Kael came to a tower of glass rising into endless height. Each level shone with scenes of perfection, flawless cities, unbroken harmony, immortal peace.
The Guardian at its base said: "Climb, and you shall see paradise. Climb, and you shall see what the Dreamer desires above all."
Kael ascended, and at every level he found greater beauty, greater joy. But the higher he climbed, the thinner the air became, until his breath faltered. At last, upon the summit, he saw a world so perfect it could not move, so flawless it could not breathe.
He fell to his knees, gasping."This is no paradise," he said. "This is death disguised in crystal."
The tower shuddered, for his words were true, and it shattered into rain. Where it fell, new soil grew, messy and imperfect, yet alive.
Thus Kael learned the Seventh Mystery: that perfection is the stillness of the grave, and life is the glory of imperfection.