A Chronometric Defect

We finally got the Abyssals out of their cage. What awaited us was not what we'd expected.

We'd done a good job sealing them away, we thought. The few breaches we'd had recently were not a problem, we thought.

We thought wrong.

They'd merged while in captivity. And the one which resulted? It grew bigger. Significantly.

It must have another way to... Eat. It's not enough for that thing to merely consume the power of gods, sins, and virtues. It must be eating away at reality itself.

It. Is. HUGE.

The three we sealed away were at the level of Rank 1 or perhaps early Rank 2 gods. Easy enough to corral.

But this?

What the hell is it?

Does it have a definable rank?

I watch an Abyssal tentacle slide through a galaxy, nigh-instantly sucking up its entirety.

I look far into the distance. I can sense the space around its void form, so at least I can estimate its full size.

It's incredibly far away from where I am. The bulk of its body hasn't even entered this vicinity. Yet, despite the size it already has, and despite the lack of matter or energy in this endless expanse of space—

It's growing. So, so quickly.

I quickly transfer away, despite the lack of good I know that'll do me.

"We've made a dire mistake. No. Even if we hadn't, how much longer would this monstrosity have remained caged? What is it consuming? How is it growing? Accelerating, even?"

"It's metric expansion."

I turn.

Chronovoid appeared and I didn't notice?

He's scarier than that thing. Not by much, but at least I can sense the Abyssal by the fact it makes a void in space.

I can't sense him. At all.

It's like he IS space.

"Metric expansion?"

"As the universe's energy becomes bound into an unusable state, unavailable for work, the universe itself expands in response. Except, it doesn't increase in size— at least not in the typical sense. Rather, the space between quanta gets farther apart. The lack of energy available to do work causes the universe to give up on holding itself together."

"I'm aware. How does that relate to the Abyssal?"

He shakes his head.

"It's not eating reality. It's making itself reality."

"Isn't that the same thing?"

"In a way, yes. I do the same."

I float backward slightly.

What have we DONE?!

He continues.

"When most creatures eat, they expel some energy as work, and some as waste. Even when gods like gluttony eat, it makes their body larger. That thing— it isn't growing. It's staying the same size. Instead, the universe is being absorbed into its body. Thus, from our perspective, it appears to be growing."

"The entire universe? You're saying the god realm is safe?"

He shakes his gemstone head.

"Nowhere is safe. Not anymore."

I look at the Abyssal.

It's 'expanding' so quickly.

Its body will be outside this universal void within moments. The universe itself will vanish soon after. He may only have a few moments to live, yet for some reason, he's still standing here talking.

I look back at Chronovoid.

"Are you going to... Fight it?"

"I need time to prepare to take this step; it's a lot for me to accept. You too, Love. You went back to breaking the seal. Now you'll get to see what you've created. I don't know why you did it— so you must watch, must understand by seeing the result. What you've created is not love, hate, or even indifference. You've created the end."

"How do you know that thing is 'the end?'"

I feel a horrifying sensation that quashes my entire existence. It goes SO far beyond the dark shivers we felt before. I watch as Chronovoid... Transforms.

His body turns into a giant maw.

I realize.

No. It's not only that. My terror is... Somehow feeding it.

A grating sound blasts my entire existence.

‡‡‡‡THAT'S NOT THE END‡‡‡‡

...

‡‡‡‡I AM‡‡‡‡

IT vanishes.

IT eats the Abyssal.

In one bite.

Then, the maw begins to shift and morph.

As if it wasn't enough to be such a horrid creature.

As if nothing would ever be enough.

As if what awaits us is— the end itself.

It, the maw? It also grows.

It continues where the Abyssal left off.

Except, somehow...

Better.

More completely.

Space isn't only collapsing into its body. The universe isn't merely shrinking around it. It isn't just getting bigger. It isn't staying the same in any conceivable way.

It— it's growing. It's growing deeper into reality. I feel as though I'm fading into nothingness.

Meanwhile... The maw becomes ever more real.

It's hard to describe, since I'm not becoming physically transparent. I can't even clearly see what's eating away at space. I just feel that my existence means... Less. The house containing my Will, my body— it isn't the only thing becoming lesser, either.

Will itself is losing meaning.

The maw is replacing us.

It's our final end.

Not just here.

It's over...