UMAE - Schwarzes Biest (2026 Update)
Master Post - Patreon - Original
Chronology: Indeterminate, but before ULTRAMagic Eon 1
Schwarzes was lying in bed that morning when he noticed something odd… There was a severe draft. This was incredibly odd as the shelter he had made back in the purple desert realm he had once called home had been fixed up into a proper dwelling. Was there something wrong? Did he spring a leak? Once the chill set in, Schwarzes further noticed that his bed felt awful. The mattress was springy, the pillows were flat, and his blankets were ratty. How did that even happen? Was he losing his mind? He could not take it any longer and opened his eyes, planning to get to the bottom of this issue…
The sky was a drab pale yellow and the trees were barren and debarked… Wait, the trees? How could he see the trees so easily?! Once his vision focused, Schwarzes yelped once he saw that his small house had rotted away, like it had been there for hundreds of years. The structure was in shambles as rubble littered the floor, and all of it smelled like decay and must. He carefully stepped through the clutter, inspecting the damage. The appliances had broken down ages ago, the walls were about to collapse, and a cold breeze devoid of life whistled past him. All of it filled with a truly horrific feeling that chilled him to his bones–a feeling that haunted him and could not be shaken off.
“What the… what even happened here?” Schwarzes questioned as he carefully left the remains of the building. All of it finally collapsed after that, with even the crashing feeling lifeless.
Schwarzes felt a bit of sorrow–struggling to hold back a tear as he had spent so long in that small house prior to arriving on Earth. Walking through the dead, empty forest, the boy saw the remains of his parents house. He had a creeping suspicion they were not there, given how eerily silent everything was. And he was right, the three story house was in shambles and abandoned. He felt his breath accelerate as he started to hyperventilate, unable to handle what he was seeing. Since it was holding up better than his place, he went inside and sat down on the old couch. The Television was across from him, but it would not turn on even if repaired. Either way, he knew there was nothing to watch. After looking around the dusty, decrepit remains of his home, Schwarzes started to cry. He was alone again…
“Mom!? Dad!?” he called out through his tears. “Where are you!?” No one came at first, but then he heard footsteps. “Hello?! Who’s there?”
Stepping through the doorway was a tall, youthful man who gave a relieved chuckle. He had brown hair, blue eyes, and wore a black and gray bodysuit. The suit had glowing, red lines which gave it a bit of a space-age feeling. Schwarzes knew who it was, as this was the person who had helped him out so long ago. He immediately ran up and gave him a hug. “Hey, Schwarzes–long time no see.”
“Infinity? Is it really you?”
He nodded and ruffled the boy’s hair. “Don’t worry, brother–I’m here for you.” Infinity went over and checked what was left of the dining table. “Wow, I didn’t think these would hold up… Here, take a seat.”
Schwarzes was a little apprehensive, but the rickety chair stayed together. “Infinity, what happened? Where is everybody?”
He sighed and shook his head. “It’s a bit complicated, Schwarzes. I can’t exactly tell you why, but I can probably tell you what happened.”
That was confusing… “So you know what’s going on, but not why?”
“Yup. I may be fifth dimensional, but even these things escape me. You’re currently in the heat death of the universe…”
“Wait, What? Hold on a second,” Schwarzes interrupted. “How is all of this still here? I don’t know all that much, but I’m pretty sure the sun should have swallowed Earth by now.”
“You’re right–none of this should even exist right now! Antigravity is a funny thing as local reality gets a bit screwy when a universe hits high entropy. In the business, we call this state of affairs ‘Entropy Space.’ All of this is essentially an echo of what we once had imprinted in a timeless realm that exists forever yet doesn’t last long.”
Schwarzes nodded, processing all of that. “Okay then… Do you know how this place exists in the first place?”
“Kind of. What I can tell you is that we all leave that aforementioned imprint in the quantum realm and some of those imprints tend to manifest when they shouldn’t once the laws of physics start breaking down. The rest is higher dimensional stuff, and the other parts I could theoretically tell you are treading into the ‘why you’re here’ category.”
“I see…” Schwarzes got up to pace and think, kicking aside any rubble. “Is there anything else you can tell me?”
Infinity pondered this for a moment. “Well your current situation could have something to do with how I brought you into existence…”
Schwarzes paused for a second. “Wait, you pulled me out of that womb?”
“Yeah, sorry about that,” he said with a guilty chuckle as he anxiously drummed the table with his fingers. “I’m not exactly well versed in childbirth, especially for entities existing outside of conventional reality.”
This caused Schwarzes to groan and rub his back, remembering the mishap in question. “So what about my existence is the problem?”
“You’re unstable, with no definitive placement in the flow of time… I think. You probably glitched here so-to-speak, but we can fix this!”
Schwarzes nodded, as he was naturally interested. “Right–what’s your plan?”
“Elementary, my dear Schwarzes: We just hop on down to The Final Azoth and toss you in.”
“Eh?” Schwarzes was confused again. He was not in a position to criticize, but even he had to admit that sounded odd.
Infinity laughed, feeling proud to explain the idea to him. “The Final Azoth is the black hole everything collapses into to continue the cycle of expansion and contraction. Once antigravity runs out, gravity kicks back into full gear and BAM!” Infinity sounded excited as he punched his palm and made an explosion sound with his mouth. “The incoming force shatters the event horizon, exposes the naked singularity, and we get a whole new universe. Repeat ad infinitum and you’ve got big bang cycles. Now what we need to do is toss you in before the big crunch happens.”
Schwarzes was in awe of Infinity’s explanation. “Wow… so what happens then?”
“Ideally this will be like getting reset normally and should fix your problem. Since you’re not supposed to be there yet, wormholes and white holes should be working normally. I’m not sure where you’ll end up, but I’m certain you’ll make your way back to me, mom, and dad eventually.”
This filled Schwarzes with energy and enthusiasm, leading him to go straight for the door. The risks were there, but he did not care. Anything was better than their current circumstances. “Alright, let’s go!” He paused for a second. “How do we get there?”
“Don’t worry, Schwarzes, my fifth dimensional nature allows me to know exactly where it is. You’d be in trouble without me,” he answered as he also went to the door. “Speaking of which, we need to get moving. This place may be eternal, but it won’t last forever.”
That statement made Schwarzes worry a bit as they walked over to the road. Such contradictions would anyone, regardless of their origin. Parked before the worn out driveway was an open-top vehicle–notably having a military-feel to it with a faded ‘Liger Brigade’ decal above each of the wheels. It looked old and well driven, but Infinity assured Schwarzes it would work. The car stalling a couple of times was not exactly reassuring though.
“Aw come on, you worked getting me here…” Infinity said as he kicked the tire.
While Infinity fiddled with their transport, Schwarzes took the opportunity to get one last look at his former home. He knew he would see it again, but he had no idea what it would be like. Schwarzes was scared of what the future held, but he also felt that he needed to confront these fears no matter what. If not for himself, then certainly for his father. Schwarzes was born of him, so he needed to be there for him. This reflection was then interrupted by the sound of the car springing to life with an awful rattling noise and Infinity celebrating.
“What was the problem?” Schwarzes inquired.
“Old,” Infinity said bluntly. “Alright, let’s roll. We need this to get us to at least The Ocean of Madness.”
Schwarzes got in and sat down without hesitation. Even if he changed his mind, he could not stay at the house. “So you’re licensed to drive this class of vehicle, right?” he asked with a cheeky smile.
Infinity laughed again. “No, but I don’t think we need to worry. Besides, I’ve driven the bumper cars at Coney Island–It’s the same basic principle.”
On a whim, Infinity checked his side mirror. There was nothing at first, until he noticed something that made his blood run cold. In the distance was a figure standing there, seemingly checking himself to make sure everything was there. Infinity could just barely make out what looked like a tall, red and black man. Despite the uncertainty, he had a pretty good idea who it was, but maintained his composure for Schwarzes’s sake. The past was following him, so he figured it was time to get going.
“What’s wrong, Infinity?” Schwarzes wondered, noticing his concern.
“Nothing, bro–just an echo from the past… Something I resolved, but I guess it’s not going to stay in the past…” He then gently pushed down the gas pedal and the car shakily moved forward. Infinity then popped in a cassette tape featuring a selection of upbeat rock songs.
“Was it that bad?”
“No, just… It’s complicated and was a while ago–don’t worry about it.”
It was surreal to travel through places that were once alive with activity. Schwarzes could sense the past as they drove through various towns, long since abandoned. It was like he could still hear the distant chatter and noises of day-to-day life. The stillness would have driven Infinity nuts, so he kept playing cassette tapes. Schwarzes did not mind as he quite enjoyed the music. One 10 minute song featuring guitars, pianos, and the best vocalist he had heard became his favorite, with him making a note to listen to it regularly in his new life. And a country song about a convoy of truckers gave him goosebumps–he had the weirdest feeling his father absolutely loved that one…
Night was coming and Schwarzes looked up at the sky only to be surprised. “Hey, where’s the stars?”
Infinity chuckled. “You expected there to be stars during the heat death of the universe?”
“Oh, right, duh… kind of unfortunate as I used to watch the weird stars back in the purple desert. Hey, do you know what that place was?”
“That was a Reality Error–they occur when The Unlight overlaps with a universe. Weirdly The Jungle of Old was extending into that one. All of it is still there if you want to visit it someday.”
“I see… What’s The Unlight?”
“Ha, that! Well basically a rock fell into the void a long time ago and the Cosmos built a realm around it to make sure reality as a whole wasn’t screwing up–relevant to us is that it’s where my guild hangs out.”
“A guild? What kind of guild?”
“The ULTRAMagic Guild” Infinity said proudly. “We’re a collection of mages and warriors with the ULTRAMagic trait that help keep the Cosmos safe.”
“Cool, can I join?” The enthusiasm in his voice felt like it was there before he even knew what that guild was.
Infinity chuckled as he checked the corner of the road before he drove forward. “Sure, if you have the patience for achieving ULTRAMagic. Your version of dad pulled it off before you were born, so I see no reason why you couldn’t do it yourself.”
“Nice. Did dad join the guild?”
“Not yours, but the current iteration of him did. We had a bit of a showdown in Red River–not too far off from what your version of dad went through.”
“Incredible… So would the guild be okay with me joining?” A ridiculous song about an Australian explorer started playing, with the rattling and clanking of bottles from the song’s rhythm catching him off guard–Infinity certainly had a pretty fun taste in music.
Infinity nodded with a smile. “Schwarzes, they’d love to have you as a member. In fact, if everything works out in our favor–you’ll be helping us out more than you think.”
Infinity’s optimism was infectious, causing Schwarzes to forget his worries and dread for a while. They were still stuck in Entropy Space, but how could he be sad when his big brother was right there for him? The desolate nature of their surroundings was eating at Infinity too, but thankfully they were leaving it behind, with the land around them starting to look relatively normal. Everything was still off, but they were making progress.
Eventually Infinity brought the car to a stop at a glen with a body of water off in the distance. “Alright, end of the road,” he said as he got out. “We’ll need to walk to the next location.”
“Okay then, we’ll rough it on the trails, ha!” The ground felt weird to Schwarzes. It was wet and mushy, giving him the impression that it was alive despite the contrary. “Is that the Ocean of Madness up ahead?”
“Yes indeed, Schwarzes.”
Schwarzes looked around as they walked, taking it all in. “This place is almost pretty nice. Those clouds aren’t right and what even are those trees? But I could see coming here to fish or go for a walk.”
“Heh, fishing…” Infinity remarked, the irony unclear to Schwarzes. “The ocean actually plays into what I said about the nature of Entropy Space, but I’ll save that for when we actually cross the ocean.”
Schwarzes nodded and shifted his attention back to walking. “Hey, Infinity? Have you been here before?”
“Yup.”
“Really?”
“Right now in fact.”
“Cool.” It then dawned on Schwarzes. “Hey! Wait a second!”
Infinity laughed and slapped his leg. “Got you! In all seriousness, time is irrelevant for me… and once you get to my level… This is and is not the first time I’ve been here. You don’t have to worry about that though.”
“That’s confusing…”
“Don’t fret, you’ll understand one day.”
“I will?”
Infinity nodded. “Absolutely.”
“Right.” Schwarzes was not sure how to feel about that, but he took it for what it was.
At the shore of the ocean was a boathouse that looked quite rundown. Centuries of age and decay left the unnamed shack ready to fall over, but it had one more job to perform. There was also a dock that appeared as if it could collapse at any moment. Below the waterline there looked like what should have been signs of life such as algae or barnacles, but there were none to be found. Infinity did not seem to be bothered by the state of the boathouse, but Schwarzes was rightfully leery. Thankfully there was also a rowboat, but it looked just as bad as the dock. Given that there was still no one else around, he would have to grin and bear it. To be fair, it felt like the boathouse had welcomed Schwarzes to its little plot of land with open arms–even though it was clearly not alive in the sense of living beings.
“Alright, stay here while I see if there’s anything useful inside the building,” Infinity said as he headed in that direction.
“That boat doesn’t look safe…”
Infinity stopped and studied it for a second. “I mean, it’s floating on the water, isn’t it?”
“Brother, It’s got moss growing on it!”
“Wow, didn’t expect that at this point in time… Don’t worry, moss won’t hurt you, even if it shouldn’t exist right now.” He then went inside, but did not shut the door. “Apparently it’s also pretty tasty!”
“Brother…” Schwarzes groaned, causing Infinity to laugh.
Schwarzes sighed as he looked out towards the water. All of it was placid, with no waves or tides. A ghostly fog also loomed over it, obscuring the horizon. Seeing a rock on the dock, Schwarzes kicked it in. The splash felt hollow and he could see it sink to the bottom. The seabed itself was barren, an odd sight to see. It gave him a weird sense of tranquility, but also a subtle dread that felt natural. Stepping over to the rowboat, Schwarzes gave it a good inspection. Despite its initial appearance, it looked like it would float as he rocked it on the water, the ripples calmly fading as they got away from the craft. Of course there was a board that looked thin, so Schwarzes tried to fix it. The magic glue he used to build his house back in the purple desert would do. He focused, readied his mouth, spit into his hand, and… nothing but a wad of saliva. He tried again, but got the same result.
“Infinity, my magic’s not working!”
He stepped out of the boathouse, looking a little nervous. “Really now? That’s unfortunate…”
“It’s that board right there” Schwarzes pointed out as Infinity got in.
He looked at it, hummed, and snapped his fingers. The board thickened up in a flurry of electricity. “We’ll need to teach you alchemy when this is all said and done. Now let’s get moving–there’s nothing for us here.”
Schwarzes slowly and cautiously got in. “Was it that thing again?” He had noticed Infinity was anxious again. “The man?”
“Pardon?” he asked as he started rowing.
“You know, back at the house?”
“There was a thing? What thing?”
Schwarzes groaned. “Fine–don’t worry about it…”
The lack of movement in the ocean was nerve racking–there was nothing to latch onto for the senses other than how chilly it was. All that could be heard was the paddles and the rowboat gently moving across the water and it created a surreal liminality that could only be experienced right then and there. Infinity offered to sing a sea shanty, but Schwarzes declined. He was a little irritated over how his brother was not being truthful. Schwarzes looked into the water again, wondering if he could see the bottom. Weirdly what looked like moving scenes were showing up for the murky depths, and one of them had a sight that was all too familiar to him. How it got out of his head was beyond him, but he knew he had to grab it.
“Mom!? Dad!?” he exclaimed.
Infinity kept rowing. “The Ocean of Madness is the embodiment of memories and the mind. You could even say that it is an emanation of the collective unconscious in some regards–A lot of it is memories that refuse to die.”
Schwarzes reached in and grasped the memory. “Got it!” It was like holding light and warmth, which made him feel good amidst the cold dampness of the ocean.
“Whoa, easy, bro–You don’t want to fall in…”
Something was holding onto the memory, however. “Hey, let go! It’s my memory!” Schwarzes declared, refusing to let go. A strange creature rose up from the water, resembling something between an octopus and a column. It gurgled inquisitively at Schwarzes, then released its tentacle from the memory–it clearly accepted that the boy wanted to keep it and was not bothered. Schwarzes held on to his prize tightly as he watched the entity sink back into the water. “...my memory.”
“So yeah–astral entities like that come here to study the ocean,” Infinity briefly explained.
Schwarzes smiled as he held the memory like a map, watching it play out before him. “I’ll never forget that moment, when I first met mom and dad,” he said as it vanished into his eyes.
“If it persisted for that long–I think you’re meant to persist too.”
“I was wondering about that… I started out as nothing, came to be, then ended up here. Am I truly meant to be, Infinity?”
He nodded. “I’d say so. You may have not had a purpose in this timeline, but the next one? You won’t know until you make it there.”
Schwarzes could not help wondering what it would be like to stop his journey right there. He was not going to, but he wanted to explore the thought regardless. Of course he realized that the ocean would be a bad spot as there was no solid ground to stand on. He was also not the best swimmer, on top of all those strange entities looking too bizarre to talk to. The musing was interrupted when Infinity had to do a bit of drastic rowing as one of the astral entities rose from the depths. This one was colossal, being roughly 50 feet tall. Schwarzes was too amazed at the scale of the being to be scared. After rowing a safe enough distance away, Infinity took a break for a minute to catch his breath. Thankfully a kind entity his size rose up from the depths and offered him a weird orb that revitalized him–it was almost like an apology for its parents nearly crashing into the boat. Once Infinity was ready, the journey resumed... Albeit with some haste so they did not have a repeat of that little bout of excitement.
As patient as Schwarzes was, he was growing bored. “Infinity, are we there yet?”
He chuckled. “Land-ho, Schwarzes,” Infinity said as they met the sandy, mushy shore.
“Finally, enough of that boat…” he said as he hopped, the wet ground feeling good against his feet. “So where to next?”
“The Dark Inferno, which is not too far away from here” Infinity answered as he stretched his legs. “This part of the journey is not going to be fun…”
The path ahead consisted of a scorched, craggy land, devoid of life. The baleful, red sun hung dreelily in the horizon, like it had grown depressed and weeped for those that wandered aimlessly below it. It was a pitiful sight and all who gazed upon it knew this was the end of the line for some. Schwarzes did not like the look of it as he was blasted by a wave of heat, a stark contrast to the chill of the ocean. Regardless, they had to keep moving, and he took a few steps forward until he ran into a tall man. It was a bit of a startling sight, but there was no malice or sadness to be had… rather, it was more like there was a list of important business to tend to–of which the man was determined to finish.
“Ah, hello, Mr Biest” the man said in a deep, soothing voice with clear optimism in it with an unnatural echo. On closer inspection, he appeared to be a skeletal man made of black crystal, draped in a red robe of what vaguely looked like screaming faces. His head was adorned by a crown made of a black and orange metal. While quite the scary sight, it was clear that this was not the man’s true glory–it was a lament of his past actions that reminded him he still had a long way to go.
Infinity got in between the two, holding a glowing, red bardiche made of magic. “Stay behind me, Schwarzes!” He then pointed the blade at the man’s face.
“Easy, Ignatius," the man said as he put the blade down. “I’m not here to fight.” The blade was immediately stuck right back in his face.
“Hold on!” Schwarzes interrupted before walking out from behind Infinity. “Is this who you saw, brother?”
Infinity sighed in resignation. “Yes… At the house and the boathouse.”
“Alright–Who is he then?”
The man chuckled, knowing he would encounter some friction from Infinity. “Allow me to introduce myself–I am The Vermilion King–heir to The Tyrant God’s legacy, and former conqueror of the Cosmos.”
“Former?” Schwarzes wondered as that was a very odd title.
“Formerly, as he was defeated a long time ago,” Infinity answered, his teeth starting to grit together. “What do you want with Schwarzes, Vermilion King?”
“Nothing too serious–I just wanted to make sure he gets to where he needs to be given that The Madman needs your help right now.”
“Like I’m going to believe that…”
“No really, I’m not kidding.” The king whistled, causing a portal to open up.
“Infinity, there you are!” a voice said. “Got a moment?”
“Madman? Well not really–I need to escort Schwarzes!”
A stone hand grabbed his arm. “Don’t worry, son, we’ll make it super quick.”
“But Schwarzes!” Infinity protested.
“...will be fine, come on!”
Infinity groaned. “Schwarzes, keep moving forward! Go through the inferno, to the storm, and then to the Azoth. I’ll meet you there!” The portal then closed with a crackling sound like stone grinding against itself.
Schwarzes nervously looked up at The Vermilion King. “My parents said I shouldn’t go with strangers…”
The King gave a warm laugh, like that of a proud parent. “A very wise observation, Schwarzes. You’ll be happy to know that I am well acquainted with Ignatius. In fact, I know him almost as well as his… your parents do.”
That was not as reassuring as it should have been. “So do you know how to get to The Final Azoth?”
“Of course–follow me…”
The Vermilion King was a little unsettling, all things considered. Schwarzes could sense great darkness coming from within him, but also a strange longing for friendship and the light deep down. It was like he was walking with a bear or a lion that wanted to help him instead of hunting him. Whoever this was seemed unfathomably complex, as the darkness was one of someone who had lost something truly important to him and lost his way trying to get it back. Schwarzes’ worries would have been relieved had they not come upon The Dark Inferno. It was a fiery, ruined land darted with cities that never existed. The sky was in perpetual night, with the realm illuminated by a flaming moon. Charred husks of man wandered the streets aimlessly, while others sat around and sobbed to no one. Schwarzes felt a mix of negative emotions bombard him, but he was not phased by them.
“Is that…?” Schwarzes started to ask.
“The Dark Inferno, where those who cannot truly move on end up. Normally souls return to the Ennead when the universe ends, but some truly give up and return to the prima materia instead. This is their final resting place.”
The Vermilion King guided Schwarzes through the streets, with the husks paying them no mind. A few watched as they walked by, but otherwise things were uneventful. Schwarzes felt bad for these people, but had no idea how to help them. All of it was hard to stomach, but they had to keep moving. Faint mummering and whispers could be heard–some were self-loathing, but most were regret and remorse. His majesty could tell the boy felt pity for the lost souls and wondered how he would respond. And the king would be lying if he said he did not feel a tear start to come to his eye, as it reminded him of the sorry state he had left his people and kingdom in…
“I wish I could help these people…” Schwarzes admitted.
“While I commend your heart, you should save your pity for those who haven’t given up–as much as we would love to save everyone in the Cosmos, sometimes we need to focus on ourselves and the now,” The King replied. After a moment of reflection, he spoke again. “Speaking of that, I’m surprised by your moral fiber–you were born of evil and despair after all.”
“But I’m not evil though.”
“True, very true–you remind me of myself when I was young. Schwarzes, do you want to keep going?”
“Yes?”
“Do you want to persist?”
Schwarzes was confused as he had already given his answer. “What do you mean, your majesty?”
“Schwarzes, you were not supposed to exist, yet here you are. You have a clean slate, but even that can be hard to deal with. I say this because I’m concerned for you–great nightmares, villains, and horrors are threatening to douse the light of God himself, and burn the entire void into ashes. No one would blame you if you returned to the prima materia–it is your choice and no one can take that from you.”
“But I need to find mom and dad…”
The King nodded. “I fully understand, but how do you know things will be the same when you find them?”
“I… I don’t know… but I want to see mom and dad again, no matter what!”
“Want is a powerful thing, Schwarzes–and there are fearsome monarchs and treacherous gods who seek to take advantage of that. Sometimes what we want is not what we need. Do you feel that this is what you need? In your heart of hearts? And that it’s not just the expectations of your parents or Ignatius?”
Schwarzes thought about it for a couple of minutes, but kept moving forward down the charred and scorching streets. The heat burnt his feet, but he was not going to let that stop him. “Did that happen to you, your majesty?”
The King stopped for a moment, averting his gaze. “You could say that–but alas, we have something else to take care of. Look…”
Near the outskirts, on a bench was the ghost of a young girl. She was mangled and gnarled, indicating she had been through great strife during her time in the Cosmos. The girl was crying, confused, and forlorn. Schwarzes felt his heart break as he knew who it was, with him taking a seat next to her and letting her lean on him. “I’m so sorry, Schwarzes…” the girl sobbed.
Memories flooded back into his mind and told him all he needed to know. “It’s alright, Bethany–we all make mistakes.”
“But I hurt so many and brought you into existence…”
Schwarzes brought her in for a hug. “I forgive you.”
“Really?” she asked as she began to glow, her ghostly body healing.
“Yeah–you can fix those mistakes, one way or another. Just keep moving forward, alright?”
The King pointed to a shining portal. “The Light awaits…” The girl gave Schwarzes one last hug and went through, causing it to fade into sparkling dust.
“You know what, your majesty? I need to persist so I can help people in general. Bethany would’ve stayed here if we hadn’t come along.”
The King smiled, feeling warmth he had not felt in a long time. “You have your parent’s compassion, which was passed down to Ignatius and became their heroism. Even in the darkest corners, light exists to guide those in need of help.”
And in that moment, like a source of grand inspiration, a man amongst the husks stood up. He had long since lost his name and honor, racked by guilt and self-pity… but now he felt something different. He had heard the words of his majesty and the boy and began walking. His gate was awkward and on the verge of collapse, so he picked up on a long stick and kept moving forward. As he left the city some started to follow him–the path forward was rough and hurtful, but they were no longer going to wait for the end while they wallowed in the chains of fear and ignorance. As this caravan of the forlorn pressed on, the land turned from night to day as the pale, glowing light of the now happy sun compelled them to keep moving towards it. The man smiled as other men, women, and children joined him–realizing that the path was always there for them as they vanished into the light. Some still remained in the city, and they could not be helped–but the ones who made the journey would never regret it.
Schwarzes felt great as they left The Dark Inferno, like they had done something truly great. And even if those who had left the stagnant realm stumbled along the way, they knew they would always be able to pick themselves back up. “So where are we heading next, your majesty?”
“The Final Storm, a place of great chaos that you will need all of your fortitude for. Do you think you have what it takes?”
“Absolutely!” Schwarzes declared as his walk turned into a confident stride.
The King laughed again as a wave of nostalgia hit him. “You have the same energy Ignatius had when he began his quest to defeat me so long ago.”
“I just hope I get to see Bethany again, in addition to everyone else.”
“You probably will, Schwarzes. You probably will.”
The last area before The Last Azoth was The Final Storm. Nothing but wind and cyclones, it served as one last hurrah for the universe. The mighty roar of the all-powerful winds was a symphony whose crescendo would never be matched, not even by the gods themselves. With the end of everything on the horizon, why not go all out in one last grand performance? Tornadoes and hurricanes danced around each other in madness and fervor like there was no tomorrow–no one could stop them, even if they tried. Fortunately stone chunks and platforms were being carried on the wind amidst the chaos, making it possible for Schwarzes and his majesty to progress. It was not easy, but Schwarzes was doing well despite missing his magic, and The Vermilion King was impressed with his endurance.
After climbing his way up a piece of land, Schwarzes took a second to catch his breath. It was not relaxing as the harsh gusts continued to batter him, however. “Jeez… Here’s hoping I don’t become one of those storm chaser guys…”
“Dangerous, but not the worst profession,” The King commented. “This mass we landed on reminds me of my old temples. This is in shambles, but the ruins are surprisingly resilient.”
Schwarzes moved across what appeared to be a stone plaza, as he could see another land mass approaching. “Your majesty? Why was my brother so up in arms about you?”
The King paused as a nostalgic smile grew on his face, followed by a laugh. “It’s because we go way back, Schwarzes. I assume you want to know my story?” The boy nodded. “Alright then. It’s a long one, but I’ll keep it brief…”
As they moved onto the next piece of land, The Vermilion King explained that he was once like Schwarzes–he was a young boy who was not sure about his place in the Cosmos. After witnessing great strife and the death of his father, he grew bitter and pessimistic. Why was God allowing such injustices to happen in the first place? Why were forces from beyond the era of the void being allowed to encroach on the Cosmos?! WHY WAS HE INEXPLICABLY ENRAPTURED BY THE MADDENING YELLOW BILE OF WANT–THE ONE WHO KILLED RATIONALITY AND IRRATIONALITY IN THE NAME OF HIS ETERNAL RULE!? The Vermilion King stewed in great resentment, anger, and jealousy for ages until the day came when he sought to overthrow God–he had enough and was going to do something about his peril! If he could not get the answers or help he deserved, then he would make the answers he wanted–he would take on the lust of Want and rewrite the stars in his favor so he could stop the forces of evil that wished to snuff out the light of creation once and for all!
His majesty had arrogantly assumed that the conquest was going smoothly until one day a mighty hero rose up to stop him. It was Infinity, accompanied by The Arbiters of Droom, The Madman of Old, The Chronomaton of Old, and The Automaton of Old. The Vermilion King thought he had successfully gatekept the realm of Want with a king of his creation wrought from the jowls of desire, but Infinity was a clever lad. The young warrior had used an oversight his majesty could have never possibly foreseen and led the charge with The Arbiters of Droom at his side. Their battles raged on for many eons outside of time and space, until one day when The Vermilion King lost his spark. He had lost his motivation to usurp God. What The King realized is that he was born of God–the Source–the Light just like anyone else–to overthrow that would be to overthrow himself.
“...and the rest is history. My armies abandoned me and Ignatius and the Arbiters got in a clean shot at me. The Madman then sealed me away, leading to a lot of time for me to think and reflect.”
“Was it worth it, your majesty?”
The King sighed. “Not in the slightest, Schwarzes. It turns out that the answers were right in front of my face the whole time: God did not create evil, it just happens. Our existence is a conflict, and when we give into unchecked ignorance and desire, we become subject to fear. Fear is the driving force that gives us an irreverent, selfish disregard for God and his creation. When you stop caring for Man and only care about yourself, the most abhorrent acts become ever so tolerable. Why should I care about my neighbor when I’m just as important as anyone else? I’m of God, therefore I deserve it, right?”
“No?”
“Exactly!” The King cried. “When we declare ourselves to be perfect, we deny the greatness we can achieve. Why improve yourself if you’re perfect? We’re never perfect, you see–perfection is a fallacy that would mean we wouldn’t have to exist in the first place.”
The two climbed up to another stone platform, with Schwarzes helping his majesty up. “Not to be rude, your majesty–but it took you all of that to realize something that simple?”
“Sometimes, Schwarzes. Sometimes you either need a pinch to the arm or a waterfall’s worth of water dumped on you to wake up. I was caught in a cycle of self-destruction, thinking the way to enlightenment was desire, conquest, and subjugation. My losses humbled me and made me realize that holding a sword up to someone’s neck and demanding they submit isn’t the answer.”
Schwarzes thought back to Bethany and the circumstances that brought about his existence. “I wish we could go back in time and tell certain people what you just told me…”
“A noble thought, but then you wouldn’t exist and we wouldn’t be here to have this talk.”
“Oh, right…” This frustrated Schwarzes, causing him to kick around a few stones while they waited for the next solid mass to fly by.
The Vermilion King did not say anything else as they made their way to the end of the realm. It was clear that the boy needed time to process his emotions. After hopping a few more land masses, the two made it to a strange, dark realm. It was murky and chaotic, but also full of energy and potential. Black masses that arced electricity to their surroundings hovered by the two in the air. All of it was a surreal sight to behold. “Alright, Schwarzes, this is where we’ll have to part ways for a bit. You’ll have to traverse this leg of the journey by yourself.”
Schwarzes looked ahead, a little nervous as per usual. “Are you sure about that?”
“The path is straight forward–go through The Dark Azoth and you’ll make it to The Light Azoth. Continue on and you’ll make it to The Crimson Azoth–that’s where you need to be.”
“Alright, if you’re sure,” Schwarzes said, followed by taking a breath to steady his nerves. “Your majesty? Before you go, I thought about my issue and your past. Are we truly stuck?”
The King smiled again. “Well I may have been the lord of darkness, harbinger of abhorrence, and duke of ultimate despair–but if I can turn myself around, anyone can move forward. You just have to take that step right out the door.”
Schwarzes nodded as he had already done that part. “Thank you, your majesty.”
“One more thing, Schwarzes: You’ll have to make the ultimate decision when you finally reach The Crimson Azoth. Are you sure you’re ready for that? No one will fault you if you decide to turn back now.”
He looked at The Dark Azoth, then back to the king. “I guess we’ll see, at The Crimson Azoth.”
“Best of luck to you, lad,” The King said as he vanished in a cloud of orange and black smoke.
Schwarzes continued his journey, traversing the bizarre and surreal lands of The Dark Azoth. He realized something interesting midway through–he was walking through base matter itself. There was so much potential and he could feel it coursing through his body with a compulsion to experiment. His curiosity grew as he played around with his surroundings, shaping it into all sorts of neat things. They would all disappear soon, but it was too fun to say no to. All of this caused him to further realize that this malleability was the framework for creation and the universe. Schwarzes could make whatever he wanted–perhaps even the answers to so many problems in life with enough time and effort. Despite these realizations, he could only do so much with the structures he created at that moment.
Before he knew it, Schwarzes had arrived in The Light Azoth. It was a brightly lit realm that allowed him to see for miles, witnessing an untold amount of grand buildings and structures. They had no meaning as they floated by in the great void, but Schwarzes figured it was because they did not have a point yet. As he pressed on, Schwarzes learned that disparity and structure were needed to give his creations purpose. And even if the buildings were ‘meaningless,’ they still gave him inspiration. He felt compelled to match their greatness and go beyond that. What was stopping him? He knew the potential was there–he just needed to focus. There was something else missing, however–so he figured it was time to move on.
The Crimson Azoth was a vast, seemingly infinite red nebula of clouds and tranquil chaos against a beautiful, night sky. Despite no one else being there, Schwarzes realized what his creations were truly lacking and it was so simple: reason. He needed to get to the end, so Schwarzes created a small biplane. It worked flawlessly, despite being suddenly brought forth from the prima materia. All of this solidified why he had come this far–his parents needed him and he needed them. Schwarzes marveled at the beauty of his surroundings as flew through the awe-inspiring realm. The clouds of warm colors swirled and crackled with thunder, lighting up in brilliant light shows. He could have stayed there forever marveling at them, but he had somewhere to be. Eventually he had made his way to what looked like a black hole, bringing his plane down for a landing on a stretch of solid, red matter.
Moving inwards, Schwarzes could feel an intense energy all around him as the ground rumbled ever so slightly. It was intimidating, but he continued onward. At the same time it gave him a sense of power that he knew was attainable if stayed true to himself and sought wholeness. Things grew more abstract the further he went in, with the land spiraling into unreal landscapes and materials beyond his imagination. Upon reaching the center consisting of a colossal pit, Schwarzes saw Infinity and The Vermilion King arguing. He calmly approached the two, who comically started to resemble an old, married couple (from his perspective).
“Ignatius, I’m not saying he shouldn’t jump–I’m saying he should make sure that he wants to go through with this. What happens when he goes to the next iteration and it's not what he wanted? We can’t let him go through that kind of pain–I know what unchecked desire can do to a man!”
Infinity growled. “That’s what I’m here for! I know it’s going to be unpredictable! I am fully aware of what he’s going to experience in the next iteration, but I’ll be there for him every step of the way! We’ll make it through this no matter what!”
“Your heart is in the right place, Ignatius, make no mistake about it–but you need to temper that ambition. You can’t save everyone nor can you solve every issue. One step in the wrong direction and everything will fall apart. Trust me, I know in more ways than one–do you both want to end up like me? The Crimson God? The Lich of Old?”
This made Infinity scream as he summoned his bardiche, causing the ground around him to shake. “I’M NOT LOSING ANOTHER FAMILY MEMBER, DAMN IT! So help me God, if you changed his mind…”
“Brother?” Schwarzes calmly interjected, quietly worried about his feelings.
Infinity dropped his weapon and went over to hug Schwarzes. “Thank God, you’re here! Don’t worry, buddy, the end is right over there,” he said as he guided Schwarzes over to the precipice.
“Ignatius…” The King said as he shook his head.
“It’s alright, your majesty,” Schwarzes replied. “I want to go through with this. I know it’ll be rough, but I’ll manage.”
Infinity blew a raspberry at The King. “Told you so…”
“Brother, you need to calm down a little,” Schwarzes chided. “Take it easy on him, he’s been through a lot.” Infinity groaned, causing The King to smirk a little.
“I know…” Infinity growled, not intending for anyone to respond to that.
Surprisingly The King then gave a sigh of relief once Schwarzes was close enough to the edge. “I knew we would all end up here…”
“So both of you knew I’d choose to jump?” Schwarzes deduced, a mildly incredulous look appearing on his face.
“More or less,” Infinity answered. “But how did you…?”
Schwarzes sighed. “I was thinking about how you two are higher up than I am while I was traveling through the Azoth realms. It’s kind of annoying that my fate has been predetermined like this…”
“I know how you feel,” The King replied. “Destiny and fate certainly didn’t help me clear my head back in the day…”
Infinity nodded. “Apparently I was always meant to fall into the time rift, but hey, it turned out well in the end. We’re here now, aren’t we?” There was still some pain in his voice, despite seeming like he had shaken it all off.
Schwarzes nodded and looked into the abyss. It was dark, but he knew there was something welcoming down there. It beckoned him to jump and he was not going to deny that urge. He needed to mentally prepare himself first, but no one was judging him for that. “I will see my parents again, no matter what” Schwarzes calmly declared. “See you later, Ignatius, your majesty!” And with that, he jumped, vanishing into the inky darkness as he plummeted into the abyss.
“Well, there he goes…” The King remarked with relief for the boy… with Infinity frowning at him. “Don’t give me that look, Ignatius–you know I had a point.”
Infinity inhaled and exhaled loudly. “You know just as well as I do who he’s meant to become–It’s his destiny to join the guild…”
“I’m not exactly a fan of forcing the boy into this.”
“We’re not forcing him and we can’t just let him fade away–he’s too valuable to me, mom, and dad. Don’t forget how many universes and realms he’ll also help.”
The King groaned. “God, I hate predestination…” He then put his arm around Infinity. “Come on, let's go get some ice cream.”
Infinity scoffed as he tried to get away from his majesty, but could not. “After all that?”
“Of course, my boy! I owe it to you and we owe it to ourselves. Besides, we can’t stay here, haha!”
Schwarzes plummeted deeper and deeper into the darkness, until time became meaningless. He could no longer see himself until something changed–A shining angel flew into him with great haste. Glowing brighter than ever, Schwarzes soared further and faster with his newfound wings of glittering stardust–nothing could stop him now. Soon all of his memories were on display, past and future. Some were comforting while others hurt. There was no time to reminisce, however, as Schwarzes was almost there. He could see it, a bright point of light in the darkness. His blood raced and his breathing sped up as the adrenaline surged like fuel at unbelievable speeds through his veins. IT WAS RIGHT THERE! HE WAS COMING HOME AND COULD NOT WAIT TO SEE HIS PARENTS AGAIN! Just one more push AND…
Ultimatum woke up from his nap. He was waiting at The ULTRAMagic Guild for someone and had been dreaming about the past. After a yawn and a quick stretch, he left his room. Passing by several mages, he ran into Blood-Wraith and Infinity. “Brother, Blood–what’s up?”
“Hey, Schwarzes,” Infinity replied. “We finally got Blood away from his shop to come visit the guild for once.”
Blood-Wraith chuckled. “To be fair, Eloise and Drago also got on my case.”
“Are Will and Morrigan finally here?” Ultimatum asked.
“Yup, they’re down in the main lobby,” Blood-Wraith answered.
Thanking the two, Ultimatum headed downstairs. It was an energetic day, with the mages and warriors going about their daily business and activities. Several guild members paused what they were doing to say hi and asked Ultimatum what he was up to. It was also an exciting day at the guild hall, with everyone full of energy and ready to give it their all no matter what. Schwarzes had quite the journey getting to where he was now following the descent into the black hole of the Final Azoth, but that was a story for another day. He smiled as he approached the table Will and Morrigan were sitting at–the two were enjoying some lunch and casually talking about this and that.
“Hey, Schwarzes!” Morrigan welcomed as he approached. “Boyo, look lively.”
“Ultimatum, sir!” Will said with a salute and a laugh. This made the other two chuckle.
“Good to see you two here,” Ultimatum replied as he sat down and put his hands together. “Will, I got a pretty important mission for you, if you’re feeling up to it.”
Will felt goosebumps rise on his arms. “Sounds interesting already, haha. What do I need to do?”
“Are you okay with heading back in time to the guild’s past with Ludwig and Rostislav? Let’s just say past Blood-Wraith needs a bit of help…”
Next: Chaos Angel
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
Chronology: Indeterminate, but before ULTRAMagic Eon 1
Schwarzes was lying in bed that morning when he noticed something odd… There was a severe draft. This was incredibly odd as the shelter he had made back in the purple desert realm he had once called home had been fixed up into a proper dwelling. Was there something wrong? Did he spring a leak? Once the chill set in, Schwarzes further noticed that his bed felt awful. The mattress was springy, the pillows were flat, and his blankets were ratty. How did that even happen? Was he losing his mind? He could not take it any longer and opened his eyes, planning to get to the bottom of this issue…
The sky was a drab pale yellow and the trees were barren and debarked… Wait, the trees? How could he see the trees so easily?! Once his vision focused, Schwarzes yelped once he saw that his small house had rotted away, like it had been there for hundreds of years. The structure was in shambles as rubble littered the floor, and all of it smelled like decay and must. He carefully stepped through the clutter, inspecting the damage. The appliances had broken down ages ago, the walls were about to collapse, and a cold breeze devoid of life whistled past him. All of it filled with a truly horrific feeling that chilled him to his bones–a feeling that haunted him and could not be shaken off.
“What the… what even happened here?” Schwarzes questioned as he carefully left the remains of the building. All of it finally collapsed after that, with even the crashing feeling lifeless.
Schwarzes felt a bit of sorrow–struggling to hold back a tear as he had spent so long in that small house prior to arriving on Earth. Walking through the dead, empty forest, the boy saw the remains of his parents house. He had a creeping suspicion they were not there, given how eerily silent everything was. And he was right, the three story house was in shambles and abandoned. He felt his breath accelerate as he started to hyperventilate, unable to handle what he was seeing. Since it was holding up better than his place, he went inside and sat down on the old couch. The Television was across from him, but it would not turn on even if repaired. Either way, he knew there was nothing to watch. After looking around the dusty, decrepit remains of his home, Schwarzes started to cry. He was alone again…
“Mom!? Dad!?” he called out through his tears. “Where are you!?” No one came at first, but then he heard footsteps. “Hello?! Who’s there?”
Stepping through the doorway was a tall, youthful man who gave a relieved chuckle. He had brown hair, blue eyes, and wore a black and gray bodysuit. The suit had glowing, red lines which gave it a bit of a space-age feeling. Schwarzes knew who it was, as this was the person who had helped him out so long ago. He immediately ran up and gave him a hug. “Hey, Schwarzes–long time no see.”
“Infinity? Is it really you?”
He nodded and ruffled the boy’s hair. “Don’t worry, brother–I’m here for you.” Infinity went over and checked what was left of the dining table. “Wow, I didn’t think these would hold up… Here, take a seat.”
Schwarzes was a little apprehensive, but the rickety chair stayed together. “Infinity, what happened? Where is everybody?”
He sighed and shook his head. “It’s a bit complicated, Schwarzes. I can’t exactly tell you why, but I can probably tell you what happened.”
That was confusing… “So you know what’s going on, but not why?”
“Yup. I may be fifth dimensional, but even these things escape me. You’re currently in the heat death of the universe…”
“Wait, What? Hold on a second,” Schwarzes interrupted. “How is all of this still here? I don’t know all that much, but I’m pretty sure the sun should have swallowed Earth by now.”
“You’re right–none of this should even exist right now! Antigravity is a funny thing as local reality gets a bit screwy when a universe hits high entropy. In the business, we call this state of affairs ‘Entropy Space.’ All of this is essentially an echo of what we once had imprinted in a timeless realm that exists forever yet doesn’t last long.”
Schwarzes nodded, processing all of that. “Okay then… Do you know how this place exists in the first place?”
“Kind of. What I can tell you is that we all leave that aforementioned imprint in the quantum realm and some of those imprints tend to manifest when they shouldn’t once the laws of physics start breaking down. The rest is higher dimensional stuff, and the other parts I could theoretically tell you are treading into the ‘why you’re here’ category.”
“I see…” Schwarzes got up to pace and think, kicking aside any rubble. “Is there anything else you can tell me?”
Infinity pondered this for a moment. “Well your current situation could have something to do with how I brought you into existence…”
Schwarzes paused for a second. “Wait, you pulled me out of that womb?”
“Yeah, sorry about that,” he said with a guilty chuckle as he anxiously drummed the table with his fingers. “I’m not exactly well versed in childbirth, especially for entities existing outside of conventional reality.”
This caused Schwarzes to groan and rub his back, remembering the mishap in question. “So what about my existence is the problem?”
“You’re unstable, with no definitive placement in the flow of time… I think. You probably glitched here so-to-speak, but we can fix this!”
Schwarzes nodded, as he was naturally interested. “Right–what’s your plan?”
“Elementary, my dear Schwarzes: We just hop on down to The Final Azoth and toss you in.”
“Eh?” Schwarzes was confused again. He was not in a position to criticize, but even he had to admit that sounded odd.
Infinity laughed, feeling proud to explain the idea to him. “The Final Azoth is the black hole everything collapses into to continue the cycle of expansion and contraction. Once antigravity runs out, gravity kicks back into full gear and BAM!” Infinity sounded excited as he punched his palm and made an explosion sound with his mouth. “The incoming force shatters the event horizon, exposes the naked singularity, and we get a whole new universe. Repeat ad infinitum and you’ve got big bang cycles. Now what we need to do is toss you in before the big crunch happens.”
Schwarzes was in awe of Infinity’s explanation. “Wow… so what happens then?”
“Ideally this will be like getting reset normally and should fix your problem. Since you’re not supposed to be there yet, wormholes and white holes should be working normally. I’m not sure where you’ll end up, but I’m certain you’ll make your way back to me, mom, and dad eventually.”
This filled Schwarzes with energy and enthusiasm, leading him to go straight for the door. The risks were there, but he did not care. Anything was better than their current circumstances. “Alright, let’s go!” He paused for a second. “How do we get there?”
“Don’t worry, Schwarzes, my fifth dimensional nature allows me to know exactly where it is. You’d be in trouble without me,” he answered as he also went to the door. “Speaking of which, we need to get moving. This place may be eternal, but it won’t last forever.”
That statement made Schwarzes worry a bit as they walked over to the road. Such contradictions would anyone, regardless of their origin. Parked before the worn out driveway was an open-top vehicle–notably having a military-feel to it with a faded ‘Liger Brigade’ decal above each of the wheels. It looked old and well driven, but Infinity assured Schwarzes it would work. The car stalling a couple of times was not exactly reassuring though.
“Aw come on, you worked getting me here…” Infinity said as he kicked the tire.
While Infinity fiddled with their transport, Schwarzes took the opportunity to get one last look at his former home. He knew he would see it again, but he had no idea what it would be like. Schwarzes was scared of what the future held, but he also felt that he needed to confront these fears no matter what. If not for himself, then certainly for his father. Schwarzes was born of him, so he needed to be there for him. This reflection was then interrupted by the sound of the car springing to life with an awful rattling noise and Infinity celebrating.
“What was the problem?” Schwarzes inquired.
“Old,” Infinity said bluntly. “Alright, let’s roll. We need this to get us to at least The Ocean of Madness.”
Schwarzes got in and sat down without hesitation. Even if he changed his mind, he could not stay at the house. “So you’re licensed to drive this class of vehicle, right?” he asked with a cheeky smile.
Infinity laughed again. “No, but I don’t think we need to worry. Besides, I’ve driven the bumper cars at Coney Island–It’s the same basic principle.”
On a whim, Infinity checked his side mirror. There was nothing at first, until he noticed something that made his blood run cold. In the distance was a figure standing there, seemingly checking himself to make sure everything was there. Infinity could just barely make out what looked like a tall, red and black man. Despite the uncertainty, he had a pretty good idea who it was, but maintained his composure for Schwarzes’s sake. The past was following him, so he figured it was time to get going.
“What’s wrong, Infinity?” Schwarzes wondered, noticing his concern.
“Nothing, bro–just an echo from the past… Something I resolved, but I guess it’s not going to stay in the past…” He then gently pushed down the gas pedal and the car shakily moved forward. Infinity then popped in a cassette tape featuring a selection of upbeat rock songs.
“Was it that bad?”
“No, just… It’s complicated and was a while ago–don’t worry about it.”
It was surreal to travel through places that were once alive with activity. Schwarzes could sense the past as they drove through various towns, long since abandoned. It was like he could still hear the distant chatter and noises of day-to-day life. The stillness would have driven Infinity nuts, so he kept playing cassette tapes. Schwarzes did not mind as he quite enjoyed the music. One 10 minute song featuring guitars, pianos, and the best vocalist he had heard became his favorite, with him making a note to listen to it regularly in his new life. And a country song about a convoy of truckers gave him goosebumps–he had the weirdest feeling his father absolutely loved that one…
Night was coming and Schwarzes looked up at the sky only to be surprised. “Hey, where’s the stars?”
Infinity chuckled. “You expected there to be stars during the heat death of the universe?”
“Oh, right, duh… kind of unfortunate as I used to watch the weird stars back in the purple desert. Hey, do you know what that place was?”
“That was a Reality Error–they occur when The Unlight overlaps with a universe. Weirdly The Jungle of Old was extending into that one. All of it is still there if you want to visit it someday.”
“I see… What’s The Unlight?”
“Ha, that! Well basically a rock fell into the void a long time ago and the Cosmos built a realm around it to make sure reality as a whole wasn’t screwing up–relevant to us is that it’s where my guild hangs out.”
“A guild? What kind of guild?”
“The ULTRAMagic Guild” Infinity said proudly. “We’re a collection of mages and warriors with the ULTRAMagic trait that help keep the Cosmos safe.”
“Cool, can I join?” The enthusiasm in his voice felt like it was there before he even knew what that guild was.
Infinity chuckled as he checked the corner of the road before he drove forward. “Sure, if you have the patience for achieving ULTRAMagic. Your version of dad pulled it off before you were born, so I see no reason why you couldn’t do it yourself.”
“Nice. Did dad join the guild?”
“Not yours, but the current iteration of him did. We had a bit of a showdown in Red River–not too far off from what your version of dad went through.”
“Incredible… So would the guild be okay with me joining?” A ridiculous song about an Australian explorer started playing, with the rattling and clanking of bottles from the song’s rhythm catching him off guard–Infinity certainly had a pretty fun taste in music.
Infinity nodded with a smile. “Schwarzes, they’d love to have you as a member. In fact, if everything works out in our favor–you’ll be helping us out more than you think.”
Infinity’s optimism was infectious, causing Schwarzes to forget his worries and dread for a while. They were still stuck in Entropy Space, but how could he be sad when his big brother was right there for him? The desolate nature of their surroundings was eating at Infinity too, but thankfully they were leaving it behind, with the land around them starting to look relatively normal. Everything was still off, but they were making progress.
Eventually Infinity brought the car to a stop at a glen with a body of water off in the distance. “Alright, end of the road,” he said as he got out. “We’ll need to walk to the next location.”
“Okay then, we’ll rough it on the trails, ha!” The ground felt weird to Schwarzes. It was wet and mushy, giving him the impression that it was alive despite the contrary. “Is that the Ocean of Madness up ahead?”
“Yes indeed, Schwarzes.”
Schwarzes looked around as they walked, taking it all in. “This place is almost pretty nice. Those clouds aren’t right and what even are those trees? But I could see coming here to fish or go for a walk.”
“Heh, fishing…” Infinity remarked, the irony unclear to Schwarzes. “The ocean actually plays into what I said about the nature of Entropy Space, but I’ll save that for when we actually cross the ocean.”
Schwarzes nodded and shifted his attention back to walking. “Hey, Infinity? Have you been here before?”
“Yup.”
“Really?”
“Right now in fact.”
“Cool.” It then dawned on Schwarzes. “Hey! Wait a second!”
Infinity laughed and slapped his leg. “Got you! In all seriousness, time is irrelevant for me… and once you get to my level… This is and is not the first time I’ve been here. You don’t have to worry about that though.”
“That’s confusing…”
“Don’t fret, you’ll understand one day.”
“I will?”
Infinity nodded. “Absolutely.”
“Right.” Schwarzes was not sure how to feel about that, but he took it for what it was.
At the shore of the ocean was a boathouse that looked quite rundown. Centuries of age and decay left the unnamed shack ready to fall over, but it had one more job to perform. There was also a dock that appeared as if it could collapse at any moment. Below the waterline there looked like what should have been signs of life such as algae or barnacles, but there were none to be found. Infinity did not seem to be bothered by the state of the boathouse, but Schwarzes was rightfully leery. Thankfully there was also a rowboat, but it looked just as bad as the dock. Given that there was still no one else around, he would have to grin and bear it. To be fair, it felt like the boathouse had welcomed Schwarzes to its little plot of land with open arms–even though it was clearly not alive in the sense of living beings.
“Alright, stay here while I see if there’s anything useful inside the building,” Infinity said as he headed in that direction.
“That boat doesn’t look safe…”
Infinity stopped and studied it for a second. “I mean, it’s floating on the water, isn’t it?”
“Brother, It’s got moss growing on it!”
“Wow, didn’t expect that at this point in time… Don’t worry, moss won’t hurt you, even if it shouldn’t exist right now.” He then went inside, but did not shut the door. “Apparently it’s also pretty tasty!”
“Brother…” Schwarzes groaned, causing Infinity to laugh.
Schwarzes sighed as he looked out towards the water. All of it was placid, with no waves or tides. A ghostly fog also loomed over it, obscuring the horizon. Seeing a rock on the dock, Schwarzes kicked it in. The splash felt hollow and he could see it sink to the bottom. The seabed itself was barren, an odd sight to see. It gave him a weird sense of tranquility, but also a subtle dread that felt natural. Stepping over to the rowboat, Schwarzes gave it a good inspection. Despite its initial appearance, it looked like it would float as he rocked it on the water, the ripples calmly fading as they got away from the craft. Of course there was a board that looked thin, so Schwarzes tried to fix it. The magic glue he used to build his house back in the purple desert would do. He focused, readied his mouth, spit into his hand, and… nothing but a wad of saliva. He tried again, but got the same result.
“Infinity, my magic’s not working!”
He stepped out of the boathouse, looking a little nervous. “Really now? That’s unfortunate…”
“It’s that board right there” Schwarzes pointed out as Infinity got in.
He looked at it, hummed, and snapped his fingers. The board thickened up in a flurry of electricity. “We’ll need to teach you alchemy when this is all said and done. Now let’s get moving–there’s nothing for us here.”
Schwarzes slowly and cautiously got in. “Was it that thing again?” He had noticed Infinity was anxious again. “The man?”
“Pardon?” he asked as he started rowing.
“You know, back at the house?”
“There was a thing? What thing?”
Schwarzes groaned. “Fine–don’t worry about it…”
The lack of movement in the ocean was nerve racking–there was nothing to latch onto for the senses other than how chilly it was. All that could be heard was the paddles and the rowboat gently moving across the water and it created a surreal liminality that could only be experienced right then and there. Infinity offered to sing a sea shanty, but Schwarzes declined. He was a little irritated over how his brother was not being truthful. Schwarzes looked into the water again, wondering if he could see the bottom. Weirdly what looked like moving scenes were showing up for the murky depths, and one of them had a sight that was all too familiar to him. How it got out of his head was beyond him, but he knew he had to grab it.
“Mom!? Dad!?” he exclaimed.
Infinity kept rowing. “The Ocean of Madness is the embodiment of memories and the mind. You could even say that it is an emanation of the collective unconscious in some regards–A lot of it is memories that refuse to die.”
Schwarzes reached in and grasped the memory. “Got it!” It was like holding light and warmth, which made him feel good amidst the cold dampness of the ocean.
“Whoa, easy, bro–You don’t want to fall in…”
Something was holding onto the memory, however. “Hey, let go! It’s my memory!” Schwarzes declared, refusing to let go. A strange creature rose up from the water, resembling something between an octopus and a column. It gurgled inquisitively at Schwarzes, then released its tentacle from the memory–it clearly accepted that the boy wanted to keep it and was not bothered. Schwarzes held on to his prize tightly as he watched the entity sink back into the water. “...my memory.”
“So yeah–astral entities like that come here to study the ocean,” Infinity briefly explained.
Schwarzes smiled as he held the memory like a map, watching it play out before him. “I’ll never forget that moment, when I first met mom and dad,” he said as it vanished into his eyes.
“If it persisted for that long–I think you’re meant to persist too.”
“I was wondering about that… I started out as nothing, came to be, then ended up here. Am I truly meant to be, Infinity?”
He nodded. “I’d say so. You may have not had a purpose in this timeline, but the next one? You won’t know until you make it there.”
Schwarzes could not help wondering what it would be like to stop his journey right there. He was not going to, but he wanted to explore the thought regardless. Of course he realized that the ocean would be a bad spot as there was no solid ground to stand on. He was also not the best swimmer, on top of all those strange entities looking too bizarre to talk to. The musing was interrupted when Infinity had to do a bit of drastic rowing as one of the astral entities rose from the depths. This one was colossal, being roughly 50 feet tall. Schwarzes was too amazed at the scale of the being to be scared. After rowing a safe enough distance away, Infinity took a break for a minute to catch his breath. Thankfully a kind entity his size rose up from the depths and offered him a weird orb that revitalized him–it was almost like an apology for its parents nearly crashing into the boat. Once Infinity was ready, the journey resumed... Albeit with some haste so they did not have a repeat of that little bout of excitement.
As patient as Schwarzes was, he was growing bored. “Infinity, are we there yet?”
He chuckled. “Land-ho, Schwarzes,” Infinity said as they met the sandy, mushy shore.
“Finally, enough of that boat…” he said as he hopped, the wet ground feeling good against his feet. “So where to next?”
“The Dark Inferno, which is not too far away from here” Infinity answered as he stretched his legs. “This part of the journey is not going to be fun…”
The path ahead consisted of a scorched, craggy land, devoid of life. The baleful, red sun hung dreelily in the horizon, like it had grown depressed and weeped for those that wandered aimlessly below it. It was a pitiful sight and all who gazed upon it knew this was the end of the line for some. Schwarzes did not like the look of it as he was blasted by a wave of heat, a stark contrast to the chill of the ocean. Regardless, they had to keep moving, and he took a few steps forward until he ran into a tall man. It was a bit of a startling sight, but there was no malice or sadness to be had… rather, it was more like there was a list of important business to tend to–of which the man was determined to finish.
“Ah, hello, Mr Biest” the man said in a deep, soothing voice with clear optimism in it with an unnatural echo. On closer inspection, he appeared to be a skeletal man made of black crystal, draped in a red robe of what vaguely looked like screaming faces. His head was adorned by a crown made of a black and orange metal. While quite the scary sight, it was clear that this was not the man’s true glory–it was a lament of his past actions that reminded him he still had a long way to go.
Infinity got in between the two, holding a glowing, red bardiche made of magic. “Stay behind me, Schwarzes!” He then pointed the blade at the man’s face.
“Easy, Ignatius," the man said as he put the blade down. “I’m not here to fight.” The blade was immediately stuck right back in his face.
“Hold on!” Schwarzes interrupted before walking out from behind Infinity. “Is this who you saw, brother?”
Infinity sighed in resignation. “Yes… At the house and the boathouse.”
“Alright–Who is he then?”
The man chuckled, knowing he would encounter some friction from Infinity. “Allow me to introduce myself–I am The Vermilion King–heir to The Tyrant God’s legacy, and former conqueror of the Cosmos.”
“Former?” Schwarzes wondered as that was a very odd title.
“Formerly, as he was defeated a long time ago,” Infinity answered, his teeth starting to grit together. “What do you want with Schwarzes, Vermilion King?”
“Nothing too serious–I just wanted to make sure he gets to where he needs to be given that The Madman needs your help right now.”
“Like I’m going to believe that…”
“No really, I’m not kidding.” The king whistled, causing a portal to open up.
“Infinity, there you are!” a voice said. “Got a moment?”
“Madman? Well not really–I need to escort Schwarzes!”
A stone hand grabbed his arm. “Don’t worry, son, we’ll make it super quick.”
“But Schwarzes!” Infinity protested.
“...will be fine, come on!”
Infinity groaned. “Schwarzes, keep moving forward! Go through the inferno, to the storm, and then to the Azoth. I’ll meet you there!” The portal then closed with a crackling sound like stone grinding against itself.
Schwarzes nervously looked up at The Vermilion King. “My parents said I shouldn’t go with strangers…”
The King gave a warm laugh, like that of a proud parent. “A very wise observation, Schwarzes. You’ll be happy to know that I am well acquainted with Ignatius. In fact, I know him almost as well as his… your parents do.”
That was not as reassuring as it should have been. “So do you know how to get to The Final Azoth?”
“Of course–follow me…”
The Vermilion King was a little unsettling, all things considered. Schwarzes could sense great darkness coming from within him, but also a strange longing for friendship and the light deep down. It was like he was walking with a bear or a lion that wanted to help him instead of hunting him. Whoever this was seemed unfathomably complex, as the darkness was one of someone who had lost something truly important to him and lost his way trying to get it back. Schwarzes’ worries would have been relieved had they not come upon The Dark Inferno. It was a fiery, ruined land darted with cities that never existed. The sky was in perpetual night, with the realm illuminated by a flaming moon. Charred husks of man wandered the streets aimlessly, while others sat around and sobbed to no one. Schwarzes felt a mix of negative emotions bombard him, but he was not phased by them.
“Is that…?” Schwarzes started to ask.
“The Dark Inferno, where those who cannot truly move on end up. Normally souls return to the Ennead when the universe ends, but some truly give up and return to the prima materia instead. This is their final resting place.”
The Vermilion King guided Schwarzes through the streets, with the husks paying them no mind. A few watched as they walked by, but otherwise things were uneventful. Schwarzes felt bad for these people, but had no idea how to help them. All of it was hard to stomach, but they had to keep moving. Faint mummering and whispers could be heard–some were self-loathing, but most were regret and remorse. His majesty could tell the boy felt pity for the lost souls and wondered how he would respond. And the king would be lying if he said he did not feel a tear start to come to his eye, as it reminded him of the sorry state he had left his people and kingdom in…
“I wish I could help these people…” Schwarzes admitted.
“While I commend your heart, you should save your pity for those who haven’t given up–as much as we would love to save everyone in the Cosmos, sometimes we need to focus on ourselves and the now,” The King replied. After a moment of reflection, he spoke again. “Speaking of that, I’m surprised by your moral fiber–you were born of evil and despair after all.”
“But I’m not evil though.”
“True, very true–you remind me of myself when I was young. Schwarzes, do you want to keep going?”
“Yes?”
“Do you want to persist?”
Schwarzes was confused as he had already given his answer. “What do you mean, your majesty?”
“Schwarzes, you were not supposed to exist, yet here you are. You have a clean slate, but even that can be hard to deal with. I say this because I’m concerned for you–great nightmares, villains, and horrors are threatening to douse the light of God himself, and burn the entire void into ashes. No one would blame you if you returned to the prima materia–it is your choice and no one can take that from you.”
“But I need to find mom and dad…”
The King nodded. “I fully understand, but how do you know things will be the same when you find them?”
“I… I don’t know… but I want to see mom and dad again, no matter what!”
“Want is a powerful thing, Schwarzes–and there are fearsome monarchs and treacherous gods who seek to take advantage of that. Sometimes what we want is not what we need. Do you feel that this is what you need? In your heart of hearts? And that it’s not just the expectations of your parents or Ignatius?”
Schwarzes thought about it for a couple of minutes, but kept moving forward down the charred and scorching streets. The heat burnt his feet, but he was not going to let that stop him. “Did that happen to you, your majesty?”
The King stopped for a moment, averting his gaze. “You could say that–but alas, we have something else to take care of. Look…”
Near the outskirts, on a bench was the ghost of a young girl. She was mangled and gnarled, indicating she had been through great strife during her time in the Cosmos. The girl was crying, confused, and forlorn. Schwarzes felt his heart break as he knew who it was, with him taking a seat next to her and letting her lean on him. “I’m so sorry, Schwarzes…” the girl sobbed.
Memories flooded back into his mind and told him all he needed to know. “It’s alright, Bethany–we all make mistakes.”
“But I hurt so many and brought you into existence…”
Schwarzes brought her in for a hug. “I forgive you.”
“Really?” she asked as she began to glow, her ghostly body healing.
“Yeah–you can fix those mistakes, one way or another. Just keep moving forward, alright?”
The King pointed to a shining portal. “The Light awaits…” The girl gave Schwarzes one last hug and went through, causing it to fade into sparkling dust.
“You know what, your majesty? I need to persist so I can help people in general. Bethany would’ve stayed here if we hadn’t come along.”
The King smiled, feeling warmth he had not felt in a long time. “You have your parent’s compassion, which was passed down to Ignatius and became their heroism. Even in the darkest corners, light exists to guide those in need of help.”
And in that moment, like a source of grand inspiration, a man amongst the husks stood up. He had long since lost his name and honor, racked by guilt and self-pity… but now he felt something different. He had heard the words of his majesty and the boy and began walking. His gate was awkward and on the verge of collapse, so he picked up on a long stick and kept moving forward. As he left the city some started to follow him–the path forward was rough and hurtful, but they were no longer going to wait for the end while they wallowed in the chains of fear and ignorance. As this caravan of the forlorn pressed on, the land turned from night to day as the pale, glowing light of the now happy sun compelled them to keep moving towards it. The man smiled as other men, women, and children joined him–realizing that the path was always there for them as they vanished into the light. Some still remained in the city, and they could not be helped–but the ones who made the journey would never regret it.
Schwarzes felt great as they left The Dark Inferno, like they had done something truly great. And even if those who had left the stagnant realm stumbled along the way, they knew they would always be able to pick themselves back up. “So where are we heading next, your majesty?”
“The Final Storm, a place of great chaos that you will need all of your fortitude for. Do you think you have what it takes?”
“Absolutely!” Schwarzes declared as his walk turned into a confident stride.
The King laughed again as a wave of nostalgia hit him. “You have the same energy Ignatius had when he began his quest to defeat me so long ago.”
“I just hope I get to see Bethany again, in addition to everyone else.”
“You probably will, Schwarzes. You probably will.”
The last area before The Last Azoth was The Final Storm. Nothing but wind and cyclones, it served as one last hurrah for the universe. The mighty roar of the all-powerful winds was a symphony whose crescendo would never be matched, not even by the gods themselves. With the end of everything on the horizon, why not go all out in one last grand performance? Tornadoes and hurricanes danced around each other in madness and fervor like there was no tomorrow–no one could stop them, even if they tried. Fortunately stone chunks and platforms were being carried on the wind amidst the chaos, making it possible for Schwarzes and his majesty to progress. It was not easy, but Schwarzes was doing well despite missing his magic, and The Vermilion King was impressed with his endurance.
After climbing his way up a piece of land, Schwarzes took a second to catch his breath. It was not relaxing as the harsh gusts continued to batter him, however. “Jeez… Here’s hoping I don’t become one of those storm chaser guys…”
“Dangerous, but not the worst profession,” The King commented. “This mass we landed on reminds me of my old temples. This is in shambles, but the ruins are surprisingly resilient.”
Schwarzes moved across what appeared to be a stone plaza, as he could see another land mass approaching. “Your majesty? Why was my brother so up in arms about you?”
The King paused as a nostalgic smile grew on his face, followed by a laugh. “It’s because we go way back, Schwarzes. I assume you want to know my story?” The boy nodded. “Alright then. It’s a long one, but I’ll keep it brief…”
As they moved onto the next piece of land, The Vermilion King explained that he was once like Schwarzes–he was a young boy who was not sure about his place in the Cosmos. After witnessing great strife and the death of his father, he grew bitter and pessimistic. Why was God allowing such injustices to happen in the first place? Why were forces from beyond the era of the void being allowed to encroach on the Cosmos?! WHY WAS HE INEXPLICABLY ENRAPTURED BY THE MADDENING YELLOW BILE OF WANT–THE ONE WHO KILLED RATIONALITY AND IRRATIONALITY IN THE NAME OF HIS ETERNAL RULE!? The Vermilion King stewed in great resentment, anger, and jealousy for ages until the day came when he sought to overthrow God–he had enough and was going to do something about his peril! If he could not get the answers or help he deserved, then he would make the answers he wanted–he would take on the lust of Want and rewrite the stars in his favor so he could stop the forces of evil that wished to snuff out the light of creation once and for all!
His majesty had arrogantly assumed that the conquest was going smoothly until one day a mighty hero rose up to stop him. It was Infinity, accompanied by The Arbiters of Droom, The Madman of Old, The Chronomaton of Old, and The Automaton of Old. The Vermilion King thought he had successfully gatekept the realm of Want with a king of his creation wrought from the jowls of desire, but Infinity was a clever lad. The young warrior had used an oversight his majesty could have never possibly foreseen and led the charge with The Arbiters of Droom at his side. Their battles raged on for many eons outside of time and space, until one day when The Vermilion King lost his spark. He had lost his motivation to usurp God. What The King realized is that he was born of God–the Source–the Light just like anyone else–to overthrow that would be to overthrow himself.
“...and the rest is history. My armies abandoned me and Ignatius and the Arbiters got in a clean shot at me. The Madman then sealed me away, leading to a lot of time for me to think and reflect.”
“Was it worth it, your majesty?”
The King sighed. “Not in the slightest, Schwarzes. It turns out that the answers were right in front of my face the whole time: God did not create evil, it just happens. Our existence is a conflict, and when we give into unchecked ignorance and desire, we become subject to fear. Fear is the driving force that gives us an irreverent, selfish disregard for God and his creation. When you stop caring for Man and only care about yourself, the most abhorrent acts become ever so tolerable. Why should I care about my neighbor when I’m just as important as anyone else? I’m of God, therefore I deserve it, right?”
“No?”
“Exactly!” The King cried. “When we declare ourselves to be perfect, we deny the greatness we can achieve. Why improve yourself if you’re perfect? We’re never perfect, you see–perfection is a fallacy that would mean we wouldn’t have to exist in the first place.”
The two climbed up to another stone platform, with Schwarzes helping his majesty up. “Not to be rude, your majesty–but it took you all of that to realize something that simple?”
“Sometimes, Schwarzes. Sometimes you either need a pinch to the arm or a waterfall’s worth of water dumped on you to wake up. I was caught in a cycle of self-destruction, thinking the way to enlightenment was desire, conquest, and subjugation. My losses humbled me and made me realize that holding a sword up to someone’s neck and demanding they submit isn’t the answer.”
Schwarzes thought back to Bethany and the circumstances that brought about his existence. “I wish we could go back in time and tell certain people what you just told me…”
“A noble thought, but then you wouldn’t exist and we wouldn’t be here to have this talk.”
“Oh, right…” This frustrated Schwarzes, causing him to kick around a few stones while they waited for the next solid mass to fly by.
The Vermilion King did not say anything else as they made their way to the end of the realm. It was clear that the boy needed time to process his emotions. After hopping a few more land masses, the two made it to a strange, dark realm. It was murky and chaotic, but also full of energy and potential. Black masses that arced electricity to their surroundings hovered by the two in the air. All of it was a surreal sight to behold. “Alright, Schwarzes, this is where we’ll have to part ways for a bit. You’ll have to traverse this leg of the journey by yourself.”
Schwarzes looked ahead, a little nervous as per usual. “Are you sure about that?”
“The path is straight forward–go through The Dark Azoth and you’ll make it to The Light Azoth. Continue on and you’ll make it to The Crimson Azoth–that’s where you need to be.”
“Alright, if you’re sure,” Schwarzes said, followed by taking a breath to steady his nerves. “Your majesty? Before you go, I thought about my issue and your past. Are we truly stuck?”
The King smiled again. “Well I may have been the lord of darkness, harbinger of abhorrence, and duke of ultimate despair–but if I can turn myself around, anyone can move forward. You just have to take that step right out the door.”
Schwarzes nodded as he had already done that part. “Thank you, your majesty.”
“One more thing, Schwarzes: You’ll have to make the ultimate decision when you finally reach The Crimson Azoth. Are you sure you’re ready for that? No one will fault you if you decide to turn back now.”
He looked at The Dark Azoth, then back to the king. “I guess we’ll see, at The Crimson Azoth.”
“Best of luck to you, lad,” The King said as he vanished in a cloud of orange and black smoke.
Schwarzes continued his journey, traversing the bizarre and surreal lands of The Dark Azoth. He realized something interesting midway through–he was walking through base matter itself. There was so much potential and he could feel it coursing through his body with a compulsion to experiment. His curiosity grew as he played around with his surroundings, shaping it into all sorts of neat things. They would all disappear soon, but it was too fun to say no to. All of this caused him to further realize that this malleability was the framework for creation and the universe. Schwarzes could make whatever he wanted–perhaps even the answers to so many problems in life with enough time and effort. Despite these realizations, he could only do so much with the structures he created at that moment.
Before he knew it, Schwarzes had arrived in The Light Azoth. It was a brightly lit realm that allowed him to see for miles, witnessing an untold amount of grand buildings and structures. They had no meaning as they floated by in the great void, but Schwarzes figured it was because they did not have a point yet. As he pressed on, Schwarzes learned that disparity and structure were needed to give his creations purpose. And even if the buildings were ‘meaningless,’ they still gave him inspiration. He felt compelled to match their greatness and go beyond that. What was stopping him? He knew the potential was there–he just needed to focus. There was something else missing, however–so he figured it was time to move on.
The Crimson Azoth was a vast, seemingly infinite red nebula of clouds and tranquil chaos against a beautiful, night sky. Despite no one else being there, Schwarzes realized what his creations were truly lacking and it was so simple: reason. He needed to get to the end, so Schwarzes created a small biplane. It worked flawlessly, despite being suddenly brought forth from the prima materia. All of this solidified why he had come this far–his parents needed him and he needed them. Schwarzes marveled at the beauty of his surroundings as flew through the awe-inspiring realm. The clouds of warm colors swirled and crackled with thunder, lighting up in brilliant light shows. He could have stayed there forever marveling at them, but he had somewhere to be. Eventually he had made his way to what looked like a black hole, bringing his plane down for a landing on a stretch of solid, red matter.
Moving inwards, Schwarzes could feel an intense energy all around him as the ground rumbled ever so slightly. It was intimidating, but he continued onward. At the same time it gave him a sense of power that he knew was attainable if stayed true to himself and sought wholeness. Things grew more abstract the further he went in, with the land spiraling into unreal landscapes and materials beyond his imagination. Upon reaching the center consisting of a colossal pit, Schwarzes saw Infinity and The Vermilion King arguing. He calmly approached the two, who comically started to resemble an old, married couple (from his perspective).
“Ignatius, I’m not saying he shouldn’t jump–I’m saying he should make sure that he wants to go through with this. What happens when he goes to the next iteration and it's not what he wanted? We can’t let him go through that kind of pain–I know what unchecked desire can do to a man!”
Infinity growled. “That’s what I’m here for! I know it’s going to be unpredictable! I am fully aware of what he’s going to experience in the next iteration, but I’ll be there for him every step of the way! We’ll make it through this no matter what!”
“Your heart is in the right place, Ignatius, make no mistake about it–but you need to temper that ambition. You can’t save everyone nor can you solve every issue. One step in the wrong direction and everything will fall apart. Trust me, I know in more ways than one–do you both want to end up like me? The Crimson God? The Lich of Old?”
This made Infinity scream as he summoned his bardiche, causing the ground around him to shake. “I’M NOT LOSING ANOTHER FAMILY MEMBER, DAMN IT! So help me God, if you changed his mind…”
“Brother?” Schwarzes calmly interjected, quietly worried about his feelings.
Infinity dropped his weapon and went over to hug Schwarzes. “Thank God, you’re here! Don’t worry, buddy, the end is right over there,” he said as he guided Schwarzes over to the precipice.
“Ignatius…” The King said as he shook his head.
“It’s alright, your majesty,” Schwarzes replied. “I want to go through with this. I know it’ll be rough, but I’ll manage.”
Infinity blew a raspberry at The King. “Told you so…”
“Brother, you need to calm down a little,” Schwarzes chided. “Take it easy on him, he’s been through a lot.” Infinity groaned, causing The King to smirk a little.
“I know…” Infinity growled, not intending for anyone to respond to that.
Surprisingly The King then gave a sigh of relief once Schwarzes was close enough to the edge. “I knew we would all end up here…”
“So both of you knew I’d choose to jump?” Schwarzes deduced, a mildly incredulous look appearing on his face.
“More or less,” Infinity answered. “But how did you…?”
Schwarzes sighed. “I was thinking about how you two are higher up than I am while I was traveling through the Azoth realms. It’s kind of annoying that my fate has been predetermined like this…”
“I know how you feel,” The King replied. “Destiny and fate certainly didn’t help me clear my head back in the day…”
Infinity nodded. “Apparently I was always meant to fall into the time rift, but hey, it turned out well in the end. We’re here now, aren’t we?” There was still some pain in his voice, despite seeming like he had shaken it all off.
Schwarzes nodded and looked into the abyss. It was dark, but he knew there was something welcoming down there. It beckoned him to jump and he was not going to deny that urge. He needed to mentally prepare himself first, but no one was judging him for that. “I will see my parents again, no matter what” Schwarzes calmly declared. “See you later, Ignatius, your majesty!” And with that, he jumped, vanishing into the inky darkness as he plummeted into the abyss.
“Well, there he goes…” The King remarked with relief for the boy… with Infinity frowning at him. “Don’t give me that look, Ignatius–you know I had a point.”
Infinity inhaled and exhaled loudly. “You know just as well as I do who he’s meant to become–It’s his destiny to join the guild…”
“I’m not exactly a fan of forcing the boy into this.”
“We’re not forcing him and we can’t just let him fade away–he’s too valuable to me, mom, and dad. Don’t forget how many universes and realms he’ll also help.”
The King groaned. “God, I hate predestination…” He then put his arm around Infinity. “Come on, let's go get some ice cream.”
Infinity scoffed as he tried to get away from his majesty, but could not. “After all that?”
“Of course, my boy! I owe it to you and we owe it to ourselves. Besides, we can’t stay here, haha!”
Schwarzes plummeted deeper and deeper into the darkness, until time became meaningless. He could no longer see himself until something changed–A shining angel flew into him with great haste. Glowing brighter than ever, Schwarzes soared further and faster with his newfound wings of glittering stardust–nothing could stop him now. Soon all of his memories were on display, past and future. Some were comforting while others hurt. There was no time to reminisce, however, as Schwarzes was almost there. He could see it, a bright point of light in the darkness. His blood raced and his breathing sped up as the adrenaline surged like fuel at unbelievable speeds through his veins. IT WAS RIGHT THERE! HE WAS COMING HOME AND COULD NOT WAIT TO SEE HIS PARENTS AGAIN! Just one more push AND…
Ultimatum woke up from his nap. He was waiting at The ULTRAMagic Guild for someone and had been dreaming about the past. After a yawn and a quick stretch, he left his room. Passing by several mages, he ran into Blood-Wraith and Infinity. “Brother, Blood–what’s up?”
“Hey, Schwarzes,” Infinity replied. “We finally got Blood away from his shop to come visit the guild for once.”
Blood-Wraith chuckled. “To be fair, Eloise and Drago also got on my case.”
“Are Will and Morrigan finally here?” Ultimatum asked.
“Yup, they’re down in the main lobby,” Blood-Wraith answered.
Thanking the two, Ultimatum headed downstairs. It was an energetic day, with the mages and warriors going about their daily business and activities. Several guild members paused what they were doing to say hi and asked Ultimatum what he was up to. It was also an exciting day at the guild hall, with everyone full of energy and ready to give it their all no matter what. Schwarzes had quite the journey getting to where he was now following the descent into the black hole of the Final Azoth, but that was a story for another day. He smiled as he approached the table Will and Morrigan were sitting at–the two were enjoying some lunch and casually talking about this and that.
“Hey, Schwarzes!” Morrigan welcomed as he approached. “Boyo, look lively.”
“Ultimatum, sir!” Will said with a salute and a laugh. This made the other two chuckle.
“Good to see you two here,” Ultimatum replied as he sat down and put his hands together. “Will, I got a pretty important mission for you, if you’re feeling up to it.”
Will felt goosebumps rise on his arms. “Sounds interesting already, haha. What do I need to do?”
“Are you okay with heading back in time to the guild’s past with Ludwig and Rostislav? Let’s just say past Blood-Wraith needs a bit of help…”
Next: Chaos Angel
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
Comments
Post a Comment