%%USERNAME%%    %%ACCWORDS%% %%ONOFF%% |
Paranormal fantasy set in 1930s. Elements of Reincarnation, Soulmates, Mythology & Nazis |
| Earth Date: 6th of September 1340 CE Location: The Window Room, Soul Sphere The journey to the Soul Sphere reminded Zarad of the journey to the Spirit Realm after physical death. He felt a sensation of being pulled through a long tunnel. Once through, he emerged into a bubble of soft white that brushed against him like a warm coat. The brightness eventually gave way to form, but the sense of nirvana stayed with him. Zarad found himself in an enormous chamber, hovering over a hexagonal symbol much like the one in Aaru that had transported him here. The ground itself was composed of interconnecting, semi-translucent blocks that rippled like waves of water underneath him. Inside each aqua-colored block, he could see countless white flakes coursing through the space. As he turned, he noticed that he cast a purple shadow on the ground, which the flakes swam frantically under, like fish rushing to eat fresh chum. The flakes seemed to be alive—or some kind of spirit manifestation—but their silence was unlikely to confirm or to explain to him their purpose. Zarad moved his gaze up beyond the ground toward the surrounding structure. He was inside a huge, translucent globe connected to an outer level by luminous white and green veins of light. Zarad could see the veins expand and squeeze green energy into the surrounding globe. Orbs of energy floated inward, merging with the magnificence that floated in the center of this construction—the tree. As Zarad settled his gaze on it, the tree introduced itself to him. He felt an immense outpouring of love and wisdom from it as it spoke, and he realized it must have been the source of the sensation of nirvana that he continued to feel. It called itself the Sacred Tree; others called it the Tree of Life. “What is your purpose?” Zarad said to it. He was hit by a wave of imagery that paralyzed him—visions of life energy coursing through tunnels, interconnected to an infinite network that stretched out through time and space. It showed him the birth, death, and rebirth of the universe. A cycle of light and darkness. Then he heard the sound—a low hum that vibrated throughout his core. The hum materialized into the form of a beating heart in the center of all creation. The images suddenly stopped, their meaning lost on him. Zarad looked away, trying to regain his balance. The Tree told him that the imagery was too powerful for him take in now—that one day he would be ready to understand, but not now. Despite its moniker, Zarad realized it was not really a tree. It was not physical, with no bark on its trunk and no chlorophyll in its leaves. Yet it did have a trunk, and it did have leaves… and even fruits. The center of the Tree pulsated with a red, beating energy. Hanging from its branches like fruit were other worlds—he recognized Earth on one of them, along with the red planet of Mars. The rest of the worlds were unknown to him, yet still beautiful and exotic. They showcased ringed worlds and some violent-looking planets, some orange and red. Draped over each world was a translucent fabric that looked like a leaf. He noticed that Earth’s leaf covered the top of it completely, while most of the other worlds had smaller leaves that barely touched them. Zarad wondered if the size of the leaves had some bearing on the level of reincarnation taking place in each world. He knew from Vero’s teachings that Earth was one of the most heavily transmigrated worlds, a kind of “boot camp” for reincarnating souls to more aggressively advance their karmic progression. At the base of the Sacred Tree was a massive trunk made of an intricate pattern of crisscrossing lines of yellow and red energy. It stretched down into a tunnel that shot past the periphery of the globe into a seemingly endless chasm of blackness. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” came a voice that startled him. Zarad focused his attention at the spirit that entered the chamber. It was hazy at first, but he could tell it was an advanced soul from the purple energy that pulsated from its core. As it approached, Zarad could make out a humanoid figure with yellow-feathered wings rising from its back. It had two arms and legs, and a golden halo floated above its human face—a face he recognized from a long time ago. “Freya!” Zarad said. Although she smiled, her towering angelic figure was intimidating to behold. “Hello, Zarad.” She threw her arms around him. He felt her energy surround him, her warmth tickling the surface of his soul and exciting him. He felt both embarrassed and guilty at enjoying that feeling with someone other than Aloli, but it was not something he could help. “I missed you!” Freya said, releasing him from her embrace. “And I you, sister,” Zarad said. “What are you doing here? This is the Soul Sphere, isn’t it?” Freya nodded, her smile ever present and never fading. “Oh, indeed yes,” she said. “This particular chamber is the most important of all. It leads to the Axis Mundi—the navel of the universe. It connects all the different physical and spiritual worlds together. Souls pass through the Sacred Tree on their way to physical incarnation.” The description sparked a memory in Zarad—stories he remembered about the Sacred Tree and how it was supposedly the source of all physical life in the universe. Zarad was taught that the Elders had created physical life. Was it possible that they created the Tree as well? “Why the form of a tree?” Zarad wondered aloud. “Trees live everywhere,” she said. “The Sacred Tree’s roots reach out from here all the way into the physical world, its presence sprouting out from every crevice of the Earth. From every plant, blade of grass, and underwater seaweed—she is everywhere.” She half turned to gaze at the Tree. “To the living, trees seem silent and dead,” she said. “It is ironic that in reality they are the source from which souls sprout into living bodies.” Freya pointed at one of the worlds that hung off its branch. “Earth is one of the juiciest of the Tree’s fruits,” she said. “Beautiful, isn’t it? I do miss it there.” Zarad smiled. It was hard not to be taken in by Freya’s passion. “These are truly beautiful manifestations,” Zarad said. “I think even Vero would be impressed by their authenticity.” Freya laughed. For some reason her laughter made him think of what flowers might sound like if they could sing. “Those are not bland, spirit-made manifestations,” she said. “Those are real.” Zarad’s gaze jumped between all the worlds—Earth, Mars, Saturn, and the others he did not recognize. “That’s not possible,” he said. “They’re too small.” Freya pointed to Earth, never removing her smile off him. In that moment the chamber lit up as countless stars and galaxies filled the room. A cluster of stars and gaseous nebulae floated near Zarad. On a whim, he reached a tentacle out to touch it. Although his tentacle passed through it, he felt within it the fury of stars radiating raw energy into the cosmos. “You see, Zarad,” Freya said, “everything is small when observed from something so big. Only a few have had the opportunity to view things from this perspective. You are part of a privileged circle now, brother.” Zarad returned his gaze to Earth. Despite the celestial crowd around them vying for his attention, it was the blue planet that stole it. “Ironic that such beauty could also hide such cruelty and sadness,” he said. “I must disagree with you, sister. I don’t miss being there at all. I prefer the sanctity of home.” Freya flung her arm around him. Zarad quivered from the energy in her touch. “What is home to you, Zarad?” she said. The question made him stumble. “Well… the Spirit Realm, of course.” Freya leaned in close, still smiling. “A place where you are forced to do nothing but study,” she said. “Read life books, create false replicas of Earthly existence in an attempt to experience the magic of physical life—real life on Earth?” Zarad saw a fire in her eyes, and it reminded him of the same fire he saw in Vero’s eyes when he spoke of the plan. “And then, even when embarking on the beautiful journey of incarnation,” she continued, “it is laced with the sadistic plans of the Elder Quorum. Pressured by them to orchestrate future lives in which you might be asked to play the role of a murderer or a victim, all in an effort to balance karma… as if balancing karma was the only way to the Presence.” She stood back, dropping her arms. “Does that repetitive cycle of existence feel right to you?” she asked. Zarad froze for a moment to take that in. He had never thought of the Spirit Realm in such a way before. Although her words were intense, she never seemed to lose her smile. “That world,” she said, pointing to Earth again, “has more to offer in one life than an eternity of studying in the safety and coddling of that illusion the Elders put together.” Zarad saw her smile flicker a bit at the word Elders. “We are taught that physical incarnation is an illusion,” she continued. “But it’s really the other way around. Why do you think we are so fixated on creating illusions that remind us of Earth?” Freya spread her wings and flapped them, launching herself into the air. She hovered near the fruit of Earth, lightly caressing its leaf. “The chaos in this blue globe shatters the illusion of the Spirit Realm, and its fragments fly in the face of the Elders. The foundation of the Spirit Realm is built on an illusion—an illusion created by the Elders to hide the truth they are afraid of anyone discovering.” As Zarad listened, he could not help but hear Vero in her words. Then he said, “The truth about the Presence.” Freya dropped down and landed by his side, her smile fading for the first time. “We will all have to go to Earth soon,” she said. “Our Circle has been graced by the Presence with an important mission… a crusade to topple the grand illusion. You must be ready to return there when the time comes, even if it is without your soul mate.” “What do you mean, without Aloli?” Zarad said, feeling his energy erupt with anger. Freya put her hand on his shoulder, and he immediately felt a soft calm penetrate him. “There is something that threatens our plans,” she said. “The dark void surrounding Aaru… you have seen it?” Zarad shuddered at the reminder of that place. “Yes …” he said. “The Elders, in their attempt to strengthen their bond with the Presence, awoke a sleeping evil,” she said, a grave look on her face as she faced him. “One they cannot understand or control. A dark presence that could destroy all our worlds, even the Spirit Realm.” Zarad felt his energy go cold. He did not think such a thing was possible. But he had seen it himself: he’d looked upon Tartarus—the great destroyer of spirits. “What does this have to do with Aloli?” he said. Freya held her hand out to the Tree, and the room darkened. A black cloud spread out and covered the spherical chamber, obscuring both the stars and galaxies from view. Despite the murky clouds, the blue of Earth leaked through. “The black void threatens it all,” Freya said, motioning around them. “Tartarus grows through the Elders’ failed attempts to control it.” She drew closer to Zarad, pointing toward Earth. “Its dark tendrils reach out to destroy everything, yet Earth resists it.” Freya turned, leveling an intense gaze on him. “The war will start on Earth. Its outcome will decide the future of Earth and the Spirit Realm. Waiting will be forces that lurk in the void.” Now Freya looked into his eyes, and the blue of Earth reflected off of her golden halo. “Aloli is in danger because she is not advanced enough. There will be a time soon where only the strongest of us will survive the coming of Tartarus. That is why you are here, brother.” She waved a hand, and the void disappeared, the chamber returning to its original splendor. “You will take my place,” she said. “You will be the Caretaker of the Soul Sphere so that I can return to Earth to help prepare those souls who are not ready for what comes.” “You will help her, then?” Zarad said. “You’re going to save Aloli?” “Yes,” she said, putting her hands around her halo. She took it off her head and presented it to him. “And you will save the rest of us by managing this place.” Zarad looked at the halo, uncertain as to what he should do. As flawed as the Quorum was, it seemed fundamentally wrong to go against them. But at the same time, he could not let Aloli suffer. And then there was the evil of Tartarus. If it was true that Tartarus was growing, it could mean the end of everything. He put his tentacle hands on the halo, and as he did so, he felt his form changed—a face, a human body, arms and legs, white robes covering him, a golden sash with a scabbard and sword. And just as he changed into an angel, Freya returned to her native ethereal spirit form. “I miss your wings,” Zarad said. Freya smiled and pointed a tentacle at him. “They look just as good on you.” Zarad felt the wings coming out of his back now. He flexed them and noticed that the yellow feathers glistened with the sparkle of encrusted diamonds. “I must go,” she said. “The Soul Sphere is your responsibility now. Follow your duties and expect a visitor before the time comes.” “Duties?” he said. “But I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.” “You will,” she said and waved. “Farewell, Caretaker.” And with that, Freya vanished, leaving Zarad alone to begin his assignment in the Soul Sphere. |
un: 
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Community Feed
Puzzle Hub
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
