Gardens of Destruction

Val slowly opened her eyes, emerging from a shroud of darkness. Her vision blurred with tears, distorting the world into a hazy, indistinct realm. She was gradually awakening from a torturous stupor, uncertain if she was still ensnared in a dream or confronting reality. In the semi-darkness, she discerned an oddly distorted figure in a purple cloak kneeling before an object of beauty, resembling a luminous flower:

“What do you need, oh Endless Form of Most Beautiful?”

***

Valentina felt disconnected from her body, unable to recall anything from recent days except chaotic images and sounds. Now, all those memories had faded into oblivion. Light filtered through a peculiar crevice in the distance. She found herself in an immense void, its vastness unbroken by walls as far as her eyes could see. It wasn’t exactly open, for despite the enormous space covered with bizarre formations, it was sealed off by strange planes, with only occasional cracks allowing slivers of sunlight to indicate the passage of day and night.

Val tried to move again, unsuccessfully. Strangely, she felt at peace; the fear had receded into the background. She felt unexpectedly well, almost too well, sensing a foreign presence within her, yet unable to pinpoint its nature. She sighed heavily. Faint groans of suffering echoed around her from time to time. Val wanted to reassure them that their agony would soon end, as hers had, but found herself voiceless. A bit alarmed, she coughed and tried again, this time producing a faint sound.

“Odd,” she thought. “I know how to speak, but I can’t make my lips and tongue follow my commands.”

She began exercises to relearn speech, believing that whatever had happened couldn’t have robbed her of this ability. It took a considerable time before she could utter her first word.

“V... v... Val!” she managed to say with great effort.

Frustrated at her inability to speak, she remembered how her mother used to complain that she couldn’t stop talking. And now, something had altered her, rendering her speechless. She believed if she could think the words, she should be able to say them. After hours of persistent training, she began to grasp the pattern of speech again.

“Just... like... this, I... know... how... to... speak!” she uttered in a strange, guttural voice, tinged with a metallic resonance.

She wondered what those... creatures had done to her, then remembered being transported somewhere else and feeling good. Maybe they had done something even more terrifying.

“No, they... were... good!” she stuttered again, pleased to find speaking becoming easier.

Suddenly, an idea struck her: perhaps she wasn’t truly immobilized. Maybe it was like with speaking. She decided to test the same approach and, after a few attempts, squealed with joy, wiggling a finger.

“Yes, yes, I can!”

The entire day was spent in exercises, trying to regain control over her body. She relearned how to walk, touch, and talk, feeling like an infant. Strangely, she felt comfortable here, unbothered by the bizarre surroundings or the odd shapes growing in the empty space. She felt as if she had grown up here.

Now confidently striding, she felt proud of her progress when she saw it. There, a few meters away, stood a small, motionless, frightened figure, seemingly hesitant to approach. In front of it, defying gravity, floated an object resembling a scepter.

“What... are... you?” Val asked, but the sounds that emerged from her mouth bore no resemblance to human speech.

***

They heard, they thought, they understood. The Sh’ur were Creators again. They utilized everything, but knew nothing! Wonder and suspicion had taken root in their consciousness. The Other One was beautiful, real… different! They needed her, or did they? The sleep was fading! The gardeners too, it was time for them to go!