A Broken heaven

Perspective : Conrad Garnier

A gust of strong wind blew past me. That's when I heard crying noises, similar to those of a child. The voice exclaimed,

"Anyone! Anyone, father, mother... I can't see. It's dark. HELP ME!"

At first, I experienced a tingling sensation, as if my skin was prickling, or an electric surge was coursing through my body. Then, dizziness overcame me, and my vision became blurred as darkness encroached from the edges. Finally, I lost consciousness.

I opened my eyes and beheld a vast, cloudless red sky with stars shining brightly despite the daytime. A lingering smell of ashes permeated the air. Above me, a colossal black sun dominated the scene, appearing like an immense void capable of engulfing me in an instant and a Gigantic disk of light encircled around it.

(Huh ..)

I took a deep breath, and tried to make sense of it all. Though try as I might nothing was ringing any bells.

(Where am I ?)

(This place....)

For a mere moment there I began to entertain the thought that I was in a dream, a very realistic, interactive dream.

That was until I heard her voice,

"This is Umbricor?".

As soon as I heard that, the immediate question that came out of my mouth was,

"Wasn't I prohibited to enter?".

I knew who she was, by that mysterious and eerily soothing voice. She was the spectre, I saw many nights ago. In that snow covered field when I was dying, and had mistaken her for an illusion.

Also the fact that I met her mere moments ago, and had this ominous power bestowed upon me.

And never to be forgotten that scent of ash, felt ever so familiar.

As I turned towards the voice, my eyes were drawn to her majestic presence, sitting regally upon a chilling throne crafted intricately from bones, that looked very human. It was a sight that sent shivers down my spine, evoking a haunting mixture of awe and repulsion. Each bone, meticulously positioned and polished, resonated with a macabre beauty that struck me to the core. The throne, representing her dominion over that place, exuded an intensely unsettling aura, as if each face turned outwards were screaming in unimaginable agony and torment. And there she sat, like a queen amid the grim arrangement, with no subjects, with no retainers and no authority to command by her side. It was chilling and yet unsettlingly lonely, and her face looked empty devoid of any expressions.

"She answered emphatically,

"Yes, you were!"

"But things are 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 now".

I asked,

"Different how?".

She replied with conviction,

"Now that you have entered a pact of solidarity with me, Umbricor recognizes you as one of its guardians".

She said assertively,

"Nyxandrath, you are now a watcher".

She exclaimed,

"Undying, unyielding, and unaffected by the affairs of mortals!"

(Watcher! huh)

(Must be because I drank that blood, )

(But why did I do that?)

(Ahh yes! I was desperate to save Regina)

(Shit!)

(What have I gotten myself into?)

(No matter what happens, I have to get out of this predicament and back to Regina)

she replied as if she knew what I was thinking, "Not to worry! she is fine".

(Is she read!....)

(Nevermind)

Curiosity piqued,

I replied,

"What is this Watcher? You claim I am".

"And what do I have to do?".

Her voice carried an air of solemnity as she responded,

"A Watcher's solemn duty is to guard Umbricor and vanquish wraiths if asked of it".

Surprised by her revelation,

I reacted,

"Wraith you say".

Her explanation continued,

"Wraiths are anomalies born from the essence of long departed, still clinging to life".

"Or are born of Nyxandrath like yourselves". Undeterred, she delved deeper,

"And the blade of salvation allows you to vanquish these entities".

With a mixture of uncertainty and determination, I looked down at my left hand,

the blade in my grasp,

"You mean this blade".

"But it's mine isn't it?".

As I said that, a realization suddenly struck me. I noticed that I was holding my blade in my left hand—the same hand I had amputated. But unlike a human hand, it appeared to be made entirely of bones. The skin was translucent, revealing visible veins that pulsed with a strange mutation. My arm was swollen, and large spike-like protrusions oozed red blood. It was a grotesque and horrifying sight that shocked me. I instantly recalled the moment when I drank her blood during our last encounter and felt a searing pain, as if my entire body was contorting and changing shape.

As for my sword, it had taken on a darker hue than before, and an ominous power emanated from it. It seemed as though thousands of screams were urging me to heed my blade's command, their whispers growing louder and more insistent the longer I gazed at it.

I no longer knew whether It was my blade or not.

She said, with a hint of fascination,

"Feel that dark presence oozing from your blade."

"It has now turned into a blade of salvation," she revealed.

Then she asked, her words laced with anticipation, "Are you ready to receive your mantle as a Watcher now?"

She began, her voice taking on a mystical tone as if casting a spell,

"Vow to always be by my side..."

"I, Elysia, the Eternal Sovereign...." her words echoed with authority.

I interrupted, a sense of urgency in my tone,

"No, no, no, wait."

"Don't you think this is all so sudden?" I questioned, feeling apprehensive.

"What about my life in the Mortal Realm?" I inquired, seeking reassurance.

She replied, her voice soothing,

"Worry not."

"Once you take the pledge of submission," she explained, veiling her intentions, "everyone who once knew you will forget all about your existence."

She added, a touch of intrigue in her words,

"And their memories of you will be changed."

She added, hinting no need for me in their lives, "Everything will continue as it is meant to."

I responded, my voice tinged with uncertainty, "Pledge of submission... Don't get me wrong?"

I expressed my concern, questioning my doubt , "Why does this pledge make me think that once I take it, I will lose my will?"

And I firmly stated, asserting my freedom, "And since I haven't taken it, you have no authority over me."

(And this power I am to do with as I please)

She replied, hinting at the consequences, "If you don't perform your duties..."

"Over time your power will deplete," she warned, the weight of her words settling heavily.

"The dark energy oozing from your blade and your very being will succumb you," she cautioned, foretelling grim haunting fate.

She added, in a quieter tone,

"And you will turn into a wraith," revealing the consequence.

She explained, shedding light on the purpose of the sword,

"The sword of salvation requires souls to maintain its energy, and it is the only thing stopping you from becoming a wraith."

I replied, seeking clarification, my voice containing a glimmer of hope,

"So, as long as I feed it souls, I will be fine?"

She said, intrigued by my resilience,

"Interesting. Unlike other souls who have crossed through here, my mere sight is enough to scare them into my bidding."

She added, admiring my stoicism,

"And yet you remain unfaced."

"But perhaps it is to be expected, considering your original soul had that same look of defiance in his eyes," she mused, acknowledging my spirit.

She continued, her words carrying a veiled warning, "But heed this: I am omnipresent. I know of what was and what will be."

"I know your future and the past; I know who you are and who you are not."

(Is that her fancy way of telling me not to cross her?)

(Message received).

In attempts to change the topic of our conversation, I asked, trying to divert the focus, "So your Majesty, Is this the only thing that exists?"

Trying to grasp the depth of her response, I ventured further,

"Are there no heaven or hell?"

She took a moment, her expression serene yet filled with wisdom, and replied,

"No, However, the interpretation of heaven or hell in your culture and mythology is linked with the void and the great sea of celestial dew that holds all the realms together, balancing coexistence without letting the denizens be aware of one another."

Her voice carried a weight of knowledge as she added,

"When souls cross through Umbricor based on their rate of corruption, they are either thrown into the never-ending void or drained in the sea of Knowledge, the celestial dew."

Continuing with a captivating air, she explained, "And these blank, empty souls are sent back to the Mortal realm to begin the cycle of life anew."

Understanding the magnitude of her words, I couldn't help but be in awe as she continued, "Without the sea of Knowledge, there won't be any day or night, nor dark or light. The universe will halt its expanding."

Her revelation left me breathless as she further added,

"And time will stop forever. The concept of existence itself will have no existence."

Her voice held a note of significance as she persistently shared,

"Keeping that in mind, remember Umbricor acts as the gateway to both the void and the sea of Knowledge."

Watching her closely, she continued to guide me, "That is why guarding Umbricor is of utmost importance, a noble task given to those exalted called 'The Watchers'."

"One of whom are you".

Caught off guard by this newfound knowledge, I couldn't contain my surprise, responding with a mix of intrigue and disbelief,

"Interesting... this changes everything."

My mind raced with the implications of her words, imagining the shockwave it would cause, I exclaimed,

"Wonder how everyone would react if they found out."

"Their very core would be shaken," I mused aloud, "The very system of worshipping and faith will lose its significance if everything they were spouting were incorrect."

Realizing the potential consequences, I continued, my voice filled with urgency,

"All the religions will lose followers throughout the world. Wars will break out, to a scale no one has ever seen before. All the injustices committed in the name of god will be brought up".

" This is phenomenal."

As I was getting carried away she stopped me, "It won't... no regular Mortal can perceive this truth?"

She calmly responded,

"No regular Mortal can perceive this truth."

Her words carried a weight of secrecy, and I couldn't help but ponder as she said,

"Think deep, haven't you noticed Umbricor has been mentioned in your Prayers, Holy scriptures, yet no one seems to be aware of it?"

As she mentioned that, my mind started to connect the dots, recalling all the instances I had heard the term "Umbricor." From our prayers offered to the dead to the reading of the holy scriptures given to the church by the gods themselves, all of them contained messages hinting to "Seek Umbricor."

A strange realization struck me, that those prayers were never meant for the living, those were beacons meant to guide the souls of the dead to this place, without letting anyone know. I couldn't ignore the peculiar and scary nature of it all. People had never questioned it, and I was now overwhelmed with anticipation and wanderlust. The prospect of obtaining knowledge that surpassed anything known before was right in front of me, just waiting to be unraveled.

However, amidst my excitement, an unsettling feeling of foreboding lingered in my thoughts. I couldn't shake the inclination that if no one alive was supposed to know about this, why was I being told?

A sense of uncertainty clouded my mind, and I couldn't help but wonder, "Does that mean I am never to return to my beloved Regina?"

These feelings of anxiety and doubt held me back from fully indulging in my newfound interests. Finding my voice again, I hesitated slightly before uttering,

"And am I to get... those things cannot be noticed until one is dead."

Acknowledging the mysteries beyond comprehension, she softly confirmed,

"Yes, that is the will of the universe."