There has to be an After for Us ~ (shadam / klance)

Chapter 18 - Going up?

"I see something up ahead, do you see it?" asked Allura. Finally something different in a land of grey memories. Allura had been beginning to doubt her ability to navigate Shiro to the astral plane.

"I see it too," said Shiro. "Whatever it is."

It looked like rainbow light shining out of a giant prism. As they approached, it seemed like the prism was actually a triangle shaped doorway.

"Could this be the gate the Goddess was talking about?" asked Shiro.

"I'm willing to bet a snarlcop on it," said Allura. What else could it be? Holding Shiro's hand firmly, she stepped through the gate.

Stars all around and what appeared to be clear glass under their feet. The strangest thing was directly in front of them. It was an escalator heading up so far she couldn't see the end of it, but she could tell it was pointed towards the red and blue stars.

"I think we go up," said Shiro.

As if in response a disembodied female Altean voice said, "Please step forward in an orderly fashion."

"That answers that question," said Allura, leading Shiro forward so they could step onto the escalator and begin their ascent.

The voice continued as if it were over an invisible loudspeaker. "Arms and legs do not need to be kept inside as you are not really here.

"This is a reminder that what you are experiencing is a manifestation of your mortal expectations of physical distance needing to be passed in order to travel.

"Manifestations may vary and your companions' experiences may differ."

Allura turned to Shiro, "You are seeing an escalator into the sky as well?"

"Oh yeah."

"At least we are seeing the same thing."

The voice was continuing, "Safety is not guaranteed.

"You are entering the astral plane at your own risk.

"Risks include loss of sanity, loss of memory, loss of sense of direction, and loss of essense, aka 'going poof.'

"The Ancient Ones are not responsible for damaged, lost, or stolen physical bodies."

Shiro sighed. "I don't like how any of that sounds."

"Shall we turn back?" asked Allura, jokingly as she gestured to the steps behind them. If they wanted to escape, going backwards down the stairs would only keep them in place. They'd need to jump off the side.

"This is not a recording," continued the voice, "This is your imagination.

"The passage of time is not what it appears.

"Existence is a lie.

"Life is meaningless.

"Abandon hope...

"Abandon hope...

"Abandon hope..."

The recording was skipping, or she supposed, Allura was imagining it skipping.

"Abandon hope..."

It was like hypnosis. It was making Allura dizzy. She felt Shiro's grip tighten on her hand as he must've been feeling the same disorientation.

When Allura was younger, before she reached her womanhood day, Allura had drank nunvil once with a friend. An entire bottle split between the two. They'd laid on the floor, her body heavy with what felt like extra gravity, watching swirls of colour dance on the ceiling. She'd watched an entire galaxy's birth and death play out in front of her eyes before her mother had found her in that state and nursed her sober again with water, balken stew, and an ice bath.