The Domains II

Elias Valor

"The Domain of War — a manifestation of unchecked karma, the culmination of resolved and unresolved conflict, an imbalance of lifeforms fundamental forces. "

Elias shut his eyes as he stood before a translucent wall which wasn't there until his reflection mentioned the Domains. He took a few seconds to interpret what his reflection said, even though his translation wasn't perfect, he could still make sense of his own interpretation, rather than trying to directly understand his reflection's irregular accent and tone.

The apparition on the other hand rested on one of the shelves, caressing a black katana which emitted purple wisp that vanished into thin air.

His bulging eyes that squirmed every few seconds remained stuck on Elias' back, watching every movement of his muscles with an impassive expression.

Elias didn't mind the eerie gaze that pestered him from the back, though. His eyes still shut, waited for the apparition to mumble his jargon as usual while he interpreted it to his best of understanding.

'Domain of Alchemy — the matrix of transmutation, the one that meets one's needs, the healer and the killer."

Elias gulped, feeling cold wisps creep through his veins like freezing maggots.

"This sounds creepy.' he thought to himself, beads of sweat coalescing on his forehead.

A few seconds of torture to his ears passed, as he listened to the rambles of his reflection. Yet, he never opened his eyes. That was the only way to find peace with the abnormality before him.

'The Domain lf Daoism. '

Elias sucked in a cold breath, the terrifying words explaining this particular domain ringing in his head.

'The ultimate reality, the interconnected and interdependent forces of the universe, the path to enlightenment, the Qi to existence, becoming one with numerology.'

'No such thing could exist.' Elias face tightened.

'However, only outrageous concepts like this could explain why I'm even here in the first place.' His dists tightened, wondering if everything here was just an imagination, perhaps a precipice to the afterlife.

'Wait, what am I even thinking, there's no such thing as the afterlife, the end goal is to kill or be killed, that's the only law that exists, the only law I know.'

"Domain of Chaos."

Elias felt a tingling sensation crawl on his skin, hearing the name lf the next domain, listening to the vague explanation before repeating it in his head to something more coherent.

'The primordial, the womb of all, the unmanifested potentiality, the primal entropy, the one before existence.'

Gulping, Elias chest rose and fell like a raging tsunami, suppressing his untamed emotions. Even though he tried not to believe all what his reflection said, a part of hin still wanted to.. it sounded exciting, perhaps there are better ways to murder? Things more powerful than his rifle.

Glancing at his rifle, Elias still couldn't believe that his reflection had interfered with it without even lifting his finger. Now that he had calmed down, he had been able to connect the dots and arrived at this answer.

The thought shook him to the core. He prided himself in his marksmanship, the rifle was the god whose rule was absolutely. Yet, a few minutes after he woke up, a common reflection had made a joke of this god.

"The Domain of Order." The reflection soulless eyes darted across the training hall, before returning to Elias. Vanishing into thin air he appeared a few inches before Elias, a new mouth protruding from his bare chest.

"The Domain of Order."

A shrill voice hit Elias' ears, making him wince. He could feel the apparition standing before him, which gave him the more reason to keep his eyes shut. To preserve his sanity, away from a cranky grotesque reflection.

"The fundamental principle of harmony, the stitches of the cosmic veil, the armistice, the enforcer of truth and fallacy. "

Elias had no chance to even interpret what the apparition muster. His ears kept ringing as he took a few steps back, away from the jarring sound.

'Is it even normal to have a voice that is this metallic?' Elias gritted his teeth, his face etched with annoyance.

'How did I even end up in this mess?" Elias spat.

Id everything flowed the way it usually did. He would've turned the apparition's head to mashed pudding. Unfortunately for him, his rifle has long stopped listening to his commands. Even if it didn't, Elias hadn't forgotten that the first time he fired, rhe apparition only looked at him unfazed.

He hated being cornered this way, and he couldn't even recall when last he tasted defeat and despair all in one sweep. Fumbling for another tobacco, Elias let out a puffz feeling his nerves calming before the apparition's slicing voice resonated in the air once more.

"Domain of Infinity — the boundless void, the endless dimensions beyond spacetime, the fabric of reality, the canvas of the cosmos."

Elias fingers twitched, momentarily opening his eyes before closing them quickly. Isn't this what the scientists from every angle of the world have been trying to understand? The concept of spacetime, something beyond the 3D where humans thrive.

'Does this mean time travelling is possible?"

This was Elias' first thought, if time travel was possible… he clenched his fists stopping the fractured thought that wanted to teae him from inside out.

'This isn't the place.' His shoulders dropped. 'This thing could possibly read my thoughts.'

Elias' breathed in with a newfound resolve, he believed he might've found what suited him the most already. But not without listening to the apparition to the end.

"The Domain of Trade."

"Give and take, the plunderer, the swindler, the thieving pest that even the universe fears."

The explanation for this Domain was short, simple but staggering. Since his reflection started the discussion on Domains, he had mentioned the universe only a few times and even at that, this was the first time it mentioned the universe fearing something.

'Curse everything.' Elias took another puff, trying to get a hold of his racing heart.

"The Domain of Sorcery..."