Chapter 1
Hear the tales from the worlds beyond, the tales of dreams, the tales of dread, the mysteries and odities, from the realms unknown & untold…
AFTER DEATH
She felt her body getting lighter and her heart beat slowing down, she looked around to ask for help but everything and everyone looked like they were frozen in place and in that moment, she knew, that her time to depart this world has come. She closed her eyes and slowly departed from this world. Then she opened her eyes again, she saw a long white hallway Infront of her and on both sides of it she could see her memories floating around on a giant inter-dimensional like screen.
At the end of the hallway there were two doors one was colored in pure black, and decorated with beautiful orchids growing from its frame, radiating with an intense purple color and the second door that was made out of strange alien like matter, radiating in a color that doesn’t exist in our world, but the most fascinating part were the stars and galaxies that could be seen in the doors frame. The girl was instantly captivated with the second door and she rushed towards them, but as soon as she grabbed the handle a strange voice yelled: STOP!!! And then kindly continued saying: This door is not meant for you yet. The girl didn’t know who the voice belonged to but for some reason she knew its intentions were good and decided to trust it, she stepped away from the alien like door and grabbed the handle of the black door. The door opened.
Behind the door she gazed upon a long black bridge darker than any pigment of black known in our world and the environment formed out of thick black fog with strange dark spheres floating all around. The image before her got her frightened but she knew she must continue her journey.
She stepped onto the bridge and as soon as she did, her entire body was overwhelmed with a feeling of protection and kindness. After waiting for some time, the fog started to disperse and there it stood before her….
She was left breathless when she gazed upon a giant scene that revealed itself before her. There behind the wall of fog stood a giant black castle with its towers piercing deep into the black sky and a giant skull growing from its side. Suddenly the castle door opened and the strange orbs that were floating around her started whispering: Welcome back..
The girl stepped onto black stares leading to the giant castle doors and within the stairs she could see all the possible futures that she could have lived, she shed a tear when she stepped through the gate. There inside the castle she was greeted by a shadowy figure, who are you? She asked and the figure replied: I am your guide, come the king awaits your arrival.
The girl followed the dark figure trough the castle, its interior was dark and mysterious, made out of architecture unknown to man and filled with artifacts and items that would surpass your wildest dreams. Soon they reached the court room and the shadowy figure stopped. The king awaits you, it said and the court room opened. The girl stepped into the court room and within it on a giant black throne sat a dark figure, she instantly recognized it for it is depicted in our world time and time again the figure was Death.
It greeted the girl with a skeletal smile filled with kindness and hope. The death told the girl it is good to see her again, the girl was confused, have we met before? She asked and the Death replied: Yes, many times before and as soon as it did, Death appeared in front of her and placed thy hand on her shoulder, restoring all her memories from the lifetimes she had, her origin and the goal of all her incarnations.
I failed again, haven’t I? The girl said with a bitter smile. Yes, the Death replied but do not lose hope. I will never achieve perfection the girl said in tears. Souls like you were never meant to be perfect but it is this very reason that your potential and growth has no limit set upon it, the ability to infinitely grow and evolve as a soul is the true meaning behind the perfection that you ve been looking for trough all your life times. The girl smiled and thanked Death for its advice. It’s time for us to depart the Death said softly it waved its dark hand and opened a window to earth. This is your last cycle when you die again the gate of Zerania will be open to you. Zerania?
The girl asked in confusion but before Death could answer she was already swallowed by a portal and reborn on planet Earth.
THE ONE WHO WAS BEFORE
In the beginning before the time itself was given purpose, there existed a lonely fragment, thy was surrounded by the eternal nothingness, which thyself was also a part of, but something unexpected happened. The lonely fragment, resonated with thyself and in that manner gave birth to the first form of conscience and with that resonation the creation began, formed out of the original connection the first form of love.
Thy grew and expanded resonation after resonation, shaping and creating more and more of thyself, always evolving, becoming more and more complex, until the complexity of the resonation became so advanced that the energy fields resonating within him gave birth to the concept of life.. From the simplest of organisms and then through the resonation upon resonation into the advanced forms of life, each of them sharing direct resonating information with the original fragment thyself, experiencing all thy’s thoughts, emotions, self.
Examining them individually in our own unique way, then through the resonation of countless realities, form the path between all of them and resonation upon resonation shape the course of creation thyself, the original god and ultimately decide thy’s fate, order or chaos, The creator or The destroyer.
A CHEST IN THE WELL
The man sat at the counter of his favorite tavern, it was late afternoon in the middle of the spring, people were chatting behind the tables and warm spring air encircled the tavern through the open window every few minutes. The man took another deep sip from his keg, emptying it completely, then he gazed upon its empty bottom. He sighted, if only I had the money of a lord, this life would be so much easier. He then ordered another keg, when an old man approached him.
If you want the money all you need to do is jump in the abandoned well, there is a hidden chest there, left behind by a duke that once lived here. The man stared in surprise, if this is true how come no one decided to grab it before, he asked. The old man smiled, I am the only one that knows about it, before the duke died, he left this secret in my care, but watching you drown in booze, has compelled me to share it, I am old and the money inside is of no use to me, you however have an entire life ahead of you and will put it in proper use.
The man’s eyes shined with joy, thank you, from all my hearth thank you, he said to the old man and squezzed his hand. The old man kindly nodded him and left the tavern.
The man paid the bill and left home, to make plans for the future, the village is crowded now he thought to himself, I will return later in the evening.
Hours have passed and as the moon shined through the clouds, the cold evening breeze began whispering through the land, the man put on a cloak and left his house. He walked with the lantern in his left hand towards the well, that was sitting on top of the hill near the village, the well was in circular shape, with stone moss growing on its edges, he approached it, when he heard a strange voice echoing from within it. Help! Help!!, the voice yelled, the man was in shock and shined his lantern inside the well’s depths.
Who’s there? He asked and the voice replied, I am just a villager, I heard a story about a treasure, but when I tried to shine the light inside the well, I slipped on the moss stones and fell down, please get me out of here. Is the chest down there asked the man, the voice replied, yes I have found it, it is all yours just get me out of here please, the voice begged. I want the chest first, I will send a rope down there, attach it to the chest, after it’s in my hands I will pull you out. Is all this necessary please you will have your chest, said the voice, I have been down here for 20 days now, I am starving. The chest first said the man again, now with a more serious voice.
Fine you win said the voice, I will give you your chest first, just please pull me up after. I will throw the rope down now, attach it and let me know when it’s done. There is nothing I can attach it to, said the voice, I can however give it to you I managed to find some rocks that are climbable, I can ascend and give it to you, just reach towards me a bit.
Ohh, you re killing me said the man, fine I will reach in, start climbing, then the voice went silent and the man heard quiet taps heading towards him from the depths, then the voice spoke again, this time a lot closer, I am here, reach towards me. Fine, said the man and leaned over the edge, where the hell are you I don’t see anything, just a bit further, you almost have it, the man stretched even further, ughh where the hell are you I can’t hold on like thi…
At that moment the man slipped his hand on the moss covered stone and fell into the well, his body froze in shock as he fell inside the cold murky water. Then he opened his eyes and covered his face with a sad smile. He picked a rock from the bottom and began writing on the stone wall, that was still encompassed by the moon’s glow. Day 21.
I had the same dream again, I saw my beautiful tavern, the people and that sweet smell of spring wind, my limbs are slowly giving up, I am hungry and cold, there is no escaping this, I will die here in the dark. If only I would be grateful for my blessings, perhaps my life would have ended differently.
Back at the tavern the old man could be seen again, telling the story to another traveler he found sitting behind a counter, when a girl walked towards him. Grandpa here you are, I apologize sir, he ran from our house again, he is sick you see, his mind can’t separate what’s real anymore. It’s no problem, smiled the traveler, the story he told me was quite amusing. Oh let me guess smiled the girl, he told you of a treasure inside the well?
No, smiled the traveler, he actually told me about the fool that lives within it, ahh, the girl sighted must be a new delusion, sorry again, she smiled, there’s no problem smiled the traveler, have a pleasant evening, you too, said the girl and together with her grandpa left the tavern.
On the way to her house she asked grandpa about the story, grandpa why did you tell that story to that poor traveler, I know you have you difficulties but this one was a stretch even for you.. There is no one living inside that well, the old man turned towards the girl and covered his face with an evil smile, there is now…
THE MAD DOCTOR
Once upon a time, in a forgotten corner of the world, there lived a brilliant yet tormented soul named Dr. Victor Magnus. Driven by an insatiable thirst for knowledge and a deep fear of mortality, he had dedicated his life to unraveling the mysteries of immortality.
Dr. Magnus was a prodigious scientist, known for his unorthodox experiments and eccentric demeanor. He had spent countless nights in his dimly lit laboratory, surrounded by jars of strange substances and the flickering glow of bubbling concoctions. His relentless pursuit of immortality had consumed him, isolating him from the world and blinding him to the consequences of his actions.
As the years wore on, Dr. Magnus became increasingly obsessed, pushing the boundaries of scientific ethics and venturing into forbidden realms. He experimented on himself, injecting mysterious elixirs and subjecting his body to torturous procedures. But each attempt brought him closer to the brink of madness, leaving him physically scarred and emotionally shattered.
Despite the failures, Dr. Magnus remained resolute, refusing to accept defeat. His once-brilliant mind was now clouded by desperation, and his pursuit of immortality had become a twisted obsession. He had lost sight of the beauty of life itself, consumed by the fear of its inevitable end.
One fateful night, as a raging storm battered his laboratory, Dr. Magnus stumbled upon an ancient manuscript hidden deep within the labyrinthine shelves of his study. It spoke of a mythical artifact known as the Heartstone—a fabled gem said to possess the power to grant eternal life. Intrigued and fueled by a newfound glimmer of hope, Dr. Magnus embarked on a perilous quest to find the Heartstone.
His journey took him through treacherous terrains and forbidden lands, facing unimaginable dangers and battling his own inner demons. The pursuit of immortality had transformed him into a mere shell of his former self—his eyes haunted, his body frail, and his heart burdened by the weight of countless sacrifices.
Finally, after years of relentless searching, Dr. Magnus stood at the precipice of discovery. He had reached a hidden chamber deep within a long-forgotten temple. There, amidst a radiant aura, lay the Heartstone—the embodiment of his deepest desires and the pinnacle of his quest for immortality.
With trembling hands, Dr. Magnus grasped the Heartstone, feeling its energy course through his veins. For a fleeting moment, he believed he had achieved the impossible—that he had conquered the relentless march of time. But as he gazed into the heart of the gem, a wave of profound realization washed over him.
In that moment, Dr. Magnus saw the folly of his pursuits, the blind pursuit of eternal life at the expense of truly living.
He saw the beauty of the fleeting moments, the fragility of existence, and the wisdom in accepting the natural cycle of life and death. The Heartstone, once coveted above all else, now held no allure.
Overwhelmed by a sense of remorse and newfound wisdom, Dr. Magnus made a decision that would forever alter the course of his life. With a heavy heart, he returned the Heartstone to its resting place, vowing to abandon his quest for immortality and seek redemption for his past transgressions.
Dr. Magnus emerged from the depths of the temple a changed man. The weight of his obsession lifted, replaced by a newfound appreciation for the beauty of life’s fleeting moments. He dedicated the rest of his days to undoing the damage caused by his reckless experiments, using his knowledge and expertise to heal rather than harm.
As he walked the path of redemption, Dr. Magnus became a symbol of the human capacity for change and growth. His once-mad scientist persona transformed into that of a wise sage—a beacon of hope and a reminder that true immortality lies not in defying death but in the legacy we leave behind.
And so, the tale of Dr. Victor Magnus serves as a cautionary reminder of the perils of unchecked ambition and the importance of cherishing the beauty of life’s ephemeral nature. For it is in the acceptance of our mortality that we find the courage to live fully and embrace the richness of the human experience.
