The Void Gate

In the depths of the monastery basement, a gate of stone was kept bound with holy chains and seals. Even though that this artifact had been here for thousands of years, long before this place was even built, its craftsmanship was something beyond the reach of this world. It had metal, cables, and even fabrics that reminded me of the plastics of my world. Whatever this gate was, I assumed that not even in Earth would we have been able to recreate it easily.

“How did it survive all these years?” I asked the sage. “If it needs constant maintenance, did someone tend to it for thousands of years?”

“An elf mage did the world a favor by protecting it for a very long time,” said Sage Hanor. “Unfortunately, he was killed some decades back, but that is a whole other story. I will not bother you with it. Now, are you ready?”

I eyed the gate one last time.

“I am sorry,” said Sybille. “Can I really not go with Bastion?”

“I wanna kill demons too!” added Leona.

“No,” said Sage Hanor. “This is a much needed test of his fortitude. He is to carry the mana crystal and place it in the altar. However, this is something he must do by himself.”

“Where is the altar?” I asked.

“It is in a chapel in the other side of this portal. The crystal holds powerful divine energy blessed by Elechmey, here. Elechmey will assist you, Bastion, in your errand. He will make a path for you in that eldritch plane. However, we cannot have the Divine Scion be dividing his attention to take care of several people at once. For everyone’s safety, it is better if only one person crosses the path.”

“Is that so…” said Sybille. “But still…”

“Don’t worry about me,” I told her. “I will be fine.”

“I hope you are right.”

I nodded to Sage Hanor.

“Do it,” I said.

Elechmey perched on my shoulder, and nodded as well.

Sage Hanor tapped the ground with his staff.

Energy flowed from the edges of the gate, mustering with bolts of arcing lightning until a portal opened from its center.

I grasped the mana crystal I was supposed to deliver. It was on a satchel hanging from across my arm. If anything happened to it… it was the end.

“Let’s go,” I said, and entered the portal.

***

I was two steps into the Void, and I was already regretting it.

First thing that happened was that a massive tentacle monster grabbed me, flung me to outer space, whereupon I was immediately trampled over by a demonic goat.

“Be wary!” said Elechmey.

The Divine Scion flew through the constellations, emanating a fiery light to ward off the demons.

As soon as he arrived to my side, gravity returned. I fell down to a crystal floor, provided by the light.

“Thank you,” I said, even if begrudgingly.

Elechmey’s light was the one thing allowing me to navigate through this nonsensical place. We were in a place among the stars, where floating islands swam across an ocean of nebulous formations. Each island had its own gravity, its own demons, and its own climate.

“Be wary of the demons,” said Elechmey, “if we get separated, I will not be able to find you.”

I crossed the crystalline path as I walked into a desolate island, barren with ashen sands. Though I could walk perfectly well on the land, Elechmey’s light was the only thing that allowed me to navigate between these small islands.

“Where is the chapel?” I asked.

Elechmey pointed his beak towards the horizon. It was just a couple of islands over.

Winged, humanoid demons soared the sky, hunting the deer-like ones, and spilling their blood across the stars. On others, giant demons of frost warred against giant demons of flame. For a place called the Void, it sure was filled with violence.

My island was soon to be not so different.

As I crossed on my way after the chapel, colossal gray worms emerged, and came swarming at me with united intent to kill me. I punched through them, wrestling worm after worm on my way to the next island.

“I have to wonder how Sage Hanor could handle this, truly,” I said.

“He is more quiet,” said Elechmey. “Why aren’t you?”

“I am afraid that subtlety is not my strong suit,” I said.

I forced my way past the worms, and charged on to the next crystalline bridge. I was crossing unto a black island made of pure, flat rock. At least nothing there was going to come out from the ground.

The attack came from the sky.

“You intrude in our land, mortal!” roared a demon.

He landed right in front of me, slamming his colossal body unto the ground and unfurling his wings. He was a red humanoid demon, though he had the legs and head of a goat, and wielded a giant axe.

“I will not trouble you long,” I told it. “Allow me, and I will be on my way.”

The demon set its four-eyed gaze down to the Divine Scion on my shoulder.

“You are an agent of the Slayer,” said the demon. “You have come here to die!”

The demon swung his axe at me.

That thing was fast. Even as I did my best do dodge it, the reach of the thing let it strike into my shoulder, cleaving a hole halfway into my chest. If I was human, I would be dead.

“I told you to be careful!” said Elechmey, flying away.

The demon retracted his axe, pulling me along the way, then let it swing down again.

This time, I caught it, mustering as much strength as I could into both my hands to stop the attack. The demon pushed in with the full weight of his body. Perfect for me. I guided the blade to slip away from me and cleave into the ground.

“You trickster!” cursed the demon.

His axe got stuck in the ground.

I took this chance to make my own attack, and hurled a powerful magic blast unto his face.

“Urgh!” he groaned. “My eye!”

That demon was a hardy one. If it hit a person, it would have pulverized them, but for this thing, that blast was just like any other punch in the face.

He turned around the from the pain.

With the opening given, I tried running past him, seeing the new crystal bridge forged for me by Elechmey. Just as I was about to reach it however, the demon’s log-like tail struck me, sending me flying down to the ocean of stars between the islands.

“Gurgh!” I groaned.

I fell into the depths of the Void.

Away from Elechmey’s light, I was now exposed to everything that was in this place. It was not only the demons that were a threat now. It was reality itself.

I fell into a vortex of madness, singing with melodies of pure contradictions.

My mind was assailed by a thousand-and-one epiphanies, understanding but not understanding the balances and intricacies of nature. The way the stars danced. The scent of the vibrant colors. The eyes were metaphorical.

I was thinking nonsense.

I was just scratching the surface.

I was becoming one with the world.

I was going crazy. Mad. Insane. Enlightened.

Eternity among the stars was life’s true purpose.

We were meant to be nothing.

Nothing was meant to be all.

In the Void, everything was to be supreme, for everything was one and the same: cells of a body of the ultimate creation.

Everything was futile.

We should have just surrendered. We should have stopped, for all has no meaning.

I knew what was the truth.

I knew, for that infinitesimal moment, the absolute truth…

That pineapple should actually be put in pizza.

...

“What in the world am I thinking?” I said aloud.

In that moment of clarity, a voice arrived to my side. A real one, for a change.

“Stone Man!” said Elechmey.

The crystalline path formed beneath me, allowing me to ground myself in reality once more. It was an instinctual thing, but I was panting for air. I did not need to breathe, I knew, but I felt that in that moment, breathing was the only thing that allowed me to cling to my humanity.

“What was that?” I said.

“The mortal mind is corruptible by the Void,” said Elechmey. “That is why you should not fall!”

“Got it…”

The demon on the island above roared.

“Where did you go?!” he shouted.

“We have to hurry,” I said.

I walked up the steep path up to the island where the church was. The climb was slippery, and I felt that with just one wrong step, I could slide down unto the stars once more.

“I found you!” roared the demon.

He flew down to the crystal bridge and landed with a slam, sending cracks all across the bridge’s body.

This was not good.

I hurried my way up towards the chapel.

The demon trampled his way through the bridge, breaking it asunder wherever he stepped. Eventually it broke down on his side. Of course, though, he just got to the air with his wings, and started attacking the bridge directly with his eyes.

Just as I was about to reach the island, the bridge broke under my feet.

“You will not take me!” I shouted.

I blasted myself up to the air, and let myself crash-land into the island. I got up, took the mana crystal out from the satchel, and ran towards the altar.

The demon landed short distance behind me and chased me. As it was about to grab me, Elechmey raised a crystal wall, making the demon bounce away.

“Put it in the altar!” said Elechmey. “Now!”

I reached the altar, not too different from just some ordinary basin, and slammed the mana crystal into it. The moment I did, the crystal shattered into a flash of light, and filled the Void with its might.

***

I walked out from the portal, and returned to the Silverpeak Monastery.

“Bastion!” said Sybille.

“Look at that, you made it!” added Leona.

I had massive wound on my shoulder, numerous cracks, and far more intrusive thoughts than I would have liked, but at least, the lingering madness in my mind fortunately drying away.

“Huh,” said Sage Hanor. “You actually survived.”

“You were sending him to his death?!” shouted Sybille.

“No, no,” said Sage Hanor. “I was just starting to have my doubts, because I forgot to give him a necklace to get some camouflage in the Void. Oh, Bastion, you did not have to fight demons, did you?”

I looked at Elechmey. The bird looked at me.

“We do not talk about that,” I said.

“Ah, very well,” said Sage Hanor. “Now… have some rest. I will have preparations tomorrow for your Ascension Rites. Have some rest, clear your mind, and we will talk tomorrow.”