The Chasm

“Now, this story? It's one worth telling, one of a kind, something I’ve never witnessed before” A voice echoed “Let me give you some context” It added “A long time ago, it was decided to divide for protection, it was unanimous, not one soul opposed after all, we could all see what was happening in Penumbra, and we were all utterly terrified that this corruption could affect all the 8 realms, so before it was even a far possibility we set a course of action and followed through with it” The voice spoke with a feeling of wisdom and sadness.

“I’ve been watching this story unfold for a long time, I’ve tried to warn them, sent them signals, whispered into those who desired to hear so they could be prophets for my name and talk about the future with no avail, it’s been centuries of the same, over and over again, it's as if its something that is programmed into their core, their DNA, no matter how many opportunities they have to restart fresh, they follow the exact same path, the same story and the same outcome” It told with a tone of disappointment.

“But this time is different, and this story is different, tis a timeline I could have never imagined would unfold as is, let me fill you in, we are following the path of humans, after many centuries of brushing off something that the ‘next generation’ could deal with, it has reached an end, Penumbra which the humans call Earth has reached a limit, even with all the help I sent to control population, humans were able to overpopulate earth, to an extent that no matter how much plants and animals existed, there was not enough to feed so many hungry stomachs, driving almost every single creature and flora to extinction” It narrated while taking a zip of some beverage and shaking its head.

“I’ve never seen a species so hellbent on just destroying each other” It said while sighing “It goes back thousands of years, and it’s always the same, religion, politics and currency, I don’t even know who started with the idea of making different sides out of everything, while over the centuries I’ve sent multiple aids to cleanse humanity, they call it illnesses, catastrophes, it was a means for the planet to withhold so much abuse and population, a way of adjusting per say, but they always found a way to a cure or survive, I grew tired and just observed and this takes us to the breaking point, where humans became extremely intelligent and inventive, yet lacked the capacity of taking care of the only place they live, incredible technologies, weapons, new means of creating food and water, yet reduced to live like vermin, in the undergrounds, under the water and above it and worse of it all, on the lands, which became so hostile that a whole day on it without the proper gear you would burn so bad that you’d simply die” It said staring down at the planet.

“It’s like the worse scenario of evolution, it’s a survival of the fittest, extreme violence, no matter who or what you are you are subject to some atrocious things, some kindness and bribes here and there help the intelligent move around the neighborhoods this new arid earth has.

Over the years and the murder of all the flora and of course the bees who nobody seemed to care enough to take care off, the north and south pole melted, so a big percentage of land was submerged under ocean water, and what was left became the driest dessert coming close to what living on mars would be” It said as it showed how earth and its conditions currently are “Eventually this imbalance caused all the volcanoes that occupy earth to become active, so much energy over charged the electromagnetic field an overwhelming amount of quakes invaded the land and the oceanic floor causing it to crack.” It narrated.

“And as I lay witness of the most unexpected turns of events, the skies merged, with other seven, the dimensions we had previously divided to protect had long been influenced by human malice and curiosity, and as these dimensions merged, all sort of events started unfolding, humans started changing, as influences from others beings collided with them, some were possessed, their soul lost for ever and taken by other worldly beings, others came out of the core from cracks that ran so deep no being other than them could crawl out off, these beings were called demons or monsters by the humans, some of them being hideous creatures whilst others beautiful yet bizarre, and then that's when I noticed, a ninth dimension had been created without my knowledge, at some point with so much death and evil, a rupture happened on the human dimension and a dimension of corruption, where all bad things collected affecting the third and fifth dimensions creating these horrendous monsters” It said while observing the events unfolding.

“It’s unprecedented, without me or galactic council being aware.... wait are they even alive?” It broke it's stoic approach and narrative to quickly jump between dimensions and universes “I cannot seem to find any of them, am I the only one left?” It question moving in a blur “This is really bad” echoed as we were back at earth witnessing as a giant chasm opened up on the earth “Well that can’t be good” It added as we observed.

“Oh it’s just an opening to the core” It said nonchalantly “Of course they think it’s a gateway to hell” It added “Anyways, this is unprecedented, some of the remaining dimensions are taking the worthy souls who die in unfortunate circumstances and ascending them to their maximum potential as an escape from their own persecution, it seems some souls have not been totally lost after many reincarnations they've gone through, shortening their lifespans might have not been the best idea after all” It said losing tracks of itself while the events unfolded and it observed from its chair as if it was expecting some new episode of a series that had been retaken after years.

We stay there silently observing all hell broke loose on the planet of this poor species, as demons, monsters and beings from other dimensions take over humanity, and the few dimensional beings who seemed to be running away from demons of their own, sacrificed their energy to other beings.

What felt like seconds for us, maybe minutes, were months for these species, as they divided and started attacking each other, persecuting the few who ascended around the universe of the 8th dimension, who to survive found a variety of hiding around the universe “That's interesting, this group of ascended are moving towards the chasm and that one little reservation between those mountains” Its voice echoed as we followed the small group of the few remaining humans and a couple of hundred ascended who traversed the harsh conditions that earth offered “Let’s follow this group and see what comes out of their story” It said amused.

As the group discovered and settled into this tiny oasis of frozen time, rich with nature and animals, oblivious to the fact that they were in perfect hiding, the radiation and electromagnetic disturbance that the volcanoes, mountains and the chasm caused provided for the perfect hideout, as for months the other parties who hunted them could not pinpoint their exact location, even with demons and taken coming near them and hinting to their location, all the groups were too afraid to wonder near the chasm and assumed that they would probably meet their death.

Eventually one demon leader and followers believed enough to explore near the chasm, but never enough to locate them until one unlucky day.

“Oh dear no! that curiosity is exactly what got you killed in the first time looking for those magma mollusks, I wish you remembered and you would not do such a stupid thing! Remember how the floor gave under your and your teammates feet and you slowly succumbed melting in excruciating pain dying a death that even I fear, becoming what you are now a light being! please don’t… Ah you did it” It exclaimed and pleaded with this girl as if she could even hear it “Come on Kaela Valtz! you just doomed your entire group out of scientific curiosity, you are so intelligent, that’s how you became a molecular engineer, you created so much change! So many technologies, how could you have not noticed! All for investigating some mutated fire gazelles” It exclaimed as it sighed and relaxed back on its chair.

“Oh well there it goes” It added as we observed this poor woman, pretty young might I add, run back to their hideout after a small army of possessed and demons made their way into that small paradise and wrecked chaos, murdering and absorbing what appeared to be their souls, their pure energy, it seems that for these creatures it was something treasured.

“Oh no child, why did you have to walk into such a terrible situation” It added with sadness, as we observed Kaela witness her family being captured, her parents absorbed and being turned into dust by what we can only assume is a demon general.

“Disgusting being, one of the damned, some souls become damned after so much corruption and actions I cannot even start to tell accumulate, I can see that by absorbing ascended energy its trying to regain some sort of soul? It's trying to regain some status so it can merge in with all the beings from other dimensions, I see, by stealing their light some damned can attain what would be a humanoid body, and powers strong enough which can allow them to move between dimensions and universes, the more ascended and the more variety they absorb the more they can wonder and conquer around all the realms” It explained worried.

Her parents were no more and she faced persecution she abandoned all she knew and her own captured siblings in what could be an act of cowardice, survival or genius, this poor ascended ran as fast as she could, but she could never outrun a small army of turned, demons and weaponized humans who hunted her like a fire gazelle “Wait… what’s this” It echoed “She’s taking that fire gazelles life source and….changing into it?” It question with so much curiosity, as if it was a child who just discovered a new toy “How interesting this is unprecedented!” It added as we observed Kaela take the shape of a fallen gazelle and become a gazelle made of light and energy. Powered by what I assume is the power of fear, Kaela ran so fast, like never before, until without her noticing, she was cornered at the edge of the chasm, were the other end could not be seen for miles and the end of the chasm leading to the core was so far down nothing aside from the crawling had ever seen the bottom.

“I wonder” It said as it stood up and we were now closer to the scene unfolding “What are you going to do?” It asked as it circled her, as we assume this being lives in a state where it cannot be detected yet the sensitive beings can sometimes feel it “Jump” It whispered as it kept circling “Jump!” It said louder “JUMP!” It exclaimed with so much power and energy.

And just like that Kaela took a leap of faith and jumped.

“Good” It added as it went back to its original position and sat down “You there” It said loudly looking over at my direction “Yes you, the black wisp” It said again startling me “Follow her, and aid her in her needs, I want to follow her story and see where it leads in this chain of events, guide her wisely” It ordered me as I panicked “I will be watching” It said as I was propelled through time and space directly to be right by this poor woman falling rapidly down this dark abysm, and since I have no idea what to do and how to communicate, I just listen to her miserable cries and despair “Why…” She kept repeating in between cries “Even I feel fear while we fall down this chasm, its taking forever to reach the end” I thought as the air around us started getting cold, voices, sounds, what seemed like growls and whispers could be heard around us “I guess we're nearing the bottom” I thought feeling the energy around us change, she probably noticed since she finally decided to become an ascended and turning into light which conveniently emitted a soft hue of bluish-whitish light that softly provided some sort of illumination after what felt an eternity landed.

As we were on the chasm floor I observed around as my clumsy ascended landed with what I can assume was a pretty painful thud “I can see, you have yet to explore and dominate your ascension” I commented out loud, to which I got absolutely no response “Huh? Hello, are you deaf? Hello, I’m here!” I repeatedly flied around her head “Hello?” She answered “Yes, hello stupid I’m here whats the plan?” I answered feeling frustration at what she completely ignored me and started walking hugging her own chest and arms as she flinched with every surrounding sound “Could it be that she can’t hear or see me?” I thought, “HELLO!” I yelled to get no answer “She CAN’T hear me, how could it not even give me an existence suitable for this dimension” I said annoyed thinking what I could do now.

I followed Kaela as she got increasingly more on edge and kept mumbling to herself while trotting down what seemed an endless labyrinth “I guess she finally noticed that we’re being followed” I thought as I had noticed some lower monsters who had been tailing us “Oh crap!” She said bursting out running “Alright I guess this is our plan” I thought flying ahead of her and analyzing the situation “I have no idea what to do” I said waiting for her to catch up “If we keep running straight” I thought flying upwards “Yep as I thought we’re going to reach the labyrinth puzzle guarded by Cerberus” I finished flying all the way to the end.

While I waited for her yelling panicked ass to reach me, I noticed a fading soul and moved towards it “Hello” I said reverberating with it “Hello” It faintly answered “What happened to you?” I asked, feeling sad over this poor creature “I got lost trying to find food and ended far too deep, where there is nothing to live off” She answered as her life force was evidently fading “And you?” It asked almost out of breath “I'm here on a mission” I answered feeling pity for the first time “That's interesting I thought we were impartial, that we can experience much emotions” I thought as the feline gave one ragged sigh “Oh, I wish you luck in your mission then, I hope you have a better ending than mine” She added with a gurgling sound, I noticed not only her starving body, but her gashing wound on her side, I came close to her so I could warm her and ease her pain and its when I noticed that only that human cannot see or hear me yet this Keolince could “Thank you friend” She said as I could feel her life essence relax “Tell you what, if you don’t mind, I could ease your suffering quickly, and send you to a place where you will never suffer again and I in return can use your body for my mission” I said without really thinking “How would you do that?” She asked me “I would send your soul to the slip, where you will never feel hunger, thirst, pain or suffer ever again! Only the just, the pure and the good can go there” I responded smiling in my little wisp form “That sounds so nice, if this were true, I would be the happiest Keolince that ever existed” She answered as I could feel her light turning off “Done friend” I answered as I absorbed her energy and opened a link to send her directly to the slip, as I did this, I saw her past, her memories and her future “It’s so hard” I thought as I willed my energy to go into her lifeless body “Thank you friend” I said as I gave life and health back to this empty carcass “Okay this will suffice” I said jumping around, stretching and then sat there waiting for Kaela.

After a few minutes she finally arrived “I finally shook them off” She said while I sat on a rock patiently waiting for her to notice me “I wish not to startle you, but can’t you not notice my presence?” I asked as my patience ran out, she noticeably got the scare of her life and started frantically looking for me “I do not blame you, there is no illumination here” I said as I walked towards her and the spots on my fur illuminated with the same color her energy vibrated.

“Who… what are you? What do you want?” She said as she cowered backwards “To aid you” I answered simply “What?” She asked dumbly “Why must you make me repeat myself, to aid you” I repeated “On what? If you want to do anything, get me out of here” She answered hastily “That I cannot do, but I can accompany you until we find a purpose” I answered hoping this girl had some spark of intelligence.

“Uh sure, what purpose can a cowardly useless girl like me have in a place like the gates of hell other than becoming demon dinner?” She replied sharply “Well how about we walk and find out?” I answered as I felt my patience escaping my newly obtained body “Okay, I’m going insane, not only am I in hell, just saw my parents die and my siblings be captured and probably suffer the same faith, am being persecuted by what I can only assume are satan's spawns, I am also talking with a Keolince that glows, I’m dead, yeah that’s probably it, I’m dead and now I’m paying for my sins in a strange and fudged up eternal nightmare” She ranted as she walked on the direction I wanted “Uh sure” I answered following her.

After walking in absolute silence, in a pitch dark, nightmare inducing environment with sounds, whispers and demonic yells in the background very dimly illuminated by little critters and chasm flora that would slightly react with our life force we finally arrived at the gatekeepers labyrinth.

“Now what the hell is this?” She asked looking at the arch of dead roses and vegetation “How cliche” I thought going over to a sign and kicking it “Why would Cerberus and Behemond add an actual sign” I thought “Gatekeepers Labyrinth” I read the sign “WHO the hell put a sign, on a labyrinth on my eternal death nightmare?” She asked looking around “Ugh, this is going to pull at every string of my patience, I hope my fellow wisps get annoying souls as well” I thought walking towards the entry arch “Hey where do you think you’re going?” She asked following me “Well, if you are already dead and following a glowing talking Keolince, you have nothing to lose” I responded walking.

“Ugh I guess you're right” She answered and I growled back.

The mechanism of this labyrinth is a cruel one, it makes you relieve your entire life, the good the bad, the pain, everything, it brings out your darkest secrets and until you can find order and reveal even the worst acts you ever committed you cannot leave.

So here I am following this ascended human learning about her past life and must I say, some pretty terrible things she did along her life for hours, while she struggles to find her path.

After what I guess might have even been days of the labyrinth making her relieve her most horrible moments, her sins, her mistakes, her fears over and over again she finally gave in and confessed to me who was the only there to listen “Whats your name?” She asked “Zhilon” I answered “I’m Kaela” She said “Zhilon, I need to get it off my chest, I… I let my siblings die, as I let so many people die, just like I murdered that family, just like I let two of my friends starve and worse of all just like I was enough of a coward like I’ve always being to sell classified information to the Xuman” She said as I nodded trying my hardest not to judge “What? You’ve got nothing to say?” She asked angrily “It is your own purgatory Kaela, all I can do is listen, I atoned for my sins long ago” I answered as she sighed as if disappointed.

We sat there against a random object of this nightmare for a while until we heard a low guttural growl and rumble over the distance “What is that?” Kaela asked getting up on her feet “Oh” I thought recognizing those growls and running towards it “Hey no! Come back here” Kaela softly exclaimed at me “Goddammit” She added as she ran after me “Hey Cerbie” I said as I neared my old demon friend “Hello Zhilon” The three of them answered happily in different voices making them sound pretty different to say the least “What the hell” Kaela exclaimed behind me “This is it, Cerberus the keeper of hell is here to take me for the sins I have commitred” She added falling to her knees “Dramatic” I thought “On the contrary” Only one of Cerbies heads spoke “We're here to guide you” The other added “Since you’ve atoned” The last one said “Huh” she answered at what Cerberus looked down at me and I shrugged “Follow us” They said “Ummm” She replied getting back to her feet and following.

We followed until we reached a cave that closed behind us “This is where you” One said “Shall find” the other followed “Yourself” The other finished as a portal of light opened in front of us “Nice to see you old friend” They all said in unison to me “Likewise” I answered as they pushed us into the void “Good luck” They said as it closed behind us and we were wrapped through time and space yet again “All I can hear is this woman yelling besides me” I thought trying to focus to where we were going “I think we are still within the eighth and fifth dimension” I thought “Maybe even the same universe” I added as we were wrapped violently into a very sharp nd painful cold.

And here I am, stuck with a clueless ascended, on a journey that is unknown to me, freezing and lost.

“Where… are we?” Kaelas question echoed as we stood atop a frozen mountain, in a frozen valley.

“It’s painfully beautiful” She said as her light shifted between different colors “It is” I answered as we stood watching the beautiful horizon, painted with blues, pinks and purple hues, what I guessed was one of the moons of wherever we were, adorning and shining the dark starry night as we took in the view of frozen trees, whistling wind and painful cold, I felt as my paws were starting to burn “We should find shelter, this cold will soon kill us” I recommended “Yes…Y-Yes let’s do that” She stuttered as we turned our backs to the beautiful scene and searched for shelter.

And so our adventure begins.