Chapter Five: The Light of Kara

Savasen gathered the last surviving members of his people on this planet and returned to the place where everything began—the Land Favored by the Gods. Here, he would link all his kin together through the Khala. Here, he would attempt to awaken the slumbering deity.

“Master, this is far too dangerous! You alone bearing the will and power of everyone—one misstep, and you’ll be reduced to dust! Let me do it instead. The people need your guidance; we can’t afford to lose you!” Taldarin pleaded anxiously with his teacher, while Artanis stood silently behind Savasen, his entire being radiating a wave of psychic resistance.

“No, Taldarin. You and Artanis are still inexperienced, and you cannot communicate directly with the sacred relic. Only I have even the slightest hope of successfully uniting everyone’s will and establishing the Khala. If either of you went, it would be nothing but suicide.”

Savasen stood atop the peak of Mount Celestia, gazing into the distance at the nearly completed altar. “We are but a step away from victory. Once the Khala is established, everyone’s will shall be linked. There will be no more fratricidal conflict; we shall know peace for all eternity. This is the supreme glory bestowed upon us by the gods, and it is my destiny.”

A gentle breeze lifted Savasen’s robes and brushed across the hearts of Artanis and the others. From Savasen, they sensed a profound detachment, as if after the fall of the Light Empire, saving his people had become his sole concern; now, to give everything for this goal was simply the direction his heart willed.

Savasen drew from his robes a blue gemstone the size of a fist—the very crystal known as the Khaydarin Relic. Years of research had taught Savasen that only this stone in his possession could truly be called a sacred relic.

The meter-high crystals that previously encased it were but offshoots that had grown from the sacred relic over countless ages—these were called Khaydarin Crystals. By using those, his group had managed to let the scattered tribes sense the Khala’s light even before it was fully established. But now, the time had come for the Khala to truly manifest.

Several days later, on Aiur—Land Favored by the Gods—by Sunset Lake, at noon.

All Savasen’s years of waiting and effort had been for this moment.

Clad in resplendent robes and holding the Khaydarin Relic in both hands, he walked alone along the path of sacrifice.

His robes, and all the splendid adornments of the altar, had been salvaged from the ruins of the Light Empire by the survivors. Their technology had regressed back to the Stone Age, but for this ritual, tens of thousands had joined in the excavation of the ruins, hoping only for the ceremony’s success.

Savasen climbed to the top of the altar and looked down upon the upturned faces of his people. He knew that once he took this step, there would be no turning back. Only he knew that, as the point of connection, his chances of survival were near zero; this journey would be a permanent parting of mortal and divine.

It’s up to you from here, Artanis. Casting aside his final distractions, Savasen faced Mount Celestia, knelt before the altar, pressed his palms together around the gemstone, and raised his hands to his brow. Let me end all of this, and bring this age of suffering to a close.

“Praise to you, great Creator of Life. Your faithful call to you here, beseeching your will. May your will awaken from the chaos; may your will look upon your followers. Praise to you, great God of the Psion. Your faithful call to you here, begging for your radiance. May your light drive out the darkness; may your radiance cleanse all evil. Praise to you, great God of Wisdom. Your faithful call to you here, yearning for your voice...” As Savasen began his prayer, everyone knelt to the ground, reciting those sacred, ancient chants.

Hearing their prayers, Savasen poured his psychic energy into the Khaydarin Relic. As the psionic power flowed, the relic began to shine ever brighter. When the light became too intense to look upon, the crowd below began to shimmer as well, their own Khaydarin Crystals responding.

The Khaydarin Crystals, like stars in the heavens, began to twinkle. In the next moment, all the crystals directed beams of light toward Savasen at the center of the altar, converging upon the Khaydarin Relic in his hands. These beams, both real and illusory, passed through all barriers. As they gathered, the relic’s brilliance grew ever more resplendent.

Suddenly, as he chanted, Savasen felt his consciousness slip the bonds of flesh—his will had entered a void.

He opened his eyes. His form was ethereal and indistinct; only the Khaydarin Relic before him was clear, drawing in infinite light from all directions. Following those threads of light, he saw every one of his people linked by their Khaydarin Crystals, innumerable streams of light passing from each person to him. At this sight, he knew the final step had come.

He hesitated no longer. Closing his eyes, he merged his consciousness with the relic. In that instant, he felt the emotions of all—joy, sorrow, terror, tranquility—but years of discipline allowed him to weather the whirlpool of feelings. Gathering all the power that surged within him, he charged toward the shadowy world he sensed in the distance.

Meanwhile, atop the altar, the relic erupted with a light brighter than the sun. A pillar of blue streaked with pale gold shot into the sky, joining earth and heaven. The entire planet shook violently; beasts and birds fled in panic. Yet all present were lost in a sea of spirit, unresponsive to the chaos around them. By fortune, the altar held firm and did not collapse.

Within the void, the psionic realm, tranquil for countless millennia, was suddenly thrown into turmoil—a storm of power not seen since Aiur’s own awakening. Such a vast disturbance inevitably roused the god slumbering within.

“Hm? What is this? Why is the psionic force in such upheaval?” Awakened, Aiur was astonished at the scene before him. Since his birth, nothing had ever occurred outside his control. “Wait, what is that?” Aiur extended his right hand, sensing the psionic currents, and soon understood what was happening.

“They are using psionics to unite the consciousness of their entire race? A remarkable idea—wait, is this... the Khala?!” Aiur was stunned. He had not expected, even in a new world, to once again nurture that very race. Aiur gazed at the people who had accompanied him through two lifetimes.

If not for their appearance, this race is indeed closest to my heart’s desire. But wasn’t their beauty supposed to match my taste? No sooner had this thought arisen than a surge of immense psionic power rushed from the Psionic Sea toward the pillar of light.

Ah—this is bad! I forgot I can’t just make remarks freely in my current state. I must not let my mind wander. Aiur hastily suppressed his stray thoughts. The event had already unfolded, but it was a reminder to control his power, lest he inflict great harm upon other forms of life.

“No wonder my brothers decreed that all beings of divine rank or above must no longer reside in the material universe. The power to make law at a word, and alter reality with a thought, is too easy to unleash irreparable destruction. I suppose I must prepare for my own departure as well.”

Aiur looked toward the pillar of blue light, noticing the faint gold gleam within, and smiled. “Convenient—there’s a laborer about to arrive. I think he’ll be pleased with the burden he’s about to bear.”

Straining with all his might to control the psionic power, Savasen had no inkling that his fate for countless years to come had already been decided. All he felt was the mounting pressure; as the pillar of psionic energy drew ever closer to the psionic realm, it became harder and harder to direct the collective power of his people.

Am I truly to fail at the final moment? Am I to collapse here, so close to success? Just as he was about to falter, a stream of golden psionic energy surged from the psionic realm, mingling with the blue pillar and easing his burden.

Is this... could it be? Praise be to you, great—wait, ah! Savasen was on the verge of praising the deity who aided him when he felt an overwhelming force erupt from deep within. Every bone, every cell in his body, began to dissolve, as though merging with that immense power.

No! I will not yield! Mistaking this for divine punishment, Savasen refused to give in. Instead, he ignited all his remaining strength, driving the pillar of energy into the psionic realm. In doing so, he burnt himself out completely, falling into unconsciousness as his mortal body on the altar turned to ash, leaving behind only the pillar of blue light connecting heaven and earth.

Upon entering the psionic realm, the pillar spontaneously formed a sphere. The newly infused golden power followed the blue channel, flowing back into every person. The golden sea did not assimilate the blue sphere, but instead enveloped its surface. As the Psionic Sea filled the entire space, it resembled a blue jellyfish floating in a golden ocean.

At the center of the Psionic Sea, Aiur observed this and pondered: Since this is the path to ascension, so be it. As Aiur willed it, the psionic realm underwent a great transformation.

The sea of psionic energy filling the space was divided into upper and lower halves. The lower half surged upward, becoming a white ocean with the blue jellyfish at its heart. In the mist-filled middle region, a faint golden shape continually absorbed power. The upper half of the Psionic Sea solidified into tangible, pale golden clouds, with the remaining energies gathering around Aiur.

Finally, a grand temple appeared atop the golden clouds above. The temple was resplendent, magnificent, and imposing. Yet, recalling the tiny bell that had brought him here, Aiur, though initially enthusiastic, abandoned his more audacious plans.

And so, a divine realm basically to Aiur’s taste was born. According to his design, the gods would dwell above, the spirits of mortals would find their foundation below, and the middle would serve for new gods to rebuild their bodies. As for further construction, Aiur thought, Shouldn’t they build their own palaces? Must I, the chief deity, do everything for them? At this, he turned his attention to the one about to coalesce—whether man or god.