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This descent. This dark allure. Tempting him downward. Just keep going, it told him. See what you find. After all, if there truly was no bottom, then that also meant that this was an infinite space. Which meant it held infinite possibilities, too.

Infinite potential.

That was what this place was.

Potential.

An endless expanse. Limited, perhaps, only by one’s ability to perceive and comprehend it.

Right. In that respect, maybe everything he could ever want could be found here. If he just kept descending long enough, he could find it. Eventually.

Hence the temptation.

Hector understood. In part, at least.

The Void.

That thing he’d been hearing so much about. Learning so much about. The Candle knew of it, too. Intimately. And there were so many historical examples of men and women searching for it. Of them discovering it, even.

And then going mad.

Seduced by this very same allure.

But there was so much more to it than just that. Of course there was. This was the paradoxical infinity of non-existence. Imagination, distilled. Nothing about it was simple.

Because the allure wasn’t just some deception, some trick to capture the unprepared or unintelligent. No. If anything, those things might’ve made the problem worse.

Much, much worse.

Because the allure had merit. Hector knew that much.

This place was powerful. And knowledgeable. It really was... everything. And nothing. All at once.

He could grow stronger here. He didn’t yet know how, but he knew that he could. It was all but telling him so. And the truth, he could all but hold it in his hands. Or--maybe he could even do that, too.

Wow.

So many emotions were trying to seize hold of him now. Some more powerful than others. Fear. Ambition. Anger. Greed. Pity. Curiosity. Sadness. Wonder. Hatred.

Pain.

So compelling. So convincing. So legitimate.

But Hector was still. He remained. Still.

Seeing them all at once like this was... something else. A unique experience. Something to be... felt. But not indulged.

He took a step. Up.

It was time to head back, he decided.

But the stairs. They were no longer. His foot found nothing to push against, and abruptly, he was dangling. From a rope.

Well.

This was a problem.

The vast hole below him was now more prominent than ever. He could feel it even more ferociously than before. It had desires, too. It wanted to pull him in.

Or perhaps... that was just... every emotion manifesting itself against him at once. Their collective will rebelling against his own.