I presumed my new appearance and flaming sword meant I had completed my transformation from fool to hero. The void showed me I was still on the first few steps of my thousand mile journey.

I clutched my sword as the void lit up around me. It became strings of numbers and letters flying past. I tentatively reached my sword out to tap it. Suddenly, those numbers and letters flowed up the sword and through my being.

In an instant, the history of technology since 1917 passed through my mind: machines to computers to virtual life. I now understood I was a digital being.

Then the void's numbers and letters morphed into animated images like me: all kinds, all colors. I plunged my sword into the stream and the images began flowing through me. In an instant, I lived the history of animation.

The magic of anime flowed into my heart and mind. I learned my beginning was anime's beginning - and if I could make it through this void, I could find a place for myself in its modern era.

The lights at the end of the void were approaching fast. I braced for my next change.

Please enjoy the next post #4 below in the Hekonai Journal:

Post Soundtrack:

Into the author’s mind: I first discovered Moroder's work via soundtracks for films like Midnight Express and Cat People. Later, I moved on to his disco-oriented solo work. I've always been struck by how he could bring melodic warmth to electronic sounds. This hypnotic piece is a perfect example. It's trance-inducing yet gets the pulse racing - and that makes it a perfect soundtrack for Hekonai diving head-first into the mysteries of his new world.

The Hekonai's Journal is an ongoing meta-narrative. If you want to learn how it came to be, check out the introduction post by clicking here. If you want to read the journal entries from the very beginning, click here.

For new posts, latest updates, and discussions, please follow us on Twitter and join our Discord.