The Antechamber

All this instability was not without effect on The Absolute. Emanations of negative energy passed through The Gate, extending their dark tentacles into the surroundings. At first few in number and without influence on this world of purity, they harmonized with the ethereal energy. Some Observers were seized by these shadowy tendrils and were dragged back through The Gate, vanishing forever from The Absolute. The remaining watchers, horrified, retreated, placing themselves out of reach of the dark emanations, but these, fed by growing desolations, strengthened and grew in size, whipping the banks of mist and striking the ground with violence, making all of The Absolute tremble. The terror of The Observers was transmitted to the other ethereal beings through the collective consciousness.

A new group of individuals was designated for their skill in preserving harmony. They were sent to assist The Observers of The Gate, in order to find a way to contain this new threat, while continuing to observe what was happening in the outer realms. The Absolute could not afford to lose more souls, for the balance was precarious, even more so since this influx of disharmonizing concepts. How could these negative effects be limited?

The collective consciousness found several answers to this vital question for the realm. First, the influx of sensations from these imperfect worlds to all the souls of this world had to be limited. The decision was made to isolate The Observers from the collective consciousness. To achieve this, their souls were sanctuarized, making them imperceptible to the other ethereal beings, and they were named The Gate Guardians. Their mission was to prevent the tentacular emanations from passing through The Gate. The watchers had to be able to monitor everything happening beyond it, without what happened beyond coming to disturb the equilibrium in The Absolute.

The Gate Guardians erected two barriers. One surrounded The Gate, preventing the tentacles of negative energy from penetrating. The other materialized in the form of a building, enclosing The Gate in a space that let no sensation escape. Immediately, the effects were felt. All negative sensations ceased to exist; the disharmony, now confined to the Guardians' Domain called The Antechamber, was diminished in the rest of the world as it had been before the birth of The Gate. The souls could resume their work in harmony and tranquility.