"Where am I...?"
The question echoed in the vast emptiness of Abel's mind.
He found himself standing on a boundless ocean, the sun a hazy memory on the distant horizon.
His reflection shimmered in the rolling waves, an image both familiar and foreign.
The wind howled a mournful song, whipping his ragged clothes and chilling him to the bone.
He took a tentative step forward, the ripple of his movement distorting the mirrored surface.
Where to?
He didn't know
With each subsequent step, the ocean seemed to react
the waves growing larger
the wind picking up its mournful tune
Yet, Abel continued his march into the endless blue.
His mind was a blank canvas, devoid of memories or purpose.
He didn't know why he walked, where he was headed, or how he had even arrived in this surreal dreamscape. But an instinct, primal and undeniable, urged him forward. It was a walk of faith, a journey devoid of conscious thought, driven only by a silent pull that resonated deep within his being.
The waves crashed down around him, fierce and unforgiving.
The ocean roared its disapproval, its anger tangible in the pounding surf.
Yet, Abel remained unmoved, a solitary figure against the vastness of the water.
He was like a mountain rooted to the seabed, an immovable force against the rising tide.
Despite the relentless assault of the waves, Abel remained dry. He was an island of calm amidst the churning ocean, his body inexplicably protected from the fury of the water.
He walked on, his steps echoing a silent rhythm against the backdrop of the howling wind.
Then, as abruptly as it had begun, the raging sea calmed.
The waves subsided, replaced by an eerie stillness.
In the distance, a figure materialized amidst the gentle ripples.
It was a solitary form, clad in white, floating lifelessly on the surface.
"Who is he...?" The question formed on Abel's lips, a whisper lost in the vast ocean air.
Abel's steps faltered, an unseen force halting his inexorable march. He squinted, straining to see through the shimmering water.
Who was this figure, cast adrift in the vast ocean?
As if summoned by his unspoken question, something stirred from the depths.
A tremor ran through the water, ripples widening outwards from an unseen source.
Then, with a sinuous grace that belied its immense size, a creature emerged from the abyss.
The ocean floor trembled. A ripple of disturbance spread outwards, emanating from the depths. Something colossal stirred beneath the waves, a creature awakening from a slumber.
A serpentine form, shimmering with an otherworldly glow, emerged from the abyss. Its scales, the size of dinner plates, glinted like polished jewels under the faint sunlight that pierced the clouds.
It was a Dragon!
Not a mythical creature from stories, but a living embodiment of legend, its form stretching for what seemed like a thousand leagues. Its majestic head crested the surface
its eyes, pools of ancient wisdom, fixated on the lifeless figure in the water.
Then suddenly...
The heavens erupted in a sudden fury.
Dark clouds roiled overhead, unleashing a torrent of lightning that seemed to target the lifeless figure in white.
The very air crackled with raw power, the ocean surface shimmering under the assault.
Even the colossal dragon, seemingly invincible moments before, recoiled as the sky's wrath descended.
A primal fear flickered in its ancient eyes as it struggled against the invisible pressure. Yet, a defiant roar erupted from its throat
A sound that resonated with the power of a thousand storms.
But the dragon's resistance appeared futile. Its immense form thrashed against the invisible bonds that held it captive.
Its magnificent aura seemed to dim under the oppressive weight of the celestial fury.
Just as the lightning, a searing spear of divine wrath, was about to strike the figure in white
A dark shape materialized around it. A shell, black as night and aged beyond reckoning, enveloped the figure with an unexpected swiftness. Its surface, seemingly brittle and cracked with eons of wear, held firm against the onslaught.
The lightning struck with a deafening crack, its power channeled into the black shell.
Yet, the shell endured. It stood resolute like an ancient tree weathering a violent storm, its surface absorbing the celestial fury without yielding an inch. The energy crackled and danced across the black surface, momentarily illuminating intricate etchings that pulsed with a faint, obsidian glow.
A booming voice shattered the tense silence.
"Do you truly want to defy the heavens?"
The words echoed through the air, reverberating with the wrath of the celestial storm above.
From the churning clouds descended a magnificent beast.
Its form, a majestic white tiger, rippled with power that mirrored the divine fury of the heavens.
An inscription on its forehead, glowing with a golden light, proclaimed its status: "King."
With each powerful stride, the tiger made the world tremble. Reality itself seemed to warp under the force of its presence. It approached the black shell, its voice resonating with a chilling authority.
"The heavens have ordered me to destroy the abomination beneath this shell. Stand aside, old turtle, and our past friendship will remain untarnished."
A deep, rumbling voice emanated from the black shell. "Old tiger, we have been oppressed for too long. The heavens treat us like pawns, yet you choose to be their loyal hound?"
"We have no choice," the tiger king replied, a hint of resignation in his voice. "Our creator has fallen. We must submit to the new order."
A thunderous laugh boomed across the ocean. The colossal dragon, pinned by the unseen force of the tiger king's aura, roared in mocking tone. " "How ironic! You, the embodiment of pride and majesty, reduced to a cowering servant! Ha!"
The tiger king's eyes narrowed, and with a flick of his tail, he unleashed a torrent of golden energy.
The dragon, despite its immense size, was instantly suppressed, its mighty roar cut short as it was pinned to the ocean floor.
"You dare disrespect me?!" The tiger king's voice crackled with power.
But just as quickly as it appeared, the oppressive aura vanished.
A new voice filled the air, ancient and filled with a quiet dignity. "It seems the old tiger has become blinded by newfound power. As your elder, I am deeply disappointed."
The source of the voice was massive – a colossal black turtle, even larger than the dragon. Its appearance defied logic, its form radiating an aura of creation and destruction in equal measure.
Here was a being that birthed worlds and crushed them with equal ease.
The tiger king, surprised but undeterred, unleashed his own aura – a radiant display of celestial power
The celestial tiger whirled around, its fur bristling. "Elder?! In this world, only power holds sway!"
With a deafening roar, both the tiger and the black turtle unleashed their auras. One, a blazing embodiment of celestial might, the other, a deep, primal energy that resonated with the very essence of time.
The dragon, freed from the tiger king's hold, roared with renewed vigor. "My power! You dare use it against me!"
The tiger king let out a maniacal laugh. " HAHAHA, Look at me, worm! Look at how I elevate it to even greater heights!"
The world seemed to hold its breath as the two celestial beings collided. The black turtle, ever the observer, spoke once more, his voice heavy with concern. "The old tiger has indeed succumbed to arrogance..."
Then, everything stopped. Time itself seemed to stand still. The clash of auras, the roaring of the dragon, the booming voice of the tiger king – all vanished in an instant.
In their place, a colossal black turtle, even larger than the first, materialized. It pulsed with an energy that encompassed creation and destruction, a force that could birth worlds and extinguish them with a single thought.
"What..." Abel managed a single word before the power of the black turtle swept him away, his consciousness fading into oblivion.