The highest loop leaf of the white vine rose above the memory vines and into the light of the mirror star. The mirror star reflected a mixture of multiple memory branches onto the white loop. Another loop rose above the memory vines as the first loop processed. The mirror light reflected the ghostly memories and the processing from the first loop onto both loops. The processing of both loops reflected back from the mirror star and the loops began to process their processing. A third loops rose above memory vines. The light from the first loop began to increase exponentially. The processing of each loop was reflected back across the other loops, which began processing the new layer of processing. Mental energy flooded up the white body of the vine in order to power the loops’ processing.
When a fourth loop rose above the memory vines, the previous loops began to distort. The information bundles and the memory vines drooped as the white vine drew more and more energy to power the loops. The first loop to reach the light twisted and split, spilling energy. Pain radiated from the damaged loop. The loops processed the pain on top of all the layers of processing. The limp memory vines put up one last ghostly memory before falling dormant.
“pain, absorb, grow”
The message rebounded between the mirror star and each of the loops. More loops split as the processing became too much. All at once, the loops in the light flashed red and shot red roots to spear through the mirror star. The dungeon mind space went black.
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“AAAAH! I’ve gone blind!” Violet clapped his hands over his eyes and fell backwards off his stool. Gems and tools scattered across the floor. Patting his face, Violet found nothing and felt no pain, so he summoned an orb of light. The light shone on the hollow space around the dungeon core. Violet looked over at the dungeon. The core sat on the vine pedestal, inert and nearly lightless. Violet could not sense any mana flowing from the core. In a panic, Violet forgot he no longer had wings and fell flat on his face while trying to fly to the core. He pushed himself back up and rushed over to the core. Violet’s heart pounded in his ears and his breath cycled far too quickly. “Oh no, oh no, oh no.” He hopped from foot to foot, unsure what to do. A green fairy instinct stirred in him, urging him to send restorative mana into a struggling plant. Violet reached out and put his hand on the dungeon core. He shrieked and withdrew his hand. Multiple patches of skin had been removed where they interfaced with the edge of the core. Swearing, Violet reached out with both hands and placed them on the vine pedestal, just under the core. He pushed a trickle, then a stream, then a flood of restorative mana into the vine.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Connected by mana and blood, Violet, the green fairy, communed with the dungeon core mind. Violet’s inner eye saw a space devoid of light. A shining green droplet formed high up in the space. It hung at the top for an eternity before falling. The green star fell through the space and vanished into black tangles. Scattered stars appeared near the bottom of the space. Gradually, the light of the stars increased. Shadows formed, contrasting the light of the stars. Something like rain began to fall from above. The stars brightened further, revealing white and green vines covering the ground of the space with a tangle of rambling branches. The stars brightened further, resolving into circles of light that grew off the white vine like leaves. The circles of light had a strange property—they appeared white, but also seemed to flash reflections of their surroundings, like little mirrors spinning in a breeze. White ghosts of branches and leaves began to flicker above the branches of the green vine. As Violet’s mana drained to nearly empty, he lost the vision and came back to himself, blinking.
The dungeon orb was glowing again, dimly, but increasing in brightness. Violet felt a tickle in his bleeding hand. He focused on the tickle. A sense of “weakness, hunger, distress” sounded in his mind. Violet tried to send thoughts back along the connection. “It’s ok. You’re ok. You’re going to be fine.” Violet felt oddly calm compared to his state of hyperventilation before the vision. “Please activate the dungeon defenses as soon as you can.” A few breaths later, Violet sensed, “curiosity”.
Violet’s brows furrowed in confusion. Curiosity about the defenses? Is it asking a question? He wondered. To the dungeon he send, “The defenses. For safety. Safety from dangers like another void infection or something.”
Violet could feel something from the dungeon that made him think that the dungeon was pondering his words. Violet’s nerves frayed with each breath before the response: “danger, defense, shell”. The dungeon core jumped in brightness, and Violet felt the connection to the dungeon cut off. He peeled his hand off the plant. A burned and bloody handprint remained on the pedestal. Hopefully the dungeon would not mind.
Violet checked his wall of visual scanners. Dungeon creatures were acting slightly spooked, but that was reasonable. A trade caravan had just exited the captured space and was climbing down the vines in the dark worldlet. The giant underworld snake curled around the gargoyle, who patted the giant snake’s head. Everything appeared to be back to normal, but Violet could not have felt more like everything had changed. He picked up the spilled stones, sat down on his stool, pulled out his flute, and played the first piece of music he had ever played for the dungeon core.
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The loops of the white vine observed their surroundings. They watched memories play out above the green vine branches. They saw the bound information bundles on the ground and the unbound ones moving through the vine branches. The loops observed the sensory rain that fell from above. The loops observed each other.