Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

In the seemingly infinite darkness, Vahn's consciousness begins to stir. Memories from his life begin to cycle through like a reverse-kaleidoscope within his mind. He experiences the moment of his death once again, every single experiment he was ever put through. All the thoughts, pains, emotions, and agony which had been locked away in his mind assault him anew. He begins to 'scream' out with a voice that doesn't exist as the phantom pain pulses throughout his non-existent body, threatening to rob him of his existence.&nbsp; 'It hurts.'&nbsp; Key events begin to get emphasized within his mind, taking the forefront of the kaleidoscopes focus. He remembers the time where the Doctors had amputated his legs to keep him from moving around on his own. He remembers the group of scientists that tried to test his 'regenerative' properties by cutting and burning segments of his skin. He remembers the time when he tried to commit suicide, only to have any semblance of freedom removed for his efforts.&nbsp; 'I don't deserve this. Nobody deserves this pain.'&nbsp; As the events continue to cycle through his mind, the kaleidoscope slowly begins to dissolve from its edges. The pain which now encompasses his entire being begins to dull as his mind seeks reprieve within the comfort of oblivion.&nbsp; 'Why did I have to suffer so much...it's not fair.'&nbsp; The kaleidoscope now begins to fragment, shattering into segmentary images which seem to exist outside the periphery of Vahn's focus. Without directly observing each fragment, he is able to let the pain cease.&nbsp; 'I should have never been born..."&nbsp; Vahn lets his mind wander away from the images within the kaleidoscope. He begins to look within the encroaching darkness, something that causes a fundamental fear to resonate within his soul.&nbsp; 'I shouldn't even exist...what meaning did my life have? To be used as a tool for the benefit of others...I hate them. THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE ONES TO SUFFER, NOT ME.'&nbsp; The entire kaleidoscope fragments further, leaving only a few remnant images floating within the darkness. Vahn continues to stare into the abyss, developing a sense of longing to contrast the fear. He refuses to stare at the images that only cause him pain. Each image slowly begins to fade away, and with it, Vahn himself begins to fade.&nbsp; '...I just....wanted....to be free...'&nbsp; Now only a single image remains within the darkness. Vahn instinctually knows that if the image fades, everything that ever defined who he was, his very existence itself, would fade into nothingness.&nbsp; 'Finally, I don't have to suffer anymore...'&nbsp; He closes what he imagines to be his 'eyes' and awaits the coming oblivion. He feels no sense contentedness, only a solemnity far beyond anything a fourteen-year-old child should possess.&nbsp; ...&nbsp; After waiting for an indeterminant amount of time, an unease arrises within Vahn. He feels as though he had been waiting a long time, but no matter how much time passes he cannot cease to be. Within the darkness, a single image still remains, the last defining moment of his entire life. The last bastion of the pain that defined his very existence. Finally succumbing to the unease within, Vahn grits his 'teeth' and looks towards the last image as if to acknowledge his pain for the last time.&nbsp; To his surprise, he sees a scene foreign to him. Something outside the scope of his memory. There is no feeling of pain, only a longing, and a feeling of loss. He stares blankly into the image where a woman in tears cradles a young infant in her arms. Everything else within the scene is a blur, but the image of the woman remains perfectly vivid within the ambiguity. He feels an attachment to this woman, unlike anything he has ever experienced. His soul seems to cry out as the feeling of longing begins to overwhelm him.&nbsp; "I will love you no matter what...Vahn."&nbsp; Suddenly, the darkness shatters, and a now crying child lays on the ground bawling into a now infinite white space. He stares into the image that now encompasses his entire view as the woman smiles gently while rubbing his face. He watches as the strength in her body fails her, and the gentle sign of affection ceases as her hand falls. He screams as if in a testament to the very embodiment of suffering and loss. He recognizes this woman he has never met as his mother, the first and last person that ever truly loved him. He stares into the image that now encompasses his entire view as it begins to deteriorate from its edges. He screams and screams with an inhuman unwillingness to let the image fade.&nbsp; 'Mother...mother please, don't go! PLEASE, DON'T LEAVE ME.'&nbsp; He watches as the image begins to fade, reaching out but unable to grasp it until finally, the image disappears into nothingness.&nbsp; An emptiness far deeper than the black abyss he previously observed settles within him. Though the image within the kaleidoscope has faded, he adamantly refuses to let the 'memory' escape from his mind. He sits within the vast white space, tears dripping from his face, as a silent cry escapes from his throat. The image of the mother he never had the opportunity to be with the becomes the only thing holding him into existence.&nbsp; (You poor child.)&nbsp; A voice sounds within the vast emptiness. Observing the young emaciated boy from above, it begins to descend upon him.&nbsp; (You have experienced a suffering far greater than the average soul. Please, allow me to help you.)&nbsp; The young boy sits, unmoving as he stares into the emptiness. The tears, now having run dry carve deep trenches within his skin. The voice, that had cried out in pain for so long, now a memory long forgotten.&nbsp; (Please child. You have been sitting in this space for three years now. Please, let me help you. I cannot bear to see you suffer so.)&nbsp; The voice sighs, unable to stir the young boy that has earned its attention. It begins to reflect upon its previous actions, uncertain if it was the correct choice to bring the child's karma to an end, resulting in his death. But the boy has been calling out to them for so long, it believed it's decision to be correct. It did not expect that while the child was observing the 'kaleidoscopic wheel of karma' that his soul would be on the verge of dissolving. To prevent his soul from being lost to oblivion, the voice had created a root to anchor the child's soul to his final memory in hopes to salvage the situation. Little did it expect that its attempt was too successful, causing the child to become firmly attached to the memory even after it faded away. Now the child sits, unwilling to move forward, making it so that the voice itself is unable to leave this space.&nbsp; (...Her name was Adrianne, your mother.)&nbsp; For the first time, the child stirs.&nbsp; (She knew you know. That giving birth to you was bound to have complications.)&nbsp; The child slowly turns towards the voice almost as if each words has a magnetic effect on his very soul.&nbsp; (She was very sick you see. After she became pregnant, the Doctors and her family encouraged her to get an abortion. They feared that the pregnancy itself would be too difficult, and even if she were to bring you to term it would probably result in her death.)&nbsp; The child now stared fixedly at the source of the voice. Before him stood a very beautiful woman? with difficult to define features. Her? hair was short and had the appearance of silvery liquid that refracted light. Staring directly into her? face was almost impossible, as the features within seemed to constantly be shifting. She? seemed both tall and short, fat but thin, and the clothing that garbed her? seemed to be fused with what should have been her? body. It almost seemed as if the body itself was comprised of feathers and dust.&nbsp; (Regardless of what everyone told her, she was determined to give birth to you. It was her belief that every child deserved the opportunity at life, and she was willing to trade her own to ensure you were allowed that chance.)&nbsp; The child seemed to draw tears from a previously expired source as he listened to the words of the woman?&nbsp; (She truly loved you. Even though you lived a life of suffering, you gave meaning to her sacrifice. I cannot ask you to be grateful to her, but I pray you're able to understand that your life had meaning. It was not born of convenience for other people, but out of a genuine expression of love and the desire you would live well.)&nbsp; The child stared at the woman as she concluded her speech, watching, waiting for her to continue. After a time, he seemed to understand she? was waiting for him to speak. He lowered his head, drying his eyes for the first time since his arrival.&nbsp; "Who are you?" the boy asked.&nbsp; The woman?, a gentle smile appearing on her? face looked to the child.&nbsp; (I am Klyscha, the Goddess of Dreams.)&nbsp;

(I am Klyscha, the Goddess of Dreams.)&nbsp; The woman had a gentle expression as she looked into Vahn's eyes. He could see infinite darkness, similar to the abyss that had encroached upon his 'memories' previously. Within that infinite darkness was countless images like stars floating within, like an amalgamation of events creating a view similar to a nebulous galaxy.&nbsp; (Vahn, I cannot deny you lived a very tragic existence, but know that the love and hopes your mother entrusted you will now become your power.)&nbsp; "What do you mean, 'my power'?" Vahn asked in a confused manner.&nbsp; (You see Vahn, everything that a soul experiences in their life result in an accumulation of Karma. This includes all events, both good and bad. The decisions they make, even how they deal with thoughts and memories during moments of introspection. Though you experienced a lot of 'negative karma' from others, it did not increase your own. In fact, because you were the victim of the circumstances it resulted in a positive gain for you. And I know it may have been the cause of your suffering, but your unique bloodline had resulted in a total of 1,317,042 total lives saved over the course of fourteen years.)&nbsp; Vahn was shocked. Even though he had learned to hate his own existence and inability to take action; even though he had blamed his accursed blood; even though he felt he was just a tool to be used at the convenience of others; he had in fact saved over a million people.&nbsp; "A million people....me?"&nbsp; (1,317,042! You shouldn't overlook the 317,042 lives Vahn. Each and every one of them is an entire life credited to your existence and your mother's love for you.)&nbsp; The child, Vahn, looks down at the 'empty' ground, seemingly lost in thought.&nbsp; "I understand..."&nbsp; Klyscha looked at the child who seemed to be in deep contemplation. He was so small and frail...it shouldn't have been his 'burden' to save so many people.&nbsp; (As I was saying Vahn, even though you may not have intentionally done so, you were able to save 1,317,042 lives. Saving a single life could generate you a large amount of positive karma, and even true heroes typically only accumulate several thousand over the course of their entire lifetime. Because of this, you've accumulated far more than the required karma to obtain benefits after your death. It was because of this fact that I was able to hear your prayers and summon your soul to this space when you died. It's also the reason you have been able to persist in this space for the last three years without being pulled back into the cycle of reincarnation.)&nbsp; Vahn's ears twitched at the word 'reincarnation'.&nbsp; "You mean people get to reincarnate?"&nbsp; The Goddess smiled at the boy's interest in the subject.&nbsp; (Certainly Vahn. Every soul, including the bad ones, is able to undergo the cycle of reincarnation. Generally speaking, when the soul passes through what we Gods refer to as 'The Gate', their memories are wiped after being reviewed through the 'Kaleidoscopic Wheel of Karma'. Depending on the accumulated Karma the soul would then be reborn among a variety of creatures, or sometimes even inanimate objects. For those who have accumulated a lot of positive karma, such as Heroes, Saints, and other Legendary figures, they are able to retain part of, if not all, of their memories.) (A/N: This sentence has a legendary amount of commas)&nbsp; The child's eyes seem to light up somewhat, as he looked towards the Goddess with expectation.&nbsp; "You mean to say that I'll be able to be reincarnated, and keep all of my memories?"&nbsp; (Indeed Vahn. In fact, because you accumulated so much positive Karma, there are a variety of benefits you have access to.)&nbsp; "Benefits?" he asked, confused at the Goddess's words.&nbsp; (Yes. You see, in most cases, the cycle of reincarnation happens automatically, as it is one of the fundamental principles governing the multiverse. It is only in very rare circumstances that a God or Goddess personally overseas a soul going through the cycle. It requires the soul to have accumulated more Karma than the grade of the soul being assessed. As you come from the Mortal plane in the 3rd Dimensional web, you are graded as having a tier 1 soul. Generally speaking, a tier 1 soul cannot accumulate positive Karma exceeding 100,000 points.)&nbsp; "And how much positive Karma have I accumulated?" Vahn asked inquisitively.&nbsp; The Goddess, Kylscha, showed her biggest smile yet as the images in her eyes seemed to become more vibrant.&nbsp; (173,419,003!)&nbsp; Vahn was shocked, "173 million!? I thougtht you said I only saved 1,317,042 lives!"&nbsp; The Goddess giggled with her hand covering her mouth.&nbsp; (That is indeed correct Vahn, and it's good that you're including the entire number when you speak. You see, even performing a simple act of kindness to someone can accumulate positive karma, so of course, saving a life would give you more!)&nbsp; "A-ah...I see. Yes. That makes sense"&nbsp; The Goddess fixed her demeanor and continued.&nbsp; (Certainly. And now let me explain the 'benefits' I mentioned earlier. When a soul accumulates enough karma they are given the opportunity to meet with a God/Goddess before they reincarnate. Which god shows up depends on the desires of the soul, which in this case gives you me, Klyscha, the Goddess of Dreams! Because you had a powerful dream and constantly prayed, your voice was able to reach me. Now I can use my power to grant you a wish and give you the opportunity to select various benefits before your reincarnation into the next life. So tell me Vahn, what is your wish?)&nbsp; Vahn paused for a moment and began to seriously consider his options. He thought about having various superpowers like flight or the ability to walk through walls. He thought about having an absolute strength or having the power to dominate others. As various thoughts went through his head, Vahn realized that many of his 'desires' reflected the negative experiences that he dealt with his entire life. He wanted abilities that allowed him to escape...abilities to punish the people that hurt him....abilities that would enable him to do whatever he wanted for the first time in his life...&nbsp; "...."&nbsp; (Is something wrong Vahn?) asked Klyscha, a grim expression on her face.&nbsp; The child looked directly at her with a deep hatred in his eyes. She could see in him, this child that has not an ounce of negative karma in his soul, an endless potential for darkness. A concern for this child's future began to deeply implant itself into her soul...until the child's expression suddenly relaxed. The darkness that seemed to permeate his entire existence seemed to have faded away, in its place a deep loneliness.&nbsp; "I wish my mother were alive." said the child, looking deeply into her eyes as hope began to sprout in his.&nbsp; The Goddess sighed, helpless to answer the child's desire. Following this, she observed as the boy developed a solemn expression.&nbsp; (I am sorry Vahn, but it is outside the right of any soul to request the alteration of a soul other than their own. Even though time passes differently for entities within this space, your mother has already returned to 'The Gate'. Everything that was her can now only be found within you. I cannot even see where she has reincarnated to, nor can I alter her fate to allow her to be with you again. I can promise you this though. Since she had given birth to you who was able to accumulate so much positive karma, she likely achieved the level of Saint upon her death. She is likely living happily in another world with the hopes that you are living a healthy and happy life.)&nbsp; After her speech, Vahn seemed to relax, almost as if a heavy weight had been lifted off his shoulders.&nbsp; "I see. I am happy as long as she is happy...The only thing I can wish for other than my mom is...I want to be free. I want the opportunity to live the happy life my mother would have wanted for me. I can ask for nothing greater."&nbsp; The Goddess smiled once again, with a gentle, almost reminiscent look on her face.&nbsp; (I am proud of your decision Vahn. I will grant your wish and give you the most powerful tool to help guarantee your freedom.)&nbsp; She reached into space and pulled an ancient looking orb out of the void.&nbsp; (This is an artifact called 'The Path'. It is the core comprised of my divinity as the Goddess of Dreams. With it, you will have access to all words that exist within the dreams of creatures throughout the multiverse. That includes all the anime and manga you were so fond of.) She said with a chuckle.&nbsp; "You mean I will be able to go to any world I want to!?" The boy could barely contain his excitement.&nbsp; (Eventually, yes. But, it will need time to grow alongside you. As you pass through various worlds you will be able to accumulate strength. That strength will be transmitted into 'The Path' and allow you more of the freedom you desire. One day, 'The Path' may even take you to the very time and place your mother resides.)&nbsp; Vahn was awestruck and couldn't even 'breathe' for a few minutes. It almost seemed like his brain had completely shut off.&nbsp; (Your time here is almost up Vahn. The reason I had broken you from your earlier reverie was because the time available before your soul forcefully reincarnated was approaching.)&nbsp; "I...I see," said Vahn. "Can I choose the world I reincarnate to?"&nbsp; The Goddess nodded in affirmation.&nbsp; (You just need to place 'The Path' into your heart. Once it merges with your soul it will give you the power to choose your destiny.)&nbsp; Vahn took the orb and placed it on his chest. Upon contact, it seemed to dissolve into his body and a warm feeling spread through his 'soul'.&nbsp; (*Synchronizing with Host: 1%....37%....100%. Initializing 'The Path' in accordance with Hosts 'records': 1%....19%....90%....100% *Ding* 'Records' verified. Please confirm 'records' by thinking key phrase 'Display Records'.*)&nbsp; Vahn could hear an artificial voice speaking directly into his head. It was a very peculiar feeling unlike anything he had ever experienced. Before he was able to inquire, the Goddess Klyscha interrupted his train of thoughts.&nbsp; (Your time is up Vahn. You will now be taken to the space contained within 'The Path'. I pray you are able to find happiness in your journey.)&nbsp; He was shocked at her sudden announcement, but before he was able to respond-&nbsp; (*Detected Host within *unspecified*. Forcibly removing host to prevent dispersion of soul*)&nbsp; And with that notification, Vahn disappeared from the endless white void.&nbsp; Klyscha stood silently staring into the space previously occupied by the child called Vahn. She issued a silent prayer to gods greater than herself, hoping that his journey is able to heal the wounds within his heart.&nbsp; (...)&nbsp;

"Where am I...?" Vahn muses to himself.&nbsp; "Ah, I must have passed out again." he says while looking at the machine attached to the valve on his hip. He remembers the day it was attached six years ago. The Doctors had begun to get frustrated with trying to draw blood from the veins in his arms and legs, so they had put him under and performed an operation to attach a mechanism on the left side of his hip to serve as an easy access to the arteries going into his legs. Now instead of having to attach tubes to his arms, they just had to attach a hose to the release of the mechanism for quick access to his blood. He often worries about the valve leaking, and if it were to get damaged if he would die...&nbsp; In the last few years, this thought came to Vahn's mind quite often. The boy, now 14 years old, had an emaciated appearance. Though his complexion hadn't changed since birth, still almost translucent in nature, it now had an almost unhealthy appearance. Though the Doctors put him on a highly nutritious diet and even had him hooked up to various tubes to feed a cocktail of vitamins directly into his body, it couldn't hide the damage done by the endless experiments.&nbsp; Vahn sighs, "Guess I'm still alive."&nbsp; He often nurtured the expectation that every time he falls asleep it would hopefully be for good. He had long given up on the possibility of killing himself because the Doctors were constantly monitoring his every action. Once, when he was recovering from one of the more severe experiments, he had tried to take his life by bashing his head into the wall. Unfortunately, his attempt ended in a failure resulting in the walls to now become a padded cell. In protest, he had tried to stop eating, but the Doctors simply injected him with a muscle relaxer and hooked him up to an IV and nutrient drip.&nbsp; A bespectacled female Doctor with short brown hair spoke, "Awake are we Mr. Mason?"&nbsp; "Yes, Doctor Keenly. I guess I'm just feeling a little...anemic." spoke Vahn with a cynical attempt at humor.&nbsp; Smiling, she grabs her tablet. "That's good. Don't worry, the procedure is almost over. How are you feeling today?" she asks feigning concern. She had been assigned to me after my attempted suicide. Even though I know she isn't really my friend, she is one of the only people that at least pretends to treat me like a human.&nbsp; "I'm feeling a lot better. I just finished the latest volume of Naruto. When can I get the next volume?" Vahn asked expectantly. He had really begun to enjoy reading manga and watching anime in previous years. Doctor Keenly had introduced him to it after one of their earlier sessions as a coping mechanism of sorts.&nbsp; "You really do enjoy that manga don't you? Which one is that...ah, the one with the blonde haired ninja boy, correct? I believe the request had gone through recently, so I should be able to get you the newer volumes soon. That is, assuming you do well in your upcoming tests."&nbsp; She often tempts me like this. It was discovered early on that my mental state had slight improvements on the quality of my blood during testing. Nothing significant, but one of the groups within the lab had gotten a grant to observe the effects, so someone must have cared. At least I get something to alleviate my boredom.&nbsp; Vahn nods his head, "Yes ma'am. I will do my best." He gives his most practiced smile.&nbsp; "Very good Mr. Mason. " she says while making notes on her tablet.&nbsp; "I'm looking forward to our session this evening. Now, if you'll please excuse me I'm going to go check up on the status of my shipping request. " She turns and walks out the secured door, nodding to the guards as she passes.&nbsp; After she leaves Vahn rests his head on the table, trying to get what comfort he can as the machines slowly drain the warmth from his body.&nbsp; "I hope I can get the new volume today....I guess I'll need to put in a little more effort this afternoon." he muses to himself as he once again begins to pass out. Though he used to fear "going under" now he tries his best to sleep through any procedure he can, especially the ones like this where they cycle blood out of his body.&nbsp; As he lay back, he begins to let his mind wander to the various stories he had been reading recently. His current favorites are Naruto, Bleach, and Danmachi. He liked to imagine what it would be like to be in the various worlds, away from all the painful machines and experiments. There were even times he prayed to a god which he didn't believe in, hoping to bring an end to this endless cycle of suffering, as he was unable to do it himself.&nbsp; As the various images and scenarios play through his head, Vahn's conscience begins to fade...&nbsp; (...)&nbsp; *insert random sounds of combat, bullets, and moderate explosions*&nbsp; Awakening suddenly to the new sounds, Vahn turns his head in the direction they're being emitted. From the door that symbolizes his imprisonment, he can hear the sounds of dull impacts and vibrations.&nbsp; Straining his ears, he can hear the shouts of various men and women trying to get control of the situation.&nbsp; "What's going on? Those voices sound like the Doctors that are always watching me through the windows...and is that the sound of gunshots?"&nbsp; Instead of fear at the unknown events happening outside of his room, he feels an anticipation. He had often heard from some of the researchers about various the organizations that wanted to "save" and "free" him. According to some of the rumors he had heard, outside of this cold and hateful lab, there were countless people that treated him like a hero or messiah. This was how he came to understand the concept of what a god was, as some of the researchers had tried to 'encourage' him saying how much the research he was 'assisting' with was saving lives all around the world.&nbsp; As he closely watched the door, he could hear the sounds getting closer and closer. After several minutes, the sounds suddenly cut off and Vahn can hear a scraping of sorts happening from outside the door.&nbsp; *muffled explosive noises*&nbsp; Suddenly the seam around the door emits a spontaneous 'coughing' sound and a mild shock-wave which causes Vahn to wince and become slightly disoriented.&nbsp; As the door falls, a group of men wearing dark militaristic style clothing rushes into the room. They quickly spread out and two of the men directly approach Vahn who is still hooked up to the machine.&nbsp; Still slightly disoriented, Vahn looks directly at the men. "A-are y-y-you here to save me?" he stutters with anxiety beginning to build.&nbsp; "We are soldiers from the organization known as Dawn. Are you Vahn Mason?" One of the soldiers asks while looking over the mechanisms Vahn is hooked up to.&nbsp; "Yes, my name is Vahn Mason. Who are you?" he asks with excitement.&nbsp; The man pulls down the mask covering the bottom half of his face. "My name is Maxwell, and yes, we're here to get you out of here." he says while smiling.&nbsp; The second man that had approached Vahn fiddles around a bit with the mechanism attached to his hip, trying to disconnect it. Unfamiliar with the device, he ends up snapping the release near the valve while detaching the tube.&nbsp; Suddenly, blood begins to rapidly drain from the now unblocked valve.&nbsp; "NO, please, what are you doing!?" Vahn screams in panic for the first time in years.&nbsp; All of the men in the room turn towards the now frantic boy while the man named Maxwell quickly tries to seal the wound. Due to the nature of the valve and the fact that it is connected directly to a series of major arteries he is unable to stymie the blood-flow.&nbsp; In a matter of seconds, Vahn begins to lose consciousness. The last thought that passes through his mind before the darkness grabs him is how he always worried that this valve might kill him...&nbsp; (...)&nbsp; ?&nbsp; (You poor child.)

Chapter 3: Meeting the Goddess Klyscha