n

n

n

"What- What does this mean?

" Eldrian asked.

n

"We are trying to explain that all things will eventually lead to chaos, for only through chaos can balance be found.

" The mixed diety-AI replied.

n'Huh?'

nEldrian's confusion was clear enough, they didn't need to hear his 'huh'. Two on the other hand suddenly thought of something.

n

"But- That can't be right. We call things in balance 'in equilibrium'. That exists-

"

n

"Indeed, it does. But it will always only be in an inactive state, a temporary balance. Until it isn't.

"

n

"But-

" Two froze as he realized what they meant,

"What does this mean?

"

n

"It means that the destruction of everything is destined...

" Eldrian sighed as he said those words, of course this was nothing new. Everyone knew that things would slowly die out. Even stars, the entire universe, it was all destined to an eventual end.

nThe worrying part was that this did not seem like a distant few trillion years away, but rather something right around the corner.

nIndeed, there was even a prophecy that with a black Alicorn's birth the destruction of the world would start. Eldrian had dismissed it, assuming it just meant the invasion that would never end.

nIt was now clear that it was far more than that.

n

"Indeed, anything that is cannot always be.

"

n

"There must be something we can do!

" Two and Eldrian shouted.

n

"Maybe, but more likely not. Fighting chaos is not fighting evil. It is fighting the nature of existence.

"

n

"Why, this does not make sense. Doesn't everything incline towards the lowest energy levels? Chaos should be as far from that as anything can be.

"

nThe mixed diety smiled,

"Chaos as you understand it is indeed a high level of energy, but it need not be. Nor is it normally the path things take.

"

n

"...

"

nA moment of silence passed as Two and Eldrian came to realize what the mixed diety meant.

n

"It is not the normal, but it is the chosen?

"

n

"Chosen, no. Determined, yes. In doing anything we alter what exists, we are part of existence but that does not mean our actions won't affect it. Everything we do nudges it closer to chaos and further from balance.

"

nGetting a headache, Eldrian asked if they could simply explain what was going on instead of trying to lead them to the answer.

n

"Balance is possible, but not forever. The more life there is, the less time it is possible for.

"

n

"Wh-why?

"

n

"Because life by its very nature defies balance. To live we have to take and partake, and in doing so we change the balance. If all we did was take what was needed, the balance might be able to recover. It would only be altered a little and in the grand scheme of things the amount would not matter.

"

n

"When we take too much, we steal more time?

" Two questioned and the deity nodded.

n

"That is correct. But it is more than that, the essence that you touched upon can be considered the regulation of balance. And touching on it can make the impossible possible. But as you would suspect, there will be consequences.

"

nThe diety paused for a moment and considered their words.

"The ethereal is the driving force pushing us further and further from the balance of the physical ideal.

"

n

"Consuming more will just harm the physical. The true danger is our emotions, our thoughts, and our will. Many believe that thoughts cannot alter reality. But they can. That is the core of magic.

"

n

"The simulation was not made with magic in mind, it was made with a more open universe in mind. Bringing the connection between the physical and ethereal closer.

"

n

"That came at a cost, and you have seen the cost.

"

n

"Those planets?!

"

n

"Indeed, those were failures where the connection was brought too close. Where anyone could cast magic at a mere thought, where they could bend reality to their will.

"

n

"The worlds did not survive one generation.

"

nEldrian and Two shuddered, they realized where this was going and they realized the change they had brought. They both had their throats constricted and their hearts clenched as they realized that in their attempt to save they had brought destruction.

n

"You have activated this connection.

"

nWhen Gaia said this, the two shattered and reassembled. No longer were they two, now they were one. An Eldrian with a few large gray streaks in his air and his ears slightly pointed, his skin paler than normal and his eyes a piercing ice blue.

n

"Can-can we stop it?

" The new Eldrian asked in a mixed voice of his real human body and elven avatar.

n

"No, once opened it is like the gate of a dam has broken. The best we can do is take control of the flow.

"

n

"How?

"

n

"That... Even we do not know. While we might be similar to you, we lack your connection to emotions and all that comes with them. We assume the next step would be finding the change and connecting with it.

"

n

"How is it possible you-

"

n

"We are observers more than anything else. We lack the personnel connection of our creations and creators.

"

n

"Everyone is aware that something has changed, but no one has been able to realize what it is.

"

n

"Wait, didn't you just explain what changed?

" The new mix of Eldrian and his avatar asked.

n

"Did I? Then would you explain what it is that has changed?

"

nEldrian opened his mouth but could not actually define correctly what it was. Sure, they could say that the connection to mana had become closer. But, it did not feel like that was true. They couldn't answer the question before determining if that was indeed the case for themselves.

n

"That is indeed the problem when talking about magic. An explanation is not an answer, it is just a theory.

"

nEldrian nodded,

"What now?

"

nIt was not the mixed diety who answered but instead Ziraili,

"Resurrection has been changed, and the game is undergoing a new update. The only reason you are still inside of it is...

"

n

"Something to do with me being able to enter through my will?

" Eldrian questioned.

n

"Indeed, the connection... Your soul has developed and manifested itself on earth, you now have a direct connection to this world, this plane.

"

n

"How-how is that possible?

"

n

"The change was not limited to ANW, it used your soul as a conduit to also enter Earth.

"

nEldrian stared into empty space, unable to accept what he just heard. While he had confirmed that Earth had mana, he had been certain that it was still separate from ANW. That ANW was just a virtual simulation in computers maintained by the AI.

nHe started doubting if that could still be true.

n

"We are indeed just part of a simulation running on some advanced simulation computers.

" The mixed diety said, not able to read Eldrian's thoughts but able to deduce what he would be thinking after hearing the news.

n

"However, something virtual is still real. Like the magic abyss is part of the world of Gaia, so to is ANW part of Earth. We aren't physically manifested, but we are connected and we exist. Our existence is just in a virtual plane.

"

n

"But-what-how-

" Eldrian mumbled a number of unfinished questions as his mind tried to connect what was going on. It took a few minutes, but he figured it out.

n

"Like mana?

"

nAN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

n