Bright Eyes

22.1. Liar, Liar

This wasn't the ocean anymore.

Not a trace of blue lingered within their immediate line of sight, save for the expanse of azure above. Almost everything was a varying shade of green, all bathed in a soft gold glow. Trees towered over them, extending their skeletal arms to the heavens, holding on to their clumps of leaves against the light breeze.

Damien, Jack, Sander, Max, and Lyn stood rather still, puzzled eyes drinking in this verdant place and the flood of daylight.

    "Surprised?" said Mr. Brighteyes, breaking the silence. They all turned their attention to him. "Come on," he said, taking his steps forward, gesturing for them to follow. "One more tale to talk about before the end of this simulation. Then we make our way back to the cabin for cookies and homemade iced tea."

    And so they trailed behind him, maneuvering through the trees, feet padding down the grass-strewn trail.

    No one said a word until Mr. Brighteyes glanced back at them and said, "It will take some time for us to get there. You can ask me any questions, if you wish."

    Sander thought for a moment. "There's this person the voiceover was talking about," he started. "Eee . . . Eli? Or was it Elo? Elo-something?"

    "Elohim," said Mr. Brighteyes.

    Sander nodded. "Yes. That's the one."

    "Elohim is the King of All Worlds," Mr. Brighteyes explained, "the Lord of Elysium, the Creator of the Universe and Every World in It."

    "So you're saying he's this god?" said Jack.

    Mr. Brighteyes gave Jack a backward glance. "Precisely, Jack." He transferred his gaze ahead. "A god."

    "And the Eli-something you said," said Damien. "Lord of Elisoo, or something that sounds like that."

    "Elysium."

    "Yeah," said Damien. "So you said he's the Lord of Elysium. Is that what you call this world—Elysium?"

    "Elysium is one of the Realms Beyond, not this world we are in—or rather what this simulation shows us," said Mr. Brighteyes, stepping over a protruding root in the path. "The Realms Beyond encompass every world in existence. Like an umbrella hovering over a multitude of marbles—the umbrella as the Realm Beyond; the marbles, the thousands of worlds in current existence—"

    "So you're saying every world that's ever existed falls under this umbrella of the Realms Beyond," said Max.

    "That's right, Max. Although Elysium is not the only Realm beyond the worlds," Mr. Brighteyes went on. "Elysium is the Realm Above. And there is Sheol, the Realm Below, the Realm of the Fallen."

    "Like heaven and hell," muttered Lyn, yet her voice loud enough for all of them to hear.

    "In your world, they are known as heaven and hell," said Mr. Brighteyes. "The Realm of Good and the Realm of Evil, the Realm of Light and the Realm of Darkness."

    "That saves us from more of this information overload," chuckled Jack. "Math's killing me enough." He nudged her shoulder. "Thanks, Lyn."

    Lyn would've rolled her eyes, but she shrugged instead, not wanting to explain herself. "Sure."

    Sander pondered on his question for a moment. Then he said, "Mister Brighteyes." A moment's pause, as he weaved his thoughts into words. "So there's a possibility that some things that exist here co-exist in our world; they're just known here by different names."