A lone figure ascended the violet hill, his silhouette a faint smudge against the vastness of the purple horizon.
When measured against the endless expanse, the figure was doubtlessly small and insignificant.
And yet, he moved with an intensity and purpose that belied his size, befitting a much larger creature.
A quiet power moved within him, urging him forward with each step.
Dean felt a strange stirring, something he was unable to place.
His initial agreement for participating in this experiment had been for money, the chance to make some extra cash. His time in the realm, however, and the quiet exchanges with the robed figure, had made him hunger for something in a new way. At first, this change had gone undetected. He became aware now that their silent communion had transformed this experience far beyond its initial prospects.
All around him, things were novel and unseen. He hungered to discover more.
More about the rogued figure, more about the realm.
More about himself.
He was taken by the lure of strange lands and foreign entities.
Passion rose up in him like fire - he clutched his beating chest as a smile spread wildly across his face. Something dormant had been awoken - the tremors of genuine life beneath his uncaring veil. He felt more vividly than ever - blood pumping through his veins, the fullness of the air he took into his veins.
This was something he was sorely lacking in his day-to-day life. Normally, he would use any means to numb his senses as he trudged lazily without a care through the day.
"Is this.. what it's like- to want to live?"
His whisper was carried by the gentle breeze into the silent violet sky, his voice filled with wonder.
He continued to climb.
Before long, he crest the top of the hill, standing before the looming entrance to the crystal temple.
From this immediate distance, the structure seemed even more massive than it had seemed from the base of the hill.
Amethyst walls stretched high above him, towering, translucent, and gleaming, as if light streamed out from within.
As for the shadowy figures that seemed to flitter within the temple walls, they were nowhere to be seen.
With no hesitation, he stepped forward and pressed the doors open.
They yielded without a single sound, sliding rather than swinging open to reveal the vast interior. He crossed the threshold in three quick steps, and entered the opulent throne room that lay within.
In a word, it was cavernous. The titanic walls and high set ceilings refracted purple light in a thousand different directions, casting faint shadows that danced and shimmered across the floor.
Directly in front of him, a long purple carpet unfurled at his feet, leading all the way to a raised pedestal at the center of the back wall.
The hall seemed more akin to the abode of a God than mortal royalty. A sense of antiquity emanated from the construction, weighing down on Dean heavily.
His eyes traced the length of the carpet, following it dutifully to what he expected to be a throne.
Instead, he found something altogether stranger.
Upon the raised pedestal stood a large stone tablet, worn and etched with intricate patterns that spiraled across its surface.
Centered at the focal point, this tablet seemed akin to a black hole, drawing in his gaze with magnetic intensity. At the heart of its design was a circular groove, carved deep into the stone. And within the groove, a pendulum swung steadily, its warbling movement filling the room with a powerful, unspoken rhythm.
With each arc, the pendulum passed from one side of the circle to the other, transforming the hue of the space surrounding it.
As it moved left, serene blue radiated across the tablet, casting a calming glow.
As it swung right, the circle pulsed red, infusing the room with dark, visceral energy.
Transfixed by the pendulum, Dean was drawn in as if he had lost control of his bodily functions. Its hypnotic motion pulsed seductively; hinting at hidden truths and unspoken excitements.
It seemed that it was more than just a simple mechanism - its vibrant pulse made it feel alive.
The same familiarity he had while traversing the realm reasserted itself, more potent now. As he analyzed the rhythm of the pendulum, he had the sensation that it was connected to the very core of the realm around him.
Stepping forward with bated breath, he neared the tablet. As he reached the edge of the pedestal, the air around him began to thicken, penetrating his bones with the vibration of a shrill, discordant tone.
In an instant, he was made aware of a presence within the room.
A presence that transcended any physical form, watching him.
Waiting.
It loomed over him heavily, though, oddly enough he wasn't impacted by its presence in the slightest.
He moved as he would anyway.
As if by instinct, his outstretched hand made to grasp the tablet, before he stopped, fingers pausing just inches from the carved surface.
An inexplicable sensation surged through him, not a thought, but an impression.
An impression that wrapped around his mind and took hold.
It was as if some ancient unfathomable being had planted a singular truth in his mind-
Once you touch this tablet, there's no going back.
He had no idea where the thought came from or why it had struck him with such clarity. There was no reasoning behind it, no evidence or explanation. Its weight settled over him, as heavy as stone. This was a certainty. It wasn't fear that held him back, but instead an awareness - an understanding that this act, this single choice, would change everything.
Even under the effects of a dissociative drug, the human need for purpose can not be understated. It could convince humans to commit acts of terror, die nameless under the banner of uncaring nations, and even forfeit their existence of comfort.
In this position, Dean could only ever make a single choice.
The pendulum slowed, and for a brief moment, it stopped, hanging perfectly still in the center of the circle. The room fell silent. Dean held his breath, his hand still outstretched, and felt as though he stood on the cusp of something immense, something that would change him forever.
And then, in a moment of foolish bravado, a smile tore across his face. With reckless abandon, he reached out and touched the tablet square on its face.