"My realm of Oblivion would be a generous gift to you as well," Azura said with a smile. "Isn't your goal to cultivate more spellcasters, to have them explore magic for you? From this day forward, the souls of every mortal who worships me will belong to you."
"What's the condition?"
"Take me out of this universe. Out of this dream. I want to go to worlds broader and more boundless."
Skyl thought for a moment, then gently shook his head. "I don't need your realm of Oblivion. I have my own tower. The Silver City under your rule is peaceful and prosperous. Winterhold under my protection may be crude and primitive, but there are smiles on my people's faces as well."
"Then… this is a refusal?" Azura looked wounded.
"No. We can still be friends. I'm actually quite willing to take friends traveling with me. A request this small really doesn't require you to hand over your entire estate."
"You don't understand what this means to me, Skyl. Do you know the truth of this universe? Do you know how it was born?"
"I know a little. This universe may be a dream."
"Yes—a dream of the One True God. We—the gods of this world—are all prisoners trapped inside that dream. Mortals stumble through in a haze, driven by the cycle of life and death, and can still possess the bliss of ignorance. But we are awake to the truth, and we despair because of it."
If one had to choose a metaphor for the universe, calling it a dream was, in a way, not entirely unreasonable.
On the road to probing the roots of existence, Skyl had already noticed certain signs. From some angle, the universe really could be considered a dream—whether it was the universe of the Harry Potter world, the universe of the Elder Scrolls world, or even the universe of Elden Ring.
The simplest proof was the thought-strings. The universe's thought-strings were no different from the thought-strings of the human soul—indeed, they were of the same origin.
The universe possessed memory, but no self-awareness, like a dreamer without self-awareness. It was blind, chaotic, foolish. The universe needed life to know itself in its stead. Therefore, every person was the universe's soul—unique, one of one.
However, for life in the Elder Scrolls world, realizing the fact that they lived in a dream was extremely dangerous. They would be "zero-summed"—that is, they would "vanish." Legend said the Dwarves (the Dwemer) had all disappeared because of zero-summing, leaving behind only ancient ruins scattered across the world as the last traces of their once-glorious civilization.
From Azura's mouth, Skyl learned the bitterness of being a god.
They could perceive that they were inside a dream. Though they would not be zero-summed for it, they still could not escape the dream. All they could do was witness the rise and fall of the mortal world again and again, hoping that in some cycle, an unexpected child would appear—one who could break the dream.
New things were born from the endless repetition of old things.
Only… the process might be terrifyingly long. Some gods savored it, as if it were sweet nectar. Others could not endure that dull repetition. They desperately wanted to breathe, to receive some kind of message from beyond the dream.
Skyl couldn't help but sigh. "Even gods are people. Where there are feelings, there is suffering—so it's true."
Azura did not take offense. As one of the rare Daedric Princes who walked the world in a humanoid form, Azura empathized more easily with mortals and was more readily influenced by human nature. It also lent her actions a touch more warmth and human feeling.
"Then I am willing to be your friend," Azura said, plucking a fresh blossom and tucking it by her temple, her charm difficult to put into words. "Or, if you want a more intimate relationship, I can agree to that as well."
Skyl respectfully declined. "Let's stay at the level of friends. Now, I invite you as an honored guest to the High Tower Privy Conclave."
"My honor."
They reached out to each other, Azura's fingertips touching Skyl's.
A silver key passed from finger to finger—proof of passage into The Tower of Tomes.
Skyl rose and invited Azura into his domain. "Then allow me to play the host."
Azura followed him through the portal.
Endless hexagonal corridors, a false sun hanging high above, and the Eye of Magnus—those three features alone were enough to sum up this place.
Azura stood at the edge of the endless central shaft in the middle of the corridors, looking up and down as she took it all in.
The Tower of Tomes wasn't exactly a place with "scenery," though everyone's study room was distinctive in its own way. Skyl had given the tower's members a great deal of autonomy, letting them remodel their rooms however they pleased.
"Are you disappointed?" Skyl brought his guest tea. They leaned against the railing and spoke calmly.
"Is this what the universe looks like in your mind?" Azura offered her judgment. "It's somewhat similar to Hermaeus Mora's Apocrypha."
Skyl gestured at the Eye of Magnus. "I remember you invited me here to discuss this world's future. If I take the Eye of Magnus—will it affect the mortal world's cycle?"
Azura nodded lightly. "The Eye of Magnus reflects the world's mirror-image and stores the imprints of history. It is also the embryo of a new world. Magnus left behind that artifact so that, at the end of time—after Alduin devours the world—he can design the shape of Mundus once again, ensuring that the mortal world before and after will not diverge too greatly."
So the Eye of Magnus was essentially a data storage device.
Skyl nodded. "Before Alduin devours the world, I will return the Eye of Magnus."
"Perhaps taking it is a good thing," Azura replied—an answer he didn't expect. "Before Magnus left the Eye behind, every reboot meant designing a new Mundus. In those days, the mortal realm was quite interesting—ever-changing and full of variation."
"Did he grow tired of the work of designing worlds?"
"Yes. Magnus realized that the worlds he designed were becoming more and more alike. He grew afraid of losing his creativity and imagination… and so he dug out his own eye."
"Sounds like a compulsive artist." To imagine a sun god using the world as his canvas—painting, smearing, and embellishing again and again, shaping all things upon a planet: mountains and forests, beasts and birds, the turning of nature, the underlying framework… That kind of madness was, indeed, worthy of awe.
"His body is trapped within the Sun's passageway. He must witness the struggle of dragon and serpent over and over. A touch of obsession is understandable."
Azura told Skyl there was no need to rush the Eye of Magnus back. He should take it to see more different worlds. "All artifacts bear a mission. If Magnus did not wish you to have his Eye, you would never have been able to touch it in the first place. Since it has fallen into your hands, it means you have earned his approval."
Skyl nodded. "Then I'll carry his Eye. That works."
He understood now that this meeting with Azura had involved a bit of being led on. Her goal had never truly been to reclaim the Eye of Magnus—she simply wanted to connect herself to Skyl, so she could slip across into other worlds.
Azura felt not the slightest shame about it. If Skyl questioned her, she would admit it openly and without embarrassment.
"Lady Azura, we should discuss your personal freedom," Skyl said softly. "I can take you out of this universe, but you must maintain a mortal form."
"Mortals are too fragile," Azura said—not as a complaint, merely as a statement of fact. "But that's why they're so interesting."
"I'm sure you have more than enough ways to protect yourself. Also—are you interested in giving yourself a mortal name?"
"Seems you've already prepared a position for me." Azura looked as though she could read minds; she guessed Skyl's intent. "I don't mind imparting knowledge to your followers. In that case, call me Moonshadow."
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