Entities

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SOUL SPACE

Before they could resume their conversation, the soul's form began to pulsate with a golden light, a wave of energy rippling through his being.

His entire spectral body glowed brighter and brighter until he was a blinding beacon of gold. It was as if he were becoming more complete, more defined. His nose, mouth, and ears, previously blurry, took on a sharper, more human-like form.

"What's happening to me?" the soul asked, his voice filled with awe as he observed his golden hands. He wondered if this was a new aspect of Gaia's blessing.

Cortana, taken aback by the sudden change, watched him with wide eyes.

"You look more human now," she said, her voice tinged with a mixture of surprise and delight. She smiled, and the soul felt a surge of happiness. It was as if he were becoming a complete entity, no longer just a hazy, incomplete spirit.

"Is that so?" the soul echoed, a smile mirroring hers. 'It's not like the blessing is going to harm me,' he thought, reminding himself that despite his loathing for Gaia, her blessing had kept him alive in the void.

But the changes didn't stop there. Suddenly, a virtual golden branch, a phantom image of the one he had seen in the void, appeared in the center of the space. It floated, waiting, shimmering with an otherworldly glow.

Both Cortana and the soul stood up, their gazes drawn to the branch. The soul was surprised, his thoughts racing back to his journey in the void.

'How did it get here? I haven't touched it,' he thought, remembering the feeling of longing he had felt, the pull toward the branch, even though it had seemed so distant and faint, like a mere illusion.

And he was right. This branch was a phantom, a ghostly reflection of the real one in the void. It was a projection, a phantom clone in his soul space, an illusion, but somehow, more real than he could have imagined.

Seeing that the soul was deep in thought, Cortana spoke, her voice laced with teasing warmth.

"Can you let go of my hand first?"

"Oh, sorry, I forgot," the soul replied, flustered as he hastily released her hand. He wanted to change the subject, to focus on the branch, to distract her from his awkwardness. He pointed at the glowing branch with his index finger.

"Look at that branch. It's the one I told you about, the one floating in the void, glowing."

He looked at Cortana, trying to engage her, and it worked. Cortana's attention was captured. She stepped forward, drawing closer to the branch and examining it with the soul.

"Is that so? Why is it here, then?" she asked, curiosity piqued.

"I don't know. It looks different, though. More golden, and the light seems dimmer," the soul replied, trying to compare this branch to the one he had seen in the void. While he was studying the branch, Cortana reached out to touch it, but her fingers passed straight through, surprising them both.

"It's just an illusion?" the soul said, puzzled. 'No, my soul changed to gold. It's definitely because of this branch,' he thought, trying to make sense of what was happening.

"No, why don't you try it?" Cortana suggested, sharing his suspicion that the branch and his transformation were somehow connected.

The soul looked at her, then at the branch, hesitantly raising his right hand. It was worth a try, even if it were just an illusion. But this time, his hand didn't pass through. He grasped the branch firmly, and his soul erupted in a blinding flash of golden light.

"Are you okay?" Cortana asked, covering her head with her arms.

When the light dimmed, she lowered her arms to observe the scene. The golden branch was now firmly rooted in the ground. A wisp of golden light, a shimmering tether, connected the branch to the soul.

"I don't know why it works for me, but when I touched it, it became mine. I'm connected to it," the soul explained. He still had no idea what the branch did, other than seemingly making his soul stronger.

"I know. Unlike me, you are a soul," Cortana replied, a sad smile playing on her digital face. 'Unlike me, just an AI,' she thought, reflecting on her own existence, her own limited reality.

'Say something. Comfort her. Come on,' the soul urged himself, desperate to console her, but the golden branch, as if sensing his intentions, wouldn't let him. It began to change rapidly, growing larger, and the green lines on the ground turned a brilliant gold. Their attention was instantly captivated, their gazes fixed on the transformation unfolding before them.

The lines continued to morph, becoming thicker and thicker until they merged into a single, solid band of gold. Then, the band started to move, creeping down the branch, wrapping around it like a thick, golden vine, until it resembled a tree trunk with roots.

"Why did it grow bigger?" Cortana asked, though she didn't expect an answer.

"What the f*ck?" the soul exclaimed, his voice filled with a mix of confusion and wonder. He had been expecting a golden tree, but this trunk, this golden behemoth, was something entirely different.

Cortana nodded, her mind echoing his disappointment. They both had expected something more… grand. They didn't know that the branch had grown in this way because it had absorbed Gaia's will and blessing, making it impossible for it to grow into a traditional tree.

Cortana, ever thoughtful, realized the potential ramifications. With a serious expression, she addressed the soul.

"What happens to me now?"

"Oh, shit, yes," the soul thought. 'She's connected to this place, this is her core, and it's changing so much. She'll be affected too.' He realized how insensitive he'd been, caught up in his own anxieties and forgetting about Cortana. He desperately tried to come up with a way to comfort her, to reassure her, but the events unfolding around them wouldn't allow it.

The trunk and roots glowed, radiating a luminous aura that enveloped the soul. Then, a wisp of light, a golden thread, shot out from the soul, reaching toward Cortana, connecting them. They were both caught in a moment of shock, unable to move.

Suddenly, they were lifted from the ground, their forms floating toward the trunk. The middle of the trunk opened, a gaping maw that swallowed them both whole. The trunk closed, the golden roots anchoring it to the ground. It was the only thing left in the soul space.

But the transformation didn't end there. The ground beneath them became transparent, a glassy black, revealing the glowing golden roots beneath. The scene was breathtaking, an ethereal landscape of golden light and translucent darkness.

•-----•-----•-----•-----•

The Void

As the red branch sought a nearby universe, something else was searching for it, drawn to its light. It was a colossal creature, an entity of pure chaos, resembling a gargantuan octopus with tentacles surrounding its face.

"Where is it? That light… it's intriguing," the creature murmured, its tentacles swirling as it tried to sense the source. Its senses were keen, reaching beyond the boundaries of space and time.

"There it is," it rasped, detecting the red branch despite its best attempts to conceal its aura. The creature was immensely powerful, capable of finding anything it desired.

Rushing toward the red branch, the creature paused and looked out into the void.

"I'm not here for your plaything. I'm here for something else," it stated, its voice a low, guttural growl. It prepared to attack, to defend itself, to take what it sought.

"And you think I'll believe anything that comes out of your mouth, Cthulhu?" a voice boomed from behind the creature. A yellow figure, humanoid but radiating an intense, almost blinding light, appeared in front of it.

Another voice chimed in, "He's right. And the agreement was that you beings were not allowed to approach our territories." A white figure, radiating a calm, soothing aura, appeared beside the yellow one.

Cthulhu was enraged. 'Because you two are here, you think you can stop me?' he thought. He was not afraid of these two beings: Toaa and the Presence.

"Like I said, I'm just here for something," he growled.

"And do you think I'm afraid of fighting you? You, Toaa, and the Presence?" His tentacles pulsed with power, ready to unleash his fury.

Toaa's figure grew to match Cthulhu's size as he shook his head. "Like I said, I don't believe you. Beings of chaos like you bring only destruction. I can't let you pass through here."

The Presence, silent but radiating an equally potent power, grew in size, prepared to defend at any moment. His presence was enough to make the void tremble.

Just as they were about to engage in a battle that would shake the fabric of reality, another voice echoed from behind the creature.

"Interesting. A fight of this caliber… it makes me wonder if I could join in."

A powerful aura emanated from the unseen figure, radiating ancient, almost divine power.

Toaa and the Presence, sensing this new arrival, instantly recognized who it was. They nodded in agreement. Their objective had shifted. They were no longer defending; they were now prepared to kill, to stop Cthulhu with their combined might.

Cthulhu, sensing their shift in energy and murderous intent, felt a chill of dread creep down his slimy tentacles. He knew that his chances of getting what he wanted were dwindling rapidly.

He turned, a flash of movement, using his vast strength to launch a surprise attack on the unseen figure, then focusing his energy on escape, hoping to slip through the void unnoticed.

"Do you think you can protect your little playthings forever? With your strength, you can't even keep up with its growth," he snarled, his voice laced with bitter sarcasm.

Toaa and the Presence exchanged serious glances, watching as Cthulhu disappeared into the void. They couldn't let their territory remain unguarded, not with Cthulhu's chaotic influence lingering. The void was a dangerous place: unpredictable and ever-shifting.

They slowly began to shrink back to their normal size, their attention turning to the unseen figure, now revealed as a being radiating a dazzling light, a being of immense power.

"Illuvitar," Toaa and the Presence greeted him in unison.

Illuvitar smiled warmly, returning their greeting. "Toaa, the Presence." The three of them, all beings of immense power, knew each other well. They were not friends in the traditional sense, but they shared a mutual respect, born from their shared strength and understanding of the universe's complexities. It was rare to find beings like them, so powerful yet still sane, grounded in a semblance of morality.

"Are you here for that little thing too?" the Presence asked, his voice relaxed, a hint of amusement lacing it, a stark contrast to the recent battle readiness.

Illuvitar smiled, still warm. "Yes."

Toaa raised a skeptical eyebrow. "While the growth of that thing is impressive, it's not particularly useful for beings like us," he stated, his voice tinged with amusement.

Illuvitar, still smiling, replied, "But for my creations, it could be invaluable."

He shook his head, a touch of regret in his eyes. "It's a shame it already has an owner," he added, his gaze turning toward the red branch, now quite distant in the void.

Toaa and the Presence followed his gaze.

"It would be a shame if Cthulhu returned for it," Illuvitar continued, his energy flaring around him as he raised his right hand.

Toaa and the Presence exchanged knowing glances, but they didn't interfere. They were all, in a way, allies, bound by a shared purpose and mutual understanding of the complexities of the universe. If they were enemies, Illuvitar wouldn't be standing there.

A surge of energy erupted from Illuvitar, engulfing the red branch. It vanished, teleported to another location, its presence erased from the void.

The Presence focused his senses, trying to pinpoint the branch's new location, but the void was vast and filled with countless hidden pockets of reality. He couldn't find it.

"Where did you send it?" Toaa asked, his curiosity piqued.

Illuvitar, not inclined to hide anything from his fellow entities, replied, "To a hidden universe, and it's growing, growing at an unimaginable pace." He smiled, a gleam in his eye as he considered the branch's potential.

"I have great expectations for that place," he added.

Toaa and the Presence were taken aback. Hidden universes were rare, secluded pockets of reality, sometimes it's protected against powerful beings like them.

Such places were difficult to find and not particularly useful for entities like them, so it was quite intriguing that Illuvitar had such high hopes for this particular hidden universe.

"What's different about that place?" Toaa inquired.

"The way that universe expands, it's unlike any other. You two should see it for yourselves," Illuvitar said, shaking his head, indicating that he didn't want to elaborate further.

"I'm planning to send a part of my creation to that universe too."

Toaa and the Presence were shocked.

Their expressions turned serious as they contemplated the implications of what Illuvitar had just said.

"Are you willing to spread your universe, your creation, and let it go?" the Presence asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

Illuvitar looked at their expressions and let out a bitter smile. "Cthulhu was right. Our strength can't protect our creations forever. And I don't want to stop creation from growing," he confessed, explaining his reason for venturing into the void.

"I've realized that. So, I've been searching for a way to become stronger, even if it means leaving my universe and creations to fend for themselves. But before I leave, I was trying to find an item, a gift for my creations in the void, something to protect them. I saw that light, that branch, and I was attracted to it, but it wasn't suitable for defense, sadly."

He sighed, his gaze drifting toward the void, the vastness of the universe reflected in his eyes. "That's when I saw you two fighting the chaos entity and confirmed that a soul had already contracted the branch. Sending the soul and the branch to the hidden universe was an investment," he explained.

Toaa frowned. "So, you're sending a part of your universe and creations to a hidden universe because of a mortal soul?"

The Presence mirrored Toaa's skepticism as he chimed in. "He's right. Aren't you being a little too optimistic? It's just a mortal soul."

Illuvitar turned serious and shook his head.

"My investment is simply to protect what I've left behind in that hidden universe. When he gets stronger, because that branch already makes his potential far greater than that of a mere mortal."

"If he can maximize its benefits, he'll end up with a power similar to our own. When we started, I was sending parts of my creations, my universe, merely as a seed of hope. If I leave and everything I've created is destroyed, it won't affect my strength, but it saddens me to even think about it," he said, his gaze fixed on the swirling darkness of the void, pondering the uncertain future that lay ahead.

Toaa contemplated this for a moment. "I'll send a part of myself too," he said, a steely resolve in his voice.

"If someone stronger than Cthulhu emerges, I need to be prepared, to be stronger." He couldn't allow himself to be powerless to protect anything.

The Presence was taken aback by Toaa's sudden decision. He glanced at the two entities, feeling the weight of their unspoken understanding. They wouldn't abandon a friend in need, even if it meant making significant sacrifices.

"Okay, I'll send a part of myself too," he said, a sigh escaping his lips. He paused, then a smirk spread across his face.

"I'm sending a clean part, at that," he joked, hoping to lighten the mood.

Toaa chuckled, his brow furrowed in amusement. "Hahaha, even if they have pitiful souls, I'll delete them all before we begin our journey. They're too unstable, too much of a liability to leave behind." He crossed his arms, a hint of grim humor in his voice.

Illuvitar looked at them, his expression puzzled. "What are you talking about?"

The Presence shook his head, a glint of annoyance in his eyes. "Some pest has been trying to sabotage my work. These poor souls think they're getting stronger, but they're just puppets, nothing more."

Toaa added, "The mortals are innocent. I allow some of them to live, but only if they stop using that so-called SYSTEM only if they become apostles, true servants of their gods that I erased. Our universes are conspicuous, our influence and creations have spread to other universes, so they have the information they need to survive, to infiltrate. They keep sending these mortals into our realms." Toaa shook his head, a scowl tightening his features. It was an insult, a blatant disrespect for their power.

The Presence added, "Our universes are open to any mortal who can enter, but that doesn't mean we welcome everything."

Illuvitar paused, his thoughts racing. 'System... oh, I remember now,' he murmured.

"My creations took care of that before they could move, or sometimes even before they were born." He sighed. "Poor souls. We should check and destroy them before we leave." He turned to his companions.

"Okay. I'll prepare before leaving. Let's meet again at the hidden universe," he said, his voice filled with purpose. With that, Illuvitar vanished.

Toaa and the Presence exchanged glances.

"Let's go too," Toaa said, and he too disappeared.

The Presence was the only one left. He pondered for a moment. "Should I visit those gods before we leave and teach them a lesson?" he mused, shaking his head.

Then, he too vanished into the void.

The void returned to silence, an abyss of endless possibilities. They were all preparing, but no one not even entities as powerful as them could predict the future or the unpredictable nature of the void, the ebb and flow of chaos and creation.

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Next Chapter: Cortana's Past Part 1

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