Dimensional Descent

The thoughts came in a whirlwind, moving faster and faster, and at some unknown time, Leonel's thoughts began to flow. It was like the thoughts of his heart had helped him to focus, trying to find a central kernel of truth that was Leonel Morales.

For a long time, he had been lost.

In the first portion of his life, he had been led by his future self, led by the nose and controlled by a man who he had yet to become... a man he wasn't even sure if he wanted to be.

Not long ago, he had broken free of those constraints, but it left him confused. His personality seemed to sway with the wind, confused and aimless, as though he had no sense of self or being at all... and the one thing that was truly him, the singular kernel that he was undoubtedly certain was Leonel Morales, also happened to be the one thing that he was just as certain would harm him.

Now, his mind was cracked and fissured, and the only thing that could seem to fix it was understanding himself...

But he didn't even know who he was even after all this time.... And he couldn't help but wonder if anyone ever truly understood themselves.

Thankfully, Mo'Lexi's memory seemed to have awakened something within him. He had felt feelings just now that he hadn't experienced in years...

It wasn't just that it was sadness, he had been capable of feeling that long ago, especially whenever he recalled his father.

What he was truly feeling now was guilt... sympathy... a moral compass that he had thought that he had long since forgotten.

A part of him, a part that was buried extraordinarily deep, hidden beneath layers of logic and indifference... wanted to reach out and help Mo'Lexi.

gotten over his savior

as much a part of him as anything else? A part of

concluded that all lives were equal and that no one could objectively decide that one was better than the other... couldn't he have easily made the opposite conclusion? Wasn't there

That path was obvious.

animal's? What of a plant? If there was

he killed? How many people he tore apart, families he slaughtered, populations he genocided if their lives weren't worth

as logically

remained on that path, seeking out a

him Leonel Morales, committing all sorts of foul deeds that would have made

it all, feeling that there was no use

even a need to think about those things anymore? Was it worth his time, his patience? Were those he had killed that day even worth

truly did not care. To say that he had forgotten them would be a bridge too far, but quite frankly,

Zone in exchange for his brothers, he had made his own assessment of life

no other reason than he could. When it suited him, he was even willing to

he realized that he had