Empyrean Iris Story Collection Vol. 3

After Life

Current

The door shut behind them quietly, a soft whirring noise in an otherwise dark hallway. The group of them huddled in a nervous cluster allowing their eyes to slowly adjust to the dark. At first Krill was sure they had walked into pitch blackness, but in a moment...

Light.

Small pinpricks, like distant stars and universes erupted over the walls and floors, winking softly like a distant night sky. For a moment, they were given the impression of black marble, but as the light grew, the effect of the stone faded away, leaving them with a sense of depth that stretched onto infinity in every direction. Not only were there stars now, but visible galaxies spiraling through the air, their arms reaching on into blackness.

Colorful emissions nebulae glowed against the backdrop of space, blue or purple in color stretching lightyears through the vast darkness. The only way they were to know that they were even on a floor, was the feeling below their feet, and the subtle glowing lines that marked the junctions in which wall met floor and ceiling.

Eyes wide with wonder, Adam reached out a hand and traced his finger across the wall, feeling the cold smoothness of stone, while still seeing a vast universe splayed out before him, unfolded like the wings of a cosmic angel.

"What is this place."

Maverick stepped forward, turning in a slow circle, her eyes wide, lips slightly parted as she reached out a hand, "I don't know."

Ramirez, doing his very best to look unimpressed, though his eyes were as wide as dinner plates, "Well the Makers brought us here, so we can assume that this is.... Heaven, right?"

"Well if we have learned anything." Adam said, continuing to trail his hands over the wall, "That our understanding of the Makers is hardly complete."
"Fine, than the analogous version of heaven or something kind of like it?"

"Remind some of us what Heaven is again." Krill said his voice to absent to sound annoyed."

"The Spirit world." Sunny muttered

"it's a theological idea." Maverick began, though her voice was distant, "A concept dedicated to wondering what happens after we die. There are a lot of versions of it, some that have multiple levels, some that involve an endless field where the soul walks forever, others that say god sits on a shining throne and is surrounded by angels that constantly sing his praise. That sort of thing."

Adam took a step back down the hall turning his head, reaching out a hand towards one of the small galaxies, "For some reason the architect doesn't strike me as someone who goes in for that kind of thing."

Maverick shrugged.

"I actually am kind of into what he DOES go in for though." Adam said.

It was only then that they began to hear voices rising behind them, looking over their shoulders to the outline of a door sketched mid-universe.

"I think someone has noticed we are missing." Conn said, his head tilted slightly to one side, as if he was trying to listen more intently.

"I think you're right." Adam said reaching out to grab Sunny by the wrist, "I think it's time that we got out of here."

Ramirez broke into a jog along with the others though he looked almost skeptical, "Don't you think a group of al powerful cosmic beings are going to be able to find us pretty easily in their own house. What are we even trying to do?"

Adam took a sudden turn, surprising everyone else who didn't see the second opening in the hallway, "We are getting answers."

"Maybe YOU are getting answers, but I am really only getting more questions." Sunny muttered.