Ouroboros

The same dream over and over again. I find myself on a deserted planet devoid of life. Nothing around me, only asteroids, stars, dark energy and celestial debris. I get up, dust myself off and move on, trying to find someone, or something in this mess of a place. I can't find anyone. I can only see astral tendrils, strange celestial tentacles and beings corrupted by some strange energy I have never seen, nor felt before.

I try to murmur some of my protective enchantments just to be sure, but it's no use. My magics are so weak, that even a tame sheep could get through them. As I move from one wreck to another I see some remnants of a civilization. Destroyed gadgets that I have never seen on our planet, a great deal of them. I wonder what kind of civilization lived here and what brought their downfall upon them. Was it pride? Gluttony? Or none of these sins, but some bored celestial god or goddess?

Then, the visions start. I see the flashbacks of the civilization, strange humanoid entities trading between one another, evolving faster than our human race ever could, building skyscrapers, employing multiple sources of green and celestial energy all at once. However, one of these flashbacks changes everything. The entities suddenly bicker, argue and rage. Everyone is anxious, annoyed and not in control of their emotions. Buildings blowing up, sky being bloody red, fire everywhere, apocalypse. As these flashbacks end I find myself on my knees. Getting up I see something shimmer in the distance, so I decide to explore further.

As I move through the rubble of buildings and galactic debris I see a humanoid figure kneeling in front of some symbol. The person is mumbling something similar to a poem:

"This is our undoing,
We cannot keep going.
Luna, Solis, give us our strength
May we never be hungry again,
May we never be hungry again.
May we NEVER be hungry again.
May we never...be...hungry."

As they finish the 'poem' they just disappear into a pile of stardust, leaving only the symbol in its place. I come closer since it's safe now and sneak a peek at the symbol. It's a snake, coiling and twisting in a strange pattern, but the strangest thing is the action that it depicts. The snake is eating itself. That is the representation of Ouroboros cycle.

The Ouroboros cultists back home on Meliora are fanatics who just want to see the world destroyed and in ruin. Maybe a similar cult was the downfall of this civilization, which would make sense looking around me. After seeing this symbol I always wake up in a pool of sweat with a sharp inhale. What are the Imperators trying to tell me? Or is this something else trying to communicate with me? It'd maybe be easier to have ties with Utopea or The Academy, but I'm used to doing things my way.

I've decided to prepare a ritual during which the spirits of our world will be forced to communicate with me and tell me their secrets. It's like playing detectives when we were little, but with dangerous spirits, potentially even some that want me dead for waking them up from their slumber.

...

I've ventured into the forest close to my cottage, it's the best place for rituals. I did not tell anyone about this, and I'm not even planning to do so after the ritual. I cast my circle and got ready by enchanting myself with protection magic, starting the ritual.

"Spiritus inferi audi me," I feel as if the gates of the Underworld opened, the trees around me losing their lush green colour, turning into grey husks of once alive flora.
"Cupio scire secreta tua." The spirits rushing through the open gate feel as if a monster was trying to tear through the veil of this world. I manage to hold my ground while sitting in my circle, my strength not wavering.
"Exite, hospites mei!" As I finish, it's as if the time has stopped. Suddenly I'm starting to feel a strong presence surrounding me. Looking around I see nothing, only pitch black, some grey leaves falling here and there. What is very suspicious and strangely calm is the quiet. Rituals like this mostly involve the spirits screeching and howling in agony.

Suddenly, a strange snake starts coiling around my circle. It's purple with strange injuries on its body, these injuries look like small tears in reality – I can see the stars and galaxies in them. The snake is not large, but the opposite is true! It's very small, but somehow I still feel respect for this spirit. "You have managed to do the ritual, child. For that I am grateful." It spoke, but did not make a sound at the same time. The voice was in my head, not in the real plane of existence. "I always like to give the people a chance to fight or run, whatever they choose. I am known by many names, but many of the planets and cultures call me The Devourer, you may know me as the main actor of the Ouroboros cycle. As you can see, I am yet small and weak to devour this planet, but the time is coming. Sooner or later, you all are doomed. So go, tell your mortal friends of this great apocalypse, witch!"

As the snake finishes it suddenly evaporates into the air, and I snap back to reality. Trees around me gained their lush green colour, the air stopped smelling of death and spirits, and I returned to my mortal flesh. Shaken and confused I made my way to my cottage where I fell on the ground falling asleep dreaming of Ouroboros again, and again. Maybe I'm going crazy and maybe something really stirs in the spiritual realm, but today, I will not act. I will only sleep.