Last String: The Unknown Dimensions

Chapter 2 The Tree

It wasn't the churning, restless seas he'd seen in movies. This was a vast, tranquil mirror reflecting the celestial tapestry above. It stretched as far as his eyes could see, in all directions, its surface unbroken by a single wave or ripple.

"Hmm..." I mumbled, scanning the endless blue horizon. There was nothing but water as far as I could see. Taking a deep breath, I started walking.

Time seemed to lose meaning. Hours must have passed, yet I didn't feel a single ache or a drop of sweat. My body felt weightless, like I was floating on air.

The view was mesmerizing. The endless expanse of the ocean and the twinkling tapestry of stars above held me captive. My mind felt strangely blank.

No worries about how I got here, no frantic need to escape, not even a flicker of doubt about the reality of this place. It was as if all my questions and anxieties had been washed away, leaving only a quiet acceptance of the present moment.

The monotony of the endless blue began to warp after what felt like an eternity. A speck, barely discernible at first, blossomed into a solitary tree in the distance.

As I trekked closer, details sharpened. Its bark, a canvas of weathered greys and browns, seemed to writhe with ancient secrets. Its branches, gnarled and windswept, reached out like supplicant arms towards the endless sky.

Beneath its shade, nestled in the cool embrace of its roots, sat a figure. His posture, legs folded in perfect meditation, spoke of unwavering discipline. His attire, unlike anything I'd ever seen, flowed in shades of ivory and gold, shimmering faintly with an otherworldly luminescence.

It held an uncanny resemblance to the garb of sages from ancient Bharatiya epics brought to life on television, but imbued with an undeniable aura of power and wisdom.

Reaching a comfortable distance, I cleared my throat and started, "I'm Karma..."

The figure's eyes snapped open, revealing pools of ancient wisdom. A faint smile played on his lips as he spoke. "How can I help you, Karma? After all, the path you chose has led you here."

His words triggered a dam break within me. All the questions that had vanished under the endless blue sky came crashing back. "Great sage," I blurted, "do you know anything about this place? Where am I?"

The sage chuckled, a slow, rumbling sound. "There's no need for such urgency, young one. Calm yourself, take a deep breath." His voice carried a soothing cadence, calming my racing heart. "I know what troubles you," he continued, his gaze sharpening. "You seek answers about this place... and the strings you see, don't you?"

Karma's jaw dropped. How could this stranger know about the cryptic visions that had plagued him since the pond? "Yes," he stammered, a desperate plea in his voice, "Can you tell me what they mean?"

The great sage smiled warmly, his eyes twinkling with ancient wisdom, as he began to speak. "First, let me tell you about this place. I call it the 'Nameless World,' and indeed, I am the one who brought it into existence."

Karma's heart raced with a mixture of awe and disbelief at the sage's revelation. He struggled to process the enormity of what he had just heard, but a sense of calm washed over him as he realized the truth in the sage's words.

"Why did you create this place?" Karma's voice trembled with curiosity and reverence as he dared to question the sage's motives.

The sage's expression softened, his gaze gentle yet penetrating. "The reason is simple, my dear Karma. I sought a sanctuary from the chaos of the physical world, a place of quiet contemplation and meditation free from external interference."

As the sage spoke, Karma felt a deep resonance within his soul, as if he had always known this truth but had never dared to acknowledge it.

"But it seems that, for reasons unknown, this place has become connected to the physical realm," the sage continued, his voice tinged with a hint of concern. "And you, Karma, have some how become intertwined with the root of the Celestial Tree-Vicharavriksh."

Karma's mind reeled at the revelation, his thoughts swirling like the currents of the vast ocean that surrounded them. He struggled to comprehend the significance of his connection to the enigmatic Celestial Tree.

"What is Vicharavriksh?" Karma's voice was barely above a whisper, filled with awe and trepidation.

The sage's eyes sparkled with ancient knowledge as he explained, "Vicharavriksh, the Tree of Concepts, is a metaphysical embodiment of all concepts... "

Karma's mind raced as he tried to grasp the profound implications of the sage's words. "The Tree of Concepts," he repeated, his voice tinged with wonder and disbelief.

"Yes, indeed," the sage confirmed with a nod. "And the strings you see, Karma, represent various concepts. The continuous string represents mathematics, the highest..."

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NOTE :-
Vicharavriksh meaning.
Vichara means ' CONCEPT or Thought ' but here it's a Concept and Vriksh means 'TREE' in Sanskrit