[Author's Note: Thanks for the first 1000 views again, we are close to 2000 so let's clear it.]
...
Diagrams! The only way for the pitiful species, humanity to grasp their fate.
Arc was the 'Source.' Everything that was, is, or ever will be contained Arc, but humans were the exception. It was unknown why, the reason had long been lost in the annuals of time.
But they were known by others as 'The Forsaken!'
But humanity did not give up taking inspiration from constructs they created something truly divine, something even The World was forced to acknowledge.
The Base Diagram!
Taking inspiration from the formation of Natural Constructs and the Arc Veins of other creatures they created a Path for themselves.
But of course, there was no such thing as a free meal, and every advancement was torture, the requirement to form a Base Diagram already cut most people out.
If every 1 in 10, 000 could form one. Then maybe only 1 in every million of that number would achieve the Second Progression.
Clearing his thoughts Tristan fell into a meditative state, his breathing slowed and his mind sped up. And then he entered his mind's eye.
It was a figurative place. Any human could do it, focusing on one's thoughts I mean. Creating a scenery from imagination was almost too easy but... Could you maintain it?
The mind was fickle it was almost more likely that it would switch to another scenery of choice or a similar scenery to display movement than maintain the same.
Very few could visualize a whole concept and build a world where the laws they create, were constant.
This was the requirement!
As he entered his mind's eye, the scenery around him changed, as the Realm of his mind revealed itself. It was said that the way the mind represented itself differed from person to person.
Some had Lakes of Tranquility, showing their stable and calm mindset.
Others had Skies, Freedom evident in their nature, and some... Hell itself. One could only imagine the inner turmoil of such people.
The mind expressed perfectly the state of the person behind it.
"Haha, as plain as ever." He had a rare chuckle. But it truly was much too dull.
Tristan looked at the world of whites, blacks, and grays. he didn't feel anything particularly special about it.
After all, this was the true state of his mind. There were countless objects, countless possessions. But none of them were important enough to be grounded, they had long since lost their vibrancy.
He walked across the space as if he had done it millions of times. Ignoring the set laws, not noticing that each step was taken on the purple-grey skies.
'Why is there so many things here.' He frowned but didn't say more moving on. After all, he put the objects here. He thought maybe they would change the way the world looked. Add color...
Eventually, he reached his destination. It was his life's work. A Base Diagram could be of any size or form. Well in truth it wasn't that simple. But usually, those were the laws.
Some people gave it the form of a sword making the Sword their Path, some gave it the form of a book making the Book their Path. Some even let it take up their image making it in their own likeness.
Some shaped it on abstract and intangible things, causing the way they manifested Arc to be unique.
But generally, it didn't truly matter what you made it, as that wouldn't mean much if its laws were mediocre.
Tristan stared at the only light source that bore color on the world. It was some sort of automated machine that pulsated with a greenish gold.
Immediately he got to work, altering as he deemed fit, the countless gears, elastics, veins vessels, all submitting to his control.
In this world, he could play God as he liked. Of course, any random person would find it hard to differentiate the different parts since they were all the same color.
But for Tristan the longer he went on the brighter his eyes became, the world was slowly bathed with that soft golden glow and a smile crept out.
Would it work? He asked the question over and over in his head. Had he finally figured it out? But just the same as every other time...
CRACK!!!
Seeing this his eyes dulled. It seemed something was still wrong. The world lost its color. With the wave of a hand, the Construct shrank till it was only no bigger than his hand.
It was... a Heart and it refused to work. There was a passionate anger in his eyes. Why?
Crack!
He crushed it to dust feeling helpless 'Why doesn't it work?' He couldn't figure it out, he'd tried everything. But his simulations always failed.
Somewhere in the distance, the particles of gold dust drifted only to form the same construct again. He understood it intimately, reforming it was as easy as a snap of the finger.
After all none of it was real... yet. The tendrils which could only be its veins wrapped around its entirety, joining it to reform.
He turned to look at the giant looming illustration that hung in the starless world. This was his Base Diagram. A failed product at best.
If those geniuses saw this Diagram they might faint from shock. The thing about Base Diagrams was that the person didn't have to worry about laws concerning the world. They usually only had to worry about how the laws would work concerning laws that already exist. At least in theory.
There were two major functions of a Base Diagram. To provide power, and to host the Concept.
But the point was Tristan was tryna account for everything. He was essentially trying to create a natural construct without the world as a medium.
There was only one way to describe his state of mind. Arrogant!
But he truly didn't care. In his opinion why would he seek approval of the very world that had forsaken him?
It wasn't that he thought himself better or that he was arrogant. It was just that, if it could strip him of it once, then couldn't it do so again? It could probably easily solve the flaw but that wasn't what he wanted.
He looked at the tiny gears and floating runes that constantly moved around, bumping into each other and creating unique instances for every interaction, sometimes even taking odd shapes and sizes.
It brought about minute changes, almost as if each second changed the probabilities it had to calculate.
'Chaotic Feedback.'
That was the name he gave the concept. Or at least what he planned to. It was meant to emulate a heart. But instead of blood, he would have the very thing that gave life, flowing through him.
He looked down to his chest, a subtle greenwashing over as if acknowledging his gaze.
Is it because of this thing? His simulations were based on the state of his body, what he understood from it at least.
He sighed, his thoughts became disrupted and he fell out of meditation.
"You're awake!"
Before he could even begin to properly open his eyes and begin another period of sulking and contemplation, he saw two orbs staring at him eye to eye.
He didn't know why but he felt a shiver up his spine backing up as far away as the room would allow.
How did she enter? What was she doing to him? Immediately he checked himself in horror, only to calm down when he realized everything was where he left it.
The other party felt their expression darken. What did he mean by that?
At the time he didn't realize it, but he had already started changing.