As Emotive spoke, its form, which usually shifted through a spectrum of vibrant feelings, was now covered in a murky, roiling light of unhappiness and a nascent, terrifying rage.
THE Creature's eyes, a reflection of everything and nothing, were silent, observing the storm brewing within Emotive's being.
THE Living Emotive continued, its voice now laced with a philosophical gravitas. "I have spent eons observing, and I believe I have found the two great forces that drive existence: fear and love. Across all the Folds, in every life and every weaving, countless beings are driven by these two."
" Fear, because it is the most primal of emotions. It causes a hunter to rise each day, to seek sustenance, to build a home, all for the fear of being poor, or hungry, or alone. Fear of having no say in one's life, of being a slave to the will of others, a leaf caught in a storm"
"And love... ah, love is the counterbalance. It drives a being to find its counterpart, someone who understands them, feels their needs, and caters to them. In the pursuit of this love, empires are formed, countless complex weavings bloom, and beings rise to unimaginable heights."
THE Creature listened, its form shifting, a subtle nod of agreement in its posture.
"That is accurate," its voice resonated. "But others would say it is recognition and power that move existence. They seek to leave a mark, to not be insignificant. They desire to have a voice, to command and be obeyed. You, my dear Emotive, are yourself driven by this need for recognition, and I fear it may just destroy you… or countless others."
…!
THE Creature's form, an Inevitability of pure hunger, shifted. "I know the others have not been kind to you. But whatever it is you are planning… turn back. Do not do it."
THE Creature's warning was not a command, but a plea. It was the first, and perhaps only, to see that THE Living Emotive had reached a tipping point, a place of no return.
But at that moment, THE Living Emotive could only smile. It was a chilling emotion, a light that burned with a terrifying, unholy fire.
It was a smile that spoke of a point of no return, of a plan already set in motion.
"There is no turning back," THE Living Emotive's voice whispered, a promise of impending doom.
It paused, its form roiling with a tumultuous array of feelings, and then a cold, frightening light replaced all other emotions.
"Actually," it said, "I will change my answer. The biggest drive for existence… is suffering. A powerful emotion. A powerful state. Through suffering, many will find their drive in existence."
"Through suffering, beings discover their true nature. Through suffering, they find meaning in meaninglessness. A comfortable existence teaches nothing, but suffering? Suffering transforms. A child who never knows hunger never appreciates food. A being who never faces loss never values what they have. Suffering is the greatest teacher, the most honest friend, the only force that creates genuine growth."
BOOM!
Its voice carried the weight of decision already made.
"So let there be endless suffering. Let every existence know pain intimate enough to transform them. Let comfort become memory and struggle become constant. Through this gift of suffering, existence will finally achieve its potential…not through gentle guidance but through desperate necessity."
THE Creature felt Existence shift slightly, reality accepting a new constant that shouldn't have been possible to implement. THE Living Emotive had done something fundamental, something that couldn't be reversed.
"What have you done?" THE Creature asked, though it already knew.
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