I See Dead Stars

Guy recognised a key fact during his conversation with Markus. How was it that people back on Earth - regular people without any involvement in scientific research - were able to comprehend and internalise the concept of a black hole and all that entailed? In truth, the idea was so absurd it should not have been so easily registered. The fact that there existed something out there capable of interfering with light, which was universally designated to have the fastest speed, goes against everything learned during the primary, middle, and a large part of the high-school curriculum. Even the definition of the second, according to Système International (SI), is expressed with respect to light!

Regardless of the irrational nature of the phenomenon, in the 21st century, even a little kid could recite what a black hole was as if they were familiar with it. How was that possible?

It couldn't have been because of the advent of the internet. Free distribution of information couldn't have been the sole cause for such a widespread acknowledgement of such ludicrous thought paradigms. For someone to change the way they think, evidence beyond reasonable doubt was an imminent requirement. Well, that was in most cases. Guy decided to brush off the fact that there was still a sizeable chunk of the population holding the belief that the world was flat.

Ultimately, it was the result of the advancement in media and visual presentation that allowed the widespread acclamation of advanced scientific concepts amongst the general populace. To be able to take an abstract concept and package it into a comprehensible visual medium easily accessible by the unindoctrinated masses ensured that even the most outlandish of ideas could be easily digested.

In fact, even before scientists were able to visually capture an image of a black hole, they were able to create visual representations of the phenomenon using rendering software and digital media incorporating the science backing the assertions. Interestingly, most if not all of these renderings were close to the actual phenomenon. Once the public observed these representations and understood the science behind them, which was conveyed in bite-size chunks, they quickly adopted the idea and acknowledged its presence.

This was something sorely lacking in Guy's current world. Well, that would be a false generalisation. Guy didn't know much about the state of advanced technology in this world and to an extent, his perspective was clouded by his immediate experiences. With magic, there were endless possibilities, unfortunately, Guy wasn't knowledgeable enough to exploit these benefits to reinforce his teaching methods.

"But maybe there might be another way," Guy mumbled to himself. What he needed to do was convince Markus about the relation between gravitational fields and light. He tried once using the regular method of pedagogy and failed due to its drawbacks in this world. But what if there was another way to get through Markus' barrier of rationality and 'reveal' to him the 'truth of the world'?

The thought itself sent shudders down Guy's spine. He never even considered that he'd resolve to use 'that' on his students! But he was left without any options. He couldn't afford to let Markus stew on the teachings on his own and hope that the boy achieved a breakthrough sometime in the future.

With a sigh, Guy retreated into the RoK and approached the mask placed carefully on the desk at the centre.

He held the mask in both his hands and slowly brought it close to his face. The moment the cold metallic feeling graced his skin, a familiar feeling washed over him. Once again, he could feel his rationality getting isolated from his psyche and condensing into a blob of untainted and cold logic, retreating to the back of his mind. What remained was unrestrained fervour and passion!

As Guy's consciousness beheld The Church in all its grandiose glory, he was greeted by a novel sight. Upon the previously unending yet empty pews, there sat an ethereal form. Right at the very front, Guy saw the corporeal shape of an entity all too familiar to him: Markus.

The boy had a ghostlike, translucent appearance as he sat on his seat with a solemn look on his face. His arms were placed carefully on his laps, as they held each other. His gaze was firmly planted towards the ever-changing insignia adorned at the front of the Church as if he were worshipping it wholeheartedly.

Guy's rationality was extremely disgusted by this sight, yet he could do nothing of it since right now it was his passionate side that held the steering wheels. Guy approached the corporeal form of Markus and grasped the boy's entwined hands.

The moment Guy contacted Markus, the boy's solemn face warped with confusion.

"Where... Where am I?" Markus exclaimed as he swivelled his head in place.

"Worry not, my child. You are safe," Guy answered with a warm smile and a welcoming gaze.

This alleviated some of Markus' concerns. One minute he was sitting in his room, and the next his surroundings began to ripple. He could still feel that he was in his room, yet the atmosphere had a different, very overpowering but soothing aura. His growing fears were quickly doused after he acknowledged that his Master was also present. He chalked off the entire situation as part of one of his Master's magic.

"I sense great confusion and turmoil within your heart. Why do you fret, child?" Guy asked.

Suddenly, Markus could feel an overwhelming sense of release boiling from within. He was feeling urged to purge his inner knots in favour of catharsis.

"I... I want to get stronger! I know that deciphering Gaige's spell is the only way to do it. But I feel so useless! I couldn't do it on my own, nor could I do it after getting your help. I'm such a waste!" Markus cried in frustration.

"Now, now! Child, this is not your fault. And I know that no matter what I tell you, it will not dissuade you from your misery. So, let me show it to you!" Guy declared as he flamboyantly waved his hands, pointing towards the altar before him.

On queue, the sight began to ripple once again as a dark screen manifested on the altar. It was void black, like the emptiness of space, and looked extremely out of place.

"What is that?" Markus said in awe.

"Watch..."

Slowly, Markus felt himself getting pulled into the screen. His senses began to tremble as he started to feel disembodied. Suddenly, as if he were in a massive vacuum, he felt himself getting sucked into a vessel. It was extremely disorienting, but after a short moment, he suddenly found that his senses had returned to him.

"Where am I?"

As his eyes scanned his surroundings, he was greeted by a foreign environment. He appeared in a circular room, with a flat ceiling. The walls around him were all transparent as if made of extremely clear and see-through glass. The sights beyond the glass were familiar to him. It reminded him of the night sky, bright and full of stars.

"Am I in space?"

Markus knew that word. What lay beyond the confines of the planet he lived in, Gaea. Space was always a compelling prospect for Markus. Ever since he learned that there could be worlds just like his into the night sky, he was immediately enamoured.

"So this is what it looks like," Markus commented in awe.

But then, from the corner of his eyes, he observed a strange object.

"What is that?"

As if answering his question, the room he was currently in began to propel itself towards the direction of that object. He was getting closer, and closer.

It looked odd, to say the least. Space in and of itself looked like an empty, dark void. But this object was much, much darker. It was so dark that it made outer space look as bright as the sun. Markus was sure he'd have missed it if not for the circle halo of light enveloping it in a thin blanket. It marked a visible boundary to distinguish the object from its surroundings.

It had a circular appearance. Markus was confused whether it was spherical because at its 'poles' were two bright pillars that appeared to be spinning. The axis of rotation implied that the body was spherical, yet it was so dark that Markus couldn't decipher its third dimension.

"This..."

To Markus, the mass appeared small. He didn't know whether it was because he was far away from it, or if it was actually that size. But as he approached it, it started to become larger. Enormous even!

Upon reaching closer, Markus was able to observe the mass with greater detail. The area around the black mass began to visibly warp. What should have appeared stationary and point-like, stretched out like a noodle and began to revolve with a high angular velocity. There was no sound, but Markus felt the undulating seismic activity passing through him periodically.

And suddenly, he was caught!

"This feeling..." It was all too familiar. To date, he was haunted by it in his sleep. But unlike in his fight, it didn't stop or plateau.

As Markus approached the object, which he now recognised as a black hole, he began to experience a crushing feeling well beyond what he had ever felt in his entire life. It grew exponentially with each passing millisecond.

"ARGH!" His body screamed, yet he knew that it was intact. This pain was completely phantom in nature, yet extremely life-like.

The room Markus was in approached the now-massive black hole. He was so close that the area around him began to fold in on itself. He was in a total and complete abyss. He couldn't feel anything else apart from an immense pressure a hundred trillion times his weight, attacking each and every single atom in his body.

"This is true darkness!" Markus declared while gritting his teeth. Gaige's spell was nothing! It was barely the tip of the iceberg. This was true power. Unadulterated and unforgiving. Gaige could only dream to touch the surface of what Markus was experiencing right now.

And then there was nothing.

Complete darkness.

All Markus could remember was his body getting ripped apart piece by piece, molecule by molecule, atom by atom. And it didn't stop at that!

Yet it all occurred within an infinitesimal fraction of a second. So fast that the pain barely managed to register in his mind.

And that was that.

Markus once again experienced the feeling of entering a vacuum. His suspended body was whisked out, and he found himself back to where he was before, facing a dark screen next to his Master.

"It was the same! Darkness... I now know what it is!" Markus uttered with excitement while facing his Master's pious gaze.