The Codex Eternal

In a vast expanse of white lay a young man. The young man was dressed in what could only be described as nightwear. Lying in a fetal position, he remained oblivious to his surroundings. The environment wasn't helping either, as it remained serene and peaceful.

"Hmm."

Sounds were heard as the man stirred but did not wake. He remained lying on the floor but now lay face up.

"Shit!" he exclaimed as he immediately covered his eyes due to the light.

This was a situation he was used to, and it could only mean two things: he was late or the power had been restored.

"At least I can charge my phone," the young man said, somehow not registering his new environment.

He stood up and began stretching his body, his eyes still closed to adjust better to the light. However,

"Shit," he cussed almost as soon as he opened his eyes.

This was a new environment; it was all white as far as his eyes could see and nothing else. Where was this?

"Please don't tell me I'm dead," the man said, not knowing how to feel about his current situation.

He didn't want to die; he still had a lot to live for. He was just about to get into university—the so-called 'freedom state for children.'

How could he die now?

[You are not dead,] a new voice was heard, startling the young man.

Turning around quickly, he found nothing but white as usual; there truly was nothing here.

[This should do the job for you,] the voice suddenly said again, but the boy had long since stopped listening.

He would say he was panicking, but he somehow didn't seem capable of such at the moment. His fear was there, but he was oddly calm about this new voice.

"What are you doing… Argh!!" the young man screamed as he felt a bright and burning sensation hit his face.

"What the fuck!!... Oh God almighty, if I catch you, I swear…" the man began as fury and anger swelled in his heart.

[Relax, this will allow you to see us all,] the new voice said again, and just as quickly, the pain subsided.

It vanished almost as though it didn't exist. Opening his eyes, the man could still see his hands and his body.

[See, you're all good,] the voice said again, prompting the man to look toward its source.

"Argh!!" he screamed as he immediately backed away.

"What the fuck are you?" he shouted while still trying to get as much space between them as possible.

Before him was a giant eyeball. It floated several meters above the floor and seemed to be man-made in some way. The man couldn't describe what it was and didn't want to associate with it any further until he figured it out.

[Oh… a minus-tier race. Okay, let's do this again. My name is Taaia of Gritoa in the Grit Solar System of sector 27189. I am a silicon-based life form. What about you?] the eyeball said cheerfully.

"Where is this?" the man asked, now calmer.

Even he could sense it; the eldritch horror calling itself a silicon-based lifeform didn't hold any malice or negative intent towards him.

[We don't know. All of us just appeared here just like you did.]

Hearing that, the man finally got to examine the space with his new 'vision.' Looking around, he saw creatures of all types—from creatures he was familiar with but only through fiction to those he had never imagined could exist.

[I have met roughly 20% of everyone in the area, and they, too, don't know why we are here, so we are all on our own.]

"What's wrong with him?" the man pointed toward an area.

In that area, he could see several creatures standing around another one that was now tied up. The tied-up creature was bipedal but much larger than he was. They were far away from him, but even from such a distance, they all looked relatively the same size as he was. This only meant that they were giants compared to him.

[We have been here a long time. Some, like him, thought our purpose here was to just kill each other, and only the last survivor would leave.]

"Oh... Was there any such rule?"

[None… Hence why he is in bondage… you know you have yet to introduce yourself.]

"Oh… Richard King of Earth in the Sol Solar System… I don't know what sector that is."

[Sol Solar System… My records do not show any such star system,] Taaia said after a while.

"Maybe you guys just haven't explored that far into the galaxy," the man… Richard said with a smile.

[No, my kind is eternal. We have spent eons mapping the universe, both the inhabited and the uninhabited. We have named all galaxies and star systems within each one. We wait for new galaxies to rise so we can name them, and we have never heard or recorded anything called the Sol Solar System.]

"What does that mean?" Richard asked.

He could already tell what it meant, but he didn't want to hear it. If that was true, then this entire situation was now way beyond his control.

[It means that you, my friend, are from another universe,] Taaia said as it floated around him.

Beams of red light flew out of its giant eye as they seemed to scan him. Richard didn't protest because he felt it was not harmful.

If what it said was true, then its people were natural-born observers; curiosity ran in their veins just as it coursed through the veins of every human.

"What about the others? Have you asked them where they are from?" Richard asked.

[Not everyone is as accepting of my telepathic gift as you are,] Taaia replied.

"What?!" Richard asked in shock.

For some reason, he didn't think about it. Taaia was a giant eyeball; it didn't have a mouth, but yet he could hear it speak, so how?

[I thought you knew. I mean, I physically do not have any features that should allow me to speak.]

"Whatever you see inside there, you didn't see it, you hear me?"

[As you wish,] Taaia responded.

"That kind of explains how I can even understand you in the first place… Your kind truly was created for observation and recording."

[The Visiarchs are not made; we are born just as your carbon-based lifeforms give birth.]

"No… I mean… Don't worry," Richard said, trying to explain himself.