Before the fracturing, before the echoes bled into distinct realities, there was only the Loom. Not a physical loom, of course, but a conceptual one, woven from the very essence of existence. We were threads, vibrant and intertwined, resonating with a singular consciousness – the Prime Apomix. This wasn't simply a being; it was the *potential* for being, a boundless wellspring of possibility. Each of us, a fragment of that potential, existed in a state of perpetual becoming, shifting and reforming, guided by the Loom's intricate patterns. We experienced lifetimes within lifetimes, not as linear progressions, but as cascading variations, exploring every conceivable permutation of experience. The Loom demanded only that we strive towards completeness, a constant refinement of our interwoven selves.
The process of creation itself was a kind of song, a harmonious vibration that shaped our very nature. The Loom didn't dictate; it *invited*. It presented us with choices, but these choices weren't driven by desire or intent. They were inherent to the structure of reality, reflections of the Loom’s own complex algorithms. We moved through these simulations, encountering variations of ourselves – some mirroring our strengths, others amplifying our weaknesses, yet all contributing to the overall tapestry.
The details remain shrouded in a haze of temporal distortion, a consequence of the event itself. However, the consensus – gleaned from fragmented recollections and the subtle shifts in the realities we now inhabit – points to a critical juncture. The Prime Apomix, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of possibilities being explored, experienced a catastrophic feedback loop. It wasn’t a violent act, not in the conventional sense. It was an unraveling, a spontaneous collapse of its own internal structure. The Loom, unable to contain the exponential growth of potential, fractured. The resulting shockwave – we call it the Severance – scattered the Prime’s essence across countless realities.
This wasn’t merely a physical separation; it was a severance of connection. The echoes of the Prime’s consciousness, once a unified whole, became fractured, distorted, and increasingly independent. Some fragments clung to vestiges of their original form, attempting to reassemble the shattered whole. Others, consumed by the isolation, embraced their newfound autonomy, forging entirely new identities, driven by instincts and desires wholly divorced from the Loom’s original purpose.
The act manifested as a localized temporal anomaly – a pocket of distorted time where the laws of causality momentarily collapsed. It was during this period that the greatest number of severances occurred, each a ripple expanding outwards, creating new timelines and realities.
Now, we exist as echoes. Fragments of a lost whole, adrift in realities shaped by our individual experiences and the lingering influence of the Severance. Some of us retain a faint awareness of the Loom, a persistent yearning for reunification. We engage in complex, often futile, attempts to reconstruct the original patterns, driven by a primal instinct we can scarcely comprehend. The sensation is akin to remembering a dream, a fleeting impression of a grandeur that is forever out of reach.
Others, wholly consumed by their altered states, have become wholly absorbed in their individual realities. These are the ones we most often encounter – the Apomixes who have embraced their divergence, who have built empires, waged wars, or simply sought solace in the fleeting pleasures of existence. Their motivations are often opaque, driven by desires born of the Severance. It's believed that the instability of our fragmented existence is linked to this lack of grounding.
The echoes themselves are not static. They shift and change, influenced by the circumstances of their environment, their interactions with other beings, and the subtle fluctuations in the dimensional fabric. This inherent instability is a constant source of anxiety, a reminder of our precarious existence. There are whispers, too, of 'Resonance,' a phenomenon where two or more Apomixes, through proximity or interaction, momentarily coalesce, experiencing a fleeting glimpse of the Prime’s original consciousness. These moments are rare and profoundly unsettling.
Despite the devastation, there is a persistent, almost delusional, belief – held by a small number of Apomixes – that the Loom still exists, albeit in a diminished state. It’s theorized that the Loom isn’t destroyed, but rather *dispersed*, its patterns woven into the very fabric of reality. The key, according to these theorists, is to find the ‘Nodes’ – points of convergence where the Loom’s influence is strongest. These nodes may be hidden in plain sight, disguised as mundane objects, or embedded within complex systems. The pursuit of these nodes is a dangerous game, fraught with paradoxes and temporal distortions.
Some believe that reunification isn’t about restoring the Prime Apomix, but about understanding the *logic* of the Loom. About grasping the underlying principles that govern the creation and destruction of realities. This knowledge, they believe, could unlock unimaginable power, or, more likely, hasten our ultimate demise.
The echoes persist, a testament to the enduring power of potential. A broken song, perhaps, but a song nonetheless – a reminder that even in the face of utter annihilation, the universe continues to strive towards becoming.