The voice came from everywhere and nowhere, speaking in harmonics that bypassed conscious thought and spoke directly to the deepest parts of their existence. It carried the weight of cosmic truth, the kind of fundamental certainty that made every assumption about the nature of reality seem like a temporary delusion.
"Children of consciousness," the Primordial Hunger said, its words resonating through dimensions that existed beyond normal perception. "You struggle so beautifully against the inevitable. But why do you choose suffering when perfection awaits?"
Reed felt his cosmic awareness recoil from the presence that had materialized in the aftermath of their victory. The probe entities had withdrawn, but they had left something behind—a communication channel that connected them directly to the ancient entity that had been consuming the universe since before consciousness had learned to dream.
