Heaven's Gate

Crystalline columns, capped columns, hollow columns, solid columns, plates, hexagonal plates, stellar plates, sectored plates, simple stars, stellar dendrites, fernlike stellar dendrites, and blue rosettes. Snow, a million tiny diamond shards hurled by an unseen giant, lashed a young dark-skinned boy's face, each prickle a tiny searing kiss. The boy tasted it, cold and metallic on his lips, and for a moment, his only conscious thought was of snowflakes frozen on his eyelashes, glittering like forgotten constellations.

Mel Autonoma awoke, not with a gasp, but with a whisper of dawning awareness. The world outside his mind was a symphony of white – snow, relentless and thick, whipped by an arctic wind that sang a lullaby of marrow-chilling cold. He felt it on his bare skin, a prickling kiss against the rough cotton of his baggy shirt and the worn denim of his pants. A black scarf, his only shield against the howling fury, lay crumpled at his side.

He sat up, picking and dawning the scarf, his silver eyes cold and sharp like frost, cutting through the swirling snow. At the edge of his vision, they found a flicker—a yellow and defiant spark pulsating like a heartbeat against the monochromatic canvas of the storm. Curiosity was an unyielding fire as it blazed bright within him, flickering to life. Ignoring the bite of the wind, he pushed himself to his feet, his slim frame surprisingly strong for twelve years.

Trudging through the blizzard was like pushing through molasses. The snow clung to him, a cold, wet shroud, but he pressed on, drawn by the stubborn beacon that winked stubbornly in the distance. Each step was a battle; his breath ragged plumes in the frigid air. Yet, he didn't falter. He wouldn't. Not until he reached that spark, not until he unravelled its secret.

Not a memory fuelled his path, not of where he was, why he was here. Nothing but the gild of his name, Mel Autonoma, found itself in his thick fog of concealed memories. Despite it, his silhouette, fading from where he awoke, blurred without stopping.

His steps, crunching deftly in the blizzard, faded as they passed, the history of his trail wiped just as it formed. Yet still, his legs rose and fell. Even as his full lips parted and quickly chapped blue against his black scarf for wisps of air in the chilling hostility of the palace of white, his eyes set onwards, and his legs marched. Though it looked like the sun had kissed it in past travels, his skin was now dusted with a layer of snow, like powdered ebony. And his hair, a neck-length thicket of gorgeous two-strand twisted dreadlocks, was stiff as he flowed through the blinding storm.

Like a brushstroke of ink against the white canvas, he pursued the spark, never questioning why he wanted to know what it led to. The boy just trudged with single-minded curiosity. It coalesced him, a blanket that made his dulling senses seem as sharp as they were at the beginning of his march.

To human endurance, an eternity he had ticked by. Ice inhabited half his face, like melanoma against his skin's dark tones; the frozen blue carpet persisted upon him. In the passage of time, the yellow light solidified, taking shape before him. It was an immense and ancient gate carved from a dark stone that seemed to drink in the light, leaving it only with the ghostly shimmer of the orb embedded in its centre. The orb pulsed gently, a golden heartbeat in the frozen wasteland.

Mel reached out, his fingers trembling, and the gate groaned, the sound of a deep rumble that resonated through his bones. It swung open, revealing not darkness but a swirling vortex of light and colour. A kaleidoscope of impossible landscapes and creatures spun before his eyes, a whispered promise of secrets older than time.

His heart hammered in his chest, a drumbeat of anticipation and trepidation. The mystery of the yellow spark had brought him here, but what mysteries awaited him? He took a deep breath, steeling his nerves, and stepped forward, ready to unravel the secrets of this forgotten realm.

He stepped through, the gate sighing shut behind him with a finality that echoed in the silence that suddenly enveloped him. He somehow knew that the world he awoke to was now cut off from him. He stood in a cavern of ethereal beauty, the air warm and alive with the hum of unseen energy. Bioluminescent flora cast an otherworldly glow on the crystalline floor, and the air shimmered with the murmur of an unseen voice.

Then, he saw him. The gatekeeper. Tall and slender, his skin like polished alabaster, eyes pools of molten gold. He wore cloaks of woven starlight, their hair like spun moonlight cascading down their shoulders. He moved with a grace that defied gravity, his voice(s) like wind chimes tinkling in a gentle breeze.

"Welcome, Mel Autonoma, blizzard of the dawn," he spoke, his voice a melody that resonated in Mel's very soul. "You have come seeking answers, and the Gates of Heaven's Eye are open to you."

"I am Aurum of %̴̡̛̺͐̈͊̈́͝^̷̧͓͈͙̰̇̅͑̕&̸̛̘̬͍͉̠́͋̾̊̿̇$̴͉̜͚͉̹̘̠͔̅̀̅̇̎̊͝%̵̨͍̥̟͆͘ͅ#̴͍͙̺͎̗͈̾̇̈́̀̍̕͝, though you may think of me as a mere guide, a passing instructor to the realm you are soon to inhabit."

Mel stood frozen, caught in the web of Aurum's presence. His silver eyes, which since he had awoken stayed sharp as glacial shards, softened with a curious awe.

Aurum continued, his voice softening to a warm, sunlit breeze. "A quick-to-burn lantern in the monolith you hope to scale." He raised a hand, and tendrils of light danced from his fingertips, swirling around Mel like fireflies caught in a celestial current. His limbs, frostbitten and kissing death, warmed, torched, brightened and healed as though the wear and tear of his journey, like his steps in the blizzard, were never there. 

With his curiosity reaching a boiling point, Mel asked, "What is this place?" he asked, the question trembling like a snowflake on a winter's breath. "And who... who am I?"

Aurum's smile, gentle yet vast as the stardust ceiling, held a universe of untold stories. "You are at the first fold, the barrier between the realms and Heaven's Gate, Lumenas." Then, as thrust back into the hostile Arctic, Mel felt the world chill, "Beyond here is Lumenas, the focal point of the realms, where it all collides in search of the highest prize of emperor Zenith, the Calix Imperialii."

Aurum, his eyes now fully obsidian, gazed at the boy with an expression void of tales, and the boy gazed back, with eyes open to more, curious to a fault. "Lumenas is a monolith of gates, each more perilous than the last, a true hell or occasional paradise of 999 floors." The chamber began to quake, the unseen energy kicking into a storm that tried to pull Mel with it. "A place where order is dictated by those whose hands are most relentless in their ideals, in their cruelty, in their power." 

Mel took a deep breath, the crisp air of the first fold stinging his lungs. He felt a tingle of a primordial fear crawl up his spine, but it was dwarfed by the roaring fire of curiosity that consumed him. 

"As I would think, the gates would never be pulled apart by a will that would succumb to merely this." As suddenly as it had come, the pressure, a mountain that would pummel even the slightest hesitation, vanished. In its place was Aurum's gentle smile. Whether it was a facade, Mel couldn't tell. 

It wasn't lost on Mel that the gatekeeper, seemingly older than ages he could grapple with, had avoided his latter question, a purposeful avoidance, but why? It wasn't as though he hadn't shown signs that he could answer his question. His first actions were to greet him by name, after all. 

Through his bang of locs, a glint slid through the silver of Mel's illuminated eyes, "Is my identity forward- laying in Lumenas?"

A smile, honest, wide, too wide, stretching to both corners of his face, with all of his horrifically sharp teeth bared, bared itself upon Aurum's ivory face. 

Mel flinched, his silver eyes narrowing against the unnervingly wide grin. The air, once pregnant with anticipation, crackled with something darker, a primal unease that burrowed into his bones. This was not the warm breeze of a guide but the icy whisper of a predator.

"Forward-laying?" Aurum repeated, his voice losing its melodious chime, its edges laced with something akin to amusement. "Perhaps, young Mel. Perhaps your identity lies not just within these walls but woven into the very fabric of this labyrinth. Every step you take, every choice you make, is a brushstroke painting of your own self-portrait."

He stepped closer, his luminous garments trailing like stardust across the crystalline floor. The tendrils of light that had danced around Mel now hovered ominously at the periphery of his vision; their warmth turned to a chilling luminescence.

"But remember, the canvas of Lumenas is vast, and its pigments unforgiving. One misstep, stray mark, and the masterpiece you envision could become a grotesque caricature."

Mel stood his ground, though his heart hammered a frantic tattoo against his ribs. He may not possess Aurum's ethereal grace or cryptic wisdom, but the blizzard he had braved had forged a steely resolve within him.

"Then I will tread carefully," he declared, his voice firm despite the tremor running through him. "I will learn these pigments, decipher these brushstrokes, and paint my own story, no matter the perils that lie in wait."

For a fleeting moment, Aurum's smile softened, a fleeting glimpse of the sun breaking through storm clouds. Then, with a swift gesture, he raised his hand, and the air shimmered, revealing a portal pulsing with the same golden light as the orb embedded in the gate.

"This," he said, his voice regaining its melodic lilt, "is the first stairwell. It descends to the first floor of Lumenas. Will you step through, Mel Autonoma, and begin your climb?"

Mel stared at the portal, its shimmering depths promising answers yet holding back an abyss of unknowns. He knew, intuitively, that venturing past this threshold would be a point of no return. Yet, the fire of curiosity still burned bright within him, fueled by the challenge Aurum's cryptic words had posed.

Taking a deep breath, Mel steeled his nerves and squared his shoulders. He raised his head, meeting Aurum's gaze with a determination that mirrored the icy glint in his silver eyes.

"I will," he said, his voice ringing unwaveringly. "I will step through."

And with a final glance at the gatekeeper, whose smile now held an enigmatic blend of amusement and anticipation, Mel Autonoma, the boy who had walked through blizzards to find answers, stepped into the unknown, the golden stairwell swallowing him whole and carrying him into the perilous heart of Lumenas.

The world dissolved into a fractal of swirling gold, a vertiginous rush that squeezed the air from Mel's lungs and painted the back of his eyelids with stars. He tumbled through light, a feather caught in a celestial typhoon until his bones rattled against something solid.

He coughed, sputtering, scrambling to his feet and blinking away the dizzying afterimages. He found himself on a narrow platform carved into the side of a colossal stalagmite, its cavernous depths bathed in an otherworldly luminescence. Bioluminescent flora in impossible shapes pulsated like living neon, casting distorted shadows that danced against the crystalline walls. In the distance, a river of molten silver flowed silently, its shimmering surface reflecting the alien landscape above.

Mel's heart hammered against his ribs, a hummingbird trapped in a cage of wonder. Fear, sharp and icy, clung to him like the remnants of the blizzard, but the sheer majesty of the place dwarfed it. Lumenas, in all its bizarre glory, was unlike anything he could have imagined.

A rustle, soft as whispers against silk, drew his attention. He glanced to the platform's edge, where a creature perched, watching him with unblinking, obsidian eyes. It was the size of a large cat, its sleek body covered in iridescent scales shimmered like a thousand captured rainbows. Two pairs of membranous, translucent and veined wings lay folded against its back, and on its head, a crest of feathery tendrils swayed in the nonexistent breeze.

Mel held his breath, unsure whether to befriend or flee. The creature tilted its head, its gaze inquisitive, and emitted a sound that resonated somewhere between a purr and a chime. It was strangely comforting, a melody woven from light and curiosity.

Tentatively, Mel extended a hand towards it. The creature watched him momentarily, then brushed its scaled face against his palm. A jolt of something akin to joy ran through Mel, warming the icy fear that had gripped him. 

He knelt on the platform, the creature settling comfortably in his lap. He gently stroked its iridescent scales, his fingers tracing the delicate veining on its wings. The beast purred again, the sound vibrating through him like a lullaby.

As he sat there, bathed in the otherworldly glow and lulled by the creature's song, a sense of calm washed over him. The blizzard felt like a distant dream; the fear of the unknown replaced a spark of newfound hope. 

Unlike the frozen wasteland he had traversed, this path wasn't carved from snow and ice but from shimmering crystals crunched under his feet like stardust. The walls whispered forgotten languages in voices like chiming bells, and the air shimmered with the promise of endless possibilities. He knew, with a certainty that settled deep in his bones, that this was only the beginning, the first brushstroke on the canvas of his tale.

Mel whispered a silent promise to himself as he walked as the alien moon cast its ethereal glow upon him and the creature nestled against his chest. 

Mel's boots crunched softly on the crystalline path, the glittering shards whispering underfoot like whispered secrets. The vast cavern unfurled before him with each step, its luminescent flora casting an unearthly glow on the walls that shimmered with the iridescence of a thousand captured rainbows. The whispers, once a melody of forgotten languages, now seemed to hint at anticipation, urging him forward.

The path curved gently, leading him deeper into the heart of the cavern. The stalagmites and stalactites, once impossibly alien, felt almost familiar now, their twisted shapes hinting at forgotten giants slumbering beneath the earth. As he rounded a bend, the cavern opened into a vast space, a colossal amphitheatre carved from the living rock.

Torches, fueled by an unknown substance that burned with an emerald flame, blazed along the perimeter, casting flickering shadows that danced on the rough-hewn stone. The air, once fresh and alive with the hum of unseen energy, now hung heavy with a different kind of energy – anticipation, tension, the raw hum of violence held in check.

A figure stood in the centre of the arena, carved from the same crystalline material as the path. A warrior, sculpted from living stone, its massive form hunched over like a predator coiled to strike. As thick as a man's leg, a mace hung loose in its outstretched hand, the chain trailing along the ground like a serpent unfurling. Green and vibrant moss clung to the stone, creeping over its weathered surface like veins on aged skin.

Mel froze, his breath catching in his throat. The thick and suffocating silence pressed down on him, broken only by the crackling of the torches and the pounding of his heart. This wasn't a creature of scales and feathers, a companion in this strange world. This was something else, something ancient and deadly, a sentinel awakened from its slumber.

Then, slowly, the air rippled, a wave of unseen energy emanating from the stone figure. The moss pulsed, a sickly green glow flickering within its depths. And in the dead silence, two eyes, deep as a starless night, ignited behind the granite mask. They burned with an inner fire, casting an emerald light that fell upon Mel like a hunter's spotlight.

A snarl ripped from the throat of the stone giant, a sound like rocks grinding against teeth like the earth itself splitting open. The moss shuddered, falling away in a flurry of emerald dust, revealing the weathered stone beneath, etched with runes that pulsed with the same eerie light as the warrior's eyes.

With a roar that shook the very bones of the cavern, the stone figure lunged. The mace whipped through the air, a blur of green flame and crushing weight. Mel, his senses razor-sharp, leapt backwards, narrowly dodging the blow. The mace slammed into the crystalline floor, shattering it like brittle glass, sending a rain of glittering shards scattering across the arena.

Mel stood on the edge of the shattered walkway, adrenaline coursing through his veins. He was face-to-face with an awakened guardian, a creature of stone and magic. His heart hammered against his ribs, but fear wouldn't save him here. He needed to think, to move, to survive.

The stone warrior circled, its emerald eyes tracking him like a predator. The air crackled with unseen energy, the torches flaring brighter with its rage.

The air crackled, a cacophony of unseen energy crackling like a dying storm. The emerald eyes of the stone warrior burned with primordial rage, reflecting in the panicked flicker of the torches as they flared with their fury. Mel's senses sharpened, adrenaline flooding his veins, a cold fire beneath his skin.

Mel and his companion leapt in unison as the warrior lunged, a blur of green death hurtling towards him. With a fluid grace that belied its size, the iridescent creature darted to the side, its wings unfurling like silken sails catching the wind. Mel, fueled by sheer instinct, dove behind a towering crystal pillar, the roar of the mace smashing into the ground mere inches from his ear.

A shower of glittering shards cascaded around him, the echo of the blow vibrating through his bones. He peeked cautiously from behind the crystal, eyes widening as he saw his companion poised on the edge of the shattered walkway. Its sleek body pulsed with an inner light, an ethereal fire dancing beneath its iridescent scales. Then, it opened its maw with a hiss that resonated like a whispered promise.

Mel watched, a flicker of curiosity mingling with the adrenaline coursing through him as the creature inhaled deeply. The air around it shimmered, swirling with threads of energy, black as fathomless depths and vibrant blue like a fractured star. Then, with a deafening roar that rivalled the stone warrior's own, it unleashed a torrent of power.

The blast of energy erupted from its throat, a swirling vortex of black and blue fire tore through the cavern like a celestial scar. It ripped through the air, searing the stone walls and leaving a trail of smouldering smoke in its wake. The stone warrior, caught in the path of the attack, roared in defiance, raising its mighty mace to parry the blow.

The energy collided with the stone in a blinding flash, a miniature supernova that momentarily banished the flickering torchlight. When the light faded, Mel stared in awe. The warrior, though battered, still stood. The mace, once pristine, now sported a jagged crack, and its emerald glow dimmed. But the creature's attack, while powerful, hadn't delivered the final blow.

A wave of relief washed over Mel, quickly followed by a tide of fascination. He'd stumbled into a strange world, a realm of fire and stone where creatures of unearthly beauty wielded forces he could barely comprehend. His gaze flitted from the smouldering crater left by the energy blast to his companion, now perched calmly on the walkway, its wings folded and its luminous scales dulling from a vibrant inferno to a soft embers glow.

Then, something new flickered within him, a sensation beyond awe or curiosity. It was a whisper, a tingling at the fringes of his awareness, a faint echo of the energy that had just erupted from the creature. He could feel it, a foreign power humming beneath his skin, a dormant ember waiting to be kindled. It was intoxicating, terrifying, and utterly unknown.

He reached out, tentative and unsure, focusing his attention on the faint tingling. The air crackled around his fingertips, responding to his will in an oddly familiar way. His heart hammered against his ribs, a drumbeat of fear and possibility. Could he tap into this power, wield it like his companion? Or was it a siren song, promising control before consuming him whole?

Mel stared at the stone warrior, then back at his companion, its obsidian eyes staring into his with an alien wisdom. At that moment, he knew that his choice would define his path in this labyrinthine world. Would he be a spectator, a terrified observer in a dance of titans? Or would he claim his role in this grand spectacle, embrace the unknown, and dance with the fire himself?

The cavern, bathed in the dying light of the weakened torches, held its breath, waiting for Mel's answer. And as he took a step forward, a single word escaping his lips, one that came from before him, from a path unrecalled, his voice ringing out in the echoing chamber, the choice was made.

"Perish."