The desert of Aureon stretched endlessly beneath the twilight sky, its sands shimmering faintly with residual ley energy. Here, on this unclaimed wasteland far from any city or citadel, the Ascension Gate would take form. It was not a construction site in any traditional sense; it was a theater of impossibility.
Samy stood at the center of the designated field, the sigil on his palm pulsing in resonance with the network. Around him, Laura, Selene, Mira, and Lyra moved with precision, coordinating the first phase of the gate's materialization.
The gate was not a monolithic structure but a synthesis of energy and form. Crystalline conduits, anchored by runic pillars and reinforced with the combined flows of ley lines and divine residue, began to rise from the sand. Mira's hands danced across floating interfaces, stabilizing flux patterns as arcs of golden light leapt across the emerging framework.
"Energy flow is nominal," Mira reported, sweat glistening on her brow. "But the divine residue is reacting unpredictably."
Lyra hovered slightly above the sand, her hands tracing constellations in midair. "It's sensing the activation, subtle at first… then growing. Khaelos is aware — though not fully manifested."
Laura adjusted the placement of field wards. "Soldiers are aligned. Energy dispersal is stable. Any interference will be countered in microseconds."
Selene monitored communications feeds. "All external observers report calm. No panic in the surrounding regions — yet."
Samy stepped forward, voice firm and commanding. "Then we proceed with phase two: full activation sequence. Focus not on stability alone — focus on alignment. Our intent must harmonize with the gate itself."
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Activation and Alignment
The five of them moved as one. Samy raised his hand, and the sigil glowed with intensity, linking their actions to the very heart of the Ascension Gate.
Mira channeled the divine residue into the conduit lattice, forming a flowing circuit of energy. Lyra's celestial alignments guided the currents, ensuring resonance with the unseen cosmic fields. Laura orchestrated the synchronized microbursts of energy from the peripheral wards, stabilizing the field in real-time. Selene ensured that every projection of the empire's power — military, magical, and diplomatic — fed into the system as a coherent pattern.
The moment the gate reached synchronization, it pulsed — once, twice, then a continuous rhythm. A soft vibration spread through the desert, like the heartbeat of a nascent world.
Samy felt the power surge through his veins, connecting him to every ley line, every conduit, every node of the empire. The gate was alive. Not sentient, not in the traditional sense, but aware, responding to the harmony of their collective will.
"Stability at 97%," Mira reported. "But… wait. There's a spike. Something… something else."
Lyra's eyes widened. "It's not Khaelos directly — it's… the plane itself. The gate is interacting with the boundary. The fabric is… thinning."
Samy's focus sharpened. "Then we push through. Complete the sequence."
He extended both hands toward the shimmering halo of the gate. Energy poured into him, and in an instant, the desert, the sky, and the gate disappeared.
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The Plane Beyond
When Samy opened his eyes, he was no longer in Aureon. Nor was he anywhere that resembled his world.
The sky above shimmered like liquid crystal, streaked with colors that no human mind could name. The ground beneath his feet was neither solid nor fluid, but something in between — a surface that rippled as if it were conscious. Fractals of light spiraled infinitely in all directions, and the horizon bent impossibly, folding into itself.
He realized, with a jolt, that the Ascension Gate had not merely projected energy into the divine plane. It had transported him.
"Impossible…" Samy whispered, his mind racing. "The gate wasn't designed for full transit…"
A soft vibration responded in the air. Then a voice — not heard, but felt — echoed across the plane:
> "Mortal… you dare touch the boundary."
The words were Khaelos' in essence, though not fully manifested. The god's presence was fragmented, observing, testing. A cold awareness pressed against Samy's consciousness, probing for weaknesses.
Samy steadied himself, every thought calibrated. "I am not touching. I am learning. I am observing."
Around him, the environment shifted in response to his focus. When he moved, the fractal ground rippled. When he willed it, light formed partial constructs — bridges, platforms, even shapes resembling familiar structures from the empire. The plane responded to intent, not action.
Lyra's voice echoed in his mind, calm despite distance: "Samy… you're alone. The gate cannot sustain full projection for more than minutes without feedback. Focus on data acquisition and return."
He clenched his fists, determination sharpening like a blade. "No. Observation alone isn't enough. I need understanding. I need leverage."
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First Encounter with Divine Reality
As he advanced, forms began to appear — not physical beings, but shifts in the plane itself, like consciousness taking shape. Whispers of ancient power, fragments of deities, rippled in the air. Each observation was a puzzle, each movement a test.
One figure emerged — humanoid, yet flickering, arms and eyes elongating and shifting with impossible geometry. Samy instinctively recognized the signature of Khaelos, or at least a projection.
> "You tread where mortals do not belong. Why?"
Samy's voice echoed confidently, even though the figure seemed to perceive his thoughts rather than sound. "Because observation is not submission. I seek understanding, not fear. And I will use that understanding to protect my world."
The figure paused, folding and unfolding in space. A tension radiated through the plane — a test, a challenge.
Samy knew this first projection was only the beginning. The gate had transported him across realms, untested and exposed, but it had also given him an unparalleled advantage: direct insight into the divine structure of Khaelos' domain.
He took a deliberate step forward, grounding himself in his strategies, his knowledge, and the synergy he shared with Laura, Selene, Mira, and Lyra — each of whom was sustaining the gate and monitoring the mortal realm from afar.
> "If I am to survive, if I am to return… I must treat this plane as a battlefield, and myself as both strategist and participant."
The air shimmered in response. A pulse of energy radiated outward — Samy's first tangible influence on the divine plane. He could feel Khaelos reacting, intrigued and wary.
For the first time, Samy realized the scale of what they had begun. The Ascension Gate had not merely connected worlds. It had rewritten the rules of interaction between mortal and divine.
And as he stepped further into the shifting landscape, one thought anchored him:
> The battle is no longer only in my world. It begins here — where thought shapes reality itself.
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End of Part III – Gathering Resources & Forging the Gate
Cliffhanger: Samy is now fully projected into the divine plane, alone, facing the raw awareness of Khaelos. The next chapter will explore his first direct confrontation, the limits of mortal influence in a divine realm, and how his four pillars support him remotely.