Chapter 2: 2 — Do I get a lawyer?

An eternity passed in darkness, awareness and consciousness, brief fleeting concepts, distant from the immaterial soul that drifted through the void.

Then, a pulse began, before another, and another. Sensation returned, then form, and memories. Something stirred in the darkness.

Noah felt his thoughts starting to gather. His first thoughts went by in a drift, before he even became aware that they existed, then the sensations began to return, and he felt something guiding his attention.

Opening his eyes, Noah saw a vast creature spreading through the endless void. Massive tentacles spanned through the endless infinity, dwarfing entire galaxies underneath them.

What Noah saw in front of him made his thoughts feel like exploding. Space didn’t feel linear, the dimension of the infinity of the creature in front of him all consuming and maddening. He tried to close his eyes or look away, but found no eyes to look with. What he saw was ever present, all around him, all at once, and he could see every side of it together.

“Human. You possess something we desire.”

A dark rumble made Noah’s soul vibrate, the voice pulsing through him. The words were more screeches and shrieks than words, but the intent was conveyed nonetheless. Just like Raylinah had done.

“I thought… I thought my soul got scattered?” Noah mumbled, his thoughts still swirling in a jumble.

“It had. Yet the seal’s energy had kept enough remnants together. We merely put the pieces together and reformed it.”

"So… you recreated my soul?" Noah asked, not sure how to respond. "Thanks, I guess?"

"We do not require your gratitude, human. Merely the item you possess."

“Noah. My name is Noah,” he replied.

“Your name is immaterial. We desire the Seal from you,” the eldritch monstrosity exclaimed, shuddering.

Noah felt the rumble pass through, distorting something within him. It wasn't pain that the sensation caused but an inherent sense of wrongness. Like putting pineapple on a pizza.

"Alright. Well, I have some questions first," Noah said.

"Ask."

"I thought you couldn't speak. All I heard back on earth was loud screeching."

"What you saw had been a mere limb. Something akin to a hair strand. The Veil restricted our power. It is why you could hurt us with that toy you had used."

"Killed by an eldritch monster's hair… definitely not the death I'd imagined having," Noah said. “What did you want to do with the seal?”

“Our purpose is to Consume. To fill the Void that we embody. But we exist at the pinnacle of realities, as the incarnation of void itself. Our nature contradicts our strength, it desires to grow, to hunger and yearn. And so, we desire rebirth. To begin a cycle all anew into the Physical realms.”

“So… you got bored because you maxed out and want to start over? An oddly understandable motive, if only it didn’t require ending entire universes,” Noah said to the giant realm ending monster.

“What about Raylinah? Who is she? And who are the Valkyries of the Dawn?”

“She is a member of an old order of Ascendants. She herself is the goddess of war and peace, working as a peacekeeper for realms all around the interdimensional rift.”

“She’s a goddess? Well… that explains some things I suppose,” Noah said. “How did the seal get to earth?”

“We do not know.”

Noah paused, taken aback by the response. “Really? You, the world ending infinite creature of doom don’t know?”

“To imply that we are lying is a grave insult, human. And we find this conversation tedious. Give us the seal, or we will take it by force,” the Eldritch monster said, a howl tearing through reality.

Reeling from the shock, he took a moment to recover. “Jeez, alright, no need to be so aggressive,” Noah said, floating backwards from the impact. “So… I don’t really have the seal. I ate the thing and then I’m not sure what happened. It’s probably inside my body.”

“It is not a physical seal. The act of ingesting it merely binds it to your soul. Separate it and the seal will manifest.”

“And… how do I do that? Or rather why? I see no reason for you to not eat me after I give you the seal. Or just erase me from existence.”

“We give you our word. You will not be harmed by us until eternity, if you return the seal to us."

Something swirled around Noah, flowing into him. Like chains, he felt the words of the creatures bind it.

"Reach within your soul. We have cast a spell on it, which will allow you access to the Astral Script. It shall tell you the rest.”

“Reach into my soul you say…” Noah trailed off as the Eldritch monster vibrated, trying to do as the creature told him to. Surprisingly, the act came as naturally as breathing, which was ironic given how he was dead and did not breathe at all.

Generating Astral Script… Complete!

Welcome to the Astral System.

Name: Noah Brown

Age: Dead

Race: Human

Items:

- ???

Noah’s eyes widened at the text appearing in front of him. After a moment’s surprise, he found himself capable of intuitively navigating the messages, as he selected the three question marks.

???: Currently fused with the inhabiting soul. 

“Umm… it says the seal is fused with my soul,” Noah said, feeling slightly concerned.

The eldritch monster shifted, and Noah felt as if the space was warping around him at the creature's movements.

“Unpleasant. Highly unpleasant. Why did you eat the seal, human?”

Noah looked at the swirling monster, thinking over it. “And let the world end? No thank you. I don’t regret my actions. Not too much, anyway.”

“Why concern yourself over lives you would never interact with?” the eldritch monster asked.

Noah shrugged. “Not everything I do has to have a good reason.”

“Perplexing. And unpleasant. We cannot extract the seal from your spirit either. Through the scattering it has fused with your soul. Separating it would be a near impossible task.”

“Guess that’s too bad,” Noah replied.

“Perhaps. But there is a solution that still remains. Form a pact with us, human. And we will allow you to return to a physical form and live again.”

Noah froze. Normally he’d laugh at the notion of making some pact with an eldritch universe ending cthulhu, but each moment he spent in this void, he grew more and more numb. Each sensation he could not feel made something within him crumble. The desire to have a living breathing body grew inside of him, like a hunger he could not satiate, eating him from the inside out.

“What would this pact entail? I refuse to become a puppet trapped in my own body,” Noah said to the creature.

“You will live as you had before, but will serve as a Vessel for my being. You will be our rebirth, the path through which our hunger can grow once more. All you must do is pursue the pinnacle of your Path.”

Noah thought over the words. “Do I get a choice here?” He asked the eldritch all encompassing creature.

“Yes. If you refuse, we will consume your soul and distribute its essence to try and obtain whatever we can from the seal.”

“So… basically no. That simplifies it then. I agree as long as I am not made to do things against my will, and or mind controlled.”

“That is acceptable.”

Noah saw words flash in front of his eyes, as a warmth rose from somewhere within him.

 The Incarnation of Void wants to make a Pact with you. Would you like to accept?

Yes/No?

“What happens if I break this Pact?” Noah asked, watching the words float in front of him.

“If you were to turn against the pursuit of the pinnacle, then your soul will be claimed by us, becoming a part of our being.”

“How delightful,” Noah said with a flat voice, thinking everything over.

“These Paths, can I choose them? Or does it have to be a path you select?” Noah asked.

“The Path itself is irrelevant, what matters is your pursuit for its pinnacle. To reach Ascension, and become a part of the greater whole, that is your purpose.”

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“What will you do after I’ve reached Ascension? Assuming I do,” Noah asked.

“We do not know. It depends on how the seed changes with you, and what new insights it brings.”

“And that’s fine with you? Changing?”

“To hunger is to yearn, and change. The Astral realms are not a static place, we see no reason to remain fixated either.”

“So there’s a chance you won’t destroy realities after you get what you want?”

“We do not see why it is not a possibility.”

“I see…” Noah replied, his eyes still stuck on the floating words. He knew, the moment he’d select his options, his fate would be determined. If he had a body, Noah suspected his heart would be racing by now.

“I feel like I shouldn’t sign a soul pact without getting it checked once. Do I get a lawyer?” Noah asked the gigantic tentacle monster.

“The pact of the souls cannot be governed by mortals. The will of each spirit governs it instead.”

“And you being a realm eating creature, your spirit will likely be stronger too, making this an unfair pact. How can I trust you to not harm me?” Noah asked the eldritch monster.

“You cannot.”

“Fair enough,” Noah replied.

His eyes turned to face the Pact. All of this could very well be a trap, but the growing hunger for life compelled Noah’s actions. He did not remember the eternity he’d spent within the void, but something deep inside his spirit did, and it did not wish to stay a moment longer.

Closing his eyes Noah hovered over the selection for the yes option, lingering for a long moment. He felt his soul wavering, swirling and distorting, before he opened his eyes and looked at the Eldritch creature swirling in front of him.

“No. I refuse,” Noah replied.

The eldritch monstrosity stirred, infinite tentacles moving through space. “We do not understand. Was our message not clear?”

“No, I heard you loud and clear. And I refuse. Go ahead and eat my soul. I’m already dead after all. May as well die again for good and proper,” Noah said.

The Eldritch monstrosity stirred, as the world stilled, slowing down. The dark Void creeped around Noah, and for a moment, he felt as if time had stopped moving. After a long silence, the creature spoke once more.

“Why?”

“Because… It felt wrong. I didn’t die just to give the seal right back in your hands. And literally everyone knows not to make soul pacts with swirling void entities. It never turns out well. And that’s why, I refuse,” Noah replied, selecting the No option on the Pact.

Another silence filled the endless void, before a shudder broke through as the monstrosity in front of him dissipated, fading into nothingness.

“You are a perplexing soul, Noah Brown,” a voice replied. Lacking the resonance it once had possessed, but no less powerful for it. “But we’re afraid that your choice is not acceptable to us.”

Your refusal has been denied.

Dark tendrils rose around Noah, grabbing him and holding him in place, as a shadowy silhouette moved towards him.

“If you cannot be our puppet, then be our messiah instead. Rise in our name, and entertain us instead. We harvest the seal from your soul when it has been weathered and cracked by death,” the void whispered, dread rising in Noah’s soul as a finger touched his forehead.

New words appeared in front of him.

A new Pact has been made.

Serve as the messiah of the Incarnation of Void.

Would you like to accept this Pact?

Yes/No?

“No,” Noah whispered, as the world pushed him harder.

 

New Pact: Serve as the messiah of the Incarnation of Void.  

Would you like to accept this Pact?

Yes/Yes?

The words appeared once more, pushing against Noah’s soul. “No,” He replied, as the words faded once more. The space distorted around him, crushing his spirit under its pressure.

The void forces you to accept. You are now the messiah of the Void.

“Fuck off! I refuse!” Noah screamed, as the world around him began to distort. Unimaginable pain assaulted his spirit, like his mind was being torn into infinite pieces and being put back together instantaneously. The moment later for an eternity in the dark expanse of nothingness, eternal pain and agony the only constant in his world.

“Why do you struggle so much?” The shadow asked, its gaze weighing on Noah’s soul. “Do you not understand? We are giving you an honor, few have ever received. To be our emissary, the carrier of our world into the physical realms. You would be a god among the mortals, and they would worship you as one. Why then, do you still refuse?”

For a brief moment, the pain eased, letting Noah speak. His spirit wavered, settling from the torment, as it coalesced back together. Silence remained between them for a long moment, before Noah replied.

“Fuck you. I refuse to give up my freedom,” Noah said to the endless incarnation of Void, giving it the middle finger.

A humm echoed through the dark at his words.

“Your soul already frays. It cannot hold for long. You will lose sense and sight of who you are, lost into this void forever. You are far from immortal as a stray spirit. Why do you not seem to understand?”

“I think it’s you who doesn’t understand. I refuse. I will not bow to you, and I will not bend to your demands. So either kill me or, or leave in this void, or do whatever the hell you want to do, but I refuse,” Noah said, ice in his voice, as he faced the shadowy silhouette swirling in the endless dark.

The shadow looked at Noah, before retreating backwards. Suddenly, the pressure faded from Noah’s spirit. “Then speak. What will convince you to cooperate with us?”

Noah felt the void stir around him, and for the first time, he could not sense it trying to threaten to consume him. Free from the agony, his mind raced, as he tried to come up with a solution. Despite everything he had said, he did not truly wish to die for good.

“Make a Pact with me,” Noah said, looking up at the silhouette of the giant endless creature swirling through the dark. “Allow me to live my life, and in return I will not rise against you. The seal cannot be taken from my soul. This ensures that I can’t use it against you,” Noah replied.

“And what benefit does it give us to not cease you from existence right now?” The void asked.

“The same reason you haven’t done it already. And it might give you an ally,” Noah replied with a grin.

The void listened. The void swirled. And then the void laughed.

Noah heard a thousand screams echoing in his mind as the world rippled around him. He stared at the giant swirling silhouette with concern, waiting for it to reply.

After a few moments, the laughter faded, as the void settled around him. “Very well,” the eldritch abomination replied, as words appeared in front of Noah.

You have made a Pact with the Incarnation of the Void.

Pact of the Voidborne: 

You have done what none have before, forming a pact with the void itself, and binding it to your spirit. Will such an act lead to a foolish demise, or the rise of a new Ascendant through the Astral realms? No one knows.

The Incarnation of Void has agreed to your Pact and is bound to your soul.

Initiating transformation.

“The void itself shall now be tied to your spirit, mortal. We would like to see how you use this power,” the void whispered in his ears, before fading into nothingness.

A pull tugged at Noah, as he felt darkness begin to seep into his soul. At first it was a light pressure that soon began to flood into a boundary he did not know existed inside of him. Pain replaced the pressure, growing more and more intense with each pulse of energy. There was no mouth for Noah to scream with, as the endless void poured itself inside his soul, cramming itself in until there was nothing left to fill. The sensation left Noah feeling denser, like he’d gain more substance, even though he felt just as immaterial as before.

When the void settled around Noah he saw another prompt open up in front of him.

 

Transformation complete. Primordial Vessel created.

Initiating rebirth. 

Noah felt a call pulling him towards them, like a distant chant that latched onto his sole like a hook, and slowly reeled him in. Slowly but surely the pull began to increase, as a great sucking sensation pulled Noah away, dragging him through the void. With each passing moment, the resistance began to increase, the space around him feeling thicker and thicker, as if reluctant to let go. He felt like he was being squeezed through a thick bundle of space jelly, being dragged through viscous layers of something.

Suddenly, a bright light manifested in front of Noah’s eyes, and with a satisfying pop, he felt himself break free of the Void.

Summoning call heeded. You have arrived on Erandir.

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