Other Tales 3: The Parrot and the Meat Jelly

The Universe was both pitch black, and also filled with scintillating light.

It was a bit of a contradiction. The dazzling light came from the innumerable worlds that existed, scattered about like seeds. They were like countless glowing pearls, sending their light shining out in all directions.

The darkness came from the fact that the Universe was immensely large. In fact, the distance that existed between even two of those seed-worlds was almost impossible to describe. Within that space, there was no bright light, only deathly stillness and pitch black.

The passage of time wasn’t very obvious in the Universe. Perhaps that was because the power of the Universe was something difficult for even those in the Ancestor Realm to comprehend.

Time passed. One day, a bright beam of light appeared, moving along through the Universe at shocking speed.

Closer examination would reveal that the beam of light contained a person. He was a middle-aged man whose soul appeared to be very weak.

He wore a green robe, and his face was ashen. Apparently, he was being chased. Although his expression was grim, there was something crafty flickering deep within his eyes.

As the man sped along, a second beam of light appeared within the darkness. A woman could be seen, her face also a bit ashen as she flew along at top speed. Apparently, both of them were being chased by something.

These two people knew each other,...