invitation to Evolto City

???:NO!" I stand frozen in terror as they were consumed by the eldritch horrors, their screams ringing out across the wasteland. The colorful world around me started to twist and warp, its edges cracking like a torn canvas. The earth beneath my feet began to crack and crumble into nothing, as though the very texture of reality was unraveling. Everything, everything that I knew, was collapsing into the void, vanishing before my own eyes.". I grasped wildly, attempting to hold on to something, anything, but it was all dissolving, and I could do nothing to stop it. The last vestiges of the world shriveled up and crumbled to dust, and the relentless, unfeeling presence of the emptiness closed in around me. As I drifted through the void, this feeling of emptiness began to fill my body to the point of overflowing.

Then, a fiery burning ran through me, and after that, a strange discomfort as my form dissolved, shattered into pieces. I felt myself unwinding, no longer having a solid body, but forever transforming, shifting a constant flux trapped on this astral plane. No longer was I I, but a formless thing, forever adrift in the void. And then there was a voice calmed, almost gentle whispering in my mind.

???: "Hello, you're fine. I must apologize, it's my fault that this ever happened at all."

I felt the presence of the voice to be far but close. There was a residual afterglow of guilt in it that had been left behind, but one with which I had become familiar so long ago.

"It's alright, Eon," I told it, the words sounding strange in a structure that was closer to idea than structure. And I could feel Eon there, even out of disincarnation.

"We'll work this out," I went on, trying to offer some solace. The whirling emptiness that engulfed me no longer so terribly intimidating now, not with Eon's presence offering some sort of solidity in this shifting nothing.

"We will. Together," said Eon, a spurt of fire in the limitless cold of the vacuum.

As I wandered, something strange stirred in me. An emotion I didn't know, but it was there something drawing me on. And then, amidst the cold nothingness, a door. The gentle music of clinking glass and muted laughter resonated on the other side, inviting me on. I peered carefully through the door.

The noises of living didn't work. The laughter, the clinking, stopped completely as I entered. Instead of the bustling tavern I had anticipated, the room was bare and empty, an empty mockery of what should have been. Behind the bar, a single figure stood alone, wiping silently at a glass. The shelves behind him were stocked with drinks from familiar names and others whose labels employed languages I didn't understand.

The barman looked up at me with unspoken recognition, as if he was expecting me.

There was a chill of unease coursing through me, the emptiness of the room making the feeling of disorientation in an alien universe more acute.

???: "Where am I?" I asked, attempting to maintain a steady voice.

The bartender ceased, setting down the glass very slowly, never taking his gaze from mine. "This, my friend, is a space of between. A place where nothing and everything converge. You're not the first to enter here, and you won't be the last."

I glanced around again, trying to get it all to fit, but the more I looked, the more the place shifted, ever so slightly, as if it too wasn't quite real.

"I've seen this before," I told myself. "In my dreams. or was it a memory?"

He spoke again, his voice calm and even, "This place changes forms to make those who come here feel comfortable." With a subtle motion, he beckoned me to take a seat. A strange pull tugged at the air around me, almost like an invisible hand guiding me. Slowly, I floated forward, an odd sensation washing over me as I attempted to sit in the chair before me. It wasn't a typical sitting motion more like I was gently coaxed into place, as if the chair were an extension of the space itself, embracing me.

As I settled into the seat, my eyes drifted back to the bartender. He wore a two-piece suit, its fabric crisp and perfectly tailored, his sleeves casually rolled up as though he had grown accustomed to the motions of this place. But it was his face or the absence of one that disturbed me the most. A fully black, featureless mask obscured his features, smooth and unyielding. There was no hint of expression, no subtle inflection of emotion only the eerie absence of anything to read. It was as if he were not quite human, yet somehow familiar in a disconcerting way that sent a cold shiver down my spine.

Without a word, he reached for a glass with a practiced motion, his movements deliberate and fluid. He began mixing a drink, each ingredient flowing into the glass with precision, his hands moving with the elegance of a master at work. A swirl of color, a flick of his wrist, and soon the drink was ready. As it settled, he slid it across the bar toward me, its glass catching the dim light with a soft, delicate clink.

"Here," he said, his voice steady, yet carrying a weight of something unspoken. "The Eclipse Elixir drink it."

The name struck me as oddly fitting, as if the drink was meant for this moment, for this strange place. I stared at the glass, the liquid inside shimmering in the faint light. It was a blend of vibrant colors that seemed to pulse with an almost ethereal energy, drawing me in. There was something mesmerizing about it, as if drinking it would unlock a hidden truth within me, a secret just out of reach.

I looked up at the bartender, expecting some silent cue, but he stood motionless, his presence dominating the space, his masked face unreadable. His eyes if they were even eyes were hidden behind that cold, featureless mask, but I felt an undeniable pressure in his gaze, waiting for me.

Hesitantly, I reached for the glass, my hand passing through it as though it were nothing more than a projection. Startled, I pulled my hand back, the sensation disorienting. The bartender's masked head tilted slightly, as if understanding my confusion.

"Ah," he said, his voice a touch softer, "I see you're not used to having an astral form. I can fix that."

With a snap of his fingers, the space around me seemed to shimmer. A sudden warmth spread through me, and I could feel my form solidifying, becoming more tangible, more real. It was as if the very air was molding to my presence, drawing me into a physical form that I could control.

I looked down at myself. My hair was an almost unnatural white, flowing like silver strands of moonlight, and my eyes gleamed a deep, unnatural shade a vivid, piercing violet that seemed to reflect the void around me. My body was tall, imposing yet strangely elegant, with long limbs that moved fluidly, as if I were carved from some otherworldly substance. I felt the weight of the air against my skin, the solidity of my form now grounding me in this strange reality.

The bartender's presence, though still concealed behind that black mask, seemed to relax slightly as I tested the boundaries of this new body. I was no longer floating, no longer a mere wisp of thought, but something more a being with a defined shape in this world.

"Better?" the bartender asked, his voice as unreadable as ever, though there was an odd sense of satisfaction in his tone.

"Yeah," I muttered, still staring at my hands in fascination. I flexed my fingers, feeling the solid sensation of the body I'd just regained, the strange weight of it grounding me. My eyes then shifted back to the drink, but hesitation lingered in the air around me. I could feel the pull of it, a magnetic allure, yet something made me pause.

As if answering my unspoken doubt, a familiar voice echoed in my mind, steady and reassuring: "Drink it. That bartender may look unassuming, but he's incredibly powerful."

I froze for a moment. The voice was unmistakable Eon, the constant presence that had been with me for what felt like an eternity.

Glancing up, I caught the bartender's gaze through the featureless black mask. He was still waiting, his stillness unnerving. I felt the weight of his gaze, as though he knew exactly what I was thinking.

Before I could respond, the bartender's calm voice broke the silence. "Ah, and it talks," he said, his tone carrying a hint of amusement. "Say, how does it feel to be connected to one of the largest pieces of the leftover energy from the birth of the multiverse? Or, as many are calling it these days, the omniverse?"

The words struck me like a lightning bolt, reverberating through the stillness of the space. Leftover energy from the birth of the multiverse? The concept was so vast, so beyond anything I could fully comprehend. I had always known that there was something unusual about this place, but hearing this now, in such a casual manner, made the reality of it sink in deeper.

My eyes locked with the bartender's black mask, searching for any hint of emotion or intent. Was he implying something about me?

"Well, ignore what I said. We can continue later," the bartender said, his voice casual as he unrolled his sleeves, the fabric sliding down with smooth precision. A coat materialized behind him, as if summoned by the air itself, and he effortlessly draped it over his shoulders.

"Well, drink up," he added, gesturing toward the glass still resting in front of me.

I hesitated for a moment, then, feeling the weight of the situation settle around me, I grabbed the drink. The glass was cool against my fingers, and as I tilted it to my lips, a surge of energy seemed to hum through the air. The liquid itself felt alive, a strange concoction that was as much an experience as it was a drink. I downed the entire glass in one go.

The moment the liquid hit my stomach, a rush of power surged through me, raw and unrestrained. My muscles pulsed with unfamiliar strength, my mind sharpened, and a weightlessness overtook me, as if I were no longer bound by the limitations of the physical world. For a brief moment, I felt as if I could grasp the very fabric of reality itself, like I had become something more something infinite.

I exhaled, feeling the heat of the power settle into my core, and blinked as the bartender began moving, his presence still commanding.

Without a word, he walked away from the bar, his coat trailing behind him like a shadow. I stood up, feeling a new sense of purpose, and followed him. He came to a stop in front of me, and as he did, a portal its edges crackling with blue energyappeared behind him. Without a glance back, he turned toward the portal, his voice steady and simple:

"Follow me."

I took a breath, my heart pounding with a mix of anticipation and trepidation, then stepped forward, walking into the portal after him. The world around me seemed to shift and bend as the blue light enveloped me, and I followed the bartender into whatever lay ahead.

We stepped out of the portal into a vast, opulent room that seemed to stretch endlessly in every direction. The walls were adorned with intricate carvings, swirling patterns that seemed to move as if alive. The floor beneath my feet was smooth, a polished marble that reflected the dim light in soft ripples, giving the room an ethereal glow. Soft, golden lights hovered in the air, suspended by no visible means, casting a warm, inviting ambiance. It felt as if this place existed outside of time, timeless and untouched.

I slowly turned around, taking in the full scope of the room. What truly took my breath away, however, was what lay beyond the massive glass window that stretched across one side of the room. The view was nothing short of magnificent. Through the transparent barrier, the cosmos unfolded before me endless stars glittered in the vast expanse, swirling nebulae in shades of violet and blue drifted lazily through the inky void. It wasn't just space; it felt like I was looking into the very heart of the multiverse, the pulse of creation itself.

The planets, some unknown, others familiar, floated gently in the distance, casting their soft light across the void. The sky beyond seemed to breathe, shifting with the energy of a thousand different realities. For a brief, fleeting moment, I felt small, insignificant in the grand scheme of things, and yet, there was an odd sense of peace. It was as though the entire universe, in all its chaos and beauty, was laid bare before me, offering me a glimpse into something far beyond anything I had ever known and under it a massive bustling city as far as the eye can see.

I couldn't tear my eyes away. The bartender, now standing beside me, glanced at the window before his gaze returned to me. He said nothing, but his presence felt almost like an invitation. "This," he said softly, "is where the boundaries of reality are blurred. Welcome to the heart of it all welcome to Evolto City."