The Mirage on the Brink of Oblivion (The Epic of Aravinda Book 3)

by Andrew M. Crusoe

  He reflected on how all of this had been here the entire time, only his eyes hadn’t been able to see it, until now.

  Just before his etheric feet touched the roof of the cube, he thought he saw a shape protruding from it. And after a few seconds, Jyana arose gracefully from the roof. Even in her out-of-body state, she was wearing the same burnt umber jumpsuit. Only now, her black hair was up in a bun, and she wore a concerned expression.

  “Oh, good,” she said. “I’m glad you two haven’t wandered off. I’ve heard that first-timers can get overwhelmed and go missing for days. I’m sorry I couldn’t come sooner. The time dilation, as I said before, is a challenge. Even moving around can be a challenge for newcomers.”

  “Actually,” Zahn said, “we’ve had an out-of-body experience before when we met the Council of Amithya, during our first mission together. Although, that place felt pretty different. I don’t think there was any time dilation.”

  “Oh.” Jyana blinked in surprise. “Interesting. So, you two know how to move and orient yourselves, then?

  “Yes, I think we’ll be fine with that. So where’s Torin?”

  “He was called away for his work.” A look of disappointment flickered across Jyana’s face. “No matter.” She blinked it away. “So you’ve done this once? Zahn, a single out-of-body experience is not adequate preparation for what you are about to experience. I don’t know what it’s like on other worlds, but the out-of-body experience here on Tavisi is special.”

  “What makes it so special?” Zahn asked.

  Jyana pointed out the curving structures all around them, twisting in brilliant geometric complexity, almost mocking the laws of physics themselves.

  “Every etheric structure you see around you, no matter how small, began as an idea. When my people first began having spontaneous out-of-body experiences, they realized that, with disciplined effort, they could actually manifest their thoughts.”

  “What do you mean?” Asha said. “Are you saying that, if they thought of something, it would simply appear here?”

  “Yes, and with the same level of complexity as they imagined it, but only if they held that idea with perfect clarity.”

  Zahn gazed at the wild structures once again with this in mind. “What a monumental effort.”

  “However,” Jyana continued, “this quickly depleted their energy, requiring them to drop back down into physical reality to eat. It was then that we realized the connection between the etheric body and the physical.”

  Zahn observed his surroundings again with new eyes. “So all of this popped out of someone’s head? How is that possible?”

  “Thought energy!” Asha’s eyes lit up with understanding. “Think about it. It’s not so different from when I heal someone. The intention starts in my heart and flows outward. When I heal, I allow the energy to flow through me. So in the case of creating, perhaps if you allow the energy to flow through you while in the out-of-body state…”

  “You are basically correct,” Jyana said. “We harness the etheric energy already inside of us and focus it into etheric objects. However, we soon found a limit. Even when we discovered that eating certain food would charge up our etheric bodies, we could only manage to manifest small objects. Thus, our civilization scoured the planet for something with concentrated etheric energy. After many years, our scientists developed a substance so powerful that it has allowed us to create entire cities built of thought-forms. And as an added benefit, it also reduces our need for physical food. Its formula is a carefully guarded secret, and few in the world know its true ingredients. We call it ambrosia.”

  “Remarkable. A world literally built of ideas.” Zahn turned to Jyana. “So are you saying that you could do this right now? You could manifest something. Could you show us, please?”

  Asha tilted her head toward Zahn disapprovingly, and turned to Jyana. “That’s okay, Jyana. I’m sure that’s a tiring process, and I for one believe you, in light of our surroundings.”

  Jyana held up her hand. “No, that’s all right. I’m sure you’re both curious to see the process in motion. A small object is quite easy for me to create, but anything larger requires ambrosia to sufficiently charge the etheric body. However, something small is really no trouble. Watch carefully.” She cupped her hands together and closed her eyes. She winced and then smiled as a light grew within. A light flashed within her cupped hands, and she looked up to Zahn, handing him a tiny three-sided pyramid.

  He held it carefully, examining it from all sides. It was perfectly smooth, a flawless tetrahedron. “It’s lovely.”

  “I noticed that your ship embodies this geometry. Perhaps you’ll enjoy this token, a symbol of its brilliance.” Jyana smiled.

  “Thank you! It’s beautiful.” Zahn said. “Is it fragile?”

  “Not quite. Because it is an etheric object, gravity does not hold sway against it. As far as I know, it can only be destroyed through focused intention.”

  “Ah.” Asha nodded, a look of trepidation spreading across her face. “Makes sense.”

  “Now,” Jyana said with authority. “Are you both ready to see our fair city? Cumulatively, millions of thought-hours have gone into its realization.”

  “Sure!” Zahn said. “I’ve been hoping you’d ask.”

  “Then follow me.”

  CHAPTER 9

  WELCOME TO MIRAGE CITY

  Jyana led them toward the square patch of metal in the middle of the ceiling that had a faint, curved symbol engraved onto it. And as they neared the square, Zahn’s anticipation grew. What would this new world look like? If ideas became reality, then what were the limits? Zahn felt a familiar tickling sensation as they passed through the ceiling into a dark layer of rock. Here, he could see nothing, and continued upward until they sped through murky water and up through another thin surface.

  After a few seconds, a blinding light shone all around him, and he found himself standing on a perfectly smooth pathway above the sea.

  To his left, a huge conic structure towered into the white sky. At its tip was a single strand that led upward, but before his eye could follow the strand to its endpoint, he heard Asha call out beside him.

  “Look, Zahn! Over there!”

  Zahn spun around and saw a silver snakelike creature flying through the sky, just before it slipped behind a cloud.

  “What was that?”

  “Don’t worry about those,” Jyana said. “There are many etheric creatures, and most of them won’t bother you.”

  Zahn’s gaze drifted back down to the spiraling architecture all around him. Ahead, he saw a building hundreds of meters tall, shaped like a massive egg, simply hanging in the air. Below it, a wide platform formed a ring, also hanging in the air effortlessly. He saw now that the ring platform was part of the same pathway he was standing on, and hundreds more pathways branched off from the central ring in all directions, like spokes on a wheel. Spread over all of this were hundreds of figures, darting from place to place so fast that he could scarcely make out any detail except for the bright colors they were wearing. Some were heading around the massive egg; some were heading away, yet none went inside.

  Still, this was only a fraction of the colossal architecture that reigned all around him. In the far distance, he also saw spidering structures and flowing curves. It was as if there was a different architectural style in every direction, and he felt overwhelmed.

  To calm himself, he looked back up to the egg ahead, shimmering with a strange light. This egg seemed to be the central axis upon which the entire city turned. Zahn sensed great power behind it, but what was its purpose?

  “Welcome to Mirage City!” Jyana turned around to face them, beaming. “The core of our intentional civilization and central repository for Tavisian knowledge.”

  Still in the throes of sensory overload, Zahn turned to Asha and noticed her blank expression. “Asha, are you okay?”

  She said nothing, and Zahn put his hand on her back. He thought he could see tiny tears for
ming in her eyes. “Asha, you seem really quiet. How are you doing?”

  “I, I don’t know what’s coming over me. I’m just, overwhelmed.” She wiped some tears from her eyes and turned to Zahn. “I know, it’s probably silly. I’m just so happy to see this. I’m happy to know that my people still thrive, in their own way.”

  Jyana pursed her lips, studied Asha’s face, and nodded. “We’re happy to have you back, Ashakirta. You are so full of emotions, but you’ve allowed those emotions to make you strong. We need more people like you, more people in tune with their hearts. If we did, we wouldn’t have the problems we now face.”

  Zahn took Asha’s hand, feeling a warmth stir within him.

  “She’s the best healer I know,” he said.

  Asha squeezed his hand. “I’m the only healer you know, silly.”

  “Not true! We have great medical services on Avani. But no one like you.”

  She smiled. “Thanks.” And for a few moments, Asha studied the egg, still central to their view, and pointed to it. “So, what’s that structure, Jyana? It looks important.”

  Jyana smoothed her hair. “That, my long lost citizen, is the Empress Monument, and few have ever visited her chambers.”

  “She lives in that thing?” Zahn blurted.

  “Yes. It is woven out of her own thoughts, in fact.”

  “So could I make something? Could Asha?”

  Jyana sighed. “As I’ve already told you, to build anything of appreciable size, you would need to drink ambrosia first.”

  “Well, what about something small? I’ve got to try this.” Zahn let go of Asha’s hand and cupped his palms together. Shutting his eyes tight, he imagined a simple cube as clearly as he could.

  “Wait, Zahn! Don’t create anything yet.” Asha said, grabbing his arm. “You might hurt yourself!”

  A dim light grew inside of his cupped hands. After a few seconds, he could feel a texture begin to press against his palm, and breathed deeply. When Zahn opened his eyes, he found himself holding a small, colorless object.

  “Smaller than I thought.” He studied the cube in his hand, suddenly feeling exhausted. “And that was… not easy.”

  “What did you expect, Zahn?” Jyana said. “Creating takes energy, hence the necessity of having the right fuel.”

  Zahn pocketed the small cube and took Asha’s hand once more. He felt his insides churning and noticed the edges of his hands lose focus. “I don’t feel so good. Is there anywhere we can sit down?”

  “Of course,” Jyana said. “I can show you to your rooms where you can rest, and if you wish, I can show you more of the city later. One moment.”

  A bright ball of light shot out of Jyana’s forehead and zoomed away, toward the floating egg.

  “What’s that?” Zahn mumbled.

  “Zahn, try not to speak,” Asha said. “Save your energy.”

  Another ball of light shot out of the lower part of the egg and flew toward them, right into Jyana’s forehead.

  “That’s odd. The Empress has prepared the sunset suite for you. Follow me.” Jyana turned to the tall cliffs in the distance and zoomed up into the sky, vanishing in seconds.

  A few moments later she bolted back down to where they were, like lightning striking the platform.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, “but I haven’t taught either of you how to skip yet, have I?”

  Zahn tilted his head. “Skip?”

  “Yes,” she nodded. “In this realm, our bodies have no physical mass, so we can skip along the planet like pebbles across a stream, effortlessly.”

  “How?” Asha said.

  “Well, how about we begin by you both locking onto my ident? As I move, you will move. Does that make sense?”

  “No,” Asha said. “What do you mean by ident?”

  “It’s shorthand; means my essence, my identity. Everyone has an ident. If it helps, picture my face. If you keep me in mind as we jump, you’ll stay attached to my ident. Since I’m leading this skip, it should be easy for you.”

  “All right.” Zahn rubbed his hands together. “I’m ready when you are.”

  Jyana turned. “Asha?”

  She nodded. “I’m with you.”

  Jyana glided up into the air, and they flew up with her. After a few seconds, they were soaring swiftly over the sea, and she called back to them. “Okay, just remain focused on my ident. I’m about to pull a skip. Hold on!”

  Zahn set his sights on Jyana, picturing her face as clearly as he could.

  In a single blink, Jyana’s body shrank, gradually regrowing in size as a torrent of landscape rushed by. Zahn felt as if his stomach was falling into a gravity well and held his breath. He felt as if he were being stretched to twice his height. Images and sensations blurred around him, and he felt like letting go.

  Is Asha all right? I don’t see her. No, I’d better stay focused on Jyana or I could get lost.

  As he considered this, Zahn felt as though he were moving through a strange soup.

  And then, with another blink of his eyes, it was over.

  Zahn found himself standing on a grassy patch of ground, which shocked him so much that he promptly collapsed. He paused for a few moments, pressing his eyes shut.

  He felt Asha’s hand on his head. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I think so.” He looked up to Asha, who was offering her hand.

  Zahn grabbed it and pulled himself up, noticing a rounded house perched near a cliff overlooking the sea. He took a moment to admire the view, realizing that the cliff’s angle was so extreme that it could not possibly support the house’s weight in the physical world.

  Jyana walked up to them. “Are you both all right? I know skipping can be quite odd the first time.”

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” Zahn looked over to Asha.

  “Not sure I’m the same height as I was before,” she said, “but I feel fine.”

  “Good.” Jyana nodded swiftly and waved them toward the back of the house where a symbol was engraved. “You will stay here until further notice. As I said before, you are both quite lucky. Designed by the Visionaries and built by our finest etheric sculptors, this is one of our best guest accommodations.”

  “Well,” Asha said, “send the Empress our best regards.”

  They reached the symbol, which was a spiral that curved inward before curving outward again, reconnecting again with where it started.

  Jyana turned back to Asha, her expression stiffening. “Only a select few are allowed to contact the Empress, but I can certainly pass your message along to her chief secretary.”

  For a few moments, Jyana’s gaze drifted over to the horizon, and Zahn noticed that a pale, full moon hung low in the distance. Its surface was scarred with deep trenches and craters. He could only guess that this was evidence of the battle Asha had referred to before.

  An idea flashed into Zahn’s mind, and he glanced over to Jyana. “Hey, I think I met a Visionary. Are they huge geometric shapes? Because I think we met one of them on our first adventure. We met her on Aarava and she gave us crucial information on the gate network so we could reach the Amithyan Council. And later she said she was from Tavisi. Have you heard of Vayuna? She’s this huge amber octahedron, usually glows amber.”

  “She was the first,” Jyana said, still looking out onto the horizon. “She worked with the newer models to facilitate peace and harmony across this entire world. Of course, that was before the scourge came.” She looked over to him, suspicion passing over her face. “And you say you met her on a planet named Aarava? Where is that? She’s been missing for some time, and I’m sure the Empress would like to reach her.”

  Zahn furrowed his eyebrows, suddenly feeling as if he revealed too much. “Well, I don’t think she’s there anymore. We ran into her on Vaari, too. She really gets around.”

  “I see.”

  Asha, who had been admiring the view, glided up to them. “So, what ever happened to the Visionaries?”

  Out of nowhere, a ball of light f
lew up from the grassy ground and into Jyana’s head, and her expression grew cold.

  “I’m sorry. I am needed,” she said. “You can rest here. There are some energy packets inside which will recharge your etheric bodies. They aren’t food or ambrosia, but they’ll allow you to recharge without leaving the Mirage. I will return later,” Jyana pointed to the pale white moon for a moment, “when Rundikha hovers just a bit higher in the sky.” She turned back to them. “I apologize at my haste; I shall return soon. You may enter through this symbol, and please do not leave the sunset suite until I return. Be well.”

  With a bow, Jyana pulsed in brightness, and in the blink of an eye, she flashed away, bolting back down to the resplendent city below.

  “She’s fast,” Zahn turned to Asha, but she was already inside.

  “Hey, you’ve got to come in here,” she said. “It’s pretty cool, like a tiny house.”

  He flew through the symbol, finding himself surrounded by strange, curving objects. The walls curved, too, and there was nothing that he could call furniture except for a puffy, round platform nestled up against one of the curved corners of the house. Beyond that was a wide opening that led into a balcony where Asha was already waiting.

  “When she called it the sunset suite, she wasn’t kidding.”

  Zahn zipped over, carefully navigating around the strange objects that were interspersed throughout the room, and joined her out on the wide balcony. From here, it was difficult to discern individual buildings, the city appearing as a collage of eccentric shapes that hung effortlessly over part of the sea.

  When he leaned over to the side to examine the suite’s architecture, he noticed that the balcony was supported by nothing at all.

  “Yikes!” he called out. “A balcony like this is liable to put a guy on edge.”

  Asha rolled her eyes at him. “You are the corniest person in the galaxy. You realize that, right?”