Eyes of the Oracle (part eight)

Lisa did not have to go open the door, the person on the other side opened it himself. He was an old man with a nicely trimmed beard and little hair. He looked rather buff, probably an athlete in his younger days, and he wore a white tuxedo with a black tie. His stomach showed signs of success. On seeing Lisa, he acknowledged her with a bow.

"Where am I now?" Lisa asked, getting a little tired from all her adventures. "Another sealed dimension?"

The old man clapped his hands. In an instant, a white table and 2 white chairs appeared in the centre, with 2 white cups with piping hot tea inside. Lisa wasn't surprised by this, she was getting used to all these weird happenings already.

"A very special dimension," replied the old man. "Take a seat would you, have some tea, I'll explain."

She did, and the old man sat down after her. He took a good sip of tea and looked back at her.

"Drink some would you, it's a waste if you don't."

Lisa did, and found the tea surprisingly refreshing.

"It's a special brew," said the old man. "Before souls are reincarnated, this tea is served to them, making them forget everything in their lives before, their identity, their family, friends, everything that may attach them to that life. As such, it would be easier to move on."

Lisa stopped drinking. She studied the tea carefully, not sure whether to believe the old man. She was a Christian, and Christianity has no mention of reincairnation. Furthermore, the tea looked very much like an ordinary tea, nothing mystical or anything like that. She also didn't forget anything. Then again, she had already forgotten quite a fair bit after the severance from Ike.

"It's a Taoist belief," responded the old man, again another person who seemed to be able to read her thoughts. "I know Christianity has no mention of it, but what are we to disbelieve things that we haven't seen?"

Lisa knew the old man was driving a point, but what?

"It only affects souls, you're not yet dead, so you'll be ok. Then again, the severance would have already done almost the same thing."

The old man knew everything that had happened. What was he rather than who was he, should be the question.

"My name is Azarath. 500 years ago, I was created with the same eyes as Kin and Ike, man it was a pain."

"500 years ago! They had such technology back then? But your eyes seem normal! And how can you live that long?"

"They're normal now, but not back then. I was created with a form of magic. Back then they knew nothing about E8, all they knew were how to combine elements and cast spells. It was in 15th century England yes, witches did exist, so did wizards. The world's science today is no different from their magic. But those sorcerers only knew how to do magic, they didn't know why it worked."

"Anyway, I was created by a rather power hungry sorcerer, eager to use me to attain world domination. When I was born, I had the eyes, I could see true reality much like how Kin and Ike does now. Like Damien Lee, the sorcerer knew nothing about true reality, assuming it was just some additions to our known world. But when I was born, I cried for 40 days and nights, for all I saw around me was despair, hatred, anger, all the vices in the world. I didn't even need to experience it for myself, to me, all these evils had form, and they were very scary. The world's really a lot more pleasant now, I don't know what crazy idea Kin has that makes him do this."

"I grew up locked in a magic cellar, for the sorcerer had deemed me a failed summon. But I didn't have to leave the cellar to see the world for what it truly is. A hateful place, full of woe. I felt pity for the many denizens living in it, so one night, I broke out of the cellar. It wasn't easy, but I did it. I decided to become a saviour, to help as many people as I could, try to make the evils go away. But alas, it was my eyes. Everyone fled when I came, they had no sunglasses back then, so I couldn't hide anything. Despaired, I wanted to run away from it all and live in recluse, that was when I met him."

"Him?" Lisa asked.

"I don't know who he really is, but somehow, he knew what I was going through. He wasn't afraid of my eyes, but rather, he told me, 'you can see it as a gift, or a curse, the choice is yours, but there is one thing you must know, what you see is not true reality'."

Azareth paused here, letting Lisa absorb all that he said.

"So...let me get this straight, what Ike and Kin sees isn't true reality?"

Azareth nodded.

"Then what is true reality?"

"What Kin and Ike sees is nothing but the reality of their universe. The visible universe is large but is only large because it is being seen through the eyes of humans, which are small and limited to 5 senses. In actual fact, there's a much larger universe beyond yours, and in yours, at the same time, the real true reality. No science or maths can describe it. I'll explain this shortly. Anyway, the man whom i met never told me his name, just to call him To. To was a traveller, but where he was from or what he does is unknown. He took me to the mountains and taught me everything I needed to know about the real reality. It was very enlightening. Finally, I realised the entire truth, and it was also the day he disappeared, I never saw him again."

Azareth put down his cup and fanned it with his hand.

"I've been living here for 500 years, observing the world and all. The birth of Kin and Ike caught my interest. The E8 theory, that was interesting...So that's what they call it. Anyway, it only describes everything in the visible universe, and Kin and Ike only believe they can see true reality, but they can't. Ike doesn't even know what the Silos Max is supposed to do."

Lisa decided to remain silent. She had been in the presence of many know-it-alls that day, but this one really took the cake.

"Lisa, tell me, what do you understand about time?"

Lisa didn't know what to say, was this a rhetorical question? Apparently it was.

"Time isn't simply what we see with clocks or any other method which is periodic or what. Think of a storybook, at any instant, the story contains the entire plot, from the beginning to the end. However, the reader only reads from the beginning, then gradually he gets to the end. At no point would he know exactly what would happen a few pages later, unless he cheats and flips to the back. The visible universe is like the story written on the book. The past and the future has already been written, but the characters are living it one step at a time, unable to flip to the back pages to take a look. But the person reading it or writing it knows what is really happening, he knows he is reading a book, and that the story isn't real, it is just fiction. This person, knows true reality."

Lisa was surprised, quite unusual for her now.

"You mean to say that all the world, all the universe, is nothing but a big illusion? A mere story written on paper?"

"Yes, if you want it in scientific terms. Some scientists believe in something called the quantum vacuum. Before the Big Bang, that was all there is, a vacuum, nothingness, empty space. But something happened to empty space, the big bang, and the universe was written all over it. It is like the words on the paper. Now imagine you're a character in the book, you are oblivious to how things are going to turn out, so you pray to your God, the creator of the story, to give you some hint. Now the true God wouldn't do that, but if it was you, and you decided to, what do you think the person would become? What would he see?"

Lisa shook her head.

"An avid reader can predict what would happen in the story, seeing how things are building up and with references to the author's mindset. The character that requests for such power can do the same. He can see more details, like what another character may be doing while he's doing something else far away, or see how something would turn out. To make it short and simple, he can see the detailed structures of what the author, you, his God, created for the story."

Lisa didn't understand it one bit.

"I can see you don't understand it one bit. Ok, Ike and Kin are like such characters, just like me 500 years ago. They are given the gift to see deeper details on how God has created the universe, but that is all. They cannot see into the future, only predict it based on enhanced observations and logic, just like the characters in the book. Even that is subjected to uncertainty and all, you never know when the author may decided to add some kind of funny twist. Kin and Ike both don't know what really happens when ten dimensions are squeezed into one point, for it is way too complicated. You may know the math, but think about calculating the full value of pi on a piece of paper, by hand, using mental calculations. So, they only think they know what happens, but what a laugh, Silos Max is actually a good skill, for it brings anyone affected into true reality."

Lisa didn't know what to feel.

"I'm in true reality?" she asked.

"Yes, you are in true reality, but what you see isn't its true form, but rather the form your mind and my mind want to take. My eyes became normal after I entered this realm because there was nothing more that was hidden. I have seen true reality, want to see it?"

Azareth clapped his hands, and immediately, the room and everything in it disappeared. Lisa and Azareth were floating in pure white space.

"This is true reality?" Lisa asked.

"True reality is nothingness. We are born with nothing and go with nothing, because we come from nothingness, and return to nothingness. The tea that you drank were given to spirits because they never accepted this fact, even though it was so obvious. It made them forget, purify their mind and make them accept nothingness. Then, after a brief stay here, they return to the world of form."

Azareth clapped his hands again, the room returned and they were sitting comfortably on the chairs.

"Do you know why this whole room is white? It is the colour symbol of purity. Nothingness is pure, that's why a person who fully accepts nothingness is purest, and thus the happiest. White light is pure light, containing all the colours in the visible spectrum, yet it is pure. This represents the fact that absolute knowledge is no knowledge, and no knowledge is absolute knowledge. Knowledge of true reality, means knowledge of nothingness."

Lisa suddenly began to feel that all this was making sense.

"So we're in the quantum vacuum?" she asked.

"Yes, but it is just a name. It is like the pages of the book the story was written on."

"But that means we can find out how the fight between Kin and Ike would turn out!"

Azareth shook his head.

"We are merely on the pages, still a part of the book. Only God, the author of the book, would know how the fight turns out. But let me tell you a little more before I send you back. Living in this quantum vacuum has multiple benefits. I am not affected by the flow of time and can create whatever things I want. Since there is nothing, nothing can affect me and I am hindered by nothing. As a matter of fact, you should be able to do it too. Go ahead, try something."

Lisa didn't know what to do. She decided to make a rabbit appear, remembering the magic shows she had watched since young. To her amazement, a rabbit really appeared on the table.

"Coincidental that you decided to think of a white creature," laughed Azareth. Lisa laughed too, that was surprising for her, because there was still her world to worry about, but here she was, feeling happy.

"You felt it didn't you?" asked Azareth.

"What?"

"This is the sensation that you have when you enter true reality, it is pure and pleasant, there is nothing to hinder your heart. Kin has done you a great favour."

Lisa felt, deep down in her heart, that she really wanted to stay here forever. It was way better than the terrible world she lived in.

"What happens when a normal person in my world dies?" she asked Azareth.

"They go to either heaven or hell? I thought you knew that? Well, essentially, heaven is for people who are pure at heart, understand the truth and can accept nothingness, having no desire for any worldly illusions. Hell is for people who have sinned, seduced by materialism and thus hurting others to gain their means. They are judged in hell and thus sent for reincarnation, as a means of atonement for their sins, but that isn't in your belief isn't it?"

"So this is heaven?"

"Metaphorically it is, I can say, 'congratulations, you have entered heaven,' , but heaven is just a name, nirvana is just a name, reality is just a name. Hell is just another insert chapter in the story where all sinners go. They are punished, then return to the main story in another form. Those who have made it to heaven are free from the cycle of birth and death."

Lisa thought over what he said. If this was true, then the world was really in serious danger.

"If everyone in the world died now, how many would enter heaven?"

Azareth sighed.

"Only a quarter... around there, in fact, it's already quite a large number. Even though the world has improved culturally, people are becoming more attached to the illusion that is Earth. These people show little compassion, only think of themselves, and have forgotten God."

"Then I must go back," said Lisa. "I must ensure that Ike wins. If Kin destroys the world, those people would be left without a chance! I am but one person, but I must do what I can to help them all! I have been through the sufferings of Earth, I can imagine Hell must be ten times worse. Having experienced the joy of heaven, of true reality, I can't just stay here and laugh while so many are being sent to suffer!"

Azareth got up from the table and walked up to her, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"You are the kindest person I have met, other than To. Very well, I can send you back to your world, the rest is up to you."

Azareth then beckoned Lisa to stand up as well, then he placed both hands on her shoulders.

"Silos Max brought you here, the move to send you back is the reverse of it. It's related to the Unity Chakra somehow, Ike was right on that, I can't explain it in words actually, I'm sure you understand. "

Lisa sure did.

Azareth closed his eyes and focused energy towards his arms. Lisa felt a calm, soothing feeling seep into her body. Her vision of the white room was beginning to fade.

"Azareth," she said. "Do you think To may be God in disguise as a human?"

Azareth smiled and shook his head.

"God doesn't do magic tricks, he only creates opportunities for us to create miracles."

The white room, the table and Azareth faded into whiteness, Lisa felt herself hurtle through smooth, velvety air. The air soon turned unpleasant, and she felt the influence of gravity again. It was clear that she was returning to Earth. She hoped everything would turn out alright.

To be continued...