The eerie reality was a digital shell pink until grains of sand rendered in. Rolling winds carried debris from barren salt flats until the dark violet sky with a new moon spawned beyond Spiderland's frozen tatters, the desert winds only cradling moonlit sand now. Between tall and shadowy hoodoos Spiderland floated in a t-pose, descending towards a cluster of cacti and shrubs. Forgoing noclipping any further, vis cape-like netrunning coat went from static to flapping against the gusts brushing past apples of Sodom, letting gravity land ver on a natural flagstone.

  Spiderland approached the tip of the stone that was submerged in sand, it pointing to one solitary shrub among the rest. Perhaps it was because Spiderland knew of its properties, but by physical appearance alone the shrub could be told apart. The aforementioned thorny gas plant was reminiscent of a pointy tower, ten spherical coils forming three pillars while one sphere coiled at the top of the bush. Spiderland brought vis translucent hands palm to palm, both forefingers alighting their nerves with flux as ve brought vis right forefinger under the left forefinger, curling all vis fingers together after the right forefinger's nail descended to the level of the left hand's knuckles. Once all of Spiderland's fingers finished curling the bush combusted, the newborn smoke taking the shape of a human rather than ascending to the night sky.

  "I decline your wish to go back in between the lines!" Spiderland yelled at the smoke taking the shape of a teenager, pulling both of vis arms to vis sides. "Take your real shape! You are thirty-three in your reality and I know that for a fact!"

  From habit Spiderland expected for his smoke to aflesh, but the smoke only kept absorbing more aerial carbon dioxide compounds. However, the inky fog did give his clothing more detail rather than leaving him amorphous. His hood was up from his hoodie, and even the smoke laptop in his grasp took dimensions.

  "Why would I?" the existing one asked, his voice sounding more digital than real. "I once upon a time imagined this as a teenager didn't I?"

  "What the hell is going on?" Joaquim asked Iggy in the void.

  Gabe was preoccupied with the invisible floor a few feet away, but Joaquim and the floating head and arm of Iggy were staring at each other.

  I'd be happy to explain, Iggy said. But first...

  Iggy's right skeletal arm spawned right behind Gabe, grabbing him by the collar of his pajamas and dragging him closer to Joaquim. After the arm let go of Gabe both arms manifested dull axes, the limbs spinning and levitating in the correct positions to swing at the brothers.

  Where do your allegiances lie?

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Spiderland formed a fist with vis right hand towards the human-shaped smoke. "I see your reality. The way men have changed and written the Bible, the Quran, other religions... to fit their own agendas."

  "I understand that their writers were people that were crazy enough to believe that an ancient science fiction story could change the world... and in some ways they were right," the existing one said. "However... there is no guarantee that could be me. The one to do it all over again after two thousand years. It's not up to me to decide that either... all I can do is document the things I see in my mind."

  "But say your beliefs as the existing one! I shall help you!" Spiderland demanded. "It sickens me how certain humans side with Ukraine and Israel, and how others side with Russia and Palestine... simply because it is convenient to them! It is vile that no one in power cares about principles. The truth. Morality. People simply pick and choose their version of reality to what. These events affect my timelines how you write about potential futures! Where are the humans with principles? And the aforementioned wars are only one example! I am sick of your humans not caring about truth at all, morals be damned."

  "Well... I am trying to read in between the lines of what you are telling me... and I am not sure if that can be considered ironic," the existing one said. "However... what you are trying to say is... you don't simply want me to have power in my own story, but you want me to have power in my own reality? Is that correct?"

  "Yes!" Spiderland yelled, both vis eyes glowing brighter for a moment. "You must be a character in this story. When these chapters take shape in the physical world, people will heed your words—"

  "They might. They might not," the existing one interrupted. "Spiderland, as much as you understandably put me on a pedestal, the statistics are more likely I'll be just another writer that time will forget. And even if I am wrong about what I just said, what would stop people in the future from misinterpreting my words, intentionally and unintentionally, for their own agendas? I like the idea of a story changing the world, but it's just that. A fantasy. I know I am God to you, but in my own reality, I am just a man. That was what that Exodus chapter was about. I know I am the reason you exist, but I am just a guy."

  "...why aren't you more ambitious?" Spiderland asked.

  "I am more ambitious than ever actually... but it's not up to me to decide how the world receives this. Even if I did everything you asked, there is no way for me to guarantee its outcomes," the existing one responded. "For a long time... I struggled with seeing my writing skills accurately. Having the audacity to believe that I am writing something worth reading while also having my feet on the sands of reality to see where I need to grow. However, now at the age of thirty-three, I can see my skill now and how much higher my ceiling is. This isn't going to be even close to the best thing I write. I can see where I am strong and where I can improve. I am no longer stuck thinking about only this story, I am now instead seeing the virtual realities inside my mind with thousands of stories to tell. It is not just one story, but a thriving cosmology of dreams, nightmares, and visions. Instead of being God I can just be a god in the story now, or at the very least I would like to be the gravity inside planet's crust. The heat death waiting at the end of the universe. The winds of this desert. The sun rays that bring so much barrenness in the twenty-second century. I want to be the place for you to be a god in."

  "No!" Spiderland yelled, ver running down the sandy hill past the flagstone to stop the existing one from dispersing into normal smoke. However vis attempt ended in futility with a fleecy hand tearing through vis netrunning coat and through vis chest.

  Between Liesar's claws drenched in translucent blood was a heart that looked more like cartilage than muscle tissue, his summoner a teenage Ameen taking the place where the existing one was.