The strong swirls of everything that surrounded me, reminding me constantly of the reality that I was now dealing with. I simply lost count as the minutes, hours, days went by. Each of them came together in this location that surpasses space and time. Still thinking, I was caught by a sudden disruption in the cosmic ether.
At the beginning, it was merely a ripple, almost hard to spot in the midst of the swirling hues and damaged truths. However, it began to grow quickly, creating a contradictory tone within the cosmic ensemble. All of a sudden, with a sound as if reality was being destructively torn apart, the door opened up in front of me.
“Brianne!” a voice that was familiar rang out, loaded with both relief and urgency. “Thank God we found you!”
The first person to walk through the door was Chase. His once neat and coiffed hair was in shambles, and in his eyes I could see a blend of fear and determination. Behind him was Alessandro, whose normal appearance always failed to show anxiety.
“Chase? Alessandro?” My voice was hoarse from the disguise. “How… how did you get here?”
At that point, neither of them could answer before two additional figures appeared through the shimmering door. I was so happy to see Zoe. Her quiet persona was in contrast to the intense look in her eyes. And behind her…
“Detective Morris?” I drew in a deep breath; I suddenly recognized something, almost physically shattering.
The worn detective appeared as an alien in the cosmic whirlpools of the Nexus as a penguin does in the Sahara. He held his service pistol tightly, his eyes quickly surveying his environment, trying to interpret what he was seeing.
With a groan, he muttered, “What in the world of all that’s holy…” and then his eyes finally landed on me.
“Time is running out,” Chase said with urgency, reaching to grab my arm. “You must leave here right away.”
I hesitated, my mind reeling. With all The Architect’s revelations and what I had learned about my true self, could I possibly just… leave? Could I, more importantly, trust those individuals who said they are here to save me?
Alessandro must have realized my hesitation. There was a light shining in his dark brown eyes that I had never seen before. “Brianne,” he notified gently, “I understand you may have questions; Understandably, I realize you’re confused and frightened. As of right now, we’re asking for your trust. Please.”
A quiet desperation in his voice managed to override my skepticism. I moved with short, thoughtful nods, permitting Chase to draw me towards the door.
Wait,” Zoe raised her voice just enough to be heard above the chaos of everything that was happening. “Something’s wrong. It shouldn’t be this easy.”
Just at the point where she spoke, a deep, resonant chuckle resonated in the swirling void. All of a sudden, The Architect appeared out of the void, giving the impression that reality itself was in turmoil.
He spoke, saying, “Indeed, child,” with his twinkling ancient eyes showing amusement. # “Absolutely nothing in the multiverse is ever effortless.”
To his merit, Detective Morris got over his shock quickly. He pointed his gun at The Architect with a controlled hand. “Don’t move!” he shouted. “Everyone, get back to the portal immediately!”
Yet The Architect merely smiled without evidently being concerned about the threat. He said with a soft tone, “Here, none of your mortal weapons have power, Detective.” “While I respect you for your bravery.”
As we all stood stationary, caught between the temptation of escape and the imposing figure of The Architect, a different person came out from the shadows. At over six feet, lean and with eyes brimming with the darkness of a thousand nights, The Raven was now present.
The Raven cooed, his voice giving me a chill down my spine.”What have we here? A valiant rescue attempt? How… impressive.”
Chase positioned himself between me and the fresh company. “It’s time to go,” he remarked, his tone more stable than I’d anticipated considering what was going on. “All of us. And you’re going to leave us.”
The Raven was laughing at the sound of broken glass. “Oh, are we now? And why, then, would we choose to do so?”
“Because,” Alessandro said with a soft voice that somehow held more influence than Chase’s boldness, “you need us. All of us. Regardless of which game you’re playing, or which cosmic story you’re creating you will definitely need us.
The group experienced a heavy silence. I began to perceive the others surrounding me Chase’s nervous vitality, Zoe’s resolute silence, Detective Morris’s somehow maintained confusion and fright. At the heart of all of it, I sensed that usual warmth inside me, Lucy’s presence a reassuring anchor in the chaos.
The Architect and The Raven looked at each other for a while, with some unspoken communication transpiring between them. Ultimately, The Architect looked towards us, with an enigmatic smile twinkling in the corners of his mouth.
“Possibly,” he stated after a moment, “your friend is somewhat right. The richness of fate is considerable and intricate, as each strand contributes to the whole.”
“So you’ll let us go?” Zoe posed her question, with hope clearly striking her voice.
The Raven had a smile that was predatory. “You misunderstand, dear. You absolutely can leave this all behind, without a doubt.
Certainly. But ‘go’? Wherever you may go across the world, you will still be a part of what we can label as a grand experiment.”
“You must be insane, what does that mean?” Detective Morris, visibly frustrated, was growing more irritated. “What experiment?”
Still, The Architect raised a hand, quieting any forthcoming queries. Detective, all information will come out at the right time. For the time being, you should understand that the game is way beyond what ever you could comprehend. The players are assembled. We all know that… well, let’s just acknowledge it’s much bigger than one can envision.”
A simple motion of his arm caused the portal in back of us to brighten again. “Go,” he said simply. “Return to your world. However, bear in mind that this is just the beginning.”
Chase needed to be made aware of this twice. Grabbing my arm, he dragged me in the direction of the glistening gateway. “Come on,” he hissed. “Before they change what they think.”
While walking up to the portal, I couldn’t help but look back. The Architect and The Raven were next to each other, watching us with faces that I couldn’t quite discern. Just before we stepped through, I heard The Architect’s voice one last time,
“Before you go, hold up. This… has gotten a lot more fascinating.”