I woke not in my bed, but in an entirely new space- the sound echoed from each wall, and the space here shimmered like the inside of a giant crystal. This space was something entirely outside of my beloved Genesis, a chamber draped in cosmic light. The chamber was an expansive, warm white space. The floor was an inverted view of the Null; the impossible opulence and ethereal nature of this place led me to the belief that this must be Taoxhul’s ultimate and final temptation. He brought me here for a reason, and he wanted me to come find him. The marble columns lining the perimeter were interwoven by rivers of sparkling light, falling into the endless void below this structure. I followed the rushing stream until I reached a new space; the walls were open and the ceiling supported by those same intricately crafted pillars. Taoxhul’s form was a bold contrast to this place, and I approached him. I had grown so used to the mockery that was his usual black suit, that the attire he wore now took the breath from my lungs. 

The light here danced across the glistening white material, it looked as though it were made of stardust. It flowed elegantly along the crystalline floor, accents of gold clasps and cording adorned his torso. Most striking was his crown- a heavy, ceremonial piece of obsidian and gold that rested so naturally upon his glistening horns; reinforcing the sharp angles of his face. Armor-like plating across his shoulder elevated his already monumental frame into a structure of divine architecture. The contrast of the brilliant white robe against the absolute blackness of his skin was a visual testament to his power. This attire was fit for a coronation, and he had chosen it to accept my life. Not as a murder, but as a ceremonial offering worthy of his throne. 

He outstretched a hand to me, a soft smile on his face as I met him where he stood. 

“The throne awaits,” he murmured, his voice softer than I had ever heard it- stripped of its usual mockery. “The vision I showed you is the only path to stability. Your current vessel is designed to decay, designed to face the judgement of the afterlives- a fate I will not permit for you.” 

Admittedly, I was terrified of what was to come this evening. I knew not how it would happen, but I knew this was my end. My heart ached with a complex mix of fear and yearning.

“If I am to be reborn as something else, they would not recognize me?” I pressed my lips softly against the back of his hand.

He tightened his grasp, pulling me close to him. “They will recognize you as mine,” he corrected, his tone laced with a profound depth of care that made my breath hitch, “You will be beyond their parameters, a permanent fixture of my domain. I cannot, and will not, subject you to the chaos of their courts.” he stated, “This transition requires a complete severance. To fully bond your essence to mine, you must willingly cast off every tether of your current existence. It is the final price of our contract.”

He guided my gaze back toward the lonesome tower, visible as a faint speck in the distance of this ethereal space, “Go back to the Genesis. Gather every journal, every research note, every book that documents your life as it were. You must prove your ambition to me and destroy your past. Prove that your truth begins and ends with me and the knowledge I offer.”

I understood the demand perfectly. He wanted me to murder my previous self, to erase all evidence of the lonely, arrogant creature that summoned him to this place. It was a devastating request. Taoxhul leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead; the first, and purest form of affection he had ever shown me, sealing the contract.

“When the last page is ash, you will return to me here,” he purred, “And I will welcome you into forever.”

I pulled myself away from the warmth of his body, and the terror subsided. All that remained was the yearning for his companionship. I so desperately wanted to spend the rest of eternity with the beast who had broken me to make me whole. I left the chamber of light, walking into the Null towards the old, dusty tower in the void. I was ready to commit the ultimate act of self destruction for his approval.

Upon returning to the familiar structure I had once called my home, I realized at once that this place had served as nothing more than a sarcophagus for my intellectual journey. I had isolated myself so strongly, and for so long, that I had not realized that the only thing stopping me from escaping the trivialities of mortal life; was myself. Driven by the soaring ambition of Taoxhul’s promise, I moved with a chilling efficiency. I gathered everything. Stripping the shelves of annotated books that I had spent hours burying myself in, old specimens that I had treasured for many years, notes that I had poured my blood, sweat, and tears into. Ancient texts, astronomical charts, medical notes and textbooks- I pulled open desk drawers, and collected years upon years of journals documenting my studies, alongside the carefully categorized documentation of my early experiments. All of these things were my blueprint, they had made me whole for so long- but as I saw it now, that person who I was, had been an isolated, ambitious fool driven by arrogance.

I collected these items in the living room, piling them on top of the woven area rug until the floor was barely visible. The subtle hum of the Null and the lingering scent of dust and old pages were the only witness to my pyre. For a moment I hesitated- this was my life’s work, piled about the floor. Work that I had instilled my very soul into as I chased the knowledge of this realm that was only ever a surface level half-truth.

I scavenged an old pack of matches from the lab, returning once more to the mountain in my living room. These logs and texts had once been my pride; but they now looked pathetic and small in the face of what I now knew I was destined for. 

“You belong to the dust.” I whispered, echoing Taoxhul’s disdain as I lit a match and held it between my fingers. The flame was weak, but as I tossed it to the base of the pile the old, dry paper erupted into flame. The amber lighting of the tower seemed to ignite with the flames, casting chaotic dancing shadows across the ceiling. I watched, unmoved, as the physical evidence of my life turned to nothing more than burning filth. The Genesis was consuming the last of its creator. I did not wait for the fire to finish, turning my back to the structure as the flames consumed everything I had ever known- the furniture, the tower, and the remnants of my mortality. 

I returned to the ethereal chamber, stepping from the stench of smoke and decay and into the silent light of Taoxhul’s creation. The towering beast stood just where I had left him.

“It is done-” my voice was hoarse from the smoke, but I spoke with finality.

The delight of my statement lit up his face and a wide grin spread across his face, revealing all of his teeth- an expression of immense satisfaction that pulled his whole body taught. “The surrender is absolute, dear prince. You have chosen us.” He sauntered toward me in a fluid motion, taking a seat on the crystalline step as he pulled me before him. From his robe, he produced a ritual blade adorned in jewels and gold. The metal was shimmering and dark, etched with delicate glyphs that were old and lost to time.

“The vessel must be emptied,” the statement was a soft, final vow, “The viscera that remains is the last tether to the mortal realm. Spill it for your King.”

I offered no resistance. Lifting my chin, I exposed the soft, vulnerable curve of my neck. Taoxhul placed the thin blade against my skin. He did not use force, allowing me the final dignity of choosing the moment. I gazed into his eye…analyzing his expression deeply as I spoke my final, mortal words. “I am yours.”

With a final, continuous act of will, I pressed my flesh against the blade- and the executing blow came deep and immediate. It was clean as my blood came pouring out of the gaping wound, and into the lap of my savior. The viscous liquid was dark as pitch as it stained the flowing white garment that Taoxhul wore. The pool grew as my head rested upon his lap. He cradled me, running his fingers through the waves of my hair. I could feel my life force draining as my body pathetically ragdolled against his frame. But, I trusted his word.

I had once sought to measure the power that could end all light; now, my eternity was simply dedicated to being seen by it.