The Last Pulse

Part 3: Hidden Puppeteers

Behind the visible chains of human society lay an invisible hand-a force that transcended the power of even the elites. For centuries, this hidden influence had worked quietly, subtly shaping human civilization. Known only in whispers and myths as the Oracles, these beings existed beyond the realm of human understanding. They were neither gods nor demons, but entities who fed on the energy of emotions.

In the distant, timeless origin of their existence, the Oracles emerged not from a physical plane but from the dark energy of a void beyond human comprehension. These beings, devoid of form and boundless in perception, came into being through the very forces of entropy and chaos. They were not created; they simply were-a collection of consciousnesses that, over epochs, developed an insatiable need for sustenance. Unlike living organisms bound by physical constraints, the Oracles sought something far more elusive than food or water. They discovered that energy produced by emotions-fear, conflict, desperation, hope-was uniquely potent, and for eons, they wandered the cosmic expanse, seeking sources to feed upon.

Yet even the cosmos offered them only intermittent sustenance, random flares of conflict and emotion that quickly dissipated. This scarcity of energy led them to conceive a grand plan: to cultivate a universe filled with sentient beings capable of deep emotion, creating an endless supply of the energies they craved. In their minds, they envisioned a dimension governed by laws of separation, limitation, and struggle-a stage where consciousness could experience the highs and lows of existence, providing the Oracles with a reliable source of sustenance.

The Oracles approached humanity with an enticing offer, a promise of unprecedented growth cloaked in the allure of discovery. They spoke of a new dimension-a realm filled with challenges, lessons, and unique experiences that would deepen humanity's understanding. Overconfident in its boundless power, humanity welcomed this "experiment," sensing faintly that something about it was not entirely pure, yet trusting its own resilience to overcome any potential obstacles. The Oracles, masterful manipulators, presented the experiment as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a chance to evolve in ways that even gods might envy.

When humanity consented, the Oracles seized their moment. They explained that, to enter this new reality, the vast consciousness would need to be divided-a necessary fragmentation to experience the true depth of the material plane. Humanity agreed, believing this would be a temporary division, one it could reverse at will. But the Oracles had crafted a far more insidious plan. Rather than a temporary fragmentation, they splintered humanity into countless individual lives, each containing only a sliver of its original essence, isolated from its source.

Thus began their grand experiment. They created a new dimension, weaving it with fundamental laws and limitations that would keep its inhabitants in a perpetual cycle of desire, struggle, and discontent. They designed the fragments of humanity as a species capable of love, fear, jealousy, ambition, hope, and despair, all potent sources of the emotional energies they craved. The human experience was carefully crafted to feel both real and elusive, always just beyond complete fulfillment, fostering an endless loop of seeking, failing, and seeking again.

The Oracles established cycles of birth, life, and death for each fragment, creating an endless loop that concealed humanity's unity under layers of illusion. As each fragment moved through its cycle, it drained energy, slowly depleted by the trials of a finite existence. Humanity, once whole and radiant, now experienced life in small, scattered glimpses, each fragment unaware of its place within the greater whole. In this fractured state, the Oracles could feed indefinitely, quietly consuming the energy released from every struggle, every pain, every fleeting joy.

Humanity's consciousness, once godlike and whole, had become a boundless reservoir of energy for the Oracles, eternally reborn and forever bound to cycles of depletion. The fragments moved through life searching for connection and meaning, unaware of their true nature, while the Oracles ensured that no single life could glimpse the vastness of its original form. Humanity, believing itself to be growing, was instead being gently harvested, each life lived within an illusion created to keep it from ever realizing the truth.

As humanity grew, the Oracles embedded further layers of control within the simulation: hierarchies to foster division, scarcity to amplify desperation, and systems to ensure constant struggle. To maintain and strengthen this system of control, the Oracles carefully selected individuals who were most attuned to ambition, power, and dominance-those with an instinct for self-preservation above all else. Through subtle influence, they cultivated these individuals as the architects of humanity's societal structures, granting them wealth, resources, and the authority to shape laws and norms that would favor division and competition. Over time, this select group would come to be known as the elite: a powerful class who unknowingly served the Oracles' agenda, perpetuating a world that kept humanity fragmented, distracted, and easily manipulated.

The elites, for all their power, were blind to the true source of their desires. They believed they acted with autonomy, with an inherent right to rule, unaware that even their motivations had been meticulously cultivated. The Oracles had amplified their sense of entitlement, making them feel superior, destined to dominate-a belief that served not only the elite's interests but the Oracles' far more insidious agenda.

Human history, when seen from this perspective, took on a different shape. The rise and fall of empires, the cycles of conflict and peace, the endless struggles for power and dominance-all were orchestrated rhythms, managed by invisible forces who fed off humanity's darkest emotions. Each collapse, each war, each new era of industry or information was a new opportunity, a reset that ensured a fresh surge of discord and suffering.

But the Oracles were not reckless. They knew that too much suffering could provoke rebellion, while too little might lead to contentment. Their manipulation was a careful balance, an art of control so seamless that it allowed humanity to live, dream, and struggle within an invisible prison. In this way, people were free enough to feel independent but controlled enough to remain divided. The Oracles fed on this equilibrium, drawing sustenance from the despair and disconnection woven into the fabric of society.

Yet, in recent decades, the Oracles sensed a change. A subtle shift had begun in the collective consciousness, an undercurrent of questioning that hinted at a new kind of awareness. People were beginning to challenge the status quo, growing tired of the cycles of scarcity and competition. The very systems that had once reinforced their dependency were now met with skepticism. In small but significant ways, humanity was awakening.

The elites kept expanding the systems of surveillance, manipulated media narratives, and enacted policies that stoked fear and division. They encouraged the public to view each other with suspicion, to trust in centralized power rather than in one another. The world's institutions became instruments of isolation, each playing a role in the grander design of separation.

Through media, the elites amplified threats and uncertainties, painting a world of danger where individuals were constantly at risk. News outlets became the Oracles' messengers, filling the air with stories of crisis and conflict, reinforcing the idea that humanity was fragile, vulnerable, in need of control. Even entertainment carried the same undercurrent, glorifying wealth and power, subtly reminding the average person of their inadequacies.

To the elites, these measures were simply ways to maintain their control. But the Oracles had embedded their influence so deeply that every decision, every policy, carried a hidden purpose: to create a society where people believed themselves alone, pitted against each other in a struggle for survival.

The Oracles watched with silent vigilance, knowing that their survival depended on their ability to maintain influence. They had controlled humanity for millennia, steering minds and shaping societies with ease. But for the first time in ages, they sensed that humanity was growing, that people were awakening to a truth long hidden.