endless path, infinite cosmos

chapter 104

Vahn felt a heaviness in his body as a deep throbbing pain was emitting from his head. He felt like his skull had been cracked open and his brain had turned to mush. Unable to form any thoughts, he just allowed the pain to encompass his entire being, almost to the point he was unable to distinguish between where the pain began and where it ended. He felt like the pain stretched out endlessly, and it was almost as though his body was infinitely expanding along with it to allow for more pain to fill him.

Suddenly, from a place deep within, a cooling sensation began to build from a minuscule point at the very center of the seemingly endless pain. It began to expand, almost as if it was trying to erase the pain from existence, but no matter how quickly it spread out, it was always slower than the pace of the pain itself. Vahn felt like his soul was beginning to tear apart by the duality of the two contrasting feelings. One filled him with energy and life, while the other seemed determined to destroy everything and erase it from existence.

Vahn tried focusing on the 'cool' sensation and tried to tear his mind away from the pain that had wracked his body for what felt like an eternity. He could feel his consciousness accelerating toward the center of the sensation, but no matter how fast he thought he was moving, he never seemed to get any closer. A fear began to grip his mind as Vahn felt, if he was unable to reach the center, he would lose himself entirely.

Suddenly, along with the cool sensation, Vahn was also able to feel a soft and warm sensation that seemed to surround the entire space. What previously seemed like an infinitely expanding void, now seemed to be much smaller as the warmth quickly spread through his mind and banished the pain. The cooling sensation, no longer suppressed by the pain, now spread out at a speed faster than perception itself. Before an instant had passed, the cooling sensation encompassed Vahn's entirety as he began to feel at ease.

No longer wracked by the pain, Vahn began to enjoy the feeling of warmth that was spreading from an unseen area outside of this strange space. It felt gentle, kind, and full of things that Vahn couldn't quite describe. All he knew is, the feeling made him feel very safe an secure, very similar to something he had lost long ago. Slowly, the cooling sensation began to recede, allowing for the warm feelings to replace the emptiness where Vahn currently resided.

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Vahn opened his eyes and noticed he had difficulty seeing in the dim light coming from a source outside of his line of sight. Currently, the only thing he could see was the sleeping figure of a woman, resting against the bedside where he was currently located. Vahn's mind froze for a moment because he couldn't understand why the person he saw would be present. The last thing he remembered was staring into the eyes of the Juggernaut before spending what felt like an eternity lost in that painful black space.

Feeling his movements, the figure woke up with a start and stared into Vahn's eyes with a surprised expression on her face. The two stared at each other for a few moments before the woman, Hephaestus, threw her arms around Vahn and began to embrace him in a powerful and emotion-filled hug. "Uuuuh, Vahn, you idiot! Don't scare me like that!" Hephaestus cried out in an aggrieved manner, and the pain-filled voice tore away at something in Vahn's heart.

Without explanation, tears began falling from Vahn's eyes as he returned the embrace of the crying Hephaestus. Feeling the warmth coming from her body, Vahn realized the thing that had brought him away from that painful darkness had been her embrace. He didn't know how long he was unconscious, but he felt a great deal of time had passed. Without her gentle warmth, Vahn wasn't sure he would have been able to come back from that abyss of pain and despair.

For now, Vahn allowed Hephaestus to embrace him while he rubbed her back in an effort to return some of the comforts she had given him. He could hear her mumbling accusations and various curses about him under her breath, but Vahn just allowed her to express her emotions as she pleased. Eventually, just as she started to calm down, Vahn spoke, "Thank you Hephaestus... you saved me. I don't think I could have come back on my own."