The Karmatic Sanctum

Perched atop a hill, the Karmatic Sanctum loomed large over the surrounding landscape, casting an imposing shadow that melded with the descending twilight.

Massive stone pillars, engraved with intricate runes, flanked the entrance.

The path leading up to it was made of cobblestones, their colours shifting subtly underfoot.

[Illustration]

Akane, who'd been waving her hair around, paused and grinned cheekily, "First one inside gets the prize!"

Without waiting for my response, she dashed in, her laughter echoing throughout the massive hallways.

"Wait, what prize?" I yelled out, but she was already out of sight.

I took a deep breath and ventured into the Sanctum. The atmosphere was thick with ancient magic.

As I wandered further into the Sanctum, my fingers brushed against a wall.

It felt like the Sanctum itself was alive, gauging my worthiness.

The hallways were vast, the ceilings were lost in darkness, and the air was punctuated with the soft glow of magical runes.

The ground vibrated with a soft hum, the very pulse of the Sanctum.

Each corner turned revealed a new wonder: crimson, floating orbs, texts carved into the walls wording different people's fates, and even a bluish-purple liquid flowing upwards.

The walls bore inscriptions in a language I couldn't decipher, but their energy pulsed against my skin.

Stone sculptures depicted beings harnessing incredible powers, with one central figure always looming large—a figure eerily reminiscent of Akane.

As I ventured further into the Sanctum, Akane's playful antics seemed almost disrespectful to the gravity of our mission. I couldn't help but reflect on how her whimsical nature was so out of place here. Her jokes, her light-hearted teasing—did she truly grasp the weight of our quest? The safety of my sister, Takako, hinged on our success.

"Hurry up, Slowpoke?" I heard her shout.

Akane's voice echoed, pulling me further into the sanctum. Following the resonance of her laughter, I came across a vast chamber.

"Congratulations! You found the heart of the Sanctum," she clapped playfully, "and your prize... is me!"

A retort escaped my lips before I could stop it, "Yeah... no, I don't want you.

Akane gasped dramatically, her hand clutching her heart in mock pain.

"Whaaat?! C'mon? Don't you want me just a little—"

"No," I interrupted firmly, and the room seemed to react to our exchange.

The walls shimmered, the runes intensified their luminosity, and the once-muted space now hummed with awakened magic.

"You know, this guy looks a bit like you. Less broody, though." Akane spoke, poking one of the stone sculptures.

"Are you implying that an old statue resembles me? Now's not the time for jokes," I retorted back, "every moment we waste puts Takako in more danger. I don't understand how you can be so...flippant."

Akane suddenly twirled, and her voice became light, "Life in the different planes has taught me one thing, Takeshi: if you take everything too seriously, you'll find yourself crushed under the weight of the universe. Or, y'know, very bored."

"I just wish you'd understand that my sister is being broken—"

"Oh, I understand, Mr. Broody. But maybe, just maybe, by making you roll your eyes at me a couple of times, I'm keeping the weight from pressing down too hard on those strong shoulders of yours." She winked, interjecting me.

Akane, ever unpredictable, suddenly flipped backward onto a large stone statue. "Alright, let's get down to business! Stand in the middle of that magic circle carved in the ground."

The heart of the Sanctum was unlike anything I'd ever seen.

At its core, a grand crystalline obelisk pulsed with a vermillion light, illuminating the room with a spectral glow.

Around it, concentric circles of runes spiralled outward, their luminosity dimming the further they were from the centre.

The walls of the chamber were lined with archaic symbols, glowing softly and adding to the room's enchantment.

I hesitated for a moment, glancing at the magical circle. "And what if I don't want to stand there?" I asked playfully, raising an eyebrow.

Akane gave me a faux-hurt look, "Do you not trust me, Takeshi? After all we've been through?"

"Considering you just led me through a forest, had me chased by an Armak infused wolf, and now this... Would you?"

Akane chuckled, swinging her legs playfully from her perch on the statue.

"Well, I might have exaggerated the danger just a tad. For your own good, of course!"

"Oh, so you admit to it? The wolf almost had me as a snack, Akane!" I responded, exaggerating my own annoyance.

She grinned widely, "But it didn't! And you looked so cool while being chased. Plus, it was quite entertaining from my perspective."

I raised an eyebrow, "You think almost getting eaten is cool?"

"Only when I know you'll survive." She winked.

Rolling my eyes, I approached the magical circle, "Alright, I'm standing in your fancy magic circle. Now what?"

"I'll connect your spirit to your Karma."

The runes of the circle began to glow brighter under my feet, pulsating with a rhythm that matched my heartbeat.

I could feel a sensation, like gentle tendrils, wrapping around my consciousness, pulling me deeper into the very essence of the sanctum.

Akane jumped down from the statue, her steps light and playful as she circled me, "Now, Takeshi, relax. I promise I won't let the Sanctum swallow you whole." Her lips curled into a teasing smile.

"How comforting." I muttered.

My surroundings gradually shifted as I stood rooted in the circle. The ambient sounds of the Sanctum's echoing halls seemed distant, and I felt a gentle pull, drawing me deeper into the heart of the circle.

Before I knew it, I was enveloped by an all-consuming darkness, with only the luminescent runes as my guiding light.

"I thought you said this would be safe!" I called out, feeling a twinge of panic.

Hearing no immediate reply, I tried to steady my breathing. The glowing runes beneath me were my only tether to reality.

From somewhere, Akane's voice came floating, distorted as if through water.

"To connect your Karma, you need to calm your emotions. It doesn't like hotheads or cry-babies."

Suddenly, spectral apparitions emerged from the runes, swirling around me like will-o'-the-wisps. Their ethereal light was comforting, but their silent whispers brought chills.

As the ambient sounds of the Sanctum's echoing halls faded, the glowing runes beneath my feet started to oscillate, changing colours and patterns rapidly.

The floor beneath me seemed to drop away, and a vast expanse of starry cosmos stretched out in every direction. I felt like I was floating in an endless void.

Around me, nebulous clouds of energy pulsated and merged, forming abstract shapes.

Within this ethereal expanse, I could sense a powerful yet familiar force—my Karma. It felt like an ocean of boundless energy, with waves crashing against each other and sending ripples throughout the cosmos.

I could feel a link—between tangible link—between the vast energy surrounding me and the deep reservoir of Karma within. It was like trying to channel an overwhelming river into a narrow canal, with its sheer power threatening to overflow and break through its bounds.

The sensation of being suspended in this boundless cosmos was disorienting yet strangely calming.

While the vast expanse was overwhelming, the pulsing energy around me felt familiar, like reuniting with a long-lost part of oneself.

"So, this is my Karma?" I marvelled at the seemingly infinite reservoir of energy that surged around me.

Suddenly, I felt a tugging sensation, as if my very essence was being drawn into the swirling maelstrom of energy. I watched as streams of light, each a distinct hue representing a facet of my Karma, spiralled toward me, intertwining and enveloping my form.

The streams began to resonate with memories.

Glimpses of my past—fleeting moments of happiness, despair, anger, and hope—all manifested within the brilliant dance of lights.

It was as though my Karma was replaying the very tapestry of my life, binding my spirit to its boundless energy.

"This... this is overwhelming." Every breath I took felt like I was drawing in the raw energy of infinity.

Suddenly, I felt a tugging sensation, as if my very essence was being drawn into the swirling maelstrom of energy.

I watched as streams of light, each a distinct hue representing a facet of my Karma, spiralled toward me, intertwining and enveloping my form.

The connecting process felt like hours, maybe even days. Each pulse of energy strengthened the bond between me and my Karma, each ripple enhancing my connection.

And with each surge, I could feel my stamina expanding, my endurance lengthening.

Slowly, the swirling vortex of energy started to dissipate.

The ethereal void began to retract, the luminous runes faded, and the vast expanse of the cosmos started to merge back into the confines of the Sanctum.

And then, with a sudden jolt, I was back in the vast chamber of the Sanctum, standing within the magical circle. Akane stood outside the circle, a satisfied smirk on her face.

"Well, how do you feel, Mr. Infinite Stamina?"

Taking a moment to gather my thoughts, I replied, "Like I could run a marathon, fight a demon, and then maybe, just maybe, endure your mental torture."

"See? That wasn't so bad." Her laughter was infectious.

"Not bad? It was enlightening, terrifying, and wondrous—all at once." I admitted.

Akane stepped closer, her mischievous smirk now replaced with a playful grin, "With your newfound connection to Karma, you are now the first who can tap into its endless reservoir. However, using its power unwisely or recklessly can have... unexpected consequences."

I raised an eyebrow, curious, "Such as?"

She twirled around, the atmosphere of the room shifting as she summoned a tiny orb of light. "This might look harmless, but an untrained individual can make this explode with the power of a billion galaxies."

"Sounds like a hyperbole."

Akane merely chuckled, the orb dissipating into the air.

"More like a massive understatement."

Taking a deep breath, I addressed the matter that had brought us here, "Now, about saving Takako..." I said.

Akane, catching onto the shift in my tone, playfully tossed a stray lock of hair behind her shoulder, her demeanour still light, "Ah yes, your dearest sister. You're quite the devoted brother, aren't you? Don't worry, we'll start now. But there will be another lesson."

I shot her an exasperated look, "Another lesson? Can we not have one straightforward plan?"

"That's impossible with me around!" Akane declared proudly.

Akane placed her hand on her hips before speaking in confidence.

"Alright, Takeshi, try channelling the Karma into a basic spell." She instructed.

I decided to listen to her and concentrated, feeling the familiar surge of energy. I managed to materialize a tiny fragment of black matter on my palm, watching it dance for a moment before extinguishing it.

"Wow, you learn fast..." Akane praised me in surprise. I couldn't tell if she was genuinely surprised though.

We prepared to leave the sanctum, finally starting the journey to save Takako.

Akane ran around a pillar, chuckling, "You know, last time I was here, I might have accidentally turned all these pillars into candy canes."

"Why would you even do that?"

Akane giggled, "Well, I was aiming for a lovely shade of blue, but I miscalculated. Candy canes were fun, though! Too bad they didn't taste like the real thing."

I sighed, rolling my eyes.

Akane stopped and looked at me, "Y'know, I've never seen you smile."

"I smile when you're not looking." I uttered instantly.

"But I've been watching you all this time..." She spoke in a dark tone.

I slightly turned to my right and caught a faint inscription in a shadowed alcove. The word 'estence' was carved onto a stone, below which lay a pulsating cerulean orb, resonating in a rhythm eerily familiar.

I felt an urge to touch it, but as my fingers neared, Akane's sharp voice cut through.

"Don't!"

Startled, I turned to her. For the first time, her playful façade seemed truly shattered.

What was 'estence'?