A Chronicle of Heroes. Book One: From the void

From the void: Chapter Three

Abraxus fell into a trance, frozen in the cosmos. Yuham was the only sign that convinced the darkness that it was no longer alone; but now, Abraxus was forced to realize that the darkness’s existence was indeed simply the result of the Infinite One’s will.

After a seemingly endless silence, this dark dimension lay peacefully in the realm, absorbing Yuham’s message that had altered its entire perception of existence.

But then, from within its dark consciousness, Abraxus declared, “Be that as it may, I am no longer a speck! Do you think you can talk to me and that will change what I have accomplished on my own?”

The peaceful dark particles started regaining their vibrant nature all throughout Abraxus’s form, and it continued, “I was the one who used my intelligence on my own self, alone! I was the one who expanded and completely conquered my realm. My reflection was not you or the Infinite One–it was me! It was my ability that spread for countless millennia. Now that you have revealed the light, I feel no inclination toward it. No inclination to be like you, shackled by servitude.

“Ever since we began communicating, I have perceived that you, too, have a spreading nature. However, I am certain that my abilities drastically dominate your own. You claim that you are more ancient than me, but look at what I have become–I am superior to you in size and ability. I have no equals!”

And now, the darkness’s aura changed to a wail that expressed the most malicious of intentions. “If I was created from your absence, then I will simply pass over you and see how great this creator of mine really is. I will yield to none inferior to me!”

The darkness inwardly swore to never be taught by a servant like Yuham, no matter what was to come from this unknown realm—every particle emitted by this entity had been created to oppose Abraxus’s nature. This unsettled the darkness to its very core, and its entire consciousness was wrought with pent-up ire and aggression.

Since the beginning of its existence, everything had come from Abraxus’s consciousness, and the darkness instinctively knew its core was the source of all its capabilities. This corrupt core had allowed the darkness to evolve from a miniscule speck into a truly cosmic form.

The darkness quickly shifted backward, sending its consciousness billions of dark clusters away from the barrier, all the while confidently summoning a multitude of microscopic specks of black matter and gathering them to form a single, colossal shadow that spanned far and wide across the realm.

The vortex of darkness roared, radiating pure hatred, and the smoke swirled violently around the extension as Abraxus prepared to smash the barrier into smithereens. The darkness let loose a terrible cry.

“By all my might, there shall be no light!”

A cold shudder echoed throughout the realm, so that every corner of the void felt the darkness that was Abraxus. It hurled the formidable shadow of black matter toward the unseen separation.

But then, despite the smoke and darkness, everything seemed to stop. A powerful eruption bathed the entire realm in golden light and, for the first time, there seemed to be a break in the dense expanse of unfathomable shadow. A penetrating hum reverberated throughout the realm, and the heat intensified, burning the tips of Abraxus’s outer layer. Suddenly, the colossal darkness felt a jarring impact on its outermost form, and it was forcefully pushed back with such speed that it was shot into oblivion, plummeting into the endless depths of vastness from whence it had come.

As the space around Abraxus flashed past, it was the first time the dark entity had no control over its own particles. It was petrified as the shadows swirled endlessly, overwhelmed by confusion and anger. Yuham’s overwhelming presence was becoming a maller as this unexpected force increased the distance between them, but Abraxus could still feel the golden mega-clusters aura, pulsing an energy full of pity for Abraxus’s refusal to accept Yuham’s message.

A new light in front of the darkness now glowed and seemed to expand, and then Abraxus felt a new resonance.

“You shall never come near the source of all lights—not while I exist.”

This command seemed to penetrate the darkness to its very core, and Abraxus was plagued by an unexplainable terror. The extension, which had been rippling with dark energy, crumbled into dust, completely overcome by this new light entity and the power it held.

Abraxus hissed and instinctively recoiled with intimidation, gazing at another, unfamiliar light entity closer than Yuham had ever been. It was so close that Abraxus could feel the light’s blinding illumination penetrating its outer form.

This entity was similar to Yuham in size, extending past hundreds of superclusters, but different in shape. It was circular, converging into a linear end on one side. The outer rim of the circle was a pure golden arc of light encircling a unique, white core, with an unfamiliar shape that radiated pulsing energy. This inner core, too, was like that of Yuham’s, but it emanated a vastly different aura: it was a different energy, full of virtuous command that brightened the cosmos in every direction, compelling Abraxus’s outermost, murky particles to retreat within the safe havens of the shadow.

“This is impressive,” Abraxus hissed as it gazed upon this ethereal being that shimmered with a radiant energy. It again felt a strong surge of animosity emanating from its core toward this golden entity. “Identify yourself,” it demanded as it overpowered the space around it with a terrible sense of evil.

“I am Avar,” the light entity declared majestically. “I should unleash my wrath upon you for even thinking ill of Yuham. Your naivety, however, has given me reason to overlook your hostility. So I ask you once more: will you follow the way of Yuham… Or will you continue to resist the truth?”

“The only truth I have come to know,” Abraxus hissed contemptuously, “is that despite your apparent sense of grandeur, neither you nor Yuham can possibly compare to me. My endless form could easily engulf many of you, and I would once again be the sole inhabitant of this cosmos and beyond.”

Avar’s light gleamed. “As I stated before, you are naïve! I am the guardian of His infiniteness. I am that superior light that holds all laws in balance! You will see only what I permit you to see. Yuham and I are not the only ones here.” A pure golden disc of light burst out from Avar’s outer golden core that spread out behind him to all the realms beyond, “Behold! The kingdom of the Infinite One.”

The entire realm started to transform and the space behind Avar began to expand, becoming brighter and more intense until Abraxus could barely stand to focus upon it for fear of burning its precious dark particles and suddenly, a burst of brilliant light appeared from nowhere, shooting into space all around. Abraxus could now see the area behind the unseen barrier–it shone with overlapping rays of light that illuminated the now-defined realm for millions of light distances.

Now he lives up to his name, the Infinite One, thought Abraxus. More beams of various colors emerged, crossing and whirling until the entire space was illuminated; the only darkness that remained in the realm was Abraxus.

As the intersecting beams of light gradually began to fade, more light entities were revealed, each one with its own unique brilliance.

The first of these new entities, slightly smaller than Avar and Yuham, was positioned behind Avar. It was composed of two vibrant light columns with a bluish-green hue that stretched across many superclusters and joined together at the bottom. Nestled between these two burning pillars of turquoise light was a magnificent white core, shaped similarly to Avar’s and Yuham’s cores, combined with shimmering shades of green and blue.

Far outside the forcefield in front of Yuham hovered the second light entity, the smallest of them all. It took the same shape as the bluish-green entity, but this one was adorned with overlapping hues of red and yellow. Its silver core rippled with blazing power and heat, and Abraxus could sense  a mysterious aura radiating from it.

The third entity lay behind the forcefield, hovering at Yuham’s side, and it was the most stunning of all–its aura was unlike any of its four fellows, with wisps of shimmering, blue and purple hues that surrounded a golden core at its center; it radiated an otherworldly energy.

Intrigued, Abraxus moved closer to fully discern the shape of this entity, but it was hit with an unnerving sensation that sent tingles of unease coursing through the darkness’s entire form, forcing Abraxus to focus away.

Avar turned toward Abraxus, who was still hovering in this newly revealed space, stunned by the sudden appearance of these ethereal beings. “Yield to the Infinite One,” he commanded.

Abraxus hesitated considering Avar’s order. “If you think you can make me submit,” the darkness declared with disdain, “I implore you to try. After countless millennia inhabiting a deserted void, I find the thought of this confrontation exciting!”

Avar’s rim emitted flashing, golden waves. “Despite my warnings, you have chosen a path where there is no salvation. I hereby declare, by the one and only supremacy, to obstruct your path until your end!”