Interlude - The Immortality Principle

Interlude - The Immortality Principle

The Immortality Principle

Erdania and Selia sat in their room, neither of them speaking. Ryun had told them everything about his life on Earth, starting with childhood and then all the way up to the time when the Framework arrived. Erdania had heard stories about the old worlds before, but only once directly from someone who was actually a Ranker. The Zenshuen Sect Head had spoken about the demasi old world once, about what life was like before the arrival of the Framework. He told them stories and what they had believed in. It was all so strange and hard to accept, Erdania couldnt even imagine a world without the Framework. The few short years that she had lived before gaining access were a black hole to her, she remembered nothing but flashes.

Ryuns story was far different. The world that he grew up in was filled with things that Erdania couldnt even imagine. It was an alien world and an alien society. And his story was about a child who didnt know what to do with his life before the Framework, and one that embraced what came after, who took the harder path and thrived. And then then came the rest.

Ryun didnt hold back anything, at least not according to Selia. Which Erdania chose to believe, after centuries together there was no lies between them. It was hard to even imagine, even with all the death that happens in the Infinite Realm. Somehow, imagining an entire world dying was harder. She couldnt even grasp at something like that, an entire culture a society getting destroyed. There were remnants of the old worlds everywhere in the Infinite Realm. Through art, architecture, ideas and even knowledge that still applied. There were stories and people who had lived there, who remembered. From Earth Seven, there were only two.

She understood now the tension between Ryun and the Warden, it was to be expected.

So, Erdania started. The two of them hadnt yet discussed anything regarding what Ryun had told them. What are we thinking?

Selia didnt answer immediately, instead she looked at the wall in front of them, obviously thinking. Then, she sighed and shook her head. The Immortality Principle.

Erdania nodded her head, it was where her thoughts had gone. Both of them were old, at least compared to him. They had been raised in the Infinite Realm, surrounded by immortals. A child in the Infinite Realm was educated on many topics depending on what their future was to be. In most cases, they would follow their parents into their chosen profession. Their education would focus on the Framework, on its use, and yes, the combat. But depending on what was expected of the child, the education could be far different.

Much had been expected from Erdania and Selia. Well, more Selia than Erdania. Still, both of them had been taught the same.

Sometime after the war with the Third Iteration, when peace came, when people had the chance to move away from focusing only on combat and power, new ideas arose. One of them was the Immortality Principle. It was a way of thinking, something that most of the big immortals and their descendants had over time come to accept. When one lived such a long life, there was so much time for them to do things that could cause problems, cause wars. It became apparent to everyone that a new way of thinking had to be adopted.

The principle focuses on how one dealt with Immortals, or rather their pasts. The Grey Horde was one of the biggest examples, she had warred with almost every big faction in her life. She had wiped out many too. In the old worlds there would never be peace between her and the others. But the Infinite Realm was different, they had to accept harsh and unpleasant truths.

In order for them to be able to have functioning relationships they all had to agree to deal with one another in a different way. And so, one only ever took into account the present. The relationship that one had at the moment, the way that one acted in that novelhall.com

Both of them remembered their past attempts at this. They knew how easily misunderstandings and resentment could happen, poison everything.

The only question is how do we proceed from here, Selia said.

We do what we planned before, just faster. Spend time together, talk, get to know each other as he said we should. He was right about that. If we survive long enough for something to happen between us.

Their initial idea had been perhaps a bit too slow. They were used to acting and living on a different time scale. But Ryun still operated on a time frame of a mortal. Perhaps they were the ones who were wrong, who were too relaxed. They had stopped advancing and improving, and because of what? Just because they had the time to afford it. The events of the last few years had taught them that they shouldve never stopped, that they shouldve continued to push forward without stopping.

Now they were without a home, going on a mission that might end up in their death. The time that they had thought that they had was slowly running out. They needed to stop thinking as immortals, and perhaps adopt a different mindset. Time was limited.

They had decided to try to bring Ryun into their relationship for many factors. Their perk and bond being a big part of that. Erdania wasnt quite sure what that perk all meant, Selia was still learning about it. But also, because the state of their relationship had become somewhat difficult. A good relationship required work, it required growth and honesty. It had survived for a long time, and it will survive for longer still. But what they wanted was to be happier, to recapture the feelings that they had long ago, when they had the only third that had ever made sense for them.

Erdania did feel like Ryun could be that.

We will get through this love, Erdania took Selias hand and squeezed it gently. We survived a lot worse. And perhaps we should stop worrying like the old Rankers who hide in their castles and fear taking a step outside. Perhaps we should just go for it and see where things take us?

Selia chuckled and turned her hand so that her palm rested against Erdanias. I guess that is the only thing that we can do. There are things that I want to talk with him about. He he has insights into advancement that Ive never heard before. And he seems to like talking about that, perhaps starting there would be a good way for us to get to know each other? All three of us?

Erdania nodded her head. They had both been stuck in the Evolved Realm. Well, they hadnt thought like they had been stuck, it had been a great achievement for them to even reach it at their age. But when one saw Ryun and how he advanced, one couldnt help but feel lacking in some regard.

Yes, I think that is a great idea, Erdania agreed.

They only had a few more weeks of the trip before they reached hostile territories. It would be best for them to make use the time they had left in the best possible manner.