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Do not be afraid. Those words, do not be afraid, give you courage. You look back up into the realm of books, the lens moves like a spirit through the vast number of books in the realm, and as it does, you begin scanning the names written on them, until— I know that name! The lens stops on the name, the book is still closed, and rotating as it slowly…
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On the cover of the gold-plated book is the inscription: SACRED Sacred? You open the book. It reads: The place in which you find yourself is called Impasse Island, and the chamber in which you stand is Sacred; you can see to the depths below you, the lake of torment, and to the heights above you, the realm of books. Wait… what? The realm of books? You look up—your sight…
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Drawn by the Helper and the pull of the Path, you arrive at the entrance to the core. Upon entering the core, you step into a vast, circular chamber. Passageways branch outward—leading somewhere unknown. The architecture is unlike anything you have ever seen. Every precious stone is set into the wall that surrounds you, woven together: the ruby, the topaz, and the diamond; the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper;…
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There is an aura about the Path into the island’s core—an allure you cannot quite name. The desire to enter is intense, and yet, as you step toward it, something turns within you. Anxiety rises. Fear follows. Your heart pounds. Your mind… disorients. Why is this happening? Why am I stuck? Before arriving here, the world you came from made sense—at least enough. You knew what set you on a…
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Your ship is docked. There is much to explore on the island, but your eyes are drawn to a path. At its entrance, you stop. You assess. You hesitate, caught between going forward and turning back. For the moment, you have some sense of where you are by what you have seen and experienced. There is no obvious danger. And yet, questions remain—about where you are, about what this place…
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There you are, gazing off the port side, 2,400,000 meters beneath the surface of the water, transfixed by what should be impossible. It is beautiful and terrifying all at once. Innumerable creatures glow as though lit by a black light, while shipwreckage lies scattered across the ocean floor like the remains of forgotten worlds. What is this place? The water is so transparent that you can see the shapes of…
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How taking my daughter’s pacifier away has given me perspective. Not too long ago I took my daughter’s pacifier (Bah) away from her permanently. She isn’t even two yet, but I gave her warning anyway. “This is your last month with Bah.” “Next week we are going to take your Bah away.” “Tomorrow morning, I am going to take Bah away. Do you understand?” She said she did. I walked…