Shadow Realm
Unknown Date
The Shadow Realm of Humanity was, is, and always will be governed by one of Humanity's Nexus, one among many scattered across the vast multiverse, tasked solely with harboring the countless human souls lost along their journey to the afterlife. It was a multiversal purgatory from which there was no escape. It was, and yet it was not, the final destination of human souls that the deities—or any other powers capable of mastering the arts of the soul—had not claimed, dispersed across the ever-expanding multiverse, never finding peace or the destination they sought.
"Hmm."
A being dressed in a black tuxedo and white shirt watched the souls drifting aimlessly through the Shadow Realm. There was no beginning, no end, for even time itself made no sense in this place. Nor did the emotions of the souls residing there matter—they were devoured by the realm itself. It was merely one of the many defense mechanisms of the Shadow Realm, rendering all souls docile and utterly apathetic to everything.
Eventually, the being's gaze fell upon a wandering soul—one that still retained some color, not yet completely gray like all the others. But it would not be long before even that small flame faded. Something the being could not allow; time was pressing, and there was no other choice if it wished to arrive on schedule.
With a gesture of the hand, the being transported both itself and the soul of interest to another place.
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Shadow RealmUnknown DateUnknown Point of View:
"Finally ready to listen?" It regarded… a being, for it had no face, or rather, where a face should have been, there was only a vast expanse of stars, galaxies, and universes, so immense it was almost painful to behold. "Do not stare into the Abyss, even though I was interested in you before you looked up." The being in the perfectly standard black tuxedo—bearing no offensive connotations—made this remark with a small, muffled laugh.
No answer came, for there was no reason to respond—or if there was, it had been forgotten, as if hearing its thoughts, its mind?
"Unfortunately, we do not have much time, so allow me to ask a question." The being placed its hands before its chest. "Are you ready to be sent elsewhere, to be reincarnated? To live a new life, in a manner of speaking?" the being asked, and it felt something awaken within him… Was it curiosity? What was the word? Nostalgia? Yes… why did this curiosity feel so nostalgic? And how long had it lingered?
"Ah, I see I have piqued your curiosity, so allow me to continue… Your stay in this domain is not surprising in itself, but the reason for your death is more curious."
Dying, he remembered lying on a hospital bed, a pain restrained by delicate hands holding him, emerald green eyes—completely red and swollen—shedding tears endlessly, marking what he could consider his end, the one that had brought him to this Shadow Realm. And words pleading for forgiveness, remembering the need to say that there was no reason to forgive… that he was… happy? Happy to have helped… It brought another deep pain. Pain… He felt pain just recalling those eyes… whose were they? And why did it hurt not to remember? He was aware of having forgotten so much, so much, wandering this Shadow Realm, scouring the memories of other souls, struggling to preserve even a fragment of his feelings. And yet… now that he thought of it, he recognized his failure, for if he had only just realized he had forgotten the pain and the curiosity, how many other things had he forgotten?
And to whom did those green eyes belong, filled with pain and tears at his death? "I see you are beginning to understand; that should help me… I offer you a chance to start over, and to make you more receptive, the girl with green eyes will be pardoned of all her sins and reincarnated in the same world as you." Sins? What sins? And the girl? Green eyes, eyes full of pain, anger, and affection. He wanted to know what the being before him would gain. Why did it seem to want to help him? He was only one soul among countless others in the Shadow Realm…
…
Shadow Realm
"You really did it." He did not turn around, nor did he need to. He simply watched his final act unfold. And with that, he felt an enormous burden lift from his shoulders. "What I have done… I should have done it eons ago." He heard a chuckle behind him and shook his head. Why were these young ones always so full of themselves? They believed themselves so clever… And yet, did he have the right to criticize them? It was merely a stage of life, one they would surpass—either in thousands of years, or after the tragedies accumulated and broke them. He knew. He had been there himself, convinced he knew more than his elders, than most people… not a memory he preferred to revive. Indeed, perfect memory was only one of the many curses weighing on those who had traversed the beginnings and ends of universes.
No, he simply observed the soul taking hold of the vessel he had created for it—or rather, that his actions had created. A smile would have illuminated his face, had he possessed a human appearance.
"The Council will be informed. You have broken the law," the voice behind him barked, making him laugh. "I have only listened to the calls of the collective unconscious, something the Council promised but failed to uphold, even though it had the power." Disgust washed over him once more as he recalled the time he himself had been blind.
"That's enough! I am taking you with me, and your project ends here." He laughed at what he heard. "Ends? You say it ends? You can no longer stop it. It is beyond your authority, beyond ours." He finally turned and savored the expression of shock on the woman's face. "The Council can do nothing. Not without breaking its own laws."
"No, no, no, no! What have you done?!" He would be lying if he said he did not enjoy the woman's vain attempts to destroy his work, smiling ever more with each failure. "You're laughing?! You have just condemned this innocent soul to slavery for eternity! And not just him!" The woman finally turned toward him, her face twisted in a grimace of hatred.
"No, not a slave." He looked at the baby, already born, one of the many advantages of being able to see past, present, and future.
"Guardian, protector, their protector." He resisted neither the woman's attack nor her magical stasis, his full attention on his final masterpiece.
"My last gift for you, old friend; may you find in him a companion." The last thing he did before temporal magic froze him was gaze into the future, perhaps to spoil it for himself, for it was probably the last time he could see before they took away his far-seeing ability. And what he saw reassured him, even as envy stirred within him, for despite all his efforts, he could never do what he now witnessed.
It was a woman in her twenties with long mauve hair, wearing a white summer dress patterned with flowers, displaying a rare, genuine smile for those who knew her. Beside her stood a man in noble attire, a cane in hand, black hair in a ponytail, and gray eyes with a silver glint. What made him both envious and happy was the slight smile on the ever-impassive face of the strong-looking young woman… "At last, you have found peace… my old friend." These were his final thoughts before temporal magic froze him.