A Chronicle of Heroes. Book One: From the void

From the void: Chapter Two

“Light?” the darkness repeated, confused. It paused, overwhelmed by a sudden, unquenchable curiosity; it rivaled the increasing hostility of the darkness for this unfamiliar entity. So, containing its own desire to destroy this entity, it asked, “If you are the light, what am I?”

The being—the light—glowed, further spreading its warmth throughout the space. The darkness felt a twinge of resentment; it seemed as if the light was invading the realm that had belonged to the darkness since the known beginning.

“You are the darkness,” the light explained. “You are the shadow and the silence. Your very existence is a result of my absence. Here, let me show you what you are…”

The obscure figure that exuded cold, looming shadows was suddenly reflected within the invisible barrier, and the darkness felt another layer of an obstruction being removed. At last, the darkness could put things into view, as if its very consciousness could perceive its surroundings in a way it had not previously known. But before the darkness could marvel at its development, it was distracted and awed by its enormous form that stretched out endlessly in every direction. It expanded limitlessly, an entire dimension in its own self, and its consciousness gave a nudge that resulted in all its endless particles vibrating in unison.

As the darkness saw this, the same feeling of superiority it had felt before intensified. Compared to me, it thought, this tiny speck of light is small to the point of insignificance; it could easily be covered by my shadows.

Overcome by its foreboding appearance, the darkness, for the first time, emitted a strange, hissing murmur.

“Abra… braxu… Abraxus.”

In amazement, the darkness prolonged its cacophonic hiss, spreading the sound beyond the realm and sending it coursing throughout the entire dimension.

The tiny light seemed to dim slightly as it focused on the darkness. “It is clear now… You are no longer the miniscule speck you used to be. If that is what you choose to say after seeing yourself, so be it: you shall be known as Abraxus.”

Abraxus shifted restlessly, its form billowing around the realm. “All this time, I have been alone—how are you aware of my beginnings? How do you know I was once nothing but a mere speck?”

The light glowed and Abraxus perceived, “I have roamed reality for longer than you have, watching you grow and expand. I have witnessed your origin and, since then, your progress.”

The dark swirls from Abraxus’s consciousness kept flowing as the light spoke, affecting Abraxus with more than just its physical aura.

“It was the command of the Infinite One that I reveal myself to you,” the light continued.

Abraxus drew back sharply at this, and its entire form seemed to converge within itself in suspicious reverence. “The Infinite One?”

“The Infinite One is the supreme intelligence. Even when there was nothing, He was there. He is the one from which all things are created,” the light explained. “He holds dominion over all and is the majestic reason for everything to exist. If you are trying to imagine Him,” the light continued, and its tone held a hint of guidance, “I tell you now that it is futile, and that is by design. His very nature is to be inconceivable.

“Since you were a speck, you thought you had appeared from nothing,” the light added. “Oh, no, nothing exists by its own accord—it is because of Him that you are here, that you can think and feel and converge into the shadows.”

Abraxus remained still as it absorbed the light’s message. In an instant, everything about its existence—its apparent superiority, its control—had been proven false, and it struggled to understand. “You mean to say… I am a mere creation? I am not the reason for my own existence?”

The light flickered, faintly this time. “Yes.”

This revelation brought a new wave of vulnerability crashing down over Abraxus, obscuring its mind with hate. “So, all this time I was being watched? Why didn’t my creator show himself in all my time of solitude? Or why didn’t you come?”

Once again, tumultuous emotions threatened to overcome Abraxus with every passing moment; its consciousness was thrashing and flailing, consumed by the urge to destroy, to obliterate everything the darkness had learned and revert back to the comfort of what it had known before: isolation, dominance, and the creeping silence that encompassed everything the darkness was.

“I can sense you are overwhelmed,” the speck murmured intuitively, and its form glowed.

Abraxus was about to succumb to the storm brewing within its core, but the light’s gentle aura seemed to soften the darkness’s overpowering wrath. Gradually, Abraxus’s particles lowered their energy, their motions slowing to an almost tranquil lull as the light’s presence swept over them.

“It is my duty to deliver the message of the Infinite One,” the light explained. “I am merely a humble creation that carries out His commands. The Infinite One oversees all that He creates and keeps close watch on what they achieve with the gifts He bestows upon them. It was by His decree that I left my realm to offer you the ultimate choice at this exact time.”

“Your realm?” Abraxus interrupted, suddenly fascinated by this unseen place of which it had no knowledge.

Instantly sensing Abraxus’s resurging agitation, the light replied, “Of course. This void you have occupied is but a miniscule fragment of His kingdom. He brought you into existence to observe the nature you develop into. You believe you hold complete authority over all, but you are mistaken. The Infinite One is the eternal and the absolute authority.”

Abraxus was captivated by the light’s knowledge and felt an aching desire to learn more, to see this kingdom that sounded like it could not exist. With a hint of greed, it asked, “A miniscule fragment? How large can His kingdom be?”

Sensing what Abraxus felt, the light replied with a gentle vigor, “Your focus is solely on size. His realm is infinite, not just in space and volume but also in mercy and love.”

“Where is this Infinite One?” demanded Abraxus. “I want to see this so-called creator. Your miniscule form is not worthy to introduce Him in His stead. You are just a speck! If the Infinite One’s messenger is so small, surely He Himself must not be so infinite.”

“Silence yourself! You dare not insult my creator in my presence!” The light’s aura was no longer gentle but sharp, effectively silencing Abraxus.

Suddenly, the light began to transform, morphing into a golden explosion of massive, rounded particles that glittered with immense levels of heat and energy. The light’s new form was primarily linear and seemed to be composed of multiple layers of matter. On one side, it had a cloudy and lustrous form, as if the entire figure was tumbling over itself. The other side was less solid but surrounded by tendrils of magnificent, golden light. This linear structure stretched out for millions of light years and the radiance emitted by its core illuminated enormous distances within the space. The newly morphed light entity spanned the realm, a dazzling supercluster of luminosity.

The light radiated a heat so intense that Abraxus could feel its outer particles diminishing; it was forced to draw them deep within its form, far away from the light's reach. The area around this majestic, golden column of light shone and converged toward its center and, despite its increasing feelings of rage and pride, the darkness found itself gazing in awe at the sight.

No matter, Abraxus thought, overcoming this distraction, my form still dwarfs this dazzling being. How could this little light overcome my endless shadows?

Abraxus could not imagine being guided by something so diminutive—a mere touch of matter—regardless of its beauty.

“You are truly a sight to behold,” Abraxus grudgingly admitted, “but still you remain insignificant compared to me. Just one of my extensions would be able to engulf you whole.”

“Then why have you not yet done so?” asked the light and now, its voice was no longer a murmur; it boomed and echoed, reverberating around the entire universe. Abraxus flinched away, despising this feeling and the disconcerting emotions it invoked. It still carried that wretched sense of tranquility, probing mercilessly at Abraxus’s form.

“You and I have been communicating for quite a while now,” the light continued, “and your curiosity has quelled your desire to overwhelm me in shadow. No matter how superior you consider yourself to be, you still listen to what I have to say–that is where my hope lies, in your capacity to change. With guidance, even your impenetrable nature can transform and accept His wonders. This is my purpose: to deliver this message.

It is evident that your curiosity and desire to know about the unknown has brought you here, to me. Our conversation and your intrigue has suppressed your first instinct, which was to blindly consume everything in your path. It was this instinct that prevented me from revealing myself to you earlier, for you were out of control and your intelligence had not matured enough to co-exist with anything, let alone the light. This is why He left you in isolation and allowed you to grow.”

Abraxus remained silent, unable to form a single response. However, the overpowering feelings had not left the darkness, and it also felt dread seeping throughout its form. It was clear now that the darkness had been wrong.

“I understand,” Abraxus murmured, albeit resentfully. “And you are right–it appears that I do possess some measure of control.”

The darkness contemplated the light’s message, “So then… I am the darkness, and you are the light. We both are His creations. What is the Infinite One made of?”

“He is everything,” explained the light. “He is you, He is me, and He embodies things we can never begin to comprehend. When He wished to be recognized, He created a column of ethereal light and derived me from that column as the first sign–an inferior entity of His divine light. My first instincts embodied virtues of love, grace, and harmony. For as long as I can remember, I have praised the Infinite One.”

“Really?” whispered the darkness.

“Your form was created from my absence,” the light continued. “It is the form you have now: devoid of my nature, but with the potential to attain the same qualities as me. When I was created, I also could have embraced your qualities, but I vanquished them from within me, in favor of His grace. You, however, became absorbed by your own self. You were given intelligence to recognize His signs but instead, you used them to praise yourself.

“Remember your origin!” the light emphasized gently. “You were never alone. He has always been with you.”

Flashbacks shot through Abraxus’s consciousness. The darkness remembered when it had first begun to spread. It remembered its origin, and it realized that the biggest sign of the Infinite One’s existence was Abraxus’s evolving intelligence. Now, Abraxus was certain that all those millennia ago, the first urge to move had come from an external source: a comforting nudge, with an aura similar to that of the entity now in front of him. Maybe that speck had ignored that nostalgic voice so long ago, but now it was unmistakably clear.

As this realization washed over them, the particles of darkness ceased their violent vibrations and floated around in an almost peaceful manner. As the rest of its structure regained composure, Abraxus knew that every one of its experiences had a purpose: they had occurred so that the darkness would arrive at this exact, crucial moment of enlightenment.

Sensing the peace growing within Abraxus, the golden supercluster continued melodiously, “Join me. Even though you did not recognize Him then, you have done so now. Why do you think He sent me here? He is The One who manifests Himself with His mercy, and is inclined toward even those who turn away from Him. Accept the Infinite One and praise Him as I have, for He is worthy of praise; only with Him can you become your best self. Once you realize this truth and embrace it, you shall be selfless, and only then will you achieve true purpose.

“Do not despair,” the light reassured the darkness. “You have much to learn and much room to evolve. Embrace my light, and you will experience great wonders!”

The darkness trembled, so overcome that it could barely speak. “I still do not know you. I ask that you reveal your true identity.”

The light was surprised by Abraxus’s sudden reverence, but replied, nonetheless. “I have many names, but you may refer to me as Yuham, or the Praised One. I am the path to His mercy and to your salvation.”