"So many shades of white…
… So many shades of pale…"
A collage of pearlescent mirages expanded right before his eyes; an infinite expanse of pure white madness. Each reflection was a memory, a record of his being he swore to hide from himself and the world. This domain knows no bounds. No limits. It is an open gallery of the self. The one who brings you here wills to read every letter of your book. You're naked now. Exposed. But most importantly, safe. You're safe here, under one of the many wings of heaven.
There's no need to worry, Aleksi. You're protected here. The marble does not dare shake under any threat. Be my guest.
LEVEL
0
SURVIVAL DIFFICULTY
CLASS 1
Exit: 4/5
Very Difficult to Exit
Environment: 0/5
No Environmental Risks
Entities: 0/5
No Hostile Entities
You don't… See them?
The idyllic pillars of white rock that I've woven with my own hands? The empowering presence of pearl-clad castel towers that watch as you sleep deeply within this cradle? How come you don't see them? I made them just for you. For us. I built our own perfect paradise.
… But he didn't shift.
All he saw was but an eternal expanse of light reflections bouncing off of each other without purpose. Lost, glistering like the foster children of paradise in search for their mother. No castle dared meet the mortal's view for it hid far deep into THEIR mind.
"…This is what I see, Delta. This realm is but a plethora of gatherings of light frantically flickering without logic. That castle that you talk about? I see nothing of it. Are you sure this paradise is ours?"
Description
This is my home.
It is where I rest. My own personal playground for until I can build my identity as a deity. I don't understand much about it either, if you wish to hear honesty… You're better off with the 'business men's description of my realm. Just this once.
M.E.G RECORD
Catatonia is a hypothesized location of level 404; a perfectly fossilized empty skybox that has not quite been given a purpose yet. It lacks geometry, essence. Anything that would make it a knot and not a vacant shell of a to-be-born paradise.
It is believed that the domain as it is isn't particularly geographically connected to 404, but rather hosted as a separate realm within the confines of its mother level. As it manifests to most beings, it presents itself as an extensive, white void seemingly devoid of any walls, ceilings or even a floor through a wanderer's view. Sometimes or in specific regions of its near-infinite expanse, it may manifest with faux light blue skies splattered with light clouds, almost if not matching ornamental artificial skies—lacking depth, motion and the feel that one is under the welkin and not a parody of it.
"It's as if I got sucked into a blank digital white canvas."
Upon contact, the floor of Catatonia feels of marble; cold, slightly slippery and crystalline in nature. Wether it is chemically and structurally identical or even similar to real marble is unknown, for it is impossible to send a professional team to the level without THEIR permission. And you wouldn't let a gathering of strangers take samples from the floors of your abode, would you?
The floors of this level can read you. They know who you are down to your skin, viscera, bone. They know you on a soul level. And the grounds of Catatonia will repeat your life story in its reflections like a peaceful symphony until you leave. They'll remember.
Illusio Atramenti
But… You should see them.
I carved so many beautiful things out of the flesh of this domain… How come you don't see them? The palace I brought to life with the echoes of my mind? The oceans I weaved out of my desire for your company? The dunes, they who cushion our bodies as we stare at the dream sea I made for us… You cannot visualize them? Have I made them too beautiful? Too beautiful to the point that your mortal mind cannot comprehend them?
That cannot be.
I do not wield such power…
Not yet.
I need to find a way to showcase my love for you.
Perhaps I have to open my mind and let you in. Isn't that intimate?
Perhaps more intimate than any of the rituals you mortals bond yourselves together with.
I will do it
I trust you.
So, come inside. Be my guest. Witness these mighty reveries, the most magnificent gifts you will ever recieve in your mortal existence. You shall not forget them, not even when your husk dissolves into nothing but nonsensical strings of code deep within the realm where none dare to exist and not even, and if, you're banished to the purgatory of the cosmos.
M.E.G RECORD
Illusio Atramenti (literal translation being illusions of ink/paint) is the name given to the hypothesis that any and every aspect of Catatonia, be it buildings, beings or faux sub levels are exclusively visualized by its sole inhabitant and its sole inhabitant only. Normal mortals, entities and alike that somehow make their way into this realm, be it by being sucked into Catatonia or created within its walls, cannot visualize anything or anyone that THEY concieve.
Hypothesized buildings, structures and alike of Catatonia. Only visible from THEIR point of view.
… Compared to:
"Entrance" of Catatonia photographed by a digital licensed M.E.G camera.
Catatonia works in misterious ways. In theory, within the knot's code, these objects do exist. For example—if THEY were to ever sit on a chair created under THEIR will, THEY would be sat over it from THEIR point of view. Opposing that, from a wanderer's point of view, THEY would be sat floating in the air.
Similar to this, from THEIR point of view, if a wanderer were to ever traverse through a wall created by THEM, said wanderer would appear to phase through solid mass.
Consequently, beings are not directly affected by the objects, forces or anything created within Catatonia—from their perception of reality, they do not exist. Catatonia can also be used as a workstation for THEM, as anything conceived within its confines can be brought outside of the level, with the expanse of draining THEIR own vital energy.
I thought all humans did this. I though that was just how enviorments reacted to human biology.
Is that why the Swan Mistress questioned my choice of phasing through the shelves of her library?
Conspiracies
Humans are confusing creatures.
They're beautiful, there's that—but oh so hard to understand. Their bodies are frail like alien flowers of flesh. They truly behave like an invasive species; any change in this strange enviorment is enough to bring them down, to bring them to die.
I took some of them in. In 4 days, they fell dead atop the marble.
But I quickly figured—Water. Food. The fuel for their existence. That was what was missing
.
..
…
The next batch came. I provided them with food, water.
In a week, they had ripped their own eyes out.
Isolation. That was the key this time. It seems their brains couldn't bear the beauty of my craddle for too long, so I chose to entertain the next.
.
..
…
3 more men, ages 20 to 40, stepped foot in my realm.
I provided them with everything—Food, water, company, sex. Everything. Anything to keep them afloat and occupied.
In a month, they grew mad and their hands threw eachother at one another's throats.
Their battles grew fiercer and fiercer everytime. From mere confronts, to bloody disputes for food, water and even myself.
In a month, all of them were dead.
.
..
…
I decided to change my setup.
I, instead, brought three women— same age ranges, as scared and fearful as the men first were. And they thrived.
They learnt to share, learnt to love eachother and myself. They grew old.
After 70 to 80 years, their bodies were peacefully resting in eternal sleep. Fingers intertwined with eachother.
They died not as enemies, but as sisters of different blood. It was when I found out that matriarchal systems, too, perform exceptionally well with the human race.
After all that time, I couldn't bear to stare at their deceased husks anymore.
Their bodies did not rot. They were peacefully preserved the same way ice preserves memories, the same way tree sap traps insects in it. But I couldn't banish something already dead from my realm
.
..
…
I grew curious.
I wanted to be human. To be human, one must go through human experiences.
My hands dug through their flesh—it tore like wax under my grip. It was different than holding someone's hand tenderly. Human flesh bends at your will if you believe hard enough. The code obeyed my desire, and the code for the first corpses tore under my fingers.
I ate them.
I ate their flesh, viscera, guts—but it was futile. My body rejected it and, like it was meant to be, the chewy mush of meat slid from my tongue. Flavorless, textureless. I could not satisfy hunger that wasn't there.
I chose instead to absorb the code of their existence myself, and from there I learnt to better understand human nature.
Note from M.E.G Junior Archivist Aleksi
Catatonia does not wield the hospitality needed to host regular biological life. What goes in there, stays in there unless THEY choose otherwise. How many men, women and children we've lost there is not known, but their souls were handed to a child playing god who could not comprehend human necessity.
… But HE'S not malevolent. HE'S learning. It's just that learning, by THEIR definition, transcends what us mortals can comprehend.
Entities
Silly question, Aleksi…
I am the only non-divine being allowed to exist within this realm, unless I write otherwise. That is how you are able to stand before me rather than clipping into an eternal fall into the void—I want you here, and if I want you here… You will stay. Occasionally, you might witness She, Mother of Art checking up on me. But don't worry. I'm sure she won't be bothered by any of my companies.
Entity 504, Fragment ∆ is the sole resident of Catatonia. This realm is HIS cradle. THEIR personal sandbox of infinite mirages and marble grounds. Any other entity, human and etc is here by THEIR choice—a visitor, not an inhabitant.
Groups
You… Care to invite more people?
That's what you mean by groups, isn't it? That you wish more humans could recollect their thoughts within the embrace of eternal mirrors? You're allowed to invite anyone—but wait! I will be in charge of sending the invite.
Entrances And Exits
Entrances
As I was saying, I can send you a beautiful, like never before invite through one of your dreams.
- The amount of mortals that have been accommodated within Catatonia is unknown—but it is speculated that if you're lucky enough to drink Memory Juice containing the memories of a soul who has been in Catatonia, you'll end up there in your next dream. Alternatively, this method can also work if one ingests the water of Lake Forever in Level 445—though it's rates are much higher.
- Recieve an invite from Nostalgi Fragere, THEY will be your host.
- Randomly no-clip somewhere across the endless boundless geometry of heaven. There's a small chance you might traverse the skies of paradise and fall into THEIR cradle.
Exits
You are not leaving unless I want you to.
- Alternatively, fool Fragment ∆ into opening a reality rift into Level 0, as it is the only level THEY can successfully build a bridge to.