Set Voland--a homeless young man who attacked a child in the midst of hallucinations--has been caught by the police and sent to a psychiatric hospital. There, he's stricken by a meeting with a Shining White Being who will completely overturn his lif...
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"Underneath darkened skies
There's a lamp kept alight
Let love conquer your mind
Warrior, warrior
Just reach out for the light..."
Warrior, Aurora
Sitting down nice and comfortable on the white leather sofa, Sybil Vain flipped through pages as the clock ticked and minutes passed by. He was keeping his mind busy with frivolous reading to inhibit his foreseeing capacity, which would've ruined the surprise. At long last, he could indulge in the pleasure of uncertainty and experience the feeling of excitement. He empathized with the novel's protagonist, who was about to meet the man of her dreams as well.
A loud thump brought him back to earth.
His gaze trailed the floor down to where Mikhail sat with the broken pieces of the vase. His emerald green eyes were wide with uncertainty. Perhaps he understood the worth of the Japanese Peace Lily. Sybil sighed. He really needed to ask Maria to move the plant to the bedroom. Mikhail was barely four months old and couldn't be blamed for his rare pinball stunts in the corridor.
When Maria first started working for him, Sybil had a hunch she liked cats and decided to get one to make her smile. He was careful to choose the most docile breed. Archangel Blues were curious and tranquil, known for their friendliness and intelligence, and somewhat reserved. Mikhail had already attempted to play fetch and open doors. He was also very sensitive to human emotions. Besides, there was no way a human could resist his plush, shimmering, pale blue-silver coat.
If it wasn't for Maria, Sybil would've never considered the idea of taking a pet, but he had to admit that having the company of a cute little guest wasn't half bad. He ended up thinking about his future meeting, wondered if the young man he was waiting for would be as easy to please as the kitten, and whether he would enjoy living there too.
As the thought crossed his mind, his concentration faltered and the familiar energy flow engulfed him. Extraneous sensations and feelings ran through him like storming waves flooding the shores. His body started shaking trying to restore the balance, and the energy leaked out from his feet, hands and head. Sybil closed his eyes, surrendered to the current and sank into the bottomless abyss. Deep down within himself, he reached the eye of the storm and the whole world spanned around him, unfolding to his inner sight. He saw the next moments, days, years, even centuries, as they crowded his mind, pushing and pulling to be noticed.
He took a deep, slow breath. Then, another one, and again, and again, not counting them. The breathing brought his consciousness up to the seventh chakra, at the top of his head, and he was sucked into the Source. He kept watching—like a distant witness—while the countless visions ran far below. It was like the sight of the Earth from space. All threads and paths and crossroads became obvious and everything was connected and wonderful. The visions kept shrinking and their patterns became clear too, they were gathering into specific groups. Then, as the distance increased, they clustered into a single flow adjusting to the regular rhythm of Sybil's breathing. In the end, it got so far that everything disappeared into silence and stillness.
