Fheniz leaned back in his chair, eyes gleaming with a hint of mischief as his mind danced around the enormity of the journey ahead. His fingers drummed rhythmically on the armrest, as if his very thoughts were trying to escape the confines of his skull.
"Wow!" Fheniz exclaimed with a sharp laugh, his voice crackling with excitement and curiosity as he digested Griswa's bold declaration. "But how exactly do you plan to pull that off?"
Griswa's head tilted slightly, his demeanor calm, almost serene in the face of Fheniz's sharp energy. "Like I said before, we'll start with Aeartha and then move—" he began, but Fheniz's laughter cut through his words.
"No, no, no." Fheniz shook his head, eyes glinting with a sharp edge of curiosity and amusement. "I mean, how do you plan to find Thylme in this infinite sky? Do you think Orngea's going to lead you there?" His eyes slid to Orngea, locking onto the floating figure with an unseen smile.
All eyes turned toward Orngea. The shadowy figure remained still for a beat, the very air around him thickening with the weight of everyone's silent questions. His whispery voice echoed from beneath his hood, "Of course I can. It's just a little... far. But it won't be a problem for you, Lord Griswa, will it?"
Griswa, unsure if he was supposed to take that as a joke, blinked. "Umm... no?" His hesitation only fueled Fheniz's amusement further.
"Yeah, just a couple of trillions of light years, we're talking about," Fheniz muttered, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
Yesdar's face scrunched up in confusion. "How much is that?" he asked, clearly bewildered by the jargon.
"Oh, just like he said—just a 'little' far," Fheniz replied, mockingly mimicking quotation marks with his fingers.
"Be serious, Fheniz," Malaes interjected, her voice sharpening with impatience. "How far is that?"
Fheniz sighed deeply, stretching his arms as though preparing to explain the mysteries of the cosmos itself. "Alright, alright," he began, flashing an amused grin. His eyes darted back to Orngea, who floated there, shrouded in silence like some ethereal presence. "Hey, Orngea. Just humor me. How long did it take you to get here from wherever Thylme is holed up, following his order?"
Orngea's response was as casual as it was chilling. "I don't know the exact time... it's indefinite. But the distance is roughly 2168 jumps. Not particularly far by my standards; I've traveled even further on other missions."
"And how many light years is each jump?"
"Around 950 billion light years approximately."
Fheniz's eyes widened as he snorted in disbelief, laughter bubbling up from his chest. "OH. MY. SHIT!" His laughter echoed in the chamber, filling the air with a manic energy.
Meanwhile, Yesdar, Malaes, and Griswa just stared, utterly lost. Fheniz's laughter confused them even further, and it only made Yesdar's frustration bubble up.
"What the hell are you laughing about? What are these 'light years' and 'jumps' you're talking about?!" Yesdar demanded, his irritation palpable, yet laced with comedic helplessness.
Fheniz's laughter died down as he wiped a tear from his eye. "Oh, don't worry, Yesdar. If I tried to explain it all, your brain would fry. Same goes for Malaes and Griswa. But here's the thing—'light years' and 'jumps' are standard omniversal terms. There's nothing alien about it, at least not the way you think."
"I know what they mean," Griswa suddenly interjected, his tone thoughtful. "I don't remember when or where I learned this, but I have the general knowledge. In short, light is the fastest thing in existence. The distance light can travel in a single year is what we call a light year."
As Griswa continued, a slight seriousness settled into his voice, "On most planets where normal, non-godly life exists or can exist, they're situated within a solar system, like how you guys have Yigritha, your star. Depending on how far each planet is from its star, the number of days in a year can differ accordingly, slightly up and down in hours too. However, on average calculation, the distance light can travel in 365 days with each day being 24 hours, is called a light year."
Yesdar's face scrunched further, trying to follow. Griswa elaborated, "A 'jump' refers to a Dimensional Drift—a method of travel that allows ships to temporarily slip into an alternate dimension. In this drift dimension, space is compressed, allowing you to cover distances far greater than usual. In this way, ships can bypass the normal flow of spacetime."
"But gods, well..." Griswa smiled faintly, "we don't exactly need 'drifts' or 'technology' created by normal beings to travel. You know the rest is obvious."
Malaes nodded slowly, her face showing more understanding than Yesdar, who still looked somewhat lost.
Fheniz, with a twinkle in his eye, seized the moment. "Exactly! Now, let me blow your minds even further by introducing you to two other forms of commanding—'Gate Commanding' and 'Portal Commanding.'" His words hung in the air with a deliberate pause, pulling everyone's focus into the gravity of his statement.
"I didn't mention these earlier because, well... these are a bit different from the usual commandings we rely on for battle," Fheniz added, a sly smile forming as he continued. "Now, I have a theory—just a working theory based on all the knowledge I've gathered. No proof yet, but..." He trailed off for dramatic effect.
Malaes leaned forward slightly, her curiosity piqued. "So what's the theory?" she asked, her eyes narrowing in anticipation.
Fheniz remained silent for a moment longer, letting the suspense thicken around them like a storm cloud ready to burst. He glanced toward Griswa, his lips curling into a knowing smile, filled with intrigue and mystery.
Griswa raised an eyebrow, sensing the weight of the moment. "What is it?" Griswa asked, his voice calm but laced with curiosity.
Fheniz gave nothing but a smile, the kind that hinted at revelations beyond comprehension. He got an opportunity to explain something interesting he had on mind for years, now that he wished to forget his pain and move ahead.
.....
Fheniz presented an old book with a loud thud, dust erupting in a cloud on the round tepoy at the center of the hall. The room grew still, every eye drawn to the ancient tome as if it held the weight of the cosmos within its pages.
"This," Fheniz began, his voice a low rumble that reverberated through the chamber, "is the journal of the traveler from Schinong Azvoria that I told you about before."
Malaes, her eyes narrowed with curiosity, leaned in slightly. "Okay, I see it. But what's next?"
Fheniz's gaze swept over the group, his eyes dark and intense. "I'm going to explain everything. Don't interrupt me. If you have doubts, save them for later." His tone brooked no argument, and the others nodded in silent agreement.
He flipped open the journal, revealing pages filled with strange symbols and illustrations, the language of a forgotten era. "So, as we know, these Schinong Azvorians traveled through dimensional gates they called 'Schinong.' They often referred to the 'Nine Chosen Worlds,' but what does that really mean?"
Fheniz paused, letting the weight of the question sink in. "I read through this journal, trying to find an answer, but it's just a storybook—a record of adventures beyond our world. It doesn't explain why these nine worlds were 'chosen.' There's no prophecy, no grand purpose laid out. I only came to the conclusion that the Schinong Azvorians called them that because there were simply nine worlds connected by the Schinong Gates. Nothing more, nothing less."
He continued, his voice gaining momentum, "But here's the thing. Based on this information and then what I learned about the gods and tons of stuff later, I made a theory. I kept reading the same part of the book where it said that when they returned to Aeartha, the Yahunyens had conquered the planet, and the land was split apart due to the energy released by the Dark World Entry. That's when something clicked my mind. It was mentioned that the Ehayor Gods had closed the gates when this was happening. Now why did the Ehayor Gods do that...? Because whatever strange events were happening on Aeartha, the same or something greatly stranger was happening on the other 8 planets too, and at the same time. Maybe whatever strange things were happening on Ehayor forced them to close the gates for who knows how long. And that time Aearthalings had no idea about Gate Commanding, they never learned it 'cause perhaps they didn't need it, the gates were always open until... you know."
The others nodded, the pieces starting to fit together in their minds. Fheniz's expression darkened as he pressed on. "Master Ehayor guarded the gate, always claiming it was to prevent monsters from other dimensions from entering. But now we see the connection—why the Ehayor Gods closed the gates. Whatever strange events were happening on Aeartha and Ehayor were linked to something perhaps even more disturbing on the other worlds."
Fheniz's voice lowered, as if he were revealing a dangerous secret. "The journal mentions 'gods'—plural—but Master Ehayor was the last one left. Something wiped them out, leaving him as the sole survivor. And maybe, just maybe, that's why he never let me go beyond Ehayor. Why he never talked about that history, every time I asked. He used to change the topic or completely stop talking. It was perhaps too horrifying, too painful. But it's clear that whatever happened, they fought something catastrophic and won—barely. That's why we see, no one rules this planet. Yet he didn't wish to remember all that stuff that happened thousands of years ago. Maybe that's why he waited for Hezick Skaar so desperately, because he was all alone, and his one best friend was not here with him. And then Ehayor became a refugee planet for people who face something they don't deserve to, because Shiya Skaar came here as a refugee too and gave birth to Hezick Skaar… here."
"I see… many things have happened, but I don't think that completes the theory, does it?" Griswa asked, his eyes fixed on Fheniz.
Fheniz shook his head. "No, it's not complete. Now we come to the real point. Why did I mention Gate and Portal Commanding? Because here's the thing—there are nine worlds. If we exclude Aeartha and Ehayor, seven other worlds remain. And it's said that there are seven great gods who serve as subordinate gods of Brighter Dark. These seven worlds might be under the rule of those Seven Great Gods. They likely attacked at the same time Aeartha and Ehayor were attacked. So, if I piece everything together, it suggests that except for one, all the other planets are under the rule of Brighter Dark... Kingdom? Or whatever? Yeah? It doesn't matter Yahunyens or Great Gods, they are under the rule of Brighter Dark logically and on his command. That is all the purpose of the Nine Chosen Worlds at the most, there is no other logic I can give further, because it connects to the things written in the journal too."
The room fell silent as the weight of Fheniz's theory settled over them. The implications were vast, each realization builded upon the last.
"Thylme is one of the Great Gods of Brighter Dark," Fheniz continued, "so if you learn Gate Commanding, you can go directly to the next world without having to travel across the stars. All we need to do is find one of the two other gates in Ehayor and go beyond."
"But Fheniz," Malaes interrupted, her voice tinged with uncertainty, "how do we know that the next world is where Thylme is? He could be ruling the fourth or fifth world, or somewhere else entirely."
Fheniz smiled, a hint of mischief in his eyes. "Patience, Malaes. We'll get to that." He turned to Yesdar, who had been quiet until now. "And Yesdar, you had a question too, didn't you? If a Schinong Gate requires Gate Commanding, why did Master Ehayor need to guard it? Yeah? I can hear that from your mind, you are quite loud."
"Umm... yes, exactly, but you said, don't interrupt in between." Yesdar replied, his brow furrowed.
Fheniz's smile widened. "Well, remember what Orngea said? He took 2168 jumps from Thylme's world to Ehayor, and each jump was 950 billion light years. When I calculated that in my mind, it came out to two quadrillion fifty-nine trillion six hundred billion light years. Schinong Gates are present in one particular world in each segment of existence. That distance, 2 quadrillion light years, that's most prolly another universe within the multiverse, which is where the third world should be. The fourth is in the greater multiverse, that's even farther and the chain goes up till the Origin segment, damn! I could have gone there by now already! But Master Ehayor didn't allow or teach. And as for your question, Yesdar—enemies from other dimensions can know Gate Commanding, so it is necessary to guard it. I hope that answers your question."
Yesdar nodded, finally grasping the full scope of what Fheniz had explained. The room was filled with a heavy silence as they all processed the enormity of the information.
"So, how do you learn this Gate Commanding? And you know this Portal Commanding too?" Malaes asked, her voice tinged with curiosity and concern. The room was silent, the weight of her question hanging in the air like a dense fog.
Fheniz, leaning against the rough stone wall, responded with a measured tone, "I wasn't taught Gate and Portal Commanding that well by Master Ehayor. Even I couldn't perfect it, and he didn't want me to go beyond this world either. But my goal is to reach the Origin, so of course, I won't stop. There are two ways to do it: one involves Dimensional Energy, Gravitational or Space-Time Energy, and another method is something more... surprising. I learned it after I entered through the gate from Aeartha, but I didn't share it before because now is the perfect moment to tell you."
He paused, letting the anticipation build before he continued, "By the way, the other gate in Aeartha is present in Aximia, in a jungle, not in a desert. That gate connects to the night side of Ehayor. Now, coming to the point, after arriving on Ehayor, I discovered that these gates listen to the emotions of people. It's what you call Emotional Energy. To open a gate, you need high-pressure emotional energy. Back in Aximia, I didn't know it, but I had unknowingly opened the gate with my strong emotional energy. That energy was a mix of hate for Aeartha, desire to go beyond, and just simple, strong feelings. The strongest emotions can be love, hate, desire or ambition on a great scale. I had all of them, and that was the highest emotional pressure nearest to that Gate in Aeartha. I unknowingly summoned it, and it summoned me, pulling me through. I felt grateful—it's like you call the gate, and the gate calls you. But once my desire to leave Aeartha was fulfilled, my emotional pressure decreased. So, I couldn't summon another gate, no matter how much I wanted to. The rest, you know—Master Ehayor didn't teach me too much, just the basics."
"Emotional pressure?" Griswa asked, his eyes narrowing in thought.
"Yeah," Fheniz replied. "For example, Master Ehayor's emotional pressure is what called you here on Ehayor, didn't it? You would have sensed something summoning you. Emotional pressure can be used that way too."
Griswa's mind drifted to a flashback, recalling the moment he felt that undeniable pull towards Ehayor when they were journeying to find 'it'. He nodded in acknowledgment, understanding now what had driven him.
"Yes, the gates listen to emotions," Fheniz continued, "but the pressure needs to be incredibly high. I had ten years' worth of frustration built up inside me—that's when it worked. But the best method is using Dimensional Energy and Gravitational Space-Time Manipulation. It's a more standard approach because it can help you create a portal too. Gate Commanding is for an existing gate, but Portal Commanding is to create a portal to anywhere you want to go. However, your energy must be strong enough to get you where you intend, or you'll end up somewhere else and get lost. I guess only gods can do that best, but even they'd require a tremendous amount of energy to travel 2 quadrillion light years, what're we talking about? It's no joke. That's why the best option is to go through a Schinong Gate."
Griswa's mind flashed back to the moment when he had gone berserk, and Master Ehayor had taken him to a dying binary star system to fight. The realization struck him—Master Ehayor had used Portal Commanding that time. The memory brought a mix of awe and respect for the god who had guided him.
"But how are we going to find the Schinong Gates that take you to the third world?" Malaes asked, her voice tinged with a mix of hope and doubt.
Fheniz responded, "The journal didn't mention the purpose of the Nine Chosen Worlds, but it did note where the gates are situated on each planet. Not all the gates of the other half on all the planets, but from which his group went through. He noted that down. The gates keep doubling and become harder to find because each subsequent planet is larger in size than the previous one. Ehayor and Aeartha are almost the same size because both belong to the same universe."
Griswa nodded thoughtfully. "Then, I guess there are no more problems. But we'll first go to Aeartha. It's better to proceed gradually."
"Sure," Fheniz agreed. "But it's better if you complete all your training. None of you are ready, not even for Aeartha. Sure, Griswa, you can challenge the Yahunyens the way you want, but prepare yourself even better. It's said, you're always closer to zero than infinity."
Extra Information:
Dimensional Drift
Definition: A Dimensional Drift involves temporarily shifting a spaceship into a "drift dimension," a unique, intermediate state of existence that allows the ship to move across large distances in the universe without directly interacting with the normal fabric of spacetime. In this drift dimension, space is "compressed," so the distance between two points is much shorter than in the normal universe.
Mechanism:
Dimensional Shifting: The spaceship uses advanced technology to enter the drift dimension. This dimension is a transient, low-energy state that coexists with our universe but is not bound by the same physical laws.
Distance Compression: Within the drift dimension, the geometry of space is different, allowing the spaceship to move vast distances with minimal energy expenditure. While in this state, the ship navigates to its destination using a specialized form of navigation that maps coordinates between the normal universe and the drift dimension.
Re-entry: Once the ship reaches its target location within the drift dimension, it shifts back into normal space. Because the drift dimension compresses space, the spaceship emerges at a location that would have been much farther away in the normal universe.