A left turn. A right turn. Another left turn. Left… again. Again. Again! Again… Again and again. Again... in the middle! I exclaimed out loud at the sudden change in the last two hours... Or was it three? Either way, they were hours too long. It wasn't as if our destination was far away. It was simply that we were in an area with many small rooms.
Because of the strange way the rooms and corridors were connected, we were forced to take winding paths, which often ended in dead ends. Moreover, my sister's walking speed and frequent breaks due to fatigue and renewing the muscle control spell slowed us down further. Fortunately, we didn't have to fight with the environment.
Indeed, besides the still-fresh and pleasant-smelling corpses that crisscrossed the corridors and halls, we could see many blunt objects, puddles of more than dubious substrates, and walls that sometimes seemed to have moved closer to the surroundings. I didn't even want to imagine the torments these traps brought with them.
Especially as I'd only mentioned the traps that seemed the most harmless. In any case, we were glad they didn't seem to be working. How could I be sure they were traps and not weapons belonging to humans? It's for the simple reason that the source of the traps was still visible on the walls, in the case of objects and liquids on the ground.
As for the deformation of the environment, it seemed logical to think that no human could have been behind such an action. For the moment, I had seen no evidence to suggest this. However, that didn't mean these traps didn't cause us harm – quite the contrary. We had to avoid countless darts, daggers, spears, and hammers strewn across the ground, to name but a few.
What's more, at the end of most of these weapons was an almost colorless, almost odorless liquid, which our senses were screaming not to touch. For the moment, I had only discussed weapons thrown from the floor or walls. Indeed, several sharp-tipped objects proudly adorned the walls and floor, waiting in the half-light for their next prey.
The corpses that had found themselves pierced by the multitude of spikes made us avoid getting closer than necessary to these perilous spots. On close observation, it became apparent that the spikes were coated with some sort of toxic paint, or at the very least, something frankly suspect.
Next to them, and sometimes on top of them, were small puddles emanating peculiar scents, both bewitching and putrid, due to the corpses that mingled with the shimmering colors of the various mixtures of products, each more interesting than the last. I thought one day, I could reproduce these liquids and use them with conviction.
Indeed, these noxious products were helpful because of their hypnotic solid effect, which we'd found hard to resist. Moreover, resistance required constant concentration to avoid being hypnotized and waking up when it was too late. Being hypnotized once during the day by one of the mounds of objects at the Refuge exit had been more than enough for us. Even more so now that we were undoubtedly risking death.
Unfortunately, the description of the deadly labyrinth was not complete. Indeed, there was the highly awkward problem of changing terrain. Some corridors and rooms were so inclined that if we wandered through them carelessly, we would inexorably come across sharp objects, sharp spikes, or pools of toxic liquids.
Moreover, we often had the privilege of finding several waiting for us simultaneously, if not just a mix of everything. At least we were spoilt for choice when it came to the type of death we wanted. Unfortunately, in such cases, we had to turn back unless a safe spot on the edge of the corridor or room miraculously existed.
However, this had only happened twice, so we shouldn't have counted on it to quickly get us through this mysterious part of the Academy. One last detail before leaving this far-too-long description: some sections of the walls showed traces of flames. At first glance, this seemed insignificant compared to everything else, but we soon realized how strange it was.
Indeed, until now, we had never witnessed burns on the walls and, incidentally, on the floor. At least, that was caused by human actions. We knew of no spell that could damage the walls or floor in any way, apart from my Void. So we could only come to the staggering and terrifying conclusion that flames must have been shooting out of the walls and floor.
What's more, it must have been hard to escape them, given the burn marks on most of the corpses. In fact, I almost felt sorry for the poor people who had had to endure all these horrors and who certainly hadn't asked anyone for anything. Even though they were indeed my enemies, part of me couldn't help mourning their deaths, although another part was indifferent to their pathetic deaths.
But if I wanted to survive the coming confrontation, I knew it wasn't either of these two parts that I had to listen to. No, I had to let myself be gently absorbed by the part of me that was in the substantial minority and was satisfied with this massacre. Somewhere in the back of my mind, a particular shame and disappointment was growing ever more potent, as if to counter this pleasure seen as unhealthy by my mind.
But unfortunately for the latter, I wasn't her, although I didn't know what I represented in this case. This undeniable fact allowed me to ignore the feelings bolting around in my mind with disconcerting ease. I could more easily let myself be bewitched by this pleasurable and unpleasant sensation of pleasure.
Why did a fraction of me gloat over the corpses that stretched to infinity? Admittedly, I was exaggerating a little. I'd only seen a few hundred corpses during my journey at most, but the emotion generated by this beautiful sight was genuine. At least more authentic than most of the feelings that surreptitiously appeared in my mind and disappeared barely a second later.
Nevertheless, I don't think that I was actively killing people in my path for the sake of it. In fact, faced with this idea, I was more than anything else peaceful, and the idea of causing someone's death left me indifferent, bringing me neither joy nor sadness. I was just as empty as I could be. It was neither more nor less than a job for me.
A valuable goal for my survival and ascension, but no more, at least for now and for quite some time to come. After all, nothing is more ephemeral and changeable than personality. That's why I've never defined my being in terms of personality. In fact, this is still the case and will surely be the case until the end of time. Although you or I will never be able to contemplate the end of the World.
Although, from a certain point of view, we would witness the end of the World. Although I doubt we'd be able to call ourselves that. Unless we're actually more complete than we've ever been? Perhaps this future, accessible only by imagination, will be the only time we really exist after all these past eras...
Right, dear Successor? Can you clearly define your Identity and Desire? Do you feel complete, or do you think an inherent, inextinguishable Void within you? Do you know the actual cause of your existence? Why are you desperately trying to embody such an existence in this World and society? It doesn't matter if you don't know.
After all, you're here partly to learn it because you and I are inextricably linked, as are the World, the System, the Refuge, my sister, and the Void itself. In fact, when I think back on it, I hesitate between amazement and bitterness at such irony on the part of the World. But that's not true because the World is also a victim. Ultimately, we have only ourselves to blame... and our ancestors.
I'll stop my rambling, which you must have only half understood, at best. But know one thing: we're not the first, and we're not the last. That must surely shock you, but it's the Truth and probably the most horrifying of all. We're just intermediaries with a limited impact on the World. In the end, we're just echoes of a past long gone.
We can only pray that the right decision will be made at the End of Time and that we will finally be freed from this eternal burden. I still feel lucky not to be the one to decide at the End of Time. Fortunately, I was never the Original, who certainly had to live with the pain of knowledge and choice, which, although ignored by my conscience, still stabs the depths of my being with its simple Truth.
Let's stop here, for I have no desire to discuss at any length an End that both terrifies and exhilarates me and my Void. Let's get back to the middle of our journey in one of what I thought at the time were the most perilous areas of the Academy. If only I'd known places teeming with exposed traps and fresh corpses were commonplace.
Granted, most of the time, there were only one or two corpses to be found in these places, where only the most imprudent or experienced people dared to set foot. In any case, my apostle had been walking serenely all this time... or almost. Indeed, like me, she was distressed by these intimidating traps, which urged us to leave this place by their mere presence.
Who knew when the traps would again be ready to slash the bodies of the poor innocents who had the misfortune to pass too close to them? How would the walls or floors move when the traps reactivated? Could they even be used more than once? Would objects thrown on the floor make dodging the traps more difficult, or were they eliminated from the area beforehand? If so, how? And are the traps always the same, or do they change at the System's whim?
Of course, we wish we'd never known the answer to these questions. However, the Academy - or rather, the System- disagreed. The ground suddenly began to vibrate. The tremors were of low amplitude for the first few minutes, but soon, they were powerful enough to shake my sister.
Even so, she was walking on all fours, which gave her better balance than if she were walking normally. But even with this advantage, her body slammed abruptly to the ground as her head hit the cold, hard ground with full force. Not only did her vision blur, but blood, evidently from the top of her head, obstructed her view as it seeped into her eyeball. Tingle... Inflamed... Tingle!!! Inflamed!!!
A cruel sensation of intense irritation and extreme heat suddenly reached our baffled minds. We screamed at the same time, trying to escape the excruciating pain. Unfortunately, the damage had already been done, and nothing could stop the blood from continuing its evil plan. Even when Systalia frantically rubbed her eyes with her hands, she couldn't get the problematic blood out.
In fact, her gesture only exacerbated the problem, pushing the blood further into the eyeballs. Naturally, the eyes watered by reflex until they managed to squeeze out tear fluid in a desperate attempt to dislodge the cause of this growing irritation. What's more, the eyes could hardly close, as tears were now sticking to the edges of the eyes, a sign of the mixture of salty liquid and half-dried blood.
Her breathing became hurried and disordered while her heartbeat quickened ever more, and her mouth tightened in pain, and her teeth clenched, indeed holding back the howl of her spirit. If the blood didn't cover her entire field of vision, it was nevertheless present enough to create substantial dark spots on her eyesight, making it difficult to perceive our surroundings.
However, the problems had only just begun, as the tremors became even more substantial, to the point of throwing my apostle into the air. From the few parts of the eye that still allowed us to see more or less commonly, we could see particular walls slowly closing in while others were moving away, revealing previously concealed passages. But that wasn't the most worrying thing... The floor!!!! Yes, that was it!
My sister swallowed instinctively, while she seemed to have been distracted from her pain for a short while by this severe concern... The floor gradually converged towards the ceiling, indicating the premature end of our lives if we didn't get out of there alive. I had no desire to know whether the Void could save a body blown to smithereens. Mainly if it remained utterly crushed between two walls or the floor and ceiling.
Indeed, how could the Void regenerate a body if there was no space available in the physical world for a healthy body to be recreated without being instantly crushed? Could the Void wait for the walls and floor to return to normal before initiating the procedure? I had no desire to witness such events.
Especially as I was well aware that my Void's knowledge was still far too superficial to achieve such ends. Besides, I felt Systalia's body would never touch the ceiling, even if I freely admitted that such a turn of events would be far from unpleasant.
After all, I'd never disliked the ceiling, even if I didn't understand how I felt about its grandeur, munificence, and bewitching, all-consuming darkness. My only certainty was that the ceiling was intimately linked to my being as if it were an inalienable part of my existence. But just what part was it, and what did it mean for my Identity and Desire?
To my regret, I was rudely snapped out of my reflection when I saw my apostle twirl majestically through the air. It seemed that this time, the jolt was so violent that it cruelly sent my apostle several meters into the air, ensuring a quick and, I hoped, painless death. After all, every object must one day return to the ultimate destiny of every being and of the World itself one day: the ground.
At that moment, I surprisingly felt nothing. This wasn't because I thought I was fearless. Indeed, I understood that my survival was mainly due to luck, even if I was not proud to admit it so promptly. In fact, the only cause was this persistent feeling of absolute emptiness inside myself.
It was as if all the emotions that had hitherto troubled my innermost being had been forced to fade away, giving way to an entirely emptied being. In other words, I was... No... My Void was totally peaceful, despite my mind's panic, during this final plunge into Death. Indeed, I was no more Me than the Void at that moment.
Or rather, I was gradually fading away in favor of my Void, the only one with the right to exist here and now. This feeling of self-destructive calm encompassed my entire being. The Void had already won, and only the jubilation of my longed-for union with the Void ran through my mind, entirely resigned to my sister's crushing to the ground. But, in the end, the Void didn't win. It was still too early, and only disappointment filled me.
Indeed, an unidentified power restrained my Void like unbreakable chains, preventing our Wills from uniting so perfectly that any distinction between Us would become superfluous. Of course, the difference between me and my Void must already be illusory, at least in part. Nevertheless, I was sure that if I could merge with the Void, I'd have all the answers to all the questions I'd been asking myself since waking up in that bloody room.
Much to my chagrin, the end of the eternal Void wasn't just around the corner. After all, the only sensation perceptible to my mind, still half numbed by the Void's influence, was a continual burning, as if my skin were being relentlessly torn apart. True, it was my apostle's skin. What's more, it was more like her body was dissolving. Dissolving!?
I regained full awareness of my surroundings and the state of Systalia's much-abused body. Someone must have blessed us, for we had miraculously survived imminent death. Nevertheless, we had to extricate ourselves without further delay, at the risk of gradually dying in one of the worst possible ways that had to exist. After all, I wasn't fond of unhealthy, pungent-tasting, shiny liquids.
Why did dangerous substances always taste so awful? In retrospect, my thought at the time was laughable because such liquids did exist. Although you'll forgive my silence about my experiences with these delicious substances... Particular, I mean. Remember, you have yet to hear this information. Is that understood? Since you've forgotten, let's get on with the viewing.
And so our fall ended in one of the many puddles of noxious substances that lined our path. This puddle was much bigger than the surrounding ones simply because of the inclination of the floor, which concentrated virtually all the water from the surrounding corridors and rooms in one place. What's more, although my sister was in excruciating pain, she was unable to utter a single scream, unlike me.
Indeed, her mouth let all the slightly viscous liquid pass through her body, practically muffling any sound from her vocal cords... or its robotic equivalent. Interestingly, although the substance was also destroying the inside of her body, it was taking much longer than the skin. I assumed that the speed of dissolution depended on the material in question.
Proof of this was the resistance of particular body parts to the effects of the unknown substance. However, my troubles were not yet over. While I still had no idea how my sister could stop sinking to the depths of this little pool of dubious liquid, new tremors were heard despite the sound reduction allowed in this substance.
We didn't have to wait long to experience the consequences of the shaking. Suddenly, the liquid beneath us pushed Systalia's body. Until, barely a thought later, we were contemplating the beauty of the ground meters below us. All around us were countless glistening drops of toxic liquid.
Beauty went hand in hand with toxicity and danger. And so, for a brief moment, we were freed from the shackles of gravity before violently falling back onto a floor that had radically changed. In fact, the floors of the surrounding rooms and corridors included many more raised and lowered sections than before. Of course, on average, the floor continued inexorably to approach the ceiling.
Fortunately, we landed on one of the few parts of the floor with a slight incline. We hit a puddle a few dozen centimeters deep. This was enough to mitigate the damage but not to cancel it out entirely. In other words, thanks to this second miracle, we had once again escaped death, but Systalia's body was at the end of its tether and far too damaged to even move from the puddle.
This was undoubtedly our undoing, especially as we heard laborious footsteps approaching our position. It was impossible... At least, that's what I wanted to believe when I finally saw five Academicians in the distance, struggling to move forward. They coughed with every step, seemingly ejecting water from their lungs. What could we do in the face of so many Academicians?
Especially since I was convinced that they were the most vigorous opponents I'd ever faced. Even though we were so diminished that most of our spells and scrolls would be useless. After all, they worked on the principle that we could move freely, which was no longer the case.
Even so, I didn't give in to panic. Even if our chances of victory were slim, knowing my opponents would always come in handy if only to keep hoping for an outcome that wouldn't end in our deaths. Despite my apprehension, I swallowed one last time while my etheric body was overcome by intense shivers.
And so, having breathed one last time, I resigned myself to confirming my fears. My gaze drifted to my assessment skill, just waiting to be used again. In fact, I couldn't help laughing when I realized that I hadn't appraised anyone since the start of that disastrous expedition to the Academy.
A smile appeared on my face at the thought that nothing had gone according to plan on that crazy day. Fortunately, my fears never became real, as we eventually emerged alive from the altercation with the Academicians closing in on us.
Unfortunately, however, the price we had to pay was as high as the miracle we had achieved. It was the highest cost yet, both in the short and long term. Nevertheless, at that very moment, who really cared? Not me, and indeed not our enemies.
I was convinced of it; I'd seen this kind of desperate, tenacious face in my enemies so many times that it was getting tiresome. In fact, I could only agree with them. Indeed, for me, survival was the only thing worth fighting for.
After all, both Death and Life seemed appalling to me. Although I didn't fully understand the origin of this irrational fear of Death, both in my enemies... and in myself.
The only indubitable and inalienable Truth in this World held within me was that Death and Life were antagonistic to the Void. This fact was enough for me to hate Death and Life with all my being.
After all, the Void is the only thing that has ever mattered to me... or almost.
