In Pursuit of the Truth

[Oyster.]

Notes marked down in an enormous leather-clad tome, written by a clumsy hand.

Wicked. Selfish. Hypocritical. Violent. Leeches. Unnecessary.

Words used by humans to describe demons, and demons to describe humans. Impressive, that two races could hate each other so much when they are so similar.

Not surprising, considering the witch origins of demonkind.

I wonder, if a mere human could create these creatures so similar and, in some ways, superior to humans... what purpose do angels even hold anymore?



- - - - - - - - - -

In pursuit of dreams.

I have been visiting many humans lately. Travellers, merchants, entertainers. Through their dreams I step, as easily as a sirenia finds water, and labor over their inner desires. In this way I learn much. Their emotions become my emotions. The things that I can feel are... disconcerting.

I am searching for something. I feel it might be close- but it is too early.

Hypothesis forming.

[Oyster.]

A dangerous dream.

Armies and conquest. Storms darkening the sky. A wicked reign without regard for human life.

One of my earlier visits to a certain Razuka. An unexpected ordeal...

I was able to bask in
pride
greed
wrath
ambition.


Hypothesis forming.

[Oyster.]

A difficult dream.

Uncertainty. Unhappiness. Looking for a way to change. The paths that open before us, illusions of choice, power held yet decisions not made.

Humans often worry about who they are and what they are going to do. In this dream a young figure sought to know who they truly were.

I provided... guidance. Why? I do not know. Perhaps it was not my place to intervene.

I was able to bask in
doubt

pressure
yearning
clarity.

Hypothesis forming.

[Oyster.]

A grandoise dream.

Peace and order. Towering barriers. Osrona restored to glory and happiness to the most meagre of citizens.

Even in this wildest fantasy, he could not envision an end to war.

How can such a future come true? Again we touch upon the key to happiness. Something I have explored before.

I was able to bask in
order

peace

hope

purpose.

Hypothesis forming.

[Oyster.]

A hopeless dream.

The old man spoke of the impossibility of true happiness, the illusions that lead to as much.

There is no point distinguishing illusion from reality. To him I brought a youthful dream, for I wished to see the man he once was.

Happiness lay there in his grasp. Simple to take. To forget everything wicked done and start over anew in the world of dreams.

.. but the future refused to change.

In this dream I saw good men die.

Hypothesis         

does not need this information.

[Oyster.]

A pleasant dream.

One cannot deny the dangers of what I do. Entangling so closely with emotions that are not my own...

Well, it does not matter.

Dreams of a world of peace and love. A predictable thing- but his hands, covered in blood.

A man that cannot escape what he needs to do. Still he asks if there is any other way.

I was able to bask in

happiness

determination

sacrifice

love.

Hypothesis forming.

[Oyster.]

? ? ?

I was in a strange place.

Alone, with a figure before me. Indescribable.

There was an incessant buzzing in my head. Telling me so many things. Don't do this, don't do that...

Locusts tugging at the roots of who I am.

For so many years I had walked between the dreams of mortals. Every time, a little piece of me was left behind.

After all this time... what was left?

lovedeathjoygrieffearsadnessempathytrustdisciplinedoubtpressure

I knew that I was in a dream. Perhaps, for the very first time, my own dream. Yet I could not wake up.

Every time I tried, a new thought would enter. A new concern regarding some dream or another that I had felt.

How are they going to solve it? What are they going to do? How could they possibly overcome this feeling?

sacrificehopepurposeclarityprideambitiondeterminationwrath

As I looked upon the figure, I came to a sudden realization.

All this time I had been searching for an answer to a question that I had never asked.

All this time, creating a hypothesis...

... but what was I trying to solve?

the dream seemed to last an eternity. that figure opposite me never said a word. i could not speak, either- every time i tried i was crushed by the weight of emotions that were not my own.

spiraling, spiraling- trapped. it is difficult to write upon in reflection, for such an encounter was far from lucid.

i had no choice but to confront them all. i am a demon; these things are not important to me. so why, do they keep surfacing? how can i possibly accommodate all of this?

perhaps it did not matter what i was. now i had become something different.

a hypothesis hanging before me... i realized it was already finished.

my time in dreams had given me a crystalline answer.

all that was left was to

awaken.

towards the figure i turned, words spoken now in a language i had never known . . .

When I awoke, years had passed. I had become something new.

I had found the question.

Hypothesis complete.