"What?!" Elara gasped.
"The What, eh!" Logos teased. "You should focus on what you want to know!"
"What is this place?! Where am I?! Just answer me already?!" Elara shouted, the darkness still oppressive.
Logos sighed, shaking his head. "I told you to calm down. I dislike darkness. I'll tell you what you want to know, but please, don't panic. There's nothing to be afraid of."
His gaze softened, a flicker of pity crossing his features.
Elara gradually regained her composure, her thoughts slowly clearing. Minutes later, her mind was calm once more, though a residual fear lingered in her heart. The darkness began to recede, replaced by the stark white space.
"Good. Now we can talk," Logos said. "You may not know it yet, but you're now connected to the Akashic Records."
"Wha..." Elara hesitated.
Logos smiled knowingly and pointed with his thumb towards the giant black cube hovering behind him, casting no shadow. "That black cube you see is an Akashic Record. Or at least, that's what your kind calls it," he explained. "However, you can only perceive its first layer. To you, it appears as a cube. The deeper you go, the more complex it gets, and I can't explain it to you right now. But in short, the Akashic Records consist of six layers. Within those layers, thoughts take form."
"That doesn't answer my question!" Elara interjected.
"I see you've regained your rational thinking," Logos chuckled. "It doesn't answer your question because you didn't hear me out." Elara nodded slightly.
"There are two things you may never know about the Akashic Records: their true forms and their physical locations. However, their number and functions are common knowledge among your kind. Six Akashic Records archive every piece of information in existence. They collect every conceivable data point, every idea, concept, and thought, and they also copy and redistribute memories from the minds of all living sentient beings. Well, perhaps not simultaneously.
For example, have you ever heard someone you've never met express the same idea or thought that you once had? The answer is likely yes. Why? Because the Akashic Records shared it with both of you, and perhaps with thousands of others. There's no way of knowing how, when, where, why, or with whom the Akashic Records do what they do."
I thought it was because of something else, Elara thought. "I thought having the same ideas came from parallel thinking, from shared knowledge and experiences," she said, surprised by her understanding of the conversation.
"Now you know better," Logos grinned. "Anyhow, their purpose is clear. Akashic Records spread the seeds of knowledge, nurturing original thought and fostering discoveries, which in turn generate new knowledge for them to archive in due time.
"However, there's a way to defy the randomness of the Akashic Records' functions, a way to intentionally extract the information you seek. If you're asking how, then I must first explain the reason you're here." Logos paused, observing the girl, who seemed to grasp his meaning.
"What that woman did to us brought me here!" Elara exclaimed.
"Correct. You and the other survivors of the LastBorn Awakening accessed this Akashic Record simultaneously, thanks to the Abyssal BlueArrow's ability to influence your minds and trigger the Akashic-Key Rune. That is the how, the where, and the when. As for the why, I believe you can figure that out yourself," he said with a knowing smile.
She paused for a moment, then replied, "I'm here to learn."
"Precisely," Logos confirmed. "You're here to gain the information you desire."
"Did I do it?" she asked, unsure if she had succeeded.
"Yes. And you can do it again, anytime you wish."
"How?"
"By using the Akashic-Key Rune."
"What?!"
"Akashic-Key allows you to connect with the Akashic Records and access their knowledge through a trade."
"Wait! What's Akashic-Key?"
"I'll get to that. For now, you need to understand Mnemonic-Trade," Logos explained as Elara listened intently. "I mentioned that each Akashic Records has six layers. The first layer, the one you see behind me, is called Coda-1. The second is Azimuth, the third is Thûl, the fourth is Kore, the fifth is Exegis, and the sixth is Terminus. The information I'm sharing with you right now is Coda-1 classified, meaning you have clearance to trade for information available in this layer.
The deeper layers are more difficult to access. Most Riders only reach the first two layers in their lifetime. Many have tried to go beyond that, but they failed, losing their minds in the process. Only a rare few have accessed the third layer, gaining a single secret at a great personal cost."
I see, Elara thought, trying to absorb the information. "You still haven't explained how to extract the information I want from the Akashic Records. You keep mentioning 'trade,' but what does that mean?"
"There are costs and restrictions involved, but the trade is the process that follows using the Akashic-Key Rune. As the name implies, you must give something to get something. The cost of the information you seek is information of equal value that you willingly give up. The Akashic Records will appraise it and determine whether it's worth exchanging."
"Huh"
"When you connect to the Akashic Records seeking information, it will present the information it wants in return. If you agree to the trade, it will take the information you're willing to relinquish and give you the information you sought. The same applies when you believe you have something of value that could grant you access to deeper layers. The Akashic Records will assess its worth and decide whether to accept the trade. If it doesn't, you get nothing, but you retain the information you offered as payment and learn which layer the information you sought belongs to."
"Wait! So, even if I seek specific information, I might be rejected?" Elara asked, her brow furrowing. "How can I know what the Akashic Records consider valuable?"
"There are factors to consider regarding the value of information," Logos explained. "For instance, widely known information has no value, as it's already archived. Beyond that, you take your chances and see what happens." He grinned mischievously.
Elara cringed at his strange smile, her frustration growing.
"How do I gain access to the deeper layers?" she pressed.
"That information is Azimuth classified," Logos replied simply.
"What does that mean?" Elara demanded. "I thought you were here to tell me what I need to know!"
"No. The trade you made only grants you access to this specific information," Logos clarified. "I'm here to provide you with the information you're cleared to know. For now, that's limited to Coda-1 classified information. To learn more, you need to offer something of greater value to gain access to deeper layers."
"What are you talking about?!" Elara exclaimed. "I haven't made any trade. I just learned about it!"
"Since you've already made one, you can't remember it," Logos explained. "It's a pesky side effect for those who make a second trade while still connected."
"Huh?"
"You traded the memories of our first meeting for more knowledge."
"Come again!"
"Knowledge for knowledge. Discoveries, methods, ideas, concepts, thoughts, and memories are all forms of knowledge. You traded your old memories of our first meeting, along with other memories, for new memories in the form of our current encounter. In other words, you traded for new information, information you, yourself, requested."
"Are you saying this isn't the first time we've spoken?"
"Correct. This is our second encounter. I told you there are costs and restrictions associated with making a trade. If the Akashic Records accepts the memories you offer, it will erase them from your mind permanently. Your only option to regain them is to relearn what you lost. Even then, they might not be the same, as memories are tied to sensory, emotional, spiritual, and other experiences, as well as a part of your soul. That is why you must choose the memories you relinquish wisely. Remember, once the trade is proposed, you can either accept or decline. That's the how, and I advise you to trade carefully."
"I see!" Elara sighed. "Then tell me, are personal memories considered valuable?"
"Yes."
"Good," Elara grinned. "Then information known only to me, or not yet known by many, is considered valuable!"
"That is Azimuth classified," Logos smirked.
Elara took a deep breath. She sighed before grinning back. "If I made a trade, then you know what I want to know. And you know what I'm allowed to know."
Logos nodded slightly.
"Then go ahead and tell me what I need to know," Elara requested, eager to finally learn the secrets that awaited her.