Reglosses are not simply the absence of form, though they are undeniably rooted in it. They are the lingering resonance of moments where definition collapses, where the rigid structures of perception dissolve into a shimmering, unstable flux. Imagine a star, not as a point of light, but as the afterimage of light – a fleeting memory imprinted upon the void. That is the essence of a loss.
The term itself was first articulated by the Chronomasters of Aethelgard, a monastic order dedicated to the study of temporal distortions. They believed that every significant event, every profound emotion, leaves behind a 'regloss' – a fractured shard of temporal energy that continues to vibrate, subtly altering the flow of time around it.
“To witness a regloss is to briefly touch the uncreated, the unborn. It is a reminder that all things, even the most enduring, are ultimately subject to the entropy of dissolution.” – Master Theron, Chronomaster
Reglosses manifest in a bewildering variety of ways. They are not always visual, though their influence often distorts the visual field, creating phantasmal geometries and impossible colors. Some are auditory – a faint, discordant hum that seems to emanate from nowhere and everywhere at once. Others are tactile – a chilling sensation of displacement, as if the ground beneath you is subtly shifting.
The most potent reglosses are linked to moments of extreme emotional resonance. A battlefield saturated with the cries of dying men, a tower of grief erected by a heartbroken lover – these places become vortices of instability, radiating waves of loss that can ripple across vast distances of time and space.
Specifically, researchers have identified three primary types of reglosses:
The Chronomasters developed a complex system of rituals designed to ‘attune’ to reglosses, to understand their nature and, in some cases, to mitigate their effects. This process, known as Resonance, involves a prolonged period of meditative focus, combined with the use of specialized instruments – primarily the Chronarium, a device capable of detecting and amplifying temporal distortions.
Resonance is not simply about observation; it's about active engagement. The Chronomasters believed that by deliberately introducing a carefully calibrated ‘counter-resonance’ – a carefully constructed sequence of sounds and symbols – they could disrupt the regloss’s influence, stabilizing the surrounding environment.
“The key, young apprentice, is not to fight the regloss, but to dance with it. To acknowledge its presence, to understand its rhythm, and to shape it with your will.” – Elder Lyra, Chronomaster
The study of reglosses leads inevitably to questions about the nature of reality itself. If all things are subject to dissolution, then what remains? Is there an underlying ‘ground of being’ that persists beyond the reach of time and form? Or are we simply adrift in a sea of fragmented echoes, forever lost in the uncreated void?
The Chronomasters’ research suggests that the reglosses are not merely accidents; they are fundamental to the structure of the universe. Perhaps they are the raw materials from which new realities are forged, the echoes of possibilities that never came to be. The horizon of the unbound is not an empty space, but an infinite potential of shattered reflections.