《Life, Death and Other Troubles》Chapter 2 - Solitude
Advertisement
Drifting in a sea of swirling darkness lay a bright, translucent, pale blue orb.
Flickering, it struggled against the never ending waves of darkness crashing into it from all sides.
The wispy orb of light grew dimmer and dimmer until the darkness consumed it, extinguishing the anomaly.
The lone orb was a remnant of life, an unstable ball of thoughts, emotions and feelings.
A soul.
The soul was weak, struggling against the ferocious storm of darkness that swept it away, deeper and deeper into the depths of the everlasting void.
Barely fighting back the dark, the orb grew afraid, terrified of what was to come, unable to comprehend what was happening with its limited cognitive functioning.
The darkness wrapped around the orb, sucking it in, while simultaneously pushing it out.
The dark had no laws, no physics and no limits or boundaries, it darkness was an untamed beast and the orb could no longer put up any resistance.
So it stopped.
It let the currents of the void sweep it away, further and further, deeper and deeper, hoping for change, hoping for an end to it’s never ending nightmare.
Later, the raging currents of darkness slowed down, leaving the orb to slowly drift amongst the dark, left alone to its thoughts.
There was no understanding of time here, things happened as they came and that was all, no units of anything, no constructs and no constraints… for the dark at least.
The orb lost track of everything, including its own thoughts, it was as if it thought everything at the same time and yet, at the same time, it thought nothing, forever.
Slow waves of darkness carried the orb elsewhere, they carried it everywhere, the movement was calming and all the feelings of uneasiness and distress vanished, leaving peace.
The orb was stuck in a dreamlike state, reminiscing on its short life.
Advertisement
It was if it was merely a very long dream that it’d just woken up from, perhaps it was and perhaps it could have another?
Yet now, it could recall each and every memory with accurate detail, from having his nappies changed as a baby to the most recent lottery numbers on television.
It was… surreal.
At some point later or maybe it was at some point beforehand, the orb was plunged back out of its dream-state and returned to the everlasting waves of darkness.
Nothing changed… ever.
It was always the same, pure darkness everywhere, the orb grew worried, and would it be this way forever?
Or has it been forever already?
The orb sought meaning, it sought something, anything, anything but the dark… and it happened.
The darkness began to transform, the currents grew stronger, the orb sunk down deeper into their depths and the entire void shook all around it.
The void intensified, pressure came down upon the orb from everywhere and it screeched in pain as the darkness crumple around it.
Colour bled through the dark, browns, greys, whites, reds, greens and yellows seeped in from everywhere before they all collided and the darkness shattered around it, blinding its perception of everything.
The intense pressure lightened and the darkness was swept away to reveal… the orb’s old apartment from his old life, exactly the same as always.
Paint peeling from the walls, rotting floor, a terrible bed shoved in the corner of the room and the orb’s massive book collection that went up the entire wall on one side of the room, with not a single speck of dust or dirt touching them.
The orb slowly hovered over to the bookcase, shrouded in disbelief before the room shook violently.
The books fell from the bookcase, the bed sunk into the floor and cracks rapidly spread across the walls.
Advertisement
Plaster fell from the roof and directly through the orb, crashing through the rotting floor and into a world of white below.
Walls crumbled, shelves collapsed and the entire apartment fell away down into the depths of a world of pure white, leaving the orb drifting alone, watching its former life fall away into an endless abyss of white light.
Hovering, free, the orb wondered what to do next, there were no longer any forces controlling it and it could freely drift wherever it wished.
Slowly it hovered, floating through the dead abyss for what it seemed like forever… again.
Gradually, an odd aura swept over the orb, and it could feel a slight resistance repelling it.
Intrigued with the difference, the orb continued forwards and the resistance grew more and more intense.
Soon after constant struggling in what it seemed as an endless, pointless struggle, something finally happened.
A small spec of colour could be spotted far in the distance with no particular structure or shape yet, but a goal was finally in sight.
Dutifully and gradually the orb progressed further and further, inching its way forward to its goal.
********
In a world of white that lacked anything was a tall thin man, he had deathly pale skin and long black hair that went down to his shoulders.
Other than that, the rest of his features were… unclear.
He had no features, only a body type and dull, he wore simple clothing and his face was just a blurry haze like somebody had tried to rub it off with an eraser.
He sat in a simple wooden chair underneath an oil lamp letting off a pleasant yellow glow that was rendered meaningless by the intense white glow of the abyss.
The man was completely absorbed in reading a book; it was a thick, heavy looking one with as many pages as he’d have hairs.
Abruptly, he stood up and stared blankly into the distance, apparently looking at something.
He then just put his book down and walked off into the abyss, leaving behind his chair and book for he had gone to meet the books subject, a small blue orb of light that had wondered into the nothingness that he called home.
********
Midway through its journey, the lonely orb froze in terror, unable to move as waves of vicious terror surged through him, pressure bearing down on him from everywhere.
In the distance, he could see it, a tall figure slowly walking towards it.
A variety of emotions were brought up by this new change, joy, unease, hope, terror, expectation but most of all, fear.
The figure continued walking towards the orb, knowing not of its struggle, drowning it in his almighty aura.
Pressure slammed into the orb violently and squirmed around, trying to seep inside it, the orb screaming out in agony.
Right before the figure could be made out, the orb could no longer withstand the pressure and simple split in two, its weak blue light completely fading away in the white light.
Advertisement
- In Serial52 Chapters
The Crafter (Books 1, 2, 3)
As a ten year old orphan, all Wick ever wanted was money, power, and well, what else was there? Enough is never enough. His father's death left him only with a glass amulet, his trusty spade, and two level one skills. Six months in the backwater city of Outlast, Wick has finally decided to make his move for a brighter future. It may cost him the beating of his life, but he lives by the Sprawler's Code: The strong live long, but the bold get the gold.Follow Wick on the beginning of his new life as he explores new powers and manipulate anyone foolish enough to get in his way.Story Does Contain: Male Lead, Fast Pace, Slightly Overpowered Protagonist, Greedy Protagonist, Right of Passage, Multiple Magic Systems, MysteryStory Does NOT Contain: Harem, Ultraviolence, Horror, Mopey Protagonist Author's Note: Currently working on Book 3. At least 2 chapters per week. All Books will be free on here first, and completely available in all chapters on my Patreon. Chapters for Book 3 will be up on Patreon soon. Books 1 and 2 also available on Amazon or Audible. The art is the cover for Book 3.
8 300 - In Serial11 Chapters
Are you sure you are The Demon Lord?
Diablo die four times before and reincarnated again as a powerful Demon. He also gains his former four life, skills, and knowledge. He rescued by a girl named Elisabeth, with her he started his new life. what he survives new life as a demon or he dies again.
8 187 - In Serial24 Chapters
Kaleidoscope
Mankind has been reduced to a shadow of its former self by the thing that lurks beyond the curtains. It is dying, but the ancients will not allow it, they will fight that which has never been beaten. In the ruins of the last human empire an abomination has been born. His name is Kael, the pampered child slave of a being that is more beast than man. His is a world of chains and broken dreams. But today all that will end, and the world he knows with it. However first, he must choose: embrace the creature within and become something not entirely Kael, something not "Kael" at all maybe, or die. This is not the reality you know. Here, everything changes, nothing ever stays the same. It is the infinite shift; Kaleidoscope Disclaimer: Cover art is not mine, if the artist wants me to remove it please contact me
8 235 - In Serial32 Chapters
The Mage returns to being an Archer
In medievel time, a mage in a hero's party has expended all his mana to save the lives of his teammates when being pressed hard by the Demon Lord's army. Unable to utilize any spells, he is forcibly removed from the hero's party and is looked down upon as below a human being. Fortunately for the mage, he is not your average human, as he is a reincarnator from Earth. As he slowly recalls his former life's knowledge, he begin his new adventure with a new profession, an archer. Watch as our protagonist sets out on to reclaim his lost honour and prove himself once again against the Demon Lord army, to aid humanity again in its darkest hour.
8 216 - In Serial86 Chapters
The Software Detective
Tom has finished college and now is starting his software development job in a new city. He learns that this new town is strange and has its own set of secrets, but overall, he likes the place. However, this all changes when one night he witnesses something that will change his life forever.
8 164 - In Serial24 Chapters
Titan United
On the far flung technologically advanced world of Titan, mammals similar to Earth's rose to prominance. Great Corporations grew and merged and bought each other out until they owned everythibg, including the government. A corporatacracy rose up and the people have now chafed under its rule for several generations. From out of the wastelands of Gunrock, where the last free kingdom fell several generations ago, come three adventurous brothers with a mysterious past. They meet along the way a reclusive girl with her own dark history and several others bent on leading a rebellion. Wanting nothing more to get a ship and escape Titan and its oppressive government for good, the brothers' antics inadvertantly sow the seeds of rebellion while drawing the ire of the local governor, who decides to send his troops in to squash it. Now the brothers and their allies must band together.
8 132

