Chapter 1 - First Steps

ㅤ

The universe was in shambles. A world now shrouded in darkness. A mass discrepancy had been established throughout the area as Gods would clash. At least, that’s what it was presumed to be. From this perspective, it looked to be a singular being, standing tall against an army. Bruised and bleeding, the being refused to back down, despite her struggles. Even disregarding the evident outnumbering. Each time they clashed would cause a large crack to form, destabilizing the universe tenfold. She was able to hold off on her own for quite a while, but even Gods fall. It declined to a point where she pleaded numerous times, but to no avail. She was treated like a criminal; a betrayer belittled by one's actions. Mercy was not on the table. Whatever crime she had committed was not one to be taken lightly. Having no further options, she continued to retaliate with a subtle amount of force. It was almost like she refused to harm the others, despite how she was treated.

The battle would only escalate furthermore as blood continued to shed. One side being more relentless than the other. The being who opposed all was fighting for a number of reasons, but what? While it was assumed she committed a heinous act, the intentions behind such were undisclosed. Nevertheless, she continued to hold back, refusing to exert any more force than she already had. However, her efforts were only delaying the inevitable as the universe around her was continuing to shatter even more. Ensuing these prolonged thoughts would come up both disoriented and puzzling to the naked eye, shattering from the seams. These thoughts, memories, seemed real. And yet, most unseen. It was almost like one had a prior life. Was it? Or perhaps did this vessel belong to another? Tackling to put the pieces together would form a discrepancy which overlaid the preexisting one, proving futile in the process before-

In an abrupt motion, the vessel would have awoken from its slumber. Sitting itself up the mere second its eyes with a bright yellow gleam laid open to the world, feeling a cold sweat course down their spine. The vessel shortly recollected itself after the abrupt motion, processing the thoughts they had just bared witness too. Unexplainably, the vessel didn’t seem to remember these thoughts too well. The images simply began to vanish once it had awakened. This left it in a puzzling mood before shifting back towards a neutral state, perhaps forgetting entirely. Focusing away from its thoughts, the vessel would glance around the unfamiliar environment it wound up in, proving even more confusion. Undenounced to the vessel, it was a realm which existed between words. More specifically, a rift that binds itself from one place to another, regardless if said place still exists or not. It was dark. A thick black fog engulfed the area with a few gleaming lights of white that pierced the heavens. They appeared to be large crystals of sorts, growing from the ground up with seams of a strange white fluid that connected one another.

Remaining seated on the solid ground, the vessel continued to gaze up at the intimidating pillars which surrounded it in all directions. Finding curiosity in its existence, the vessel would attempt to reach out at it via its hand. That’s when the vessel would glance back at its hand as it redirected its own attention towards itself. Clenching its hand, the vessel would gently stroke its other hand over its arm, feeling a sturdy yet sharp texture. The sharpness was very much to its surprise, moving their hand off oneself in a quick motion. Standing up at  a staggering 7’6”, the vessel would glance down at its feet, having a remarkably similar appearance to its arms. Minus the hands. Obviously. Though, the vessel’s attire would steal all the attention, glancing all around itself at such strange cloth. It had worn a large gray coat with patches all over, as well as long, red chunks that looked cut up before its forearms. It noticed the same pattern towards the bottom of the coat as well. There were also these strange glowing tiles with a peculiar set of particles emanating from it. Glancing down, the vessel would spot this bright yellow object implanted onto its chest. It resembled the same shade of yellow as its eye, sharing the same light level as each other. Evidently, the vessel would poke it out of curiosity.

Just as contact would be made, a trembling feeling would course throughout its body, followed by an aching feeling from both the chest and the mind. The aching feeling would prolong until it had let go. Recollecting itself, the vessel was able to learn something. NEVER poke the gem. Even though it had no certainty as to what the gem was nor what it did, all it could understand was the pain it bears. Nevertheless, there were more important matters for it to be concerned about. It had no certainty what it was, let alone where it had awoken from. Eventually, the vessel would want to start wandering about, seeing as standing around would not be able to feed its curiosity. Besides, there was quite a lot to explore. A lot of answers to be told. But, despite all this, the vessel wasn’t worried. In fact, it sparked no emotion at all. Only the face of one who only recently embarked itself into this world. An expression that sparked confusion with a hint of aimlessness.

Moving step by step, the vessel would wobble around, attempting to adjust itself. This was the first time it had begun to move, so it was fair to say that it needed to learn the ropes first if it wished to continue forward. Like a baby taking its first steps, the vessel must attain balance. Tripping over oneself, the vessel had fumbled numerous times in its attempts. But it wasn’t one to quit. Pulling itself back up, the vessel would focus on each step, following the steps that came afterwards. One by one, the vessel would appear more balanced, lessening any fumbles or mishaps. It wasn’t long before it was able to walk at an average pace, being much more cautious this time. Hopefully. Having no sense of direction, the vessel began to traverse down a random path. The path itself coursed towards a strange light. Said light emanated a strange blue glow, only vaguely noticeable from where the vessel stood. In fact, it wouldn’t normally be perceivable from such a distance by the usual eye, proving significant depth perception. Given it was the only perceivable thing which emanated a differing glow from everything else attracted the vessel’s curiosity from the beginning.

Advancing its way down the path, the vessel would begin to feel numerous obscurities throughout its body. Feelings ranging from mild to just barely noticeable. They became more and more evident with each step, almost like it was straying too far from whence it came. Though, the vessel hadn’t minded it, neither slowing down nor mustering a second thought. The only thought coursing through its mind was to reach the light. Only the light. It had no certainty what lied at the end, but it had the need to take a gander as its curiosity knew no bounds. The light itself didn’t seem like it was getting any closer, however. It remained the same light level. Then again, the light was quite far away. It was gonna take a lot more traveling before then. That is, until the vessel finally came to a halt.

The vessel remained stationary for the time being, almost like it was frozen in thought. The flame aside of its head continued to spark with a neutral gaze. It could be theorized that it simply lost motivation, not wanting to traverse any further for a mere light. Perhaps it found something else which caught its eye? Another light? But, it was quite the contrary. What lied in front of the vessel stood a large wall-like barrier, one that locked the vessel from going any further. It possessed strange properties, reacting to the area around it. Said properties included numerous wave-like patterns that flowed across the wall, almost like water. It even shared the reflective properties of such. From an initial perspective, the wall was semi-reflective, still being able to view the contents which lied on the other side.

Pondering the wall, the vessel would reach its hand out, eager to feel it. Hesitant at first, it would glance down at its purple, boney hand before making contact via the point of its finger. Doing so caused a small ripple to form on the wall. The ripple would cause the other waves to disorientate in an organized fashion. These movements left the vessel in awe as it watched each and every wave disappear into nothingness once the ripple had done its course. Feeling intrigued, the vessel would attempt to poke the wall once more. Perhaps a different outcome a second time? Before it could even lift a finger, the wall began to vibrate at an odd motion. The vibrations would only escalate in small increments as the vessel watched the process without a second thought in mind. Had these patterns symbolized or hinted at something, it wouldn’t know for within its mind was nothing but a barren land; a land that cannot promise growth no matter where one travels.

Reaching in for one last grasp, the wall suddenly exploded into a puddle of a translucent navy blue liquid. The splash would douse the vessel from the recoil, causing its flame to extinguish on impact. A harsh level of steam would emit from the remnants of the fire, filling the air for but a brief moment. Remaining on foot, the vessel took a moment to process what had occurred right in front of it. It was neither in pain nor did it convey any signs of distress. It hadn’t noticed the flame’s disappearance either. Although, it was difficult to determine whether or not it had noticed said flame from the beginning. What it did notice was the steam which covered its plain of sight, dissipating as it unveiled the puddle from which it stood. Moving one foot up as the puddle caused a small ripple. Doing so with the other foot caused another. Returning back to the first, yet another. The vessel had found curiosity with the puddle, despite nothing too out of the ordinary. Simply just a puddle. Tapping their feet, many ripples began to take form all around, prolonging for as long as the process ensued.

Once the curiosity had dissipated, the vessel would glance back up at its path, completely disregarding the blue light that it had initially sought out for. However, something seemed different. The light had gotten closer. Substantially closer to where a gleam of blue had brushed onto the vessel itself. This left the vessel in a state of confusion. Prior to the wall’s deformation, the light was miles and miles away from where it stood. Was the wall perhaps an illusion? A mere spectacle? Thoughts that hadn’t seeped into its mind. Not even for a second. Focusing back on target, the vessel would traverse forward as it finally stepped off the ordinary puddle. Doing so would cause its flame to suddenly ignite itself back into reality. Its speckled shine gleamed across one side of the skull, reshaping the face encased within. It would be left unnoticed for the vessel was preoccupied with the strange blue light.

As the vessel neared in, the environment around would begin to change, ranging from the ground to the ominous sky above. Unveiling the pitch black world as neon signs emerged from the darkness, illuminating the once barren world with a variety of colors. From the flooring would emerge a harsh concrete surface, spawning in specks of trash and litter. The vessel was left in deep confusion. It was almost like reality shifting in front of its very eyes. It was unable to process nor realize the situation at hand. Pondering furthermore, small droplets of water began to fall from the sky, splashing down onto the vessel with a constant sizzling sound of the flame attempting to keep itself lit under the pressure. The startling number of droplets snapped the vessel back into reality, hearing the constant sizzling whilst glancing up into the abyss. It was strange. What exactly was this feeling, this odd phenomenon?

Reaching out one hand, a number of droplets would surface its palm, flowing down their purple jagged shaped arms. It flinched from the odd tingling of the fluid seeping into the cracks of its forearms, stowing immediately. A strange new feeling; A feeling that left the vessel with a dilated expression. It was insistent on a new attempt. It wanted to explore more of this odd sensation. It was neither good nor bad, merely just a reaction. But before another attempt could be made, the strange blue light finally presented itself at close range. The vessel’s eye remained dilated as it finally gazed upon the curiosity. Unveiled from the shrouded mist, it appeared to be a strange swirling surface. Said surface did not resemble anything to the vessel's knowledge. It was…new. More….curious.

The closer it gazed, the more it could feel itself getting dragged in. It was almost as if the object wanted to be gazed upon from the beginning. Regardless, it worked. The vessel would feel a strange sensation emanating from within its gem as it drew near. Likewise, it discovered curiosity the same as the vessel itself. Unified, they would reach out their hand. Slowly. Flowing their hand around, they would mimic the rotation from which the object followed. This would cause the light to emphasize in small increments. The light flowing through their fingers like cotton as it began to reshape. Spinning at a higher pace, a visual began to form; an image. The image could not be deciphered by the mind of the vessel at first. That is, until it finally removed its hand from the process. This would cause the object to stabilize, demonstrating a clear image it was struggling to convey. At first glance, it looked like a city. Said city sported the same neon lights, ground, even weather conditions. However, there was no mirror. It hadn’t reflected the vessel. It hadn’t displayed the same atmosphere either. It was like a rift between worlds. But how?

In an attempt to glance just a little closer, the vessel would accidentally trip over a pile of trash, knocking itself head straight into the rift in the process. Unable to stop itself, their body was fully subsumed within a fraction of the moment. The number of feelings processing through were unfathomable. It had tread far past its limit, reaching grand new extents. The first thing it saw on the other side was a colorful tunnel from which it was being pulled through. It emanated the same shade of blue, only with white specs and chunks of debris. Where it was dragging the vessel was uncertain, filling its mind with even more curiosity than it could already chew. Before it could even respond to the events that unfolded, its gem would be struck with a burden. It was the same feeling from before, only stronger. However, it hadn’t touched its gem this time. Likewise, something within the rift must be interfering. A discrepancy of sorts.

The pain would ensue, curling itself up in an attempt to endure what it could. It was like having a heart attack, only by tenfold. The extent from which it reached would course through the mind, tampering with the vessel’s consciousness. It only felt weaker. Reality was beginning to close in on itself. The vessel's vision would begin to blur, passing out from an overexposure of pain. This left it to float adrift amidst the tunnel, being dragged and pulled into misdirection. Debris would consistently scratch off the surface of its bones. All that remained active was the black spark which flowed through all, retaining that white, disoriented expression. A few chunks of debris later would a gleaming light appear directly in front, getting closer by the second. It was neither an object nor a poseable threat. Hopefully. It wasn’t decipherable at all. Whatever it was, it would be advised to brace for impact, if the vessel was actually awake.

Not even a moment of consciousness, the vessel would once again be engulfed into a strange rift. What lied on the other side was left unbeknownst to it. It was pushed further into the unknown with nowhere to return to. A black, empty void. Only emptier than before. Spewing itself out of the rift, the body came hurling down from the sky. It fell from an extensive distance, taking mere moments before finally impacting the surface. It was a harsh landing to say the least. But alas, the vessel was intact as consciousness returned. Its shining yellow eye reappeared before taking a moment to process, keeping itself positioned down as something didn’t seem right. Or rather, didn’t feel right. It felt rather strange from below. It was a mix of both soft and sharp. Upon realization, the vessel had landed atop of a landfill. Taking a gander, it appeared to have landed in some sort of junkyard or dump.

The vessel was completely baffled, being placed entirely somewhere else with little recollection as to how it got here in the first place. Perhaps a concussion. The interference within the rift was surely the answer. But alas, it didn’t take the time to gander. Attempting to lift itself up, the vessel would slip on a bit of trash, falling back over. It took a few tries before finally standing up straight, recollecting balance amidst the pile. Surrounded by the unknown, more vibrant lights would shine through numerous cracks and crevices, keeping the area relatively lit. Lit enough to move around, at least. Suddenly, the vessel would notice something peculiar about one of the lights. It was moving. Not only that, but it sported the same blue as the rift from before. Roughly. Without hesitation, the vessel would attempt to make its way down the pile. Likewise, it would suddenly find itself to be imbalanced, tripping over yet another pile of garbage as it came tumbling down. It was a large pile, having more than enough room to give it a concussion.

Face planting onto the ground, the vessel would have defeated the pile. More or less. The important thing is that it actually made it down. Miraculously, the vessel was able to get up with zero head injuries, though a few scratches were evident. Its outfit was a little torn, not to mention wet from the rain which came before. Abruptly, before the vessel could straighten its back, it would cease within motion. More specifically, that strange blue light as it stood directly in front of it. At first glance, the vessel spotted a pair of shoes, followed by legs which followed. All it could see past that was a strange sharp object being pointed at its skull, forcing movement to be limited. That’s when a harsh tone spoke from above. “Who…no, WHAT are you?”