Imaginary Pages

Переводчик Lilla Somn

Дизайнер обложки Lilla Somn

Переводчик Deepseek

© Lilla Somn, 2025

© Lilla Somn, перевод, 2025

© Lilla Somn, дизайн обложки, 2025

© Deepseek, перевод, 2025

ISBN 978-5-0068-3746-1

Создано в интеллектуальной издательской системе Ridero

I. Paradise lost

This world is incredibly beautiful.

They had lingered too long in their Forest, confining themselves to the comfort of its familiar beauty and safety. They had forgotten how wonderful it was to feel the ground of the other lands with their own feet, getting in touch with these altered vibrations, and getting the new sensations pleasantly tickling with the freshness of the unknown.

That catastrophe, which forced all survivors to flee headlong from their native lands, escaping the horror that had flooded the Ellogos’ territories, was in some way a blessing for them.

A young Ljus, running swiftly in the crowd, abruptly stopped, signalling the others to pay attention to a pair of creature silhouettes spotted in the distance.

– Look! These… are visible! – it commented on its observation with surprise. – They glow a little. Just like normal Dims before.

The entire group of several ljuses, all that remained of the once great Ellogos race, simultaneously ceased running and stopped, peering closely.

The fact that had amused this creature instantly spread through the shared «field of thought», usually resembling an unceasing chorus of signals and sensations for those connected by this single invisible network. The ljuses could be at a considerable distance from each other, but still be aware of what was happening to everyone at once.

– So, it didn’t happen to all of them, – a voice chimed in the «Chorus» from a second creature.

The shared space, which had been silent until then, filled once more with the melodious voices, chaotic exclamations, and commentary of the whole Ellogos’ Community at once.

– Bet if we get closer and sniff, they’ll smell like ordinary ones, too. Just don’t feel like checking.

– Me neither. And I don’t like betting.

– But they really look quite normal.

– Even the grey noise inside them is the same. Looks… nice?

– If you say so. Besides, Evo said not all were damaged. In the settlement where it was quite recently, Vallos were behaving absolutely adequately.

– And Dims here also demonstrating pure adequacy, behaving strangely. Normally «strangely» I mean, not «deadly» strangely.

«Dims» or «dim ones» were what the Ellogos called people with low awareness, those who lacked witchy abilities.

Vallos, witches, in Ellish «bright ones», appeared brighter to them than the unknowing dims. The Ellogos usually preferred to deal specifically with vallos, as the only «sane» part of the human conglomerate. Perhaps because, in terms of luminosity, vallos were closer and a tiny bit more «understandable» to them. Some ljuses even considered Vallos and Dims different species, suggesting not to lump them together as one «human term».

But that was… a debatable point. The difference in luminosity between vallos and dims wasn’t as noticeable as the difference between them and more ancient beings – the Ljuses themselves, the Hellis, and the Viis.

Hellis lived predominantly in mountain caves, and Viis inhabited the boundless and beautiful Ocean.

The oldest ljuses could still recall times when a significant part of the Lesser Forest and the Wastelands were Swamps inhabited by even more archaic life forms – ghouls, gnats and gnashers… But all that terrifying diversity had sunk into the Aeonic Void of the Universe long, long time ago, along with the Swamps themselves, leaving only mentions of them in folklore and human curses.

But natural niches, apparently, don’t stay empty.

Furthermore, undesirable newcomers had just recently popped up on the Mainland. And as a result of their own being, they caused issues for all living things right away after practically barely emerging.

These were the Nejas, the «invisible.» Invisible to the Ellogos due to their almost complete absence of light. Upon closer inspection, one could see that instead of usual light, something unsettling, even terrifying, flickered inside the Nejas… a small Abyss.

The appearance of their kind on Ellogos’ Lands and their very acquaintance with the Ellogos themselves was staged quite dramatically.

Flooding the entire space and trying to get «closer» than the locals wished to every creature inhabiting it, nejas devoured everything around them.

Ellogos’ race were notorious for their inquisitiveness and friendliness. However, very few individuals would desire to end up in the stomach or even the grasping arms of odd, violent creatures.

Fortunately, all of them are naturally agile and can expertly avoid any unwelcome attention by either bouncing away or sending the guests flying with deft moves while maintaining an expression of intrigued curiosity.

The «immortal,» or more accurately, reincarnating entity, could not be killed or injured by a single neja. But the number of unwanted arrivals was huge. And being invisible to ljuses, they could simply surround someone in a large, dense ring. And consume them as well as the tree on which they were perched.

As a result, even the Ellogos, an exceptionally powerful race by Mainland standards, had to hastily flee. Hoping to come up with a better plan later to get rid of the annoying intruders who had, as the Ellogos assumed, just taken control of their territories for a short time.

– Looks like the upper part of the Mainland hasn’t truly gone mad yet… It’s good news. At least.

– Means… less running?

– Maybe. But the sanity of these is uncertain.

– Easy to check. Go closer to them and see if they’ll shy away from you as usual.

– Oh, do it yourself.

The Chorus filled with agitated voices again.

– Say whatever you want, but I like them more than our guests.

– Agreed. That’s better than the invisible craving for closeness.

– Absolutely.

– It’s more comfortable in the settlement where I am. They’ve been shying away more than usual here lately.

– It’s a true blessing, Evo.

– I’m not so sure. It’s harder to get the information.

– We’re coming to you anyway.

– You’re welcome. So. There will be an Ellogos’ settlement instead of vallos’ now?

– We will eventually have to allay their anxieties. Everyone receives according to their beliefs.

– Offynn, could you be serious for a while?

– I… could. There’s a Light Mountain here.

– What a bright idea!

– And so serious.

The Community buzzed with excitement, anticipating a meeting with a long-favorite place.

– Well… Light be with these dims and vallos, indeed.

– So. Should we move on finally? Let these dims live and shy away joyfully as much as they want, really. We won’t see or understand their motives and aspirations anyway.

– Nor what they’re plotting there.

– And what their own kind has come up with.

– Let’s reach the place of our temporary refuge and have some peace.

– «Temporary», Illyss?

– Yes. Temporary. Let’s be optimistic.

– True.

– Still, it doesn’t hurt to ask the most reasonable among them if they’re aware of what’s happening.

– If they are aware, they would be the last to let us know; if they’re not – there’s no use in wasting time on them.

– But I wouldn’t mind getting the information. I’m not complaining about the course of events, no. But I’d like to know what’s causing us such huge… inconvenience.

– And misunderstanding.

– And by what such «happy» coincidence did the invisible visit us.

– Indeed.

– There are no coincidences, for sure, Eilynn.

– That’s… exactly the point.

– Perhaps we should have stayed in our Forest and made those nejas shy away too!

– It didn’t work, Valmyss. Hild tried, remember? You saw yourself it didn’t go well.

– Hild and the others will have to start all over again.

A sad «sigh» swept through the Chorus from the youth, not yet accustomed to accepting events as easily as the elders.

Not everyone in the Community supported the decision to flee. Some stayed behind, stubbornly fending off the attackers and frantically trying to invent a way to kick them all out without harming their home. And all those plants that live with them as pals.

The voices of these insanely courageous individuals who had remained to protect the native Lands soon went silent. They stepped into the rebirth cycle. As a reminder that all power has a limit, quantity had in fact triumphed over quality.

The elder Ellogos, wisely removing themselves from the source of stress, planned to calmly await the appearance of sprouting «seeds» of the «deceased» ljuses on their «heads» and the emergence of solution options in the collective mind of the Community.

Which, at the very least, will require some time to plant and wait for people to grow. Then the reborn had to relearn how to use their bodies and communicate and, of course, make a lot of effort to scuttle out of the ground before it. However, everyone has handled things quite well so far and hasn’t voiced many complaints.

– So. Anyone. Any ideas where these Nejas come from? I’m curious.

– Yes, they definitely must have been somewhere all this time. If they had a «nest» somewhere, it would be a fairly large settlement. Which, however, given that they’re practically invisible, could easily have been missed…

– Or did they… fall from somewhere, from another Plane? Don’t you think?

– To us. With a clearly unfriendly visit. Huh? Something at least suspicious.

– Exactly! Unless it’s some reverse evolution of Dim’s kind, slipping to an even lower level of luminosity. Significantly below stone’s. Why not? If vallos become ljuses time to time. The reverse process is possible.

– A dubious achievement.

– Out of fright, apparently.

– Yes. As a side effect of them shying away from everything.

– A protective camouflage, you mean?

– Yes.

– Sounds legit. And stupid. In their habitual manner.

– Icelynn could say more.

– Yes, it could.

– Or they decided to save their small internal energy by becoming even dimmer.

– Definitely.

– You’re all wrong. It’s a cunning move. And they beat us.

– Fair enough.

– It seems to me… this wasn’t voluntary.

– Agreed. And their little abysses devouring them from within are a key to understanding.

– But it’s visible in range, you don’t want these creatures to approach!

– Well, that’s a problem.

– Wait. People. Dallyss was close enough to see the abyss. Look at it…

– What abyss?! Oh, that Abyss…

– Ew, Eilynn! I tried my best not to focus on it! So… mean of you!

– Sorry, Loilynn. This is for scientific purposes.

– Stinky scientific purposes.

The Community peered at the image transmitted by Iselynn for the entire Chorus.

– Nightmarish.

– True.

After an indeterminate amount of time, the melodic «trills» of the stream of voices once more shattered the stunned silence of the reflective Chorus.

– So, what’s the point of meditating on it? Evo. As an expert on Vallos’ souls, what do you think? Is it something new?

– I’m a *Vallos’* expert, as you said. There’s no Dim expert among us.

– Maybe Stellys. It could notice some patterns in wildlife behaviour during its trips. Or Oilynn.

– No, I didn’t look *that* closely.

– I was as far as I possibly could, luckily.

Ellogos chuckled. Everyone knew Oilynn was a Prime settlement watcher. Prime was located much further and higher from the place of the incident.

– So. Is it… A new life form on the Mainland? To our… complete delight?

– Maybe.

– Or just a strange-looking, strange-smelling dims?

– Most unlikely.

– I’m not delighted, Ailyss, even a little.

– Too young to appreciate, Dea.

– Anyway. The Dims of our Plane don’t carry anything like that inside them.

– A new… fashion?

– Viral?

– Perhaps… These are *Dims*, you know. It’s tough to think of anything of a beneficial purpose.

– I… have a strong suggestion to run further. Before all this catches up to us, giving us an extra chance to figure it out. And to admire it up close again.

– Ew. True!

– To the Abyss they go… And we go to the Light Mountain.

– I agree with Tessellynn too. Let’s run. Everything will be clarified later.

– Yeah. I really don’t want to meet them again just yet, to be true. I’m not morally recovered after what happened.

– Me neither.

– Wait. And what about our current dims? I feel like I should ask them or try to warn these at least. About our nejas. What if they *are* different species? And those are also in danger?

– Or have they invented another one of their amusing endless games? We shouldn’t interfere.

– It’s hard to say anything for sure here, Lynn. Stay ljus and let dims be Dims. You don’t know the games they play.

– But I can guess. Because I’m young. Didn’t come a long way from being a vallo.

– They are also hostile towards vallos too. And to anything outside their restricted comprehension. Considering you’re not even a vallo anymore… You’ll just scare them to death instead of warning.

– I don’t know about you, Lynn, but I really don’t want to approach those we’re observing right now. Just in case. Until circumstances are clarified a little bit.

– Really, Lynn, we know what they are. This kind is totally unreasonable and trying to get in contact with them is useless.

– Right. Let’s shy away from them, too. For symmetry.

– And yet before this we had quite harmonious relations again.

– Considering none of us are particularly eager to communicate.

– I do.

– Anyway, it’s unclear now whom, why, and about what to warn. We have no information and so there is nothing to inform about.

– We’re lost in guesses ourselves.

– True, but…

– But I assure you, we’ll definitely ask our more reasonable acquaintances about what’s happening. Don’t fret. Step by step. For now – we must run indeed.

– True-true. But later might be too late for them, Dallyss. And we desperately need the information. I’ll try.

– Oh, Lynn… You reminded me of myself in my youth. These dim aren’t about communication at all. Reflexes and nothing more. And no valuable information ever came directly from them… But good luck to you.

– Thanks, Eilynn. Evo! Could you please try to inform the vallos of the nearest settlement that something… at least noteworthy, at most panic-worthy, is happening in the Wasteland?

– Will do.

– Thanks. I’ll join you all soon. Though I have a thought to join the scouts.

– But not the silenced ones.

– No way.

– Stay in the flow.

– Always.

And the main group immediately regained its previous speed. Without ceasing choral activity as always.

– To the Great Light Mountain we finally go!

A Community noised approvingly.

– Yeah! Good spot!

– Best ever.

– Even better. I’ll make a teapot immediately once we’re there.

– Why are we so slow then?!

– Why did we even wait?!

– Because of Lynn.

– So stupid of us!

– Stupid Lynn.

– I heard it, Dea.

– Of course you did.

With amazing speed, the crowd disappeared, leaving Lynn to deftly hop from tree to tree, making her way to the two faintly shimmering spots in the Forest, which seemed to be occupied with harvesting some berries and plants.

II. Could it be a new home?

The attention of the entire Ellogos’ cohort flowed as one unified, admiring stream toward the Mountain.

A fine place to settle. Wonderful vibrations. Clean water in the lake. All the joys of natural life. Despite the nearby large human settlement.

Just returned from its mission, tired Lynn tore its gaze away from the majestic view, which had held its attention captive for a long while, and tuned into the no less beautiful «Chorus».

It was a pure harmony. As usual. Each voice appeared precisely at its Universe-ordained moment, forming the Pattern of Life in miniature.

But it was a totally unsettling chaos for a young one. It remembers the feeling of being lost in tons of information, coming from hundreds of voices, including the Archive streams, in which you constantly get unwillingly distracted, forgetting to hold your attention on the desirable subjects.

The older ones could operate everything at once. But not Lynn. It barely got used to not getting lost in all these signals.

– Well. Settling in. Finally.

– Yeah, Tess, but it’s sad to be without the things we used to.

– Don’t worry, Illyss. We’ll recreate them from memory. Or invent something better.

– It’s so nice here. – Lynn decided to stop listening and make some noise too.

– My favourite spot for meditation.

– Mine too, Evo. The settlement down here looks nice. By the way. Did you hear from our half-ljuses recently?

– Nope. Seems that they’re gaining their experience somewhere else.

– These youngsters.

– They’re not hurrying to join the community, do they?

– At least I didn’t see them, either. Consider it a good sign. – commented the thoroughly weary Tesselynn, who had practically single-handedly cared for the ljuses re-emerging on the Mainland after «perishing» during the attack on their Forest.

– This place looks pretty peaceful. I consider it a good sign also. At least, we can rest. A little.

– Rest? No time for rest! Everything is so fascinating!

– The lake! Let’s ruuuuun! Straight into it!

– Come on!

And the wild crowd surged toward the shimmering source of delight.

– Enjoy yourselves, young souls. We’re staying here.

– Out of the fuss.

– In a relaxed, cosy mood.

– I have a good feeling about this place in general.

– Me too. Nice gnatty circumstances.

– I really like it here. Bog ready to see how things’ll go.

– I’m just glad we can rest and relax. So tired.

– No we can’t. Has anyone seen Gaelle?!

Dallyss sharply interrupted the stream of dismayed comments.

– No! – the Chorus sounded.

Asking was unnecessary.

Dallyss could have consulted the Memory Archive itself. But, attached to the missing ljuses more than anyone, it clearly wanted to draw the Chorus’s attention to its problem.

– We will sort it out, Dallyss. As soon as we settle down here. I think we’ll make it without much trouble; the Unseen won’t reach here soon. For they would have to climb a steep slope, as the short route through the Knapps’ stone dwellings is complicated for them thanks to the Knapps’ efforts. And upon reaching the plateau, they’d run into the dims’ settlement. Which may delay them also. Meanwhile, we’ll be looking for answers. I’m very interested too, believe me.

– I’m just worried it fell asleep in a dangerous place. Or its seed fell somewhere it can’t be grown. In Hellies caves, for example, or…

– I see. I see. I’ll get some rest, and we’ll find it. I swear.

– Thanks, Eilynn. Let’s discuss it later, then. I just wonder why it’s quiet and why there’s no seed.

– Wait a bit. Gaelle is the eldest and most powerful. It should worry about us, not us about it.

– I think you’re right.

– We’ll be fine. So it was, so it will be.

– We’ll be. – Ettellynn interfered. – But what about our home and our belongings? A number of terribly needed things are missing. My tools and materials are now at the disposal of the Unseen. I bet they don’t even know how to use them.

– It’s a good thing they don’t.

The Chorus smirked sarcastically along with Tillyss.

– We’ll get our lands back, if it’s in Universes’ plans.

– And if it’s not?

– Let’s set up a Tea house.

– And wait cosily!

– Yay.

– Totally agree with Maellynn.

– That will take an Eon to build a proper one.

– Aren’t we in a hurry?

– Doesn’t mean we shouldn’t start.

– Otherwise, we’ll have to mourn our losses without a tea house in addition. I didn’t sign for it.

– Me either.

– Me neither.

– Let’s do it then. Lynn?

– I need some rest first.

Lynn flipped over from a position convenient for observing the surroundings to one more suitable for rest. It still lazily listened to the conversation of its «tribe,» no longer bothering to distinguish which voice in the Chorus belonged to which phrase that flashed through the shared space.

It didn’t make much sense anyway.

Over Aeons of co-existence, the single «mind» had practically absorbed the personalities of the individuals, now acting almost as a single organism, which was especially noticeable in the most ancient of them.

Without any words, they knew it instantly, as soon as an impulse arose in the common space. They «verbalised» their thoughts mostly out of habit and for the convenience of the youngsters like Lynn, who didn’t have such powerful perceiving abilities yet. So it had to get used to holding only relevant information at the moment.

– Ooooh… I like that tree over there. I’ll settle on it.

– I fancy the neighbouring one.

– Are you suggesting I watch your tasteless curtains every light again?

– The good news is now you won’t have to. The bad news is they remained on our lands. And I have no spares.

– Pity!

– Yes! I liked Illyss’ curtains. Those colourful bits of captured madness in threads, energies, and fabric would add some cheer here.

– Dea’s grumbling out of envy.

– Well. I’ll weave new ones.

– Make two. And gift the old ones to me once we return home.

– Deal!

Diverting its attention from the closest youngsters’ chatter, Lynn switched back to the elders.

– …the Nejs seemingly planned their attack very well; I must give them that. Surprise appearance is clearly their forte.

– If only they could also get rid of the smell and the clearly noticeable flicker of the inner Abyss up close – they could have crept up almost point-blank.

– Should we have hinted to them… about the smell?

– So helpful. A neja-pleaser.

– And so rude. Don’t hint to them about anything.

– Anyway, we had no time, being busy carrying ourselves away from there as soon as possible.

Lynn thoughtfully paid its half-envious attention to the youngsters’ «embodied gathering» for a moment but decided to return its concentration to the elders’ conversation.

– …looks almost like a therapeutic Development Ellogram… Only in reverse, I think… with some impurities.

Trying to follow, Lynn peered intently into the stored memory in the shared Memory Archive the elders were staring at.

– Creepy…

– Very creepy indeed.

– So. We should mind our own business and shouldn’t tell them about these little Abysses also.

– I think so. Even as you noticed they’re not in a mood for communication, we’re have a guesses, but not knowing literally anything about this Abyss. What is its nature? Where did it come from?

– Should we get a look? Somehow?

– From a safe distance, preferably.

– The problem is precisely that it’s only visible up close, Tillyss.

– And then they activate their creepy «hugs».

– That doesn’t diminish my curiosity.

– Oh no.

– Famous ljus’ curiosity from Dim’s proverb, Stellyss.

– How could I learn something new about the world without it?

– Not being reborn a hundred times?

– It’s not *a hundred*, Tesselynn! Sometimes it is accompanied… by some inconveniences, yes. For you also. Do you think I’m happy getting through this hard ground, regaining my skills and learning to communicate every time? Nope.

– Stop it then.

– And who will do the scouting?

– So, what? Do we… do we need to… try to catch one nej? Somehow?

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