Perrin looked at the hallway that was in front of him and blinked. It was the most impressive hallway he'd ever seen. The floor and walls were a beautiful white marble with silver accents at the walls' base and ceiling. It wasn't that long, maybe 20 meters in length and 3 meters across. There was a large wooden door at the end and two strange doors about halfway down, right across from each other.

He started walking down the hallway to the frantic booms of Mazikeen’s frustrations, and he smiled again. Perrin knew she wouldn't let him get away with that little fast one, but he didn't mind.

Perrin one, Mazikeen 0. She is pretty feisty, and that something I can get behind. It's a shame she's broken, or at least the act is convincing. Oh well. So what's this place about. I see some type of spaceship looking knobless doors up on the right and left. Then there is the beautiful storybook mahogany study door down at the end. Not much else to see. I guess I'll check out the side doors then go to what I assume is the study at the end.

Perrin approached the two doors in the middle. They both were black with their frames accented in silver. A dark tile the size of a large tablet was to the right of both doors. He assumed it was a screen due to its glossy surface. Tapping on the screen, he expected it to wake up or something, but nothing happened. He placed his hand in the middle of the glossy surface, but still, nothing happened. Perrin gave up on the screen and searched around the door but could not find any way to open it. He tried the other one to no avail. Sighing, he continued down to the end where the study door lay.

The beautiful wooden door had a polished silver knob. He twisted it, and the door swung wide. The study was pitch black besides for a pathway that lead to a large wooden desk. The desk was imposing and easily looked fit for an emperor in some ancient time. The more he looked into the room, the more he wondered about the lights in this place.

How was there perfect light just on the stretch of ground leading to the desk?

It was just too strange. He felt like there should be something to the left or right of the path, but it was just black. Perrin seriously considered not going in. The path was the size of the doorway, which wasn't small. The grandiose door was at least two meters wide.

Deciding that if he was in for a penny, he might as well be in for a pound. Perrin walked through the doorway and down the path. Perrin stuck his hand out and touched the blackness, and his fingers disappeared, but he felt nothing. Coming to the desk, he walked around the beautiful creation, appreciating the delicate artwork. It was indeed a masterpiece. It seemed to have been created out of a single piece of wood.

Making his way to the back of the desk, the office-like chair moved out on its own in an autonomous manner. The chair was attractive in design. It looked very modern but still had a classical touch that seems to fit. Deciding that he would like nothing better than to take the invitation, he sat in the large chair. The chair slid forward and placed him behind the desk comfortably. That's when he noticed that the pathway started disappearing as the door to the study slowly swung shut.

Perrin tried to push away from the desk, but he couldn't budge the chair. The pathway finished disappearing, and he could no longer see the door. A light appeared in front of him about an arm's length away on the desk. The light split, creating the outline of a medium-sized box. The design turned to light then disappeared in a flash, leaving an opening. A crystal ball on a stand rose out of the desk with the oh so familiar indentation.

The display fit Perrin's overall opinion of this place of ridiculousness. Shrugging, he pulled out the metallic item, slipped it into the slot, and waited to see what happened next.

He didn't have to wait for long as a man stepped out of the darkness. He was tall and powerfully built with shoulder-length dark black hair. His face looked shockingly familiar, and if he didn't miss his guess, this must be who he previously was. They didn't look the same exactly. This man was more, well, for lack of a better word, symmetric. He was the definitive version of himself. Everyone has little things that are off with them. One ear a little lower than another, an eyebrow not quite as full as its twin. This man, on the other hand, was flawless in every aesthetically pleasing way. There was also an air of command and nobility to the man that drew you to his imposing presence.

The medallion that Perrin had just used was at his waist like a generals belt buckle. His clothing was strange. He wore some type of dark-colored form-fitting futuristic gambeson jacket. The jacket had three silver latches down the left breast. Perrin had no clue what it was made of, but it had a metallic sheen to it. The sleek black pants tucked into dark boots finished off the militant appearance. Overall, his former self looked foreign and clearly not from Perrin's world.

The man said nothing for a time as they stared at each other. The longer Perrin looked at him, the more he thought that the man looked exhausted, and not the kind of exhaustion you get from a hard days labor. No, this was the type of feeling you get when you consider doing something you shouldn't but cannot see a way out of it. Perrin knew that feeling all too well. He had felt it many times over the years. The times when he had been commanded to leave innocents behind during missions, but no, he wouldn't think about that again. Perrin had made his peace and left that life behind him.

The not Perrin put his hands behind his back like a general, began pacing, and finally spoke in a deep baritone voice, "I'm sure you have guessed it by now, but this is a holo recording that I left for myself, in the event that I decided to go through with the procedure. I will not sugar coat this for you. I want to die." The man paused and pierced Perrin with his gaze like a thrown spear.

He had zero doubt in his mind that this man he used to be was absolutely certain he wanted to die. It was something that Perrin already knew, of course. He had recognized the world-weary look in his eyes. He had seen it many times in the mirror. That had only changed for him when he found Addison. Love can heal those wounds sometimes even if it turns toxic in the end. Perrin doubted that it wasn't the same for this man for some reason.

The man looked away from Perrin and waved his hand, and the blackness lit up like a computer screen coming to life. There were tiny small strings of what looked like text everywhere in the darkness. Their number kept increasing rapidly until the complete blackness was full with more than Perrin could consider counting.

"These are the names of the people that have killed. The exact number is nineteen trillion six hundred and forty-three billion five hundred and eighty-seven million two-hundred seventeen-thousand six-hundred and twelve." The lines of text started coming together to form the number as the man said them aloud.

The number was so large that Perrin was unsure how he felt about the statement. It was too unreal in his mind. He couldn't understand how you could actually kill that many people.

Could a planet even hold that many individuals because I seriously doubt that it could? Are there even that many people in the universe?

Perrin's planet hadn't even discovered life outside of their little blue rock.

Perrins twin continued, "I'm not sure what iteration you grew up on, but I'm sure you know now, given that you are watching this, that reality is quite larger than you originally realized. My wives would have explained to you what happened but not the details of what led me to this decision." The man looked at Perrin again, and he showed such a look of sorrow that even Perrin felt it.

"I not only killed them, but I also obliterated their souls. There will be no afterlife or reincarnation for them. They will simply cease to exist. The hopes and dreams of an entire plane of existence. A universe full of beautiful and unique cultures crushed by these hands." The man looked at his offending appendages like they were the evilest things he had ever laid his eyes on. He gave his head a shake as he gazed off into the darkness. Tears rolled down the man's face, but the man never wiped them away.

"I was supposed to protect them," the man whispered. "I was supposed to be their guardian. The being that sheltered them and kept them from oppression. But yet, I snuffed them out like a candle." Perrin's chest tightened as the man spoke, old memories trying to surface, but he squashed them down. He could relate to what the man was saying, but he didn't want to relive memories that were better left in the past.

"I just can't forgive myself. I've tried, and I've tried. My wives and loved ones have tried time and time again to help me, but I just can't get past it. This power that I wield is just not fit for my hands. Something inside me has lost touch with humanity. It's the only conclusion that I've been able to come to. I have thought of a hundred different ways I could have handled that situation differently if I had just taken the time to consider them. But I didn't, and now I'm so covered in innocent blood that I … It's no matter. You know now." The man wiped the tears away and started pacing again.

"After a time, my close friend and wives convinced me that there was surely something that I could do to move past this. I turned my mind to this pursuit and did eventually come up with a plan. I decided that if I truly deserved this mantle, then I should start over. Wipe the slate clean and try again. Tear away the vestiges of my power and live as a mortal, without the advantages my memories would give. You see, we were born on a planet that is so far in advancement of technology, that you would most likely consider the things we can do there closer to magic. The chance for immortality and real tangible power is obtainable by almost everyone with the means and dedication. We were born into one of the most powerful families in our world. That isn't to say we were pampered, but our ascension was guaranteed. I digress."

"I'll be straight with you as I see no reason to lie to myself. I misled them all. I love my wives, and I love my companions deeply, but whoever I am now is never coming back. I never expected this to make a difference, but I could never tell them that. No, if you see this, then our soul has been cleansed, and all our precious memories will never be returning. The only thing I could not purge was Dio, but he is a part of us. He was the only one who knew the truth, and we came to an… arrangement."

Who the hell is this Dio person? How is he a part of me? This whole situation seems to just keep getting stranger and stranger.

"We are currently inside our own personal… spatial construct. It's a sandbox, if you will, where I can design and create whatever I wanted in a controlled environment without affecting the other planes of existence. Dory started calling it my study, and so it sort of stuck. It's more of a laboratory than anything. I have restructured and designed this place to essentially power level you. If the time has come for you to return to reality, you will need to protect yourself. There is one catch, though. You will have very limited access to anything until you find and convince Dio that you are worthy. This is also something I have hidden from everyone. I won't let another monster like myself exist again."

The man continued, "Dio should now be in here with you. You will be able to find him using the medallion," he pointed towards his waist where the medallion was. "The stone will light up once you are standing in front of the correct portal. I have no clue what mischief he has gotten up to by this point, but I'm sure it will be… interesting to deal with. That said, this may simulate a game of sorts, but the individuals you interact with within the portals are not artificial. They are quite real. They live their lives how ever they see fit in the areas I have given them to reign over. I have made agreements with them all, and they are soul bound to follow given certain conditions are met."

The man froze like the pause button had been pressed, and a flickering light appeared beside him. "It seems that someone has joined you on this journey, master. Scans show that this individual is not in our database records. I will ask you if you are in danger of this individual. Certain measures can be taken to eliminate outside threats. Is this person a danger or not? Answer yes or no, and I will act appropriately."

Perrin thought about the prompt then said, "Who are you?"

"I am this space's AI overseer. I manage the cells and the upkeep of this special pocket."

Well, isn't that kick ass. A real deal AI. Hmmm… Is Mazikeen a threat? I never really meant for her to come here with me, and she is most certainly going to be challenging to deal with. Especially, given that she moves around like some damn space ninja and can probably kill me with a casual wave of her hand.

"AI, what do I call you?"

"Master may call me Zimon if it pleases."

"Alright, Zimon, is there any way I can speak with our guest from here? Like an intercom or something?

"There are several ways in which the master can speak to the guest." A screen appeared in front of Perrin, showing him a forward facing view of Mazikeen sitting in a meditative pose.

"If the master wishes, he can press the icon in the bottom left, and you should be able to communicate with the guest."

"Will she be able to see me?"

"Only if you want her to master."

"Okay, let her see my face once I start talking."

"Very good master."

Perrin scratched his chin and thought about what he wanted to say to the feisty emo. She was insanely gorgeous but flat-earther crazy. He really wasn't quite sure what he would say, so he just decided to wing it.

He pushed the icon and said, "Hello there."

Mazikeen's eyes snapped open and her gaze focused in on what he assumed was his face.

Oh, this one is smart and exceptionally so, if I didn't miss my guess. Those eyes are too intelligent by half. I need to be really careful with her, but I'm going to be blunt about this.

"Hello, Perrin." Mazikeen said in her sultry voice, sending goosebumps down Perrin's arm.

"Well, Mazikeen, I'm in a bit of a pickle. You and I are stuck in here together. The only way out is to win this little game that has been set up for me. The issue is, I don't know you, although you seem to know who I was previously. I'll be straight with you. Are you here to help me or hinder me?"

"To help you," she said without hesitation.

"Well, that's good because you will be stuck in here forever without me."

Perrin reached out and muted the communication. "Zimon, She will never leave here if I die, right?"

"No master, only your completion of the trials will provide the capability of leaving this space."

Perrin pressed the icon again and said, "Yeah, sorry, I wasn't a hundred percent sure, but it is confirmed that if I die, you will be here forever. Sooooo, I guess that means that we are going to be getting to know each other. I want to let you in here so that we can talk, but I'm sort of in the middle of something when Zimon asked if he should kill you. I'm glad that we could iron that out. Anywho, I'll hit you up when I'm finished, and we can talk."

Mazikeen blinked slowly. Then said, "Uhm… okay."

Perrin waved, then pressed the icon again to mute. He turned to Zimon and asked to remove his face from Mazikeen's side. He watched as her face went through about eighty-seven different girlish emotions. He chuckled but then felt uncomfortable spying on his soon to be companion.

"Zimon, please remove the screen. The answer to your first question is that, no, our guest is not a threat."

"Very good master. If things change, please let me know."

"Will do, Zimy, will do."

The man unfroze and turned to look a Perrin again. "It seems that someone has accompanied you here. I will guess that it is one of our wives even though I warned them not to. They have likely cost you… most likely cost both of you your lives." He sighed sorrowfully.

"Bringing a companion defeats the whole purpose of this journey. Certain agreements made with the individuals inside here will now be null and void. All facilities short of necessities will be closed to you until Dio’s approval. I warned them, and I know that Deacon did as well. If anything, that shit head probably made the penalty even harsher. I planned for that eventuality. That won't change how much harder it will be for you now. That is both a good thing and a bad thing. You could easily die here with the agreements in place, but it is much more probable with some of them lifted. This will also help you grow more quickly, but you will be at a much more severe disadvantage in the beginning."

Yayyyy, no lube! Just how I expect to be fucked. Ugh… I already knew this, but it doesn't feel any better to have it confirmed.

"To be clear to you. I want you to succeed, and I have confidence that you can. I may not want to come back, but that doesn't mean I think our soul should disappear from existence. I can do at least that much for my loved ones. You probably think I'm a coward, and I won't deny that it even feels that way to me on some level. I'm broken, and it's as simple as that. You don't want the burdens I have carried and continue to add to." The man paused and looked like he was mentally shifting gears away from his last statement.

He gathered himself then continued, “I believe that covers the things I wish to convey to you on that. Now, for the study." The man paused as though he was considering his next words. "As I said before, this place was designed for you to rapidly gain power. I have stripped away all of the mysteries behind ascension. It is honestly tantamount to a crime to do this because even if some of the teachings are complete nonsense, the journey through it really makes the climb worthwhile. I won't go into minute detail on things as Dio will be responsible for passing that knowledge along to you if and when he deems you worthy or ready for the knowledge. I will give you a broad overview, though."

"There are three levels to ascension. The first is the physical and literal cultivation of power in your body, strengthening your mortal shell to something beyond its mortal bonds. This is known as body forging. There are many different methods, and they all give you various benefits depending on the said methods. Once this is achieved, you have metaphorically and literally opened the door to the tower of ascension, and you are standing at the stairwell. I know that probably doesn't make a lot of sense to you right now, but Dio is an… adequate teacher." The man coughed slightly, and suspiciously cleared his throat.

Perrin had a feeling that this Dio was going to be a problem. Not a single person had referred to him in a positive way. Endearing, yes, but more akin to that shit of a friend you have that is always pranking everyone.

At least those types of personalities keep life interesting.

"The second level deals with the mind and the soul. The two are intertwined together tightly. This can be achieved through the Soul Forge. The process is not a mystical thing, but the initial prep work is something close. This is the most dangerous part of ascension. If you fail to prepare or falter in the Forge, your entire existence will be torn into nanoscopic particles. It is also the single most painful thing you will ever experience. In the days of old, this used to be achieved through enlightenment. Establishing a connection to the universal energies, if you will. It still is, but our planet's technological advancements have refined the process down to its building blocks. We have increased the efficiency and potency of the step." The man paused his lecturing for a second then snapped a finger. A table and chair appeared.

The more impressive twin took a seat and made himself comfortable. "The final step is called Unity. This is a mystical step, and this one cannot be solved or answered through science, although an evidence-based method has been established. This is where you find a path and achieve Unity with an ideal of said path. This is where the real power is obtained, such as the creation of icons, functional immortality, and many of the deeper truths of reality are revealed. The complexities of this part, I will leave them to Dio. I do not want you to be influenced by my biases on the subject."

The man paused again, nodded his head, then continued more thoughtfully, "Once Unity has been achieved, there is… more. That more part is where we would talk about Mantles, gods and God, etc.… I'm going to stop there. Just know that ascension isn't the end, and what we do is worthy of protection, worthy of achieving again, and worthy of our life should it come to it. You will know more when you are ready."

The man stood up and walked to the right of the desk off into the darkness. A path of light appeared and stretched out 10 meters away, showing the man standing beside a door. "This room will activate with our medallion. The room contains the holo map of the areas you have explored. It will be the only one that you will physically need the medallion for beyond this point.” The man flickered for a second then continued. “Since protocol Alpha is in affect. It will also be the only technical facility you will have access to until Dio decides otherwise. If you need anything such as food, just speak with Zimon."

The man walked back to the front of the desk and sat on the corner. He crossed his feet and stared off into the darkness. "This is it for me. After I finish this recording, I will be gone shortly afterward. When you make it out of this place I want you to give our friends and family a message.” The mans eyes were bloodshot and tears flowed down his face.

“Please tell… everyone that I am sorry. That I tried, but… I couldn’t cleanse my sins any other way. Tell them I love them deeply. When you see our wives again ask them to forgive me." The man turned his head towards Perrin. His expression and tears causing a deep ache to rise in Perrin's chest.

He spoke in a soft voice with a slight tremble, "Whoever we are now, I hope that you make better decisions. I hope… that, you can be stronger than I was… in the end.” The man swiped his right hand and disappeared.