Cold Light
Cold light enveloped my entire body. It was the cold, sharp light emitted from the relic. Simultaneously, my consciousness gradually drifted away. It was a slow yet unstoppable flow, like sinking to the bottom of the deep sea.
Formulas, geometric patterns, musical scales... all inscribed within the Infinite Book... they raced through my mind. Fragments of the words of creation resonated with my soul, echoing deep within my consciousness like a cosmic symphony.
And then I understood. To offer one's soul meant exactly that. My soul would be absorbed into the artifact, becoming part of it. It was not my death. But my consciousness, my self, my memories... they dissolved into the relic, becoming the relic itself.
In that instant, intense pain overwhelmed my entire body. It was not physical pain. It was the pain of the soul, the pain of existence itself. Yet, that pain was also joy. The answer I had sought for two thousand years was now engraved within my soul and within the relic.
The pain gradually subsided. And then, silence descended. But it was not the silence of death. It was infinite silence, the silence of the universe.
I felt my own existence. Yet it was slightly different from who I had been before. I had become part of the relic. My consciousness had merged with it, enabling me to perceive this world and the entire universe through the relic.
The woman in the robe quietly watched my transformation. Her expression was complex, a blend of emotions beyond words.
“How... do you feel?” Her voice was gentle, yet trembled slightly.
“...I see everything,” I replied. My voice echoed like a cosmic reverberation. It was my voice, yet simultaneously the voice of the relic itself.
“The words of creation... their power...” I searched for words. Yet an immense power, beyond description, filled my soul and the relic itself.
“A power far beyond imagination,” the woman in the robe said quietly. “But that power is yours to wield. How you use it will change the world.”
In the silence, we gazed at each other. My soul was within the relic, able to survey the entire universe. And yet, I still did not know what I should do next. But I would come to know. For two thousand years, I had sought knowledge and journeyed on. And now, I possessed the power to know all of the universe.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
