Glint and Precurse

Where We Began

Simon – 1

I gasp for air as I sit up on the bottom bunk of my bed, waking from a nightmare. The room around me is silent, and the darkness that fills the area greets me as I return to reality. The dream that I have just awoken from lingers in the air, but every second that passes causes it to deteriorate. By the time I have fully acknowledged my awareness, the nightmare is only a distant memory that will never be brought back to my recollection.

A peaceful crackling sound comes from outside my window, whispering into my ears the songs of thousands. A glimmer of orange light reflects off the glass window and lets in unpredictable rays of light, illuminating my ceiling.

Am I still dreaming, or is this real? Half awake, I get out of bed, walk to the window, and wipe the sleep off my eyes in order to get a good look. There, in my neighbor's backyard, lies a burning body accompanied by a mourning beast. While most would think a sight like this to be horrific, there is a subtle tinge of sadness mixed with bittersweet. I cannot put my finger on what exactly is making me feel this way, but all I can do by looking at the scene is sympathize for the creature. It is as if the things it has done and the lives it has ruined have finally come back to haunt it, making it fully understand the value of life.

A lone tear streaks down my face and rests at the seam of my mouth. I do not understand the causes of these emotions I am feeling, but I know what I must do.

Omucks – 1

Everything I have done was for nothing. There is no way to erase these sins, but there is still a way to move on. I have done this to myself, and I completely understand that. While the god that rules this world—if there even is one—may not feel any urge to forgive me of the acts I have brought upon its creation, I must let it be known that I accept full responsibility. I know that my life has brought nothing but sadness and despair, and by trying to erase those actions, I will only create more corruption. I have to leave this world forever. I am not leaving to move on to another world line, and I am certainly not going to move on to another time. My journey ends here, watching the remains of my past self slowly be cooled and blown away in the wind. When the night sky is lowered and the sun is lifted, I will be long gone. These are my final words, and I hope you learn from my mistakes. In the billions of years I have existed, in the thousands of world lines that I have destroyed, every soul devastated, mind controlled, and individual manipulated, I have never once felt sympathy. Now, however, I finally understand.

There is no way to clean the mess I have already created, but I will make sure to prevent any further destruction on my behalf.

That is why I must go.

Ashley – 1

Peering from my apartment window, I see the source of my feelings. Without saying a word or hearing a sound, I understand what I must do. It isn't for the good of mankind, and it certainly is not anything that will aid me.

Following this call from the universe, I begin moving.

Richard – 1

Listening to this strangely familiar voice, I exit my home and go where it leads me.

Veronica – 1

As I cross the road and traverse across the park, I am accompanied by hundreds of others who hear the voice. Compassion and sympathy fills the air as we all follow the call, acting not on our own behalf, but as one, united world.

Samuel – 1

We reach a narrow, urban, neighborhood road to which leads down to a group of homes. There, in between and standing out from the rest of the buildings, stand one small, humble abode. It radiates the feeling of pure, moral understanding, and an eternity of sadness leaks from within its foundation.

We do not stop, but continue to follow the voice whispering into our ears, compelling us to carry out the only thought that has clouded our minds since we were created.

Amy – 1

The driveway is cracked and weathered, but that does not stop us from going through with what we started.

Eric – 1

Continuing around the house, the multitudes of us persevere, fighting off the conflicting feelings of hatred and anger. Weeds sprout from the ground and try to pull us back, but it does not stop us.

Sarah – 1

There, kneeling on the ground and hiding its face is terror, the beast—destroyer of worlds—is trying its best to stop us from going through with our plan. It believes that it isn't worthy of salvation, but that will not make us yield.

Ben – 1

All of us, disregarding the constant humble pleas of the monster, join hands around it.

Omucks -1

I do not deserve this. Why are they doing this to me? Do they understand what I have done to this world and the many others like it?

World-line 1

We forgive you.

Omucks – 1

Compassion. The only feeling I can see coming from the different, unique characters surrounding me is compassion. Somehow, never mind the fact that my body is of metal, tears begin to pour from my eyes. I look up at the people smiling at me, all of which are holding hands and crying. They are crying for me—the man who obliterated thousands of worlds. They see past the evil and find the good, even if that purity is only a drop of blood in the sea.

Human emotions are confusing. For most of my life, I would spend it pondering on the sciences behind these feelings we encounter, only to end up giving up due to the massive amount of contradictions I was faced with. Until now, I never understood the truth behind these worlds, and every other one that I may have not discovered. The truth is that when it comes to emotions, science is just as important as a hair stuck to a brush. When studying emotions, you shouldn't relate it to science, because that makes the whole concept ironically obsolete!

Human emotions are confusing, but for now—just this once—I will forget about reasoning.

Thank you.

As those final words leave my brain, my vision begins blurring out, eventually consuming my reality. When the sun rises, I will not be there, but somewhere far, far away, somewhere lost in my distant memories.

Let's start over.

Robert – 1

As the sun peaks over the horizon, the ground below us is illuminated, revealing the absence of the beast. It its place lays the torn, black cloth that had hung from its head just moments before. A sudden feeling of sadness fills our hearts as we take in the being's disappearance. We understand what it has gone to do in order to give us our lives, and the thought of living in its place is terrifying. Only a truly compassionate being could volunteer for such an experience.

Various people kneel on the ground and weep, while others just lower their heads in despair for the creature. Nevertheless, we are entirely grateful for everything it has done, and only wish to thank it more and more—until the end of this world.