The path…

I stand at a crossroads. Four paths stretch out before me, branching out and leading to infinite places. They hang, suspended, in this void filled with stars. I reach down and touch the ground, it feels solid.

I look down the path on my furthest left, try to follow it to the end. But the further it leads, the more new paths branch out from it. I can feel that each path is unique, and I can almost see shapes moving near them. As I look closer at these shapes I catch glimpses of beings… Places…

Some of these shapes seem to call me to them, offer aid and guidance. Others offer power, for a price. Every shape with a different purpose, they threaten and beckon.

Every path has its own dangers, and rewards…

I sit there for a while and follow various paths as far as I can. But in the end I come to nothing, nothing can be learned here, there are far too many possibilities.

I look up, out amongst the stars. And I begin to rise, it feels deceptively slow but when I look down I can just barely distinguish the paths from the void. I push them aside, forget them for now, and turn my gaze to one of the stars. I move towards it and soon I can see shapes in the light.

I am close now, the light reaches out to me… It embraces me… It feels like liquid moonlight… Like a lovers touch… A warmth that fills my soul. I do not know how long I bathe in the light, it feels like an eternity of bliss. But I pull myself together, I can not linger.

I return my attention to the shapes who surround me, I feel their bliss. They are trapped, drained. Dieing. I ignore them and move closer to the centre, the origin of this light. I come to a tear, a rift. A gate to another place. I can feel the forces of this place tearing at me as I come closer, pain and pleasure mingle together and almost rip me apart. With a burst of strength and concentration I break through…

I find myself in a place … A void there is nothing but… White all around me. I am falling, a shape appears beneath me. A perfect square of black hanging suspended. As I come closer I see a blue line snaking its way across.

I land softly, the ground is made of black sand. I cannot see the edge. But I hear a sound, the rushing of a great river. I move towards it and as I get closer I can see a mountain rise up in front of me, from this mountain two great waterfalls form majestically. The water is a deep and vibrant blue. I stand there for a moment and marvel at this wonder.

Curiosity takes me to the bank of one of the two great rivers formed. I reach down and lower my hand into the water. The emotion is… Indescribable. Such power… Such incredible strength, it nearly overwhelms me. I tear my hand from the water, it has changed, I can feel it. It hurts. I feel driven to go to the other river, I do so and plunge my other hand into its water. When I pull it out with a gasp of pain and a tremor at my very core I feel a change in it as well. I have not the focus to remain, it is too much and I crash back into my own body, reeling from the experience.

My hands still feel different, a warmth within them. Pain and pleasure. But this is good, a new path.

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