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Part 48: Staring into the Abyss
The GOLDEN MASK SEEKER and the Stranger approach the Edge of the Abyss. The Seeker carries huge backpack with loot. Thirty Birds observe them from the rooftop of the abandoned train station.
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There are Seven Figures standing at the Edge, all looking down into the deep chasm below, where the continent splits in two.
“Who are these people?” asks the masked Seeker the Stranger, pointing at the Seven Men standing at the Abyss.
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“They are the Seven Sages,” responds the Stranger.
“It''s a universal myth. You can think of the Seven Saptarshi of India, or the Seven Apkallu of Mesopotamia, the Seven wise men of ancient Greece and the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove from China. You could say, being one of the Seven Sages is a spiritual Rank for Seekers, who watch over the Abyss. A title that is inherited from one Generation of Seekers to the next. Each of them carries one of the Keys to the Book of Humanity.”
The Seeker scratches his head. “What exactly is the Abyss anyway?”
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“You can talk with the Seven Sages, if you have any questions regarding the abyss. They each can share you their perspective. By looking at something from different perspectives you can expand your own understanding of it.”
The Seeker takes a look at each of the sages. He can''t see their faces, only their backs and name tags.
THE PHILOSOPHER
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THE MYSTIC
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THE BODHISATTVA
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THE SAINT
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THE PSYCHO-ANALYST
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THE GURU
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THE MAGICIAN
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The Seeker approaches the Philosopher. He carries a key. He listens in on the mans woeful mumbling:
“Everything goes, everything returns, the wheel of existence rolls forever. Everything dies, everything blossoms anew; the year of existence runs on for ever. Everything breaks, everything is joined anew; the same house of existence builds itself for ever. Everything departs, everything meets again; the ring of existence is true to itself for ever.”
The Seeker taps his shoulder. The Philosopher turns around. A man with a large mustache.
“Hey can you tell me, what this place here is?”
“How do we make it to the other side?” asks the Golden Mask Seeker.
Thus speaks the Philosopher:
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The Seeker walks to the Next Sage and taps the Mystic on his shoulder. He turns around. A man with a long gray beard and a balding head. He also carries a key.
“What is the Abyss?” asks the Golden Mask Seeker.
Mystic with a French accent, as he strokes his long beard.
“How do we cross it?”
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The Seeker walks up next to the Bodhisattva. A bald man in orange monk attire. He holds a staff and a key. The Seeker has difficulties seeing his face.
“What is the Abyss?” asks the Seeker the Bodhisattva.
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“How do I cross the Abyss?”
The Bodhisattva examines the Seeker from head to toe.
Only now does the Seeker realize the heaviness of his backpack. He pulls out his weapons. He hugs them dearly.
“Is it really that worth it?” asks the Golden Mask Seeker. “All this loot, that I have collected by doing all the side quests... Why should I give that up? What awaits me on the other side?”
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“Nirvana,” responds the Bodhisattva.
“That''s not true,” interjects the voice of another sage, next to him. It''s the SAINT, he also carries a Key. He has long, white hair and a beard. He speaks with an Aramaic accent.
“The ANOINTED ONE also crossed the Abyss. I''ve seen it in one of my visions on Patmos. He did it with eyes closed.”
“What is the Abyss to you?” asks the Seeker the SAINT.
“Did you just say Napoleon?” asks the Seeker.
“No, I said Apollyon. Which is his Greek Name. His Hebrew name would be Abaddon. A ruthless conqueror, who is said to bring destruction.”
The Golden Mask Seeker gazes at the Depth of the Abyss. They they look to the other side of the Rift, where the grass is greener and the sun shines brighter.
“How do we make it to the other side?”
Saint.
The Psychoanalyst next to the Saint chuckles. He wears glasses, has balding white hair and a slight mustache. He also carries a Key.
“Please forgive Saint John for his outdated set of Beliefs,” speaks the Psychoanalyst, as he takes a Puff from his Pipe.
“You see, he is from another era. To him, this journey is still an outer experience and not a reflection of his inner state of being. This is why he still seeks for the validation in an external source instead of finding it within him.”
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“What is the Abyss then to you?” asks the Seeker the Psychoanalyst.
“And how do I cross it?” asks the Seeker.
The Seeker touches his heart.
“It still feels as if something is missing... I just can''t tell what it is...”
Suddenly the Golden Mask Seeker feels a gaze. A cold shiver. He turns around. There''s nothing. The Seeker scratches his head and walks to the next Sage.
The Guru. A very thin, shirtless man with a key. The Seeker has difficulties seeing his face.
“What is the Abyss to you?” asks the Seeker the Guru with a Key.
Guru.
“Atman? Brahman? What''s with all those special terms?” asks the Golden Mask Seeker.
“Seems like you still have a long journey ahead of you,” grins the Guru.
“For a small monthly fee, I will show you how to attain Moksha.”
“Moksha? Is this how I will cross the Abyss?”
The Seeker approaches the last Sage. The Golden Mask Seeker taps the Magicians shoulder. As soon as he turns around, the Seeker feels repulsed, as he sees a horrible disfigured face. Covered in bumps. He is bald. Dark, hollow eyes, swollen cheeks. The Magician wears a Bowtie and carries a key.
.
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Despite his initial repulsion, the Golden Mask Seeker asks the Magician: “What is the Abyss?”
The Golden Mask Seeker keeps the Magician at a distance. A foul stench, bothers the Seeker.
“How do I cross the Abyss?”
After the Seeker conversed with the last of the Seven Sages, the Stranger walks from the background into the front. All of the Sages fix their gaze at the Stranger, as he pulls down his blue hood.
The Seven Sages all gasp at once, as they stare at the Strangers burning eyes. He has a bright smile on his face.
“At last, we meet again.”
All of the Seven Sages seem to recognize the Stranger face. Each of them sees a different face, but they all remember walking together.
“Zarathustra,” gasps the Philosopher.
“Trismegistus,“ mumbles the Mystic.
“Bodhi,” whispers the Bodhisattva.
“Philemon,” gasps the Psychoanalyst.
“Krishna,” mumbles the Guru.
The Magician remains silent.
First the Saint is speechless, then he points at the Stranger.
“Your eyes are burning.”
The Stranger looks at the faces of each of the Sages.
“You all stare at the same man and yet everyone sees a different face. Long ago, I gave each of you a key. I told you, that one day I would return to collect them. The Time has come now.”
The Stranger collects each of their keys and binds them to a ring chain.
.
SEVEN KEYS TO THE BOOK OF HUMANITY ACQUIRED
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The Stranger turns around and faces the Seeker.
“Now that you have talked with the Seven Sages, are you ready to cross the Abyss?”
The Golden Mask Seeker takes a Moment to listen in on his heart. He feels the weight of all his weapons, armor and items in his backpack, weighing him down.
“I am not ready,” admits the Seeker.
“Not as long, as I am attached.”
“Then it''s time to let go,” speaks the Stranger.
“Now?! Really?! Can''t I keep my attachments for a little while longer... Just until I am prepared... Give me one more day... No... One more week...”
“The longer you avoid it, the harder it will get to eventually let go.”
The Seeker resists.
“But... My weapons... I worked so hard for them... I went through all the side quests... I did all the extra work... Can''t I take them with me?”
“Where we are going, there will be no use for them.”
The Seeker takes off his backpack and stares down the Abyss. His hands cling to his belongings.
“No! I can''t... Not after everything I went through to get my items back...”
The Stranger places his palm on the Seekers shoulder.
“Just look at how far you have come already. You have fearlessly overcome each of your boundaries, you have broken all limitations. You have progressed up to this point. Very few Seeker ever made it this far, with the other side in sight. Now you have reached a point, from which you can''t progress unless you are willing to make sacrifices. Unless you are fully committed to your path, there is no way you''ll cross the Abyss. Don''t give up, now that you have come this far. Now that you stand at the precipice to the next stage in your spiritual development. This is your greatest challenge, this is your test. Are you willing to surpass even the Seven Sages or will you remain stuck in your old patterns of Self?”
The Seeker takes a deep breath.
“You are right,” speaks the Golden Mask Seeker with burning eyes.
He grabs his back pack and empties it over the Abyss.
All collected weapons fall down into the depths. The Sword of Perception, the Bow of the Sun, the Royal Axe, the Rope, the Legendary Sword ''Problemsolver'' and the Dagger of Deception all fall into the void of the Abyss.
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The Seeker lets his bag fall into the darkness as well. He notices, how much lighter he feels without carrying the weight of his attachments with him. There is this newfound freedom. A great burden is taken from the Seekers shoulders.
“There is still one attachment left,” points out the Stranger. He points at the Golden Mask attached to the Seekers face.
“The attachment to the False Identity of Self. You have been carrying this Mask with you around, ever since you first climbed the Tower of Desire. It''s time to let go. You no longer need to play someone, that isn''t you. It''s okay to be yourself.”
The Seeker has TWO OPTIONS:
A: Let go of the Mask</a>
B: Keep the Mask</a>
The Canonical Ending
Golden Mask Seeker.
Golden Mask Seeker takes a last breath. He puts his fingernails under the Edge of his Golden Mask and pulls at it as hard, as possible. The Mask sticks to the Seekers skin. It''s almost like vacuum. But the Seeker persists against the pressure and with enough force, the Mask detaches from the Seekers face.
Seeker is free. The Mask is no longer attached to his face. For a moment, his gaze is locked at the Mask in his hands. The Desire to put it back on, one last time, arises within his mind. But the Seeker resists the urge and throws the Golden Mask Down into the Abyss, where it fades away in the Darkness of the Void.
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NEW CHARACTER UNLOCKED:
THE LIBERATED SEEKER
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The Liberated Seeker has this clarity washing over him, unlike anything he has ever experienced. New energy and vigor flows through his body. There is a lightness to his body, he remembers from early childhood.
“Now I am ready,” speaks the Liberated Seeker to the Mysterious Stranger, with determined, burning eyes. “Let us cross the Abyss.”
TO BE CONTINUED