life is all about change,” the deep voice said. “You will leave behind that portion of your life at some point in the future, why not now? What is it that you seek?”
Sam fell silent. It didn’t seem like whatever had caught him would let him go unless it received a satisfying answer, and the light didn’t seem to be getting any dimmer, so he had plenty of time to think. Essentially, he was being asked why he wanted to live even though life was tough and filled with hardships and suffering. If he wanted to live a comfortable life, why didn’t he simply stay in this place of endless relaxation and bliss?
Did he want power? Money? He had both power and money, but what was he using them for? The graylings shouldered his responsibilities, and the money gave him freedom, and he used his time to relax without worry…, something he could do here while he was dead. So, why did he want to go back? Well, although Sam didn’t care much for his parents nor did they care much for him, he still had someone who’d miss him terribly if he died: Ellie. Also, he was concerned about the animals his talent had summoned, but honestly, he wasn’t sure if they’d care if he passed away since they didn’t show much affection.
“There are people who’ll miss me,” Sam said.
“If you died in the future, they’ll miss you then too,” the deep voice said. “If you wait long enough, they’ll join you here. It’s not just your consciousness that resides in this place—everyone’s does.”
Was wanting to be alive for other people not a good enough reason for the voice to let him go? “I’m impatient,” Sam said. “I want to see them right away instead of waiting for them to come here.”
“If you drift away from the light, it’ll be but only a moment before they join you,” the deep voice said. “Time passes differently here.”
Sam stared at the light. Everything would be alright if he relaxed and waited, so was there even a need to return? His life had been hard, but it was better now that he was an awakener with an overpowered ability. He hadn’t gotten to fully enjoy the experience before dying … and that irked him. “I want to experience everything life has to offer,” Sam said. “I can’t relax here because there’s still so many things I haven’t tried.”
“I understand,” the deep voice said. “You wish to live life to the fullest. How will you do that?”
Sam fell silent again. How exactly would he live life to the fullest if the moment he used his talent, blue avians would go on a hunt for his head because they couldn’t allow higher-dimensional creatures to roam around Oterra? He’d have to become stronger first, strong enough to repel the blue avians if they tried to kill him. “I’ll unlock my remaining chakras, and I’ll train hard, so no one can stop me from doing what I want,” Sam said. “Then, I’ll explore all of Oterra to experience different kinds of cultures.”
“What will you do afterwards?” the deep voice asked.
“I’m not sure,” Sam said. “Even if I limit myself to doing fun things, is it even possible to explore everything Oterra has to offer in one lifetime? I think I’ll be pretty preoccupied until I die of natural causes.”
“Is that all you wish to do?” the deep voice asked. “Use your powers to explore and have fun?”
Sam remained silent. What else was he supposed to do with his power? “Yes,” Sam said. “Unless you have any suggestions?”
“Some people use their powers to help others,” the deep voice said.
Helping others? The thought hadn’t even crossed Sam’s mind until the voice had mentioned it. “I don’t really believe in that stuff,” Sam said. After all, when he was at his lowest, no one offered to help him. If a talentless wanted his help, why should he help them? There was nothing stopping them from getting injected with a liquid monster core for a chance at an artificial talent—other than the law of course.
“I see,” the deep voice said. After a long moment of silence that Sam spent without being able to even fidget, the voice spoke once more. “The mantids are in possession of a large piece of malachite. They record their history on it, carving into it daily and having done so for millions of years. It is the perfect crystal to unlock your Anahata.”
Right, the perfect thing to destroy and absorb for himself was the historical record of a whole species. While he was at it, why didn’t he burn some libraries to the ground? “I appreciate you telling me this information,” Sam said. “Just wondering, but how do you know that?”
“When you unlock your heart chakra, you will find out,” the deep voice said. The cold sensation vanished from Sam’s body as the wispy strands disappeared.
Sam remained in place. “Are you still there?” he asked, but received no feedback. It seemed like whatever it was that had detained him had left without even saying goodbye. Oh well. Sam willed himself to move towards the light, hurrying lest he got caught by another entity. Luckily, the remainder of his journey was smooth, and the light filled his vision, pushing back the endless darkness.
***
Sam’s eyes shot open, and he looked down at his naked chest with bloody rags obscuring it from view. He touched his solar plexus, making sure his torso was solid and real. “What happened?”
Birdbrained squawked, and Sam’s expression darkened. Apparently, he had been slain by Paula, finally putting the question to rest of what’d happen to the higher-dimensional creatures he summoned when he died: they’d stick around and bring him back to life. “How exactly am I alive?”
“Werchbite anchored your essence to Oterra via the seventh to twelfth dimension,” Vercedei said. “Even if your body is destroyed, unless you’re attacked in the higher dimensions as well, you’ll reform.”
Sam furrowed his brow. So, essentially, he had become immortal when it came to being killed by third-dimensional means? “Alright, that’s weird, but what about Paula?” Sam asked. “Did they leave after killing me?”
“Werchbite fooled that blue avian,” Vercedei said, “but if they notice any signs or movement from us, they’ll be back, so we have to lay low.”
Birdbrained squawked.
“Yes, that means you can’t expand the Anunaki business,” Vercedei said, “but it shouldn’t be a problem to maintain what you already have. Raindu will have to lay low on the stealing, and Sam will have to refrain from relying on us for combat; then, everything should be fine.”
“And you’ll stop wrapping yourself around my face to not attract attention?” Sam asked the two-headed snake.
“No,” Vercedei said. “Werchbite says”—the snake’s purple head glared at the blue head—”okay, I personally say your face is the most comfortable spot on your body to wrap around. I wouldn’t mind coiling atop your head either, but I don’t want to ruffle any feathers since it’s someone else’s spot.”
Sam sighed. By the time he had finished unlocking the rest of his chakras, wouldn’t he be like a walking petting zoo? Maybe there’d be a koala stuck to his leg in the future, and the next time he saw Paula, the blue avian would show mercy. With how brutally the Avian had murdered him without an ounce of hesitation…, he didn’t think that’d be the case.