I raised my sword, bracing for a fight with the revolving portals, but they came to a halt.

They were now my size. Moving images appeared on the one nearest me. Someone wanted to communicate with me. I lowered my sword and its flame went out.

The portal showed an artist at work. He was finishing a portrait of me... the same image I saw on the moon's surface!

Was this how I got here? I studied the portal for clues. Over his desk, I saw a saying in a frame: "Fall seven times, get up eight." When I found my sword, a card near it said the same thing.

It hit me: this is the source of my rebirth. But why did he choose me? And how was I freed?

I was scanning the portal for more clues when I got a good look at the artist's face: he looked exhausted. Defeated.

I had to know more. I had to reach out to him. In the void, I could access knowledge through my sword. Would that work with a portal? Was it safe?

I had to try. I touched the portal with my sword... and it absorbed me!

Please enjoy the next post #6 below in the Hekonai Journal:

Post Soundtrack:

In the author’s mind: This is an instrumental piece from The Story Of I, a prog-rock opera by Patrick Moraz, a keyboard maestro who has been a member of Yes and the Moody Blues. It's as dramatic as it is atmospheric, layering all manner of synthesizers and other keyboards over percussion with a Brazilian groove. That combination gives it the right mixture of drive and drama to capture how Hekonai feels as he studies the portals for clues about the person who sparked his rebirth.

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.

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