The memories had faded.
Before him was the same nightmarish sight he had seen several times before. Millions of chains of people swirling and soaring around in a vortex. Asahi's mind went dizzy with the afterthought of the memories. Before this situation, he hadn't remembered much about his birth.'
But for some reason, it seemed like meeting someone related to his kingdom caused a trigger in his mind.
"What was that?" Remarked Asahi as he felt his body fly inside the vortex. "Two people were holding my body. And... the world was... giant. Were they my... my pare--
Before Asahi could finish his sentence, he shook the thought away as visions of a face entered his mind.
A girl with vibrant skin. Her two blue eyes daggered into Asahi's guilt sharply. She held a smile of gratitude, beaming with hope and optimism. He squinted into space before he realized. It was the fault of Asahi that made this smile.
If it wasn't for stumbling upon this place, Asahi would have never witnessed that grin that shone like the sun.
And what glimmered even brighter was the ample cyan light that resided within the epicenter of the vortex.
With each cycle and push of the vortex, the invisible magical winds would carve into the earth like a shovel, making way for the people. Strangely, no living thing was harmed in the vortex. Despite being under a tall stone ceiling, no one had gotten injured from the occurrence.
All that anyone had ever felt upon floating in this vortex was dizziness.
His eyes broadened in realization. When he saw that face flash before the spectacle, Asahi's focus drifted over to someone. A person who had followed almost every step in this godforsaken place.
"Kendra." He said. "I need to find Kendra."
And so, what once was a scavenger hunt for deep memories and understanding, quickly transformed into a search for a friend.
. . .
With each loop of the vortex, Asahi's perception of the meaningless power would shift. He would regather the first moments of him stumbling upon his place. From the remembrance of the small village to his disciples longing for his attention, Asahi remembered it all. A warm feeling erupted in his brain as his eyes caught a familiar face passing by him. It was a tall man with long spindly legs with a mask veiling his face, its surface emblazoned with the shape of an S. Though the time with him may have been short, Asahi clearly recognized the strange brown robe that the masked- man had worn.
(Is that...)
After Asahi's body was flung near an ancient stone castle coated in white, recollections of him walking with the familiar man down the foothills of the underground expanse filled his mind.
("The name is Kirei. And as you can see, I am a member of the Adtraic Cult.")
The cold passing winds, the scattered forests, and faint ribbons of sunlight, all of those elusive memories viciously invaded Asahi's mind.
Before his feet could touch solid land again, Asahi's body retreated from the ruins and propelled back up to the air, near a group of familiar qualities. Some of them were masked, and others were not.
"Help us, my lord!" Screamed a blonde one with wide eyes.
"I want to be free! I want to see the world above!" A masked priest hollered.
Asahi felt a heavy weight of sympathy yank his heart as he heard those cries.
There was nothing Asahi could do, whether he was a god or not.
He was paralyzed like the others, helplessly lost in this harrowing vortex of epic proportions.
"GET US OUT OF HERE!"
"I don't want to be a part of those stars."
"Please, anyone. Help us! Set us free from this nightmare!"
Asahi's body froze mid-movement. Witnessing his people scream in this way urged his sanity to slip away. As an illustration of his head recoiling from the source of the vortex to his eyes widening, it was apparent that he had lost control.
When he tried to extend his arm to the people, he was forcefully taken away by a passing chain of flying individuals, forced to the uncomfortable position he was flying in for hours at a time. The winds grew stronger, gradually transforming to speeds powerful enough to shred people's skin like razors. However, despite the sheer speed, the victims still managed to endure it.
Upon his flight, he dragged his gaze through the clusters of people encircling him. Speechless, he watched as his body was juggled around five to twelve buildings embedded into the solid earth before crashing into a barricade solely made by individuals. Rocks and pebbles scattered and shifted like his two hopeless gray eyes and fractured memories.
("I think someone said there were billions here, my lord. But as time passed and famine and curses grasped on most, I say… there may be one or two billion left here among this expanse of the world.") Nevertheless, Asahi couldn't discard that thought out of his head. To believe his world hidden underneath the surface had his heart frozen to the core.
With each loop, Asahi's eyes caught many faces flying around. He had tried multiple times to grab people. But with each pitiful reach, all Asahi could manage to do was scrape his fingers against just a tiny sliver of people's skin.
. . .
(I can't do anything.)
Every corner of his body was paralyzed at the likes of which he couldn't control. Whenever he was to break free from the dizzying grasp, hallucinations would appear out from the wall of blurry streaks.
He closed his eyes and mumbled.
(I can't do anything. No matter what I can do, I can not grab anyone. Is it true that I will be stuck in this vortex forever like the rest of the millions here? Is my whole journey doomed by this?) Asahi contemplated as he floated in the sea of life. (No... I still have Aletha left. As long as my sister is alive, I will be happy.)
Her hair, that innocent smile, everything about her had brought rising emotions of motivation in Asahi.
When he had thought about her, and chose to discard all the problems about everything in the past, something clicked in him.
It wasn't pain or sadness, but grief.
In his mind was an ever-going battle; a storm of thoughts that conflicted with each other upon each new thought.
All these problems that were forcefully inserted in his mind.
However, the only thing Asahi truly cared about was his family.
And so, came the realization.
(I… love… my family. There's nothing and no one more important than them.) He said as he saw the expanding vortex grow. (All these problems, all these concerns… were just a weight for me. The calamity, my friends, the loss of this world, they were just external factors. Not internal.)
As he felt the vortex toss and juggle his weightless body back and forth, Asahi's eyes widened with remorse.
"One step at a time. I… have to take everything one step at a time." He said aloud. "I don't feel hopeless. I feel… overwhelmed. That's what has been holding me back. So many solutions. But the only one that matters… is what I love the most."
Clearing his focus, all the thoughts that muddled his brain washed away in a sudden blow.
"My family."
. . .
Loud thundering roars echoed across the cavern.
Sparkling objects flew around the funnel at speeds like stretched droplets of milk.
At that moment, when Asahi had flown with the chains of people and animals several times before, Asahi realized something.
Something was entering through the wall of blurs.
It wasn't a monster, an arm, or a leg. It was a sight, a panorama, a view.
Just as the chilling darkness could engulf everything around the vortex, the curtains of opaque opacity slowly distorted and rippled to a blurry sight of a vast divine expanse of tinted brown flora and an endless ocean of sparkling stars.
As both Asahi's gray pupils fearfully spotted the many people slowing down within the blurry field's expanding funnel, he realized it at this moment.
This vortex he, Kendra, and a billion others had been flying in wasn't just some 'meaningless' storm created by The Guardian.
But instead… served as a magical cosmic gate-- a portal to another realm.
In a sudden approach, the chilling feeling of darkness warmed up to a strange, comforting feeling, bodies floating in a healing sense of ease. The razor-sharp winds returned to soft tickling brushes while the sight of the sea of stars and tinted brown flora gradually grew more apparent.
Abruptly, every negative emotion stirred within the millions of individuals residing within the Nameless Caverns was swept away by a magical feeling of liberation.
(Huh?)
Drowsiness coiled insidiously about him.
The abrupt change from helpless emotions to positive emotions concerned him greatly. And it appears that he may be the only one to have such awareness.
While the feeling increased inside his heart, Asahi raised an eyebrow in speculation. He hurriedly tilted his head, and his eyes caught animals and humans alike floating and entering the realm behind the vortex.
"This isn't a hallucination."
When the bodies were in contact with the wall of blurry figures, they would disappear and form ripples in the "painting-like" thing like a shallow pond of water, as if releasing and selling their souls to the realm beyond.
"What? Where are my people going?!" Asahi mumbled as he heard harmonic choruses singing fill his ears. As he saw hundreds of people smiling in relief at being taken away by the water-like essence of the "painting," Asahi's eyes shrunk in horror, screaming as he witnessed the vortex's stolen lives.
"Wait! Don't leave!"
People disappeared into the pool of essence, starting from one, then one hundred, then one thousand, and eventually up to one million. And yet. Instead of releasing screams of fear and horror, the people had hollered appraisals of peace, prosperity, and relief.
"I… I feel at peace." Said one as they floated upward like an angel.
"I can't breathe. And yet, I feel… free." Screamed another with a face of relief and anticipation.
"Mom! Dad!" A child cried as they felt a feeling of remorse consume him.
"Is this… paradise?"
At a sudden pace, a cyan light shone at the epicenter of the portal, expanding within each second.
With each soul of the people flying in the vortex taken away by the realm, it would continue to reform itself until it became its complete form; The Guardian.
However, before Asahi could catch on to its approach, he felt his breath taken away by an unbelievable sight.
A beautiful and gorgeous vision, with four people standing happily among a great plain of dancing golden grass and bronze clouds.
Upon the forceful pull of the view, Asahi recognized each individual standing cheerfully on the meadow. Their hair bore beautiful, brilliant shades of white and silver, eyes of glimmering hues of magenta and gray, and skin as radiant and reflective as the glimmering sun. With each step Asahi took, he felt a sense of comfort overwhelm him, and a sense of love and peace enveloped every corner of his body.
"Mother, f… father?!" Asahi said as he silently welled up a tear of joy. "Is that really you?"
For a moment, Asahi felt that this sight was unreal to him. He took two steps backward, disbelieving that this was real. However, there was one thing that drew a distinct difference between the sight and his memory. Random flickers.
Asahi's face scrunched up at a careful realization.
"This… is just an illusion," He said as he pulled himself back from the approaching view. "A-All of this is an illusion. My parents are not there. It… it has to be a dream. It has to be a lure. This is impossible."
When those words slipped off from his lips, Asahi felt a cold feeling pressing against his back. He reacted with a stumble backward before falling onto thin air as if solid ground.
After his back had rested against the solid texture of what could be perceived as a translucent floor, a familiar, croaking resonating voice directed its voice to Asahi.
"Else whence this pleasing hope, this fond desire, This longing after immortality? Or whence this secret dread, and inward horror, of falling into naught?" It said as it dragged its lengthy glowing spear against the floor. " Why shrinks the soul back on themself, and startle at destruction? Tis' the divinity that stirs within us, this heaven itself, that points out a hereafter!"
From its loud booming voice, the vision of the realm beyond the wall of the portal flickered from brown grass and stars, to snow-white clouds and golden stone repeatedly. At the corner of Asahi's eye, he caught people stopping themselves from being taken away by the portal, leaving them to run to their god with desperation as The Guardian pointed its spear at him.
"Tis heaven itself, that points out a hereafter, And intimates eternity to man." It said as Asahi dodged its dancing swings. "Eternity! Thou pleasing, dreadful thought!"
(Eternity?) Asahi mumbled as he tried to keep up with The Guardian's movements. (What do they mean… by Eternity?)
He looked around and found that the surrounding "painting-like essence" flickered continuously until thousands of people ran over and floated among the expanse. He couldn't believe his eyes.
"No. How… did they…"
Among that line of people was a familiar face bearing brilliant azure hair and cyan eyes.
"Asahi!" She screamed with remorseful tears in her eyes.
From her footsteps, a pained look came from her emotions. Asahi drew his eyebrows together as he kept his eyes anchored on the approaching girl, offering her a relieved smile as The Guardian froze in place abruptly.
"Kendra…" Asahi mumbled quietly. (My emotions are getting tampered with by this supernatural feeling. I know it.)
Finally seeing the glistening azure eyes that maid had bore, made Asahi fabricate an anticipated conclusion. There was no reason to fight anymore. There was no reason for him to needlessly scavenge and observe every flying face that came Asahi's way. Because the friend that Asahi was looking for throughout these hours of senseless flight had already approached him.
Once their hands had intertwined, Kendra pulled Asahi up from his dumbstruck position and led him away from the walls of the funnel.
Although the situation ahead of them may have been dangerous and peculiar, the two kept smiles of confidence stuck on their faces, their position ahead of them unpredictable.
"Asahi. There you are." Kendra said as she kept her breathing at bay. "I… don't know where I am. I don't know what's going on. But at least I found you."
When they had finally distanced themselves away from the deceptive wall of rippling essence, The Guardian bore no heed for mercy.
In one fell swoop, it launched itself into the air and extended seven cyan-painted wings into the starry ceiling. Then, as it caught Asahi and Kendra sprinting away into the center of the funnel of illusions, The Guardian hoisted its glowing spear upward and forced it to fracture into four pieces.
Kendra and Asahi were caught in its actions with shock, watching as the floating pieces drifted away, mingling the sparkling essence encircling them.
"Is that... what is that?" Kendra mumbled obviously as Asahi strengthened his grip.
"I have no idea," Asahi replied as his eyes witnessed the four parts spinning and transforming into an oval shape. "But I say, we should… MOVE!"
After Asahi uttered that, he forcefully pushed Kendra and himself away.
From their narrow dodge, laser beams flew from the direction of the spear and struck through the space, causing a tiny void to appear at its impact zone. Both their bodies shuddered in fear from the world-thundering sound. They were frightened just by that but also by the sheer power of those lasers and what had floated in front of them.
"WHAT ON EARTH IS THAT!?" Kendra screamed as her heart skipped a beat.
Surrounding The Guardian… were four floating gigantic eyeball-shaped creatures with wheels within wheels of diamond, golden and eyes encircling and overlapping each other. The entire fabric of existence rippled with each movement it made. Residing in the center of the alien-like beings were silhouettes of an infant, blaring out a loud symphony of what sounded like trumpets along every corner of reality.
":// :/// : ?//?//??" They sounded with ear-trembling honors as they floated in front of Asahi and Kendra.
In reaction, both of them caved their chests inward in dread of the four creatures. Despite their menacing and terrifying forms, only The Guardian seemed to be the controller of such. Chains locked tightly onto those four creatures, forcing them to unleash unimaginable power onto Asahi and Kendra.
"://:???:/??:!" The creatures hollered as their wheels illuminated with a divine glow.
Golden lasers shot from the pupils of the aliens toward all footsteps Asahi and Kendra were to take. Voids of proportions opened up in the transparent floor, swallowing the luminances before closing up. They sealed their lips shut as they ran for their lives, powerless in this situation.
After bouncing from corner to corner of the shrinking blurry funnel of illusions, the people scrambled around as The Guardian struggled to catch Asahi and Kendra.
But before any creatures could disassemble or part from The Guardian, it viciously hoisted its shining gauntlet up into the air and uttered cryptic sayings.
"An Eternal is an Eternity, but an Eternity can NOT be Eternal!"
An illumination expanded from above the ceiling of stars and luminance.
Time itself came to a standstill and Asahi and Kendra dropped to their knees, out of breath. Their expectations darkened into anxiety as the sound of wheels grazing against solid ground disturbed their ears. They bowed their head to the approaching monstrosities, sweat sliding down their face, keeping a vacant stare at the situation before them.
And yet, even with such despair dawning up on them, not once had they truly looked away at the face of danger.
The Guardian stood close and twirled its spear and danced with the other angels. Asahi closed his eyes and pushed himself up, tossing the weight of anxiety out of him. Staring at the panorama before him, he noticed that the sea of brown grass grew more apparent, showing an endless vestige of stars out in the horizon.
Though he may be clueless about what kind of realm it was, all he had cared about was getting Kendra back up to the surface and finding his lost sister.
Memories dawned up on him as he rooted his feet into the ground.
From the Ancient Golem to the opening of the ravine, to being captured in a cage, and wandering buried kingdoms. To tell stories of a dragon and a swallowing night sky, to raise everyone's hopes up, to promise everyone to the surface, to encounter monsters, to even encounter an alien cosmic knight. To find a mysterious power, to use it and save their lives.
All of those memories had come to fruition.
With nothing else to do, Asahi and Kendra tilted their heads to the floating eyeball creatures and anchored their eyes slowly to the increasing luminance.
All people watched helplessly as they stood there with shock, watching the funnel increase and flicker to random areas in rapid patterns.
"Lord Asahi, no!"
"Please, don't give up, my Lord!"
"We want you to live!"
"Why are you hopeless?"
"YOU ARE THE GOD OF HOPE!"
They were right. Asahi was supposed to be The God of Hope. And yet… here he was in this situation, standing in front of a friend, powerless as they watched their lives pass through their eyes.
. . .
. . .
However, deep in his thoughts arose remembrances.
. . .
Remembrances from long ago and present.
. . .
"Though we have our differences, we all pursue this strive to find happiness in our lives."
. . .
Asahi's eyes flashed with remorse. Even if he were stuck in this hopeless situation, one spark remained in the darkness of despair. Another memory flashed in him.
. . .
"The only true gift one receives… is their birth."
. . .
Kendra's eyes trembled before the approaching four creatures; her life flashing before her eyes.
. . .
"Sometimes life isn't about what's occurring in your head. It's about how you treat others and face life's challenges for your dreams."
. . .
Just as the angels could unleash their attack out to Asahi and Kendra, dark magenta eyes appeared suddenly. Emerging, a dark figure from afar floated before the funnel veiled in a dark mist, carefully observing the situation before her.
. . .
"Dear, you have been given a beautiful gift…"
. . .
The creature's eyes alight at their max capacity, feeling their bodies yanked from the chains attached to The Guardian's gauntlets.
. . .
"A glorious and miraculous present on which we call life. It's an experience that contains both good and evil, problems and solutions, and questions and answers. It's something that every god, monster, or human in existence should ALL appreciate."
. . .
Suddenly, from beyond the thick wall of flickering blur and visions emerged a magenta-colored luminance that arose with the command of a slender and pale hand with four thick dark rings accompanying her four fingers. It extended from the funnel onto the floor, grappling the floating wheel creatures one at a time.
. . .
"Always remember this little one…"
. . .
In the heat of the moment, the trumpet blaring stopped.
The glow that floated around the creatures' pupils and wheels immediately dissipated as the glowing magenta stream of luminance branched off and extended out to every corner of the funnel of flickering realms.
Upon that reaction, Asahi and Kendra raised their eyebrows and offered a questioning gaze.
(What... is that?) Asahi thought.
People from all around watched in awe as the streams of magenta light roared and soared in circles of rapidity.
The Guardian lowered their spear and looked up in confusion, seeing nothing but the starry ceiling and thousands of magenta strings invading the portal.
. . .
"That no matter the problems you are in…"
. . .
With each second, Asahi and Kendra slowly lifted themselves up from the ground and watched as the transparent ground reflected the swirling light encircling them.
Asahi clasped his hands under his chin, stuck in a praying gesture at this miraculous phenomena.
While Kendra covered her mouth with her hand, eyes widening and shining with senses of hope.
. . .
"... the dangers and miracles you make…"
. . .
The Guardian shook its head and it relinquished its spear, acknowledging the devastating power around it. Though its face may have been veiled, it can be detected just by its body language that it had given up. Slumped shoulders, dropped arms, wobbly legs. Asahi stood flabbergasted upon seeing that powerful enemy fall down.
"What is it doing?"
The arising hope shining with great transparency urged The Guardian to unshackle the angels out from their own chains, releasing them back to whence they came from. "Be free, my angels," The Guardian whispered as they watched the wheeled beings vanish into the wall of rippling landscapes. "For no one will be afraid of you no longer."
Once the last angel had disappeared into the funnel, it released one last sound of its trumpet before leaving The Guardian alone.
After Asahi and Kendra watched as all angels departed, The Guardian retrieved its spear, and with all their strength, they rushed to the two with brutal force.
Kendra immediately jolted upward and rushed in front of Asahi. The Guardian stopped for a moment, before increasing the energy drawing within the spear, charging with absolute force.
"Kendra! What are you doing?"
As his confused scream echoed across the vortex, everyone around them dashed in front of Asahi , disregarding their lives just for him.
"Protecting you!"
Forebodings possessed Asahi as his eyes anchored at the wall of followers standing in front of him. He had this urge to sprint over and protect them, but instead was faced with the smattering realization that they contained so much respect for him that they would go out their way to stand in front of them.
As The Guardian's spear neared closer and closer to the wall of individuals, something was caught in the corner of everyone's eye.
The thick luminescent magenta strings attached themselves to the rippling wall of the vortex like spiderwebs, expanding with each stretch. The Guardian's attention was stolen. With haste, it lowered its spear and stomped its foot on the ground, speechless.
Kendra hurriedly took two steps backward, raising her eyebrows. Great shuddering seized them both. In a frenzied motion, the magenta strings sent the rippling wall of the realm outward. The Guardian took its authority and rooted its boots into the ground. The group remained stagnant, goaded on by the disappearing sense of false gratification.
"The heavens are collapsing!" One of them uttered.
Suddenly, the magical strings took a noticeable maneuver and breached through the portal. With each push of the glowing strings, the flashing visions flickered back to the sight of the nearly endless sea of stone, ruins, and darkness. The Guardian shook its head and charged at Asahi and Kendra, increasing pace as it flocked its wings.
Yet, the funnel proceeded to expand and stretch like a balloon, unable to support the pressure pushing against it.
As time slowed down, and everyone's eyes froze in this perspective of Asahi, one last saying resonated in his mind.
. . .
"... except yourself."
. . .
In an instant, the entirety of the funnel of illusions shattered to pieces, causing the sight of the realm to dissipate back into the underground caverns.
Darkness and fog enveloped the place once more.
The swirling stars and glitter faded along with the magenta strings.
Asahi, Kendra, and the other followers were left alone, watching as The Guardian got forcibly knocked back by a shockwave, falling several meters out to the cavern.
The Vortex of Living Things, miraculously came to an end.