Heartbeat: The Place of Dust

Prologue
The universe is an interesting place, is it not? It is like a cosmic sea, filled with a diverse batch of life and environments. You have carbon-based lifeforms, autonomous constructs, plants of wondrous colors, and so much more. You have shining stars, blazing suns, sleepless comets, majestic moons, breath-taking gas giants, and intricate planets. Each world has their own tastes, their own peoples, and their own wildlife. But that is only but the tip of the mountain.

You see, the universe is not one reality, as most beings perceive it. Oh no, that is far from the case. What you see is but one reflection, a reflection from a gem of infinite sides. Imagine if you had done something differently, or nothing at all? Everything would’ve ended differently, everything would’ve changed. For the universe is an infinite collection of possibilities, an ocean of countless realities and timelines. Each so different, yet so similar, all working in perfect synchronicity.

Each reality has their own history, as do the worlds within them. For every tale, there are the heroes and villains. The warriors and the average citizen. Two ideologies clashing against one another. The struggles within oneself. Stories of love and companionship. The short life and the impending death.

But alas, it’s never black and white. Somewhere between them, this is grey. And as we all know, there are in infinite number of shades for each and every color. Then there are the colors we know and love (and hate). Each one has a grant number of different meanings and emotions. Red can represent love or hate. Blue can represent calamity or lack of emotion. The list goes on and on.

And then the conflicts. They’re not always between good and evil. Sometimes one fights another for the sake of survival. Others believe that the ends justify the means. They do what they believe is the most logical thing. Sadly, they’re just as naïve as every other living (or occasionally dead or undead) being.

Within a conflict, there’s always someone watching. There’s always someone that plots and schemes in the farthest corner or in the darkest shadows. There’s always the parasite that seeks to gain from all of this somehow. There’s always the conman that swindles and backstabs all of the players. While some rarely gain the chance, a few lucky false shepherds manage to take advantage of the situation. An even few beings manage to destroy all sides and take the playing board for themselves.

But even they cannot stand the might of the universe. None can match the shear might of Mother Nature and the cosmos. Races die out as quick as they began and evolved. Cities toppled by the elements, villages eaten away by time. The seas dry and yield to the suns. What began with life ends with death.

And then, there are those older than the universe. There are those whose presence would tear the space-time continuum to pieces. Nameless things that fester in the nothingness beyond the edge of reality. Entities that word can scarcely describe. Sights that would drive a being mad with but a simple glance or glimmer.

This genre of tales has existed long before Time came to be. Long before Space brought order and chaos. It is a tale all fools have heard, in one way or another. And while the names and ideology has changed, one constant still remains: The universe is not a perfect place. Rather, it is constantly changing, never truly stable. And with each change, a ripple is felt across the cosmos. Some are more attuned to these waves than others. Some are minor and nearly nonexistent, others have shattered countless balances in one blow.

One such force is making its way toward a barren wasteland. Once it was a paradise, like that of a child’s dreams. But ignorance and pride are a common couple, and reduced this world to dust. Those that survived now compete for whatever resources weren’t wasted in the war of the ego. And now, they’re about to be retaught a lesson in life: Not everything can be controlled by a mere being.

How am I to make such a comment? Why do I criticize the naïve ideology most beings share? Very few know of my name, though names are meaningless at this point. Some refer to me as Shijian, others Tethapa, and so much more. But my name of old still lingers among a few who still have some form of intelligence.

I am Kairos. Keeper of Time, seer of the infinite possibilities, the All-Knower. And this is yet another tale of hardship and survival. A tale of fools resisting the cold reality of their meager existence. Another race destined to be forgotten in the sea of Time. This is the tale of how an empire fell before it could rise, how the ignorant finally saw their futility, and how one little mistake can cost one so much.

Chapter 1
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Trivia

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