Zar rejoices to the heavens: 

this moment here

and what came before

this i wish to recur eternally

forever through life’s door

to my mind i retreat

and claim my throne

i am the cave’s prophet

to face what is unknown

Zar departs the Sea of Sunyata and travels up the Mountain of Mortality. Passing the Altar of Obedience, he comes upon the Lake of Solitude reflecting the Mountain’s stillness and its majestic peak. 

Near a cave, he starts a small fire that draws an eagle and serpent to its warmth. Zar lies beneath the firelight, convinced the stars are witnessing him. He closes his eyes, but sleep does not come easily.