Nava paused for a moment, contemplating the water that had disappeared into the void like an unwanted thought.
"What a strange labyrinth..."
he whispered, looking around.
"Nothing here explains the laws known to humans, The space stretched endlessly. A cracked sky of mysterious dark blue, and a transparent earth like layers of overlapping existence."
He took a step forward.
With every step, he felt as if he was diving into invisible layers of existence itself
, "Celetia... are you sure this is only the first floor?"
he said, his tone a mixture of humor and concern.
Then Celetia answered with wisdom
"Ordinary or spiritual, the celestial labyrinth is the birthplace of the universe, but it is not the universe itself. The first floor here is higher than all physical worlds."
"My dear master, this is just the beginning of the beginning. What you see now is merely a shell of the real world you are heading towards. It mimics..."
"Well... at least I have some power now." Nava swallowed, though he wasn't sure if he had a body in the conventional sense.
Suddenly, space trembled.
Gold and blue. Winds of nothingness rose around him, and a giant gateway appeared before him, surrounded by ethereal chains bearing glowing symbols in the two colors.
"Congratulations, master. You are now eligible to enter the first star field." Celetia spoke in a more formal tone.
Nava raised an eyebrow
"The star field? What about the first floor?"
Celetia replied,
"Ah, it's simple, master. Each floor contains infinite sub-worlds. The higher you ascend, the closer you get to the essence of existence. The astral plane is the first real test of your ability to withstand the laws of existence itself."
Nava stared at the gate, then smiled bitterly.
"I suppose it won't be easy, will it?"
"No, but I'll be with you. Forever," Alicia said emotionlessly.
"Of course."
He placed his hand on the giant gate handle. The chains trembled as if trying to stop him from crossing.
Then—just as he touched them—everything burst into flames.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself suspended.