River to afterlife and the collapsed universe

Days turned slowly, but they were making good time. A gravity ship moved faster than one thought, as it felt it didn't fly so fast. There was no wind resistance and sailing through the universe was done mainly without having to curve or turn.

Soon, as Suomi said, the sights of the universe grew old. This was the case until they flew close to one of the most important places in the universe.

Rufus was sleeping but woke up when a bright light shone on his face. He was utterly shaken when he saw a massive light above him. It was in the shape of a river, or more like a vein as it was in space. It was as wide as a large island or a small continent. It was so enormous that it kept going until its light vanished behind a dark veil.

"What in all of creation is that?!" Edward yelled.

"That must be a river to the afterlife, but I never imagined it to be so grand! It's enormous!" Doreen yelled.

In the universe, there are many rivers of souls, where the deceased travel to their final resting place. Many rivers flow through many heavens and all of them end in a rupture that lies in the center of all existence and creation.

When a being dies, its soul is pulled in by the stream and starts its journey to its final resting place. This journey may take years and during it, their souls are in extreme danger, being swallowed up by demons, stolen by a sorcerer, or corrupted by a child of pandora. For this reason, the gods of death guard the streams and guide the souls to enter the rupture to the underworld in peace.

"So this must be the river where the dead from Aesis end up," Joan noted.

"Maybe, but every being has a different kind of soul. Depending on the being and the purity and the level of their divinity, it burns brighter," Doreen explained.

"In comparison, the elven, human phoenician and dwalen souls shine brightly and the souls of dokkaebi, and araknes, souls are dim and travel without risk into the afterlife, with their soul streams being almost invisible to others. That is why they do not fear death much," Suomi continued.

"What fears are there?" Rufus asked.

"Demons," Doreen explained.

"Demons prey on souls so they might torture them. They love to feed on the misery of others and would place souls in glass jars. Many would rather dwindle out of existence completely than live as a demon's toy for them to feast on your pain and misery.

"Other dangers are children of pandora who would collect souls and turn their pain and suffering into winds of pandora. At first, the travel will be relatively safe, but the closer they get to the center of creation, the more dangerous it gets," Suomi explained.

They all stared at where the great river of souls flowed to. You could see further where it would have gone, but it flowed into a smog-like part of the universe. This haze stretched out far that it occupied half of what your eyes could spot.

"That is the collapsed universe. A part of creation where almost no mortal goes to. And even gods would like to avoid going there. It is where the center of existence is and it has spread all over, like a plague. It is also the home of all demons and a safe place for children of pandora," Suomi described.

It is said to be a place where time and space lose their meaning, and where the laws of physics do not apply. The collapsed universe is a place where the boundaries between worlds and dimensions are blurred, and where reality is constantly shifting and changing.

Some say that the collapsed universe is home to ancient and powerful entities, beings that have existed since the dawn of time. These beings are said to possess knowledge and powers that are beyond mortal comprehension. Most likely these entities are just demons, who have lived longer than many of the gods.

The collapsed universe is said to be home to a vast array of different realms and worlds, each with its unique characteristics and inhabitants, but all worshipping the winds of pandora. Some of these realms are beautiful and peaceful at first, but beneath their surface are dark and terrifying.

In the collapsed universe, there is also said to be a place called the rupture to the underworld, a vast and endless void that consumes anything that enters it. It is said that no one has ever returned from the rupture, but legends have that some gods have journeyed there and returned with the souls of the dead.

"Shouldn't we then steer clear from that?" Amala asked.

"We can't as the collapsed universe stretches everywhere. The collapsed universe is so large avoiding it would be like trying to avoid any shadow on a sunny day. It's futile," Yosef noted.

"You've heard of that?" Joan asked as he didn't know Yosef was so knowledgeable.

"Eichis are known travelers and many legends stem from the collapsed universe. We never had a homeworld so we traveled and some even traveled to the collapsed universe. Few survived back, but those who did, became legends and my people tell stories of them," Yosef described.

"Why would anyone travel through the collapsed universe?" Joan asked.

"It is believed the collapsed universe is home to powerful and ancient artifacts, relics left behind by ancient beings and demons. These artifacts are said to possess immense power and knowledge, and those who possess them are said to be able to shape the fate of the universe. It is also a faster way to travel as you can find yourself on the other side of the universe in a matter of days that would normally take months," Yosef explained.

"In my culture and people, Thanatos guarded the river of souls from demons. He flew close to the river of souls with a charcoal chariot being pulled by four divine horses. His saints guarded the dead and often went to the collapsed universe to ensure the safety of his people. He was an incredibly beloved god," Doreen said.

"Gods are great beings, but just do me a favor. If you ever meet one. Keep one away from me. Gods don't tend to like sorcerors," Suomi said and headed under the hull to sleep.

As they stared at the river of souls, they knew that they were in the presence of something much greater than themselves, something that was beyond their understanding and something that was beyond their imagination.