Three days pass with little in the way of change.

With much time upon my hands and little to do with it besides think and browse my phone, I’d thought more and more upon what had transpired. I still felt the connection between myself and the self-proclaimed goddess and could enter my mind space with ease. Either this was all an elaborate illusion created by my overactive mind, something I was beginning to doubt more and more with each waking breath, or something had really happened to me. I needed privacy to conduct more elaborate experiments.

Turning to world news, we (as in my home country, the American Empire) had successfully completed the annexation of Honduras yesterday and were in the process of organizing a new invasion force in southern Florida to perform a joint invasion of the Bahamas and Cuba. Beyond that, an alliance was still in construction among the South American countries and the remaining unconquered Latin American countries but of course, politics dramatically slowed the process.

Of course, the European Union, another world power, had nothing to give but meaningless words over the subject of Honduras’ annexation. Our growing power and influence obviously scared them and they were quickly trying to compensate for the ever-widening power gap between our country and their union. It didn’t help of course that before the creation of the American Empire, we had already been the most powerful country militarily and financially-wise on the planet. With all the useless bureaucracy and political obstacles eviscerated, the Emperor and his chain of command’s seemingly ceaseless strategically ingenious ideas were able to be put into place immediately.

It was honestly unnerving how intelligent that man was; going from the President of the United States, already the highest position of power on the planet, not two years ago to an Emperor of a country now spanning nearly the entirety of North America.

And it wasn’t just his military prowess that awarded such a frightening reputation amongst the world’s population: He had abolished a centuries old governmental system that was notoriously hard to take advantage of or use to gain more power for oneself what with all the checks and balances set in place. Perhaps he had proved such an incredible level of intelligence and capability to the members of congress that they decided to vote in favor of the abolishment of all of the legislation that kept the President from doing whatever he wanted. It was honestly a mystery to most people and had caused no small amount of unrest among the populace of the United States. Soon after making himself a de facto dictator he fought back without mercy against all those who sought to defame him among the populace. Of course, he didn’t put his name on these actions and most people who spoke against him tended to disappear without a word.

Over two years, several million citizens had vanished from the face of the earth. Needless to say, not many people protested his actions anymore.

It was mind-boggling to think that just a couple years ago, the world had been silent and peaceful and now these world-shattering events seemed to be happening on a daily basis.

Many people had fallen, failing to adapt to the way the world was changing. I, and I assume quite a few others, recognized the opportunities this change represented and took advantage of it. With our company, Argent Technologies Corporation of which I own a significant stake in (Around 0.47% which translates to 267.9 million dollars with ATC’s market capitalization of 57 billion dollars), we had directly appealed to the Emperor, asking for the ability to experiment upon prisoners of the state as well as some other favors in exchange for our undivided loyalty and our commitment to devote billions of dollars to improve the infrastructure of the midwestern region of the mainland in which our headquarters is located. There was a lot more businesses like ours could get away with now that the public and bureaucracy could no longer involve themselves with us and our business practices. We are aligned with the emperor and to go against the emperor would mean to risk ‘disappearing’.

My much-talked about presentation I am to give happens to be about a convenient loophole we would exploit and an idea we would bring to the emperor that he could not pass up. As I was coming up with the idea, I had bought an extra 60 million dollars worth of ATC shares in lieu of the stock price’s eventual rise regarding the success of my plan. If you really squint, you might see this as insider trading, but I’d bought these shares quite a while ago, therefore, it would be hard to link it to my proposal.

That being said, the ordeal I went through had the potential to change everything. If any of what this Ninalexia said was true, that I could now use an unheard of energy to exert my will upon the world in ways that should not be physically possible, and if what I experienced wasn’t some elaborate illusion, then this would pave a new path for me moving forward into the future.

If only I could figure out where to start with all this, I honestly have no idea.

Turning back to the hospital room I am about to leave, I check to make sure I haven’t forgotten anything.

It is then I notice a slip of paper tucked slightly underneath the bed that must have fallen off the dresser sometime during the past three days, most likely when I was sleeping. How I hadn’t noticed it until now I haven’t a clue.

I walk over and pick it up not expecting much of it but it turns out to be a lengthy letter of some kind. My eyes fall straight to the bottom to the name of the sender and it reads…

Your brother?

Huh?

A note of indignation flares within me but I stamp it down easily.

Interesting, I’ll look at this closer when I get back home, for now, I need to get out of this godforsaken place. It reeks of misery.

I walk through the threshold into a hallway and begin my trek through the labyrinthine passages of the hospital.

My phone vibrates in my pocket and I take it out, looking at the sender.

It’s Arel, my chauffeur: “I am outside the main hospital entrance, sir. I believe the door number is 6A.”

I respond: “Great, I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

I drop my phone back into my pocket and continue to try and navigate my way through the halls. I have to stop and ask for directions once but for the most part, the signs guide me out and I make a clean exit.

Stepping out the front door I feel an overwhelming sense of relief. More than I think I should have felt if I’m being honest, but perhaps my mind believes that my exit of the hospital is the symbolic end of this harrowing experience and that a return to normalcy is ensured. Whatever that may mean. Or maybe I’m just happy to be out of that hole of desolation. That gathering place of negative emotion and misery. That constant, insufferable reminder of my own mortality.

Ugh, this hospital bothers me more than I thought; I desperately hope I won’t be back here someday.

I see a hand waving at me, distracting me from my thoughts.

Ah, Arel. Exactly where he said he’d be. Good.

Arel had been with my family for 17 years and having him now, when self-driving cars were the norm, was a nostalgic comfort. It’s not that I didn’t trust the reliability of self-driving cars, it’s more just that It’s nice to have company once in a while. He’s also a remnant of my past and those are something I do not give up easily.

The government, specifically the transportation department, was working hard to get all manually piloted vehicles off the road within the next 5 years in an effort to eliminate most, if not all, vehicle-related deaths. It didn’t bode well for Arel but I promised I would take care of him and his family when such a law actually passed. I had the money after all.

Arel, well-manicured as always, says, “It’s good to see you sir. I hope all is well?”

I walk up to him and shake his hand, “Yes Arel. In fact I’m feeling better than ever. I’m glad to be out of that circle of Hell. Let’s get going shall we?”

By the way Arel’s smile turns down at the corners, I can tell he disapproved of my calling the hospital a circle of Hell. Ah well, he’ll deal with it, just like he always has.

“Yes of course sir.”

Arel pivots and opens the side door of the 2033 Mercedes S-Class Sedan with a black-gloved hand and I promptly step inside.

I seat myself upon the plush Nappa leather and lean my head back against the pillowed headrest while Arel closes the door behind me.

I sigh in pleasure and let my mind shut down, simply living in the luxury of this moment.

I feel Arel enter the vehicle on the driver’s side and start the electric engine. Pretty soon, we are smoothly rolling down the road. Silence encapsulates the car and I truly do feel my mind relax for what seems like the first time in days. Even my sleep these past few days were haunted by the trauma I experienced at the hands of Nina. Honestly, if it weren’t for her and the lucidity of that whole experience, I would’ve believed I’d lost my mind. Now? Now I… just need to relax for even but a few moments. I need a reset… But.

Something is nagging me; preventing me from achieving that state of perfect Nirvana I want to emulate.

I reluctantly crack open an eye and look around the car before locking my eyes onto the closed sky window.

Arel notices the subtle movement of my eye and asks, “Is something the matter sir,” He follows my eyesight to the button that retracts the shade cover from the sky window. “Ah.”

He reaches up to press the button and I silently thank all the gods that he exists. Such convenience.

I look upon the darkening clouded sky above and briefly wonder why I feel such satisfaction at the sight of it.

I’d always liked watching the sky and everything that corresponds with it: Clouds, storms of all types, lightning, rain, snow, the sun, the stars, the moon, everything. I find it all so incredibly interesting and also a reminder of how small I still am. It is something to aspire to, a place I wish to conquer and make mine. I will not be limited.

But this satisfaction I feel. It is almost… rejuvenating?

Alas, I’ve no concrete idea as to why. That seems to be becoming a unwelcome trend.

But, I digress. I need to relax. My brain is maxed-out and this sub-hour-long drive is the perfect time to do so. Once I get home, I have many things I need to do.

So, I close my open eye and cease to be.

I forget my own existence and everything loses its meaning. A void of being.

…

…

…

……

Time passes, although, in my current state, I am unable to understand or feel such a thing.

But, I do feel something else. A feeling nudging the corners and edges of my dormant consciousness. It is not unpleasant, more like a lover’s gentle caresses or, the feeling of reuniting with an old friend after many years apart.

It is a feeling I choose to revel in because of its warmth on my otherwise frigid being (soul?).

And as a result of such folly, I regain my sense of self and my mind slowly resurfaces from the depths of its dormancy. I wish to know what this feeling is, where it’s coming from.

My mind chases the fleeting feeling all the way to the surface of awakening and as my eyes open…

The feeling is gone and the comforting feeling vanishes. But…

I cannot help but notice that after chasing this feeling through my entire being to awakening, I find myself staring into the vaulted skies above, hung with heavy, rain-ridden clouds.