C3 From the void: Chapter 3

After a seemingly endless silence, this dark dimension lay peacefully in the realm, absorbing Yuham’s message that had altered its entire perception of existence.

But then, from within its dark consciousness, Abraxus maliciously drawled, “Be that as it may, I am no longer a speck! Do you think You can talk to me and that will change what I have accomplished on my own?”

The peaceful dark particles started regaining their vibrant nature all throughout Abraxus’s form, and it continued, “I was the one who used my intelligence on my own self, alone! I was the one who expanded and completely conquered my realm. My reflection was not you or the infinite one–it was me! It was my ability that spread for countless millennia. Now that you have revealed the light, I feel no inclination towards it; to be like you, shackled by servitude.”

With that, Abraxus released a dark swirl of triumph. “Ever since we began communicating, I have perceived that you, too, have a spreading nature. However, I am certain that my abilities drastically dominate your own. You claim that you are more ancient than me, but look at what I have become–I am superior to you in size and ability. I have no equals!”

And now, the darkness’s aura changed to a wail that expressed the most malicious of intentions. “If I was created from your absence, then I will simply pass over you and see how great this creator of mine really is. I will yield to none inferior than me!”

Abraxus inwardly swore to never be taught by a servant like Yuham, no matter what was to come from this unknown realm—every particle emitted from this entity was created to oppose Abraxus’s nature. This unsettled the darkness to its very core, and its entire consciousness was wrought with pent-up ire and aggression.

Since the beginning of its existence, everything came from Abraxus’s consciousness, and the darkness instinctively knew its core was the source of all its capabilities. This now truly corrupt core had allowed the darkness to evolve from a miniscule speck into a cosmic form.

The darkness quickly shifted backwards, sending its consciousness billions of dark clusters away from the barrier, all the while confidently summoning a multitude of microscopic specks of black matter and gathering them to form a single, colossal extension that spanned far and wide across the realm, an infinite length of shadow.

The vortex of darkness roared, radiating pure hatred, and the smoke swirled violently around the extension as Abraxus prepared to destroy the barrier into smithereens and the darkness let loose a terrible cry.

“By all the might in me, I declare: there shall be no light!”

A cold shudder echoed throughout the realm, so that every corner of the void felt the darkness that was Abraxus. It hurled the formidable shadow of black matter towards the unseen separation, with every intention of destroying it and engulfing Yuham.

But then, despite the smoke and darkness, everything seemed to stop. There was a powerful eruption that bathed the entire realm in golden light, and for the first time, there seemed to be a break in the dense expanse of unfathomable shadow. A vibrating hum reverberated throughout the realm, and the heat intensified, burning the tips of Abraxus’s outer layer. Suddenly, this colossal darkness felt a jarring impact on its outermost form, and Abraxus’s dark dimension was pushed back forcefully, with such speed that it was shot into oblivion, plummeting into the endless depths of vastness from whence it came.

As the space around Abraxus flashed past, it was the first time this dark entity had no control over its own particles. It was petrified as the shadows swirled endlessly, overwhelmed by confusion and anger. Yuham was growing smaller as this unexpected force pushed distance between them, but Abraxus could still feel the light’s aura, pulsing an energy full of only pity for Abraxus’s refusal to accept Yuham’s message.

A new light in front of the darkness now glowed and seemed to expand, and then Abraxus felt a new resonance.

“You shall never come near the luminary of all lights -not while I exist.”

This command seemed to penetrate the darkness to its very core, and Abraxus was plagued by an unexplainable terror. The extension, which had been rippling with dark energy, crumbled into dust, completely overcome by the aura of this new light entity and the power it held.

Abraxus hissed and instinctively recoiled with intimidation, gazing at another, unfamiliar light entity just mere lengths away from him. The proximity was so close that Abraxus could feel the light’s blinding illumination penetrating its outer form.

This entity was like Yuham in size, extending throughout hundreds of supercluster distances, but different in shape. It was circular, converging into a linear end on one side, and the outer rim of the circle was a pure golden arc of light which encircled a unique, white core, with an unfamiliar shape that radiated pulsing energy. This inner core, too, was like that of Yuham’s, but emanated a vastly different aura: It was a different energy, full of virtuous command that brightened the cosmos in every direction, compelling Abraxus’s outermost, murky particles to retreat within the safe havens of the shadow.

“This is impressive.” Abraxus hissed. As the darkness gazed upon the ethereal being that shimmered with a radiant energy and again it felt another strong surge of animosity emitting from its core towards this golden entity. “Identify yourself.”

Abraxus’s demand was a wretched, grating cacophony that clawed at its particles, overpowering the space around it with a terrible sense of evil.

“I am Avar,” the light entity declared majestically. “I should unleash my wrath upon you for even thinking ill of Yuham. Your naivety, however, has given me reason to overlook your hostility. So I ask you once more: will you follow the way of Yuham…or will you continue to resist the truth?”

“The only truth I have come to know,” Abraxus hissed contemptuously, “is that despite your apparent sense of grandeur, neither you nor Yuham can possibly compare to me. My endless form could easily engulf many of you, and I will once again be the sole inhabitant of this cosmos and beyond.”

Avar’s light gleamed. “Like I stated before, you are naïve! I am the guardian of His infiniteness. I am that superior light that holds all laws in balance! You will see only what I permit you to see. Yuham and I are not alone.”

And with that, Avar declared, “Behold! The kingdom of the Infinite One.”

Avar’s words seemed to serve as a signal, and immediately, the entire realm transformed. The space behind Avar began to expand, becoming brighter and brighter and more intense until Abraxus could barely stand to focus upon it for fear of burning its precious dark particles, and suddenly a burst of brilliant light appeared from nowhere, shooting into space and creating a gaping hole in the realm. Abraxus could now see the area behind the unseen barrier–it shone with overlapping rays of light that illuminated the now-defined light realm for millions of light distances.

“Now he holds up to his name, the Infinite One,” thought Abraxus. More beams emerged, crossing, and whirling until the entire space was illuminated; the only darkness that remained in the realm was Abraxus.

As the intersecting beams of light gradually began to fade, more light entities were revealed, each one with their own unique brilliance.

The first entity, slightly smaller than Avar and Yuham, was positioned a few cosmic lengths behind Avar. It was composed of two vibrant light columns with a bluish-green hue that stretched across nebular distances and joined together at the bottom. Nestled between these two burning pillars of turquoise light was a magnificent white core, shaped similar to Avar and Yuham’s combined with shimmering shades of green and blue.

Far away outside the forcefield in front of Yuham hovered the second light entity, the smallest of them all. It took the same shape as the bluish-green entity, but this one was adorned with overlapping hues of red and yellow. Its silver core rippled with blazing power and heat, and Abraxus could sense that it radiated a mysterious aura.

The third entity lay behind the forcefield, hovering at Yuham’s side, and it was the most stunning of all–its aura was unlike any of its four followers, with wisps of shimmering, blue and purple hues that surrounded a golden core at its center; it radiated an otherworldly energy bursting with intrigue. Abraxus moved closer to fully discern the shape of this entity, but was hit with an unnerving sensation that sent tingles of unease coursing through the darkness’s entire form, forcing Abraxus to focus away.

Avar turned towards Abraxus, who was still hovering in this newly revealed space, stunned by the sudden appearance of these ethereal beings. “Yield to the infinite One,” Avar commanded.

Abraxus paused, as if considering Avar’s words. “If you think you can make me submit, the darkness declared contemptuously, “I implore you to try. After countless millennia inhabiting a deserted void, I find the thought of this confrontation exciting!”

Avar’s golden rim emitted flashing golden waves. “Despite my warnings, you have chosen a path where there is no salvation. I hereby declare, by the One and Only supremacy, to rival your path until your end!”

With that, Avar hurled straight into Abraxus’s gargantuan form with warp speed. His motions were sleek and seamless as if the very space was moving with him, and the energy was so intense that Abraxus’s outer particles instantly vaporized. Undaunted, Abraxus shifted its core again, determined to protect it at all costs as Avar’s form slowly faded from view, lost within the outer form of the darkness.

An instant later, however, there was a burst of mesmerizing, golden particles, and Abraxus’s outer shadows shattered, blown apart into billions of obsidian fragments that swirled around Avar, a tornado of glittering black matter mixed with gold. Leaving no time to react, Avar’s light became a vortex, eliminating abraxus’s exterior form with inescapable force.

Abraxus could feel its structure slipping away, and the darkness let out an anguished cry. All around him, the microscopic parts of him were dissolving. The shadowy particles that had allowed him to stretch throughout the realm for countless millennia were disintegrating and fading from view.

But Abraxus was not overcome, and let out a hiss of self-satisfied disdain; Avar’s powers represented only a fraction of the darkness’s coming retaliation. “I can sense every particle of my prodigious form–the part that you have vaporized was a mere thread of my entire existence. Did you really think you could vanquish all of me?”

He formed two mega extensions much faster than the first time, that radiated the very nature of deep, dark malice. They stretched and twisted limitlessly, and Abraxus called upon them to race towards Avar. In a flash, Avar vanished, his light particles moving so fast that they seemed to cover the surrounding space. Abraxus was appalled, for the laws the light was utilizing were radically new. Avar suddenly reappeared, impressively expelling Abraxus’s extensions with another flash of energy that transformed into two super nebulas of golden light, composed of millions of solidified light energons clustered together. The light beams collided violently with the black extensions and produced a deafening eruption; energy became warped with darkness, surrounded by glittering particles of residue. Abraxus’s extensions vaporized into nothing, and the pillars of light rushed towards the darkness, surrounding his endless coils of smoke.

“Your experiments with your own self over the last few millennia are serving you well,” Avar acknowledged. “But with the light, you could be so much more.”

Abraxus’s particles stiffened slightly, alerted by the light’s words–Avar had given the darkness an idea.