A thick billowing fog obscured my senses, muting my surroundings. I stood amidst a sea of strangers, a silent, anonymous crowd. All I could see were nondescript silhouettes through the obscuring mist surrounding us all, but that was enough to notice the confused postures of those near me. Despite the fog, I somehow knew there were hundreds, or perhaps thousands of us, standing in this vast, undefined space. I tried to move towards the closest person, but no matter how much I walked, I couldn't close the distance. It was as if I were walking in place, trapped in my own personal bubble.
The silence was absolute, even my own voice failed to carry in this strange realm. Despite the bizarre circumstances, I felt an unnatural calm. A small part of me knew that I should be worried or scared, but like everything else, my emotions were muted. Then, without warning, a voice filled my mind. It was androgynous and mild, with very little inflection. Somehow, I knew instinctively that its message was true.
"Welcome mortals, to the Space Between. You have been brought here because you have the requisite soul capacity to lead your planet through the dangers that are to come. The Earth is but one of countless realms that exist in the Material, and it will soon be connected to others through the Astral plane. Your Material plane and the Astral plane are beginning to overlap. Soon rifts will form, allowing incursions by creatures of the Astral to spill forth, causing chaos and destruction. Eventually, threats from other realms and higher beings will seek to exploit your world for power and resources. Though some may be benevolent, many will endeavor to enslave or eliminate the sentient life on your planet.
"You chosen will be granted two boons to help you safeguard your Reality. The first is the ability to form a Domain, in which you will build a Spire that reaches from the Material toward the Higher Astral, where Gods dwell. In this way you will siphon aether towards the Earth, allowing it and its inhabitants to grow in strength. As a Spire Lord, you will be able to use aether to gain strength quickly and grow beyond your natural limits. The most powerful among you will eventually be selected to represent your realm and compete with other realities to become an interdimensional Emperor, the supreme ruler of a coalition of realms.
"The second boon is a Spark of Potential that can be used to enhance your Spirit Capacity and allow you to grow in the manner of your choosing. This boon will be given but once, so choose your path wisely. There are many paths to power, but conflict is unavoidable. The more you struggle, the more essence you will receive. Fight, and grow stronger to decide the fate of your Realm."
As the voice finished speaking, I felt something in my body bloat. Not physically, I was still as handsome as ever. Something deeper though, and I thought I could sense the two boons filling me to bursting with some kind of energy. Then, my surroundings once more began to fade, until I found myself floating in an endless void of still blackness. Looking around, I could see and feel nothing. The vast emptiness was overwhelming, and I could tell that insanity was drifting around the edges of my consciousness, held back only by the unnatural calm still permeating my being.
Suddenly, I felt a stabbing pain in my head, and a rush of information with no context filled my consciousness, like a data dump on a computer. What the hell? Is this my exposition? Where's my tutorial, imp side kick, cute princess in need, or sarcastic butler to explain things to me?!
All of the information was scrambled, and difficult to grasp. If this was supposed to explain all the strange terminology the voice used, than I would have to hope I could learn as I went, because this didn't clarify much.
I took some time to gather my thoughts, not that there was anything else to do at the moment. It was strange to be in a place that was so much like a dream, yet know that it wasn't a dream. How I knew was a mystery, and ironically, it felt a bit like the knowing that comes from being in a dream.
That wasn't all I knew either. It would seem that whatever entity was responsible for this was, to some degree or another, able to effect both my mind and emotions. There was no other explanation for why I knew things I had never learned, or how I was still so calm when I should be worrying about my mental health. Taking stock, I began to try and sort the information implanted in my mind.
The first thing I looked for was Kung Fu, but sadly, that didn't seem to be a part of the package. Perhaps I just wasn't as cool as Keanu. Still there was some useful information.
To begin with, the Astral plane was a place where thought was given form, though not just any thought. There were rules, though that part was vague and undefined. I did know that the conscious thoughts of the Material gave power and existence to the Astral, and in return, the Astral informed the Material of what existence could—or perhaps should—be. Perhaps Plato's theory of forms had been right all along.
It was like a symbiotic relationship, where the Astral sparked ideas in the Material and the consciousness of the Material powered the Astral. There must be some sort of overarching principal, some cosmic controller, but sadly, my data was lacking specifics.
With that knowledge, I figured that the creatures and beings I would see in the Astral would be, at least in part, linked to the myths and legends from Earth. From my info dump, I also knew that aether governed the Astral. It was like fuel or energy, which allowed the beings of the Astral, or perhaps reality itself, to persist. As the French philosopher said, "I think, therefore I am." (Only in French.)
Between the Voice and the "Data Dump," I understood that when a being was killed in the Astral, a special kind of energy or power would be released, and a being with the right qualifications could absorb it to gain strength. As a spire lord, I would be one such being. How that energy worked was also nebulous, though I imagined it was similar to the Potential I had been given.
There were other ways to gain strength, time being a key component, but those details remained frustratingly illusive. It was like trying to understand the lyrics to a song played several rooms over. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't bring the information into focus. I supposed it probably had something to do with aether though, and would likely also be connected to Potential, whatever that was.
Even now I could feel it permeating my being. It was paradoxically satisfying and uncomfortable at the same time. Part of the information I had been given helped me understand how to use it. To a large extent the Potential would work on its own, developing powers or abilities my soul had a natural resonance with.
For the rest, I could somewhat direct it by imagining the kind of spire lord I wanted to be. If I wanted physical strength and skill, I had to picture it clearly and will it. There was also potential for elemental powers, or energy manipulation. I could even choose a skill or ability that would help me become a better inventor or philosopher. With this spark of Potential, I could push myself to be better at anything, but the spark was limited, and my control imperfect. The more I divided my Potential in different directions, the less it could be pushed.
I was slightly amused that I had just been contemplating my inability to choose my path, and now the repercussions of that choice was amplified to an unfathomable degree. I was also growing frustrated —once again— by the lack of direction and information. Perhaps I was just too used to computer games. Any game that had this level of exposition would fail instantly. One star, would not recommend.
Deciding to put the matter of the Potential on hold until I had more information on what I would be facing, I turned my focus to my other boon. From the information I had been given, I knew that to to build my domain I had to concentrate on the shape I wanted it to take and will it into being. This was something that would normally be far beyond me. The power needed to shape reality —even in a small way— was far more than anything I could imagine. Yet the boon would act as a one time deployment unit, like a gun with a single shot. Once fired, there would be no going back, so I would have to think carefully about what I wanted my domain to look like.
As for my spire, it would be indelibly connected with my domain. It would have a physical presence inside my domain, and yet it would also be my domain to an extent. As I gained aether, I could improve my spire and it in turn would empower me. I also understood that as I acquired other territories, through conquest or diplomacy, those territories could be added to my domain. They would add strength and aether, as well as other benefits.
For now, I decided to focus on building my domain. It seemed like it might be my first step in getting out of this void. I quickly thought of, and discarded, several Ideas of what I might want my domain to look like. I could build a mansion, a castle, or an entire tower.
However, of all the places I had been, there was one that stood out in my memory as something special. My home in Kyoto was located in the Arashiyama district near the base of one of the mountains for which it was named. The "storm mountains" were truly beautiful, and I spent many happy days with Amaya-chan, exploring and dreaming in the woods nearby.
Perhaps because of my recent recollection of my time with Amaya-chan at the bamboo forest, the idea grew in my mind. The Tenryuji temple was one of my favorites. It was more crowded than I liked, but the gardens there were truly exceptional. Still, while I liked the aesthetic of that and other temples, I wanted a place that would be more comfortable. The Togetsutei ryokan was one of my favorite places to stay when visiting the bamboo forest, so I decided to use it in conjunction with the temple for inspiration.
I closed my eyes and concentrated. Keeping the aesthetic of the garden and the exterior of the temples, I began to formulate a structure in my mind that would incorporate the interior amenities of an Onsen ryokan. I made sure to include some larger rooms and suites that would make staying there more comfortable. It wasn't easy, and stray thoughts kept threatening to warp my design. The last thing I wanted was to live in a Dr. Sues house.
Wait, don't think about that! Focus! I chided myself.
When I had a firm image of what I wanted in my mind, and I was reasonably confident it wasn't from Whoville, I began to will it into being. I felt as the power of the boon placed within me was slowly exhausted to bring my domain into being. I felt sweat, exertion, and a sense of loss as the boon left me feeling less full. Still, I pushed on, refusing to let this one time chance slip out of my control.
After what must have been hours, I felt that the task was complete, and that portion of the boon was no more. When I opened my eyes, the world shimmered into focus. Before me stood a magnificent structure, a symphony in wood and glass. Dark, polished cypress beams, thick as a man's torso, supported eaves that swept low, almost touching the meticulously kept garden. Crimson lacquer accents, like splashes of sunset, adorned the beautifully carved solid oak doors. Modern lines, clean and sharp, contrasted perfectly with the traditional curves of the gently sloping roof, capped with shimmering tiles that seemed to absorb and reflect the light coming from above.
A large, perfectly formed koi pond, mirroring the structure's elegance, lay nestled beside a meticulously manicured bamboo grove, the slender stalks whispering secrets in the gentle breeze. I could hear the sound of running water from the many streams and pools of the Onsen.
The air hummed with a quiet energy, a palpable sense of peace. This small slice of paradise exceeded even my wildest dreams. Every detail, from the perfectly aligned grains of the wood to the delicate calligraphy etched into the stone lanterns, was rendered with an almost painful precision. It was as though my imagination, fueled by a thousand whispered wishes, had somehow forged a pact with the very fabric of reality, birthing this perfect, breathtaking structure.
I sighed with relief. Not Whoville then, though I was pretty sure even green eggs and ham would look good here. It was obvious that the divine program that was my boon had done most of the heavy lifting, taking my intentions into consideration more than my skill.
Before me now stood a three story tall structure, with enough rooms, suites and amenities to house twenty people comfortably. Behind the structure, beyond the zen garden, fruit orchards, koi pond, and bamboo grove, lay a more rugged terrain, reminiscent of the forests of Kyoto where I played as a child.
I decided to walk around the exterior of my building, to get a better idea of the perimeter. My new onsen ryokan was set on a slight hill, so I could see a lot of the area around me. It looked like my domain was several kilometers across, with my structure set to one side.
As I walked around the exterior of the main property, I noticed that fog enveloped my entire domain, just like the fog from the place the voice called "The Between."
Even the sky was obscured, though there was a light that permeated everywhere with no discernable source. This place would make a wonderful place to live and work in. I spent a couple of minutes trying to think of what I should call it, but gave up when nothing came to me. I would think of something eventually. For now, it was time to move on to my next task.
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