History: "Silent Temptation"

 

Silent Temptation

Lazlo and Brixen were not like humans. They had no tangible bodies or worldly occupations. They were composed of dark matter, a substance that escaped human senses and hid from plain sight, existing in the shadows of reality. Their forms were abstract, like blurry outlines that flickered between the visible and the invisible, reflecting flashes in some spectrum of light that no human eye could perceive.

To humanity, so primitive and ignorant of the structure of the universe, they were simply ghosts. And to be like Lazlo and Brixen, the Earth was just a big playground. And human beings, simple and empty, were considered almost as important as an insect.

The life of Lazlo and Brixen was one of perpetual leisure. These beings, who lived between the fourth and fifth dimensions, had no need to eat, sleep or work. Their existence was reduced to observing, to floating through space and time, to laughing at human clumsiness.

Beings from the fourth and fifth dimensions could embody themselves to be seen by humans. And when they did, they could be perceived as ghostly figures or as ordinary humans, depending on their own will. It was known throughout the galaxies of the universe that any being could project itself into the lower dimensions, so ethereal entities could embody themselves depending on the context.

To these fourth- and fifth-dimensional beings, who belonged to the different castes of ethereals, humans were fascinating and predictable creatures, full of repressed desires, hidden frustrations, and emotions bubbling just beneath the surface.

Lazlo and Brixen, friends since time immemorial, belonged to the ancient Yaksha caste who, to avoid eternal boredom, entertained themselves by manipulating humans as if they were pieces in a great strategy game.

Lazlo was a cunning, devious creature who to exploit the small, repressed desires liked that people tried to hide. He loved to take a fleeting thought, an almost forgotten longing, and turn it into an all-consuming obsession. His style was subtle, almost poetic, like a whisper in the mind that made people believe that all their bad decisions were their own ideas. “Do you really need to go on that diet?” he would murmur in his victim's head, and he would smile as he watched them give in to temptation. His delight lay in the elegance of his manipulations, in how he could convince people that their most destructive impulses were rational.

Brixen, on the other hand, was direct, sarcastic, and loved to sow chaos. He didn't have Lazlo's patience for delicate mind games; he preferred to provoke dramatic and explosive situations. His fun was in pushing people just as they were on the edge of the cliff, giving them that little nudge that set off a series of disasters. "What if you make a bold decision today?" he would insinuate into the mind of someone who had endured the same boring routine for years. And then he would sit back and enjoy the show as it all fell apart. To Brixen, human life was a tragicomedy that needed more drama to be truly entertaining.

They were both artists of temptation. They had honed their skills at implanting thoughts and ideas into human minds undetected, triggering emotions that pulsed through the subconscious of their victims. Like shadows, they glided through the streets, sneaking into offices, homes, bars, and parks, always looking for new targets they could make dance to their capricious whims. While humans believed they were making free choices, Lazlo and Brixen pulled the invisible strings that controlled the subconscious, all the while laughing silently as they watched the tragedies they themselves had brought about unfold.

One beautiful summer night, bored with their empty, routine lives, Lazlo and Brixen were floating above a fully illuminated human city, watching the little figures coming and going. They stared intently at these pathetic, comical beings as if they were looking at an anthill.

-"This is getting boring," Brixen said, stretching out like an ink blot across the sky . "We always end up with the same story: people falling into temptation, ruining their lives, and regretting it later. We need something different, something more fun."

Lazlo smirked as his dark figure flickered in the gloom . “A bet, perhaps?” he said playfully . “You pick one, I’ll pick the other. Let’s see who can get their ‘target’ to do the most clever and entertaining blunder in… let’s say thirty days.”

Brixen leaned forward, as if sensing an exciting idea in the air. “I like it. But no cheap tricks. These should be complex situations, full of nuances. The more ridiculous and outrageous, the better. Who wins? The one who causes the most suffering?”

-"No, no, no"- Lazlo answers with a touch of sophistication in his voice -"Suffering is just one part. Creativity counts. Elegance, surprise. It should be something that makes us laugh and cry at the same time."-

Brixen gave a dark chuckle . “Perfect. Then the bet is made.”

And so, the game began once again for the friends. Lazlo and Brixen split up, each looking for a new ' target '. After observing several humans, snooping through their thoughts and rummaging through their emotions, he settled on Laura, an empowered and beautiful woman who seemed to have everything under control on the surface, but who hid a weariness and boredom that he could barely bear. For Brixen, the victim would be Carlos, a dark office worker with a life so routine that he had forgotten his last smiles of joy long ago.

The two friends from the Yaksha caste prepared to start their fun, with the promise that this time it would not be just a game of temptations. They had to achieve a masterpiece of manipulation, which would leave terrible marks on humans. Both were determined to win.

Lazlo decided that his game with Laura would be a masterpiece of seduction and that it would exploit her secret desire to stand out. The woman had spent years of her life being the responsible, efficient, and almost invisible person that everyone expected her to be. She followed a predictable routine that took her to work, home, cooking, sleeping, and repeating her activities in a terrifyingly routine rhythm. She always dressed in comfortable, discreet clothes, and had learned not to stand out so as not to attract attention. However, Lazlo had seen within her a small spark of dissatisfaction, a barely perceptible desire to break the rules and stand out, to achieve something that made her feel different.

Lazlo crept into her mind like a gentle breeze, whispering ideas that blended with her own thoughts . “What would be wrong with someone noticing you, with you standing out for your differences?” For days he planted seemingly harmless ideas as Laura strolled through the mall or surfed the internet, coming across little phrases that pushed her to fantasize about a more colorful and glamorous life. “Why can’t you treat yourself? After all, you work hard… You deserve something special.” Slowly, the ideas began to grow and, like a seed, took root in her mind. Lazlo encouraged Laura to look at shop windows with luxurious and extravagant clothes, shiny dresses and jewelry she would never have considered wearing before.

Laura began to feel tempted. She told herself it was just curiosity, but soon she found excuses to go back to the mall. One day, while standing in front of a mirror in a fancy store, she tried on a gold dress that clung to her body and called attention for its ostentation and sensuality. It didn’t fit at all with her usual style, but there was something about the image that reflected back to her that she liked. It was as if, for an instant, she was someone else, someone bolder and more provocative, a woman who wasn’t afraid of being seen. “Just this once,” she said to herself, as she swiped her credit card to buy it, ignoring the twinge of guilt that a part of her brain was trying to reveal. Lazlo smiled, knowing that the first step towards temptation had been taken.

Meanwhile, Brixen was busy with Carlos, but his approach was far less gentle than Lazlo's. Carlos was a man trapped in the monotony of a job he hated, leading a life that seemed to have no way out. His frustration grew with each passing day, and Brixen could feel that pent-up energy building up, waiting to be released. Unlike his friend Lazlo, Brixen liked to make things explode all at once. He knew that he didn't need to convince Carlos with soft words; he just needed to push him into a situation that would lead him to act on full impulse.

-“What would you do if you could experience something exciting, just once?”- she whispered in his ear, as Carlos sat at his desk staring at the same screen he had seen for years. While attending boring meetings and in the midst of endless commutes, Brixen planted fleeting images in his mind: a vision of adventure, the feeling of risk, the taste of forbidden desire. Soon, those images begin to take a more defined form: the image of Veronica, his boss’s wife, with whom he often exchanged glances at company meetings. Stolen glances filled with a repressed latent tension.

Brixen intensified the temptation, pushing Carlos to make impulsive decisions. “Just an innocent chat,” Carlos thought when he approached Veronica during a corporate event . “Nothing wrong with a simple conversation.” But Brixen made sure the chat flowed into something more. He slipped into his victim’s mind that this might be his only chance to feel alive, to do something off-script. Carlos began to let himself go, initiating a series of furtive encounters with Veronica that became increasingly risky. Brixen’s whispers encouraged him to take bigger risks. “What’s life without a little danger? What’s love if it doesn’t feel forbidden?”

For Lazlo and Brixen, this was just the beginning. The two invisible beings watched from the shadows as Laura and Carlos became more and more entangled in their own decisions, knowing that they only needed to keep up the pressure to see their lives begin to fall apart. For them, it was an exquisite game, a chess game in which humans were the pieces and they were the strategists. What they didn't know was that they weren't the only players in that game, and that someone else had begun to pull the strings on the board without them suspecting it.

Lazlo and Brixen floated in the gloom of the city, invisible to everyone but themselves. They came to the edge of a tall building, staring into the windows of apartments, offices and shops, as if they were television screens tuned to different channels showing the human drama.

Lazlo laughed mockingly – “Look at that, Brixen. Laura is about to open another letter from the bank. How many times have they warned her to stop buying unnecessary things? And yet, there she is… one bill after another. The poor thing can barely keep calm.” –

Brixen laughed in tune with his friend - "Ah, it's glorious! Do you realize that just a month ago, she was the most restrained of all? The typical 'responsible person' who never went over budget. And now, look at her. All thanks to you, friend. What did you tell her? That life was too short to save?" -

Lazlo replied , “Something along those lines. I just needed to plant the idea that she was missing out on everything. And it worked like a charm! Every time she tried on a dress, I could feel her convincing herself that this was what would give her the thrill she was looking for. And now… she has more clothes in her closet than there are days in the month to wear them.” He laughed in satisfaction.

Brixen spluttered heartily – “Ha! And meanwhile, Carlos… oh, Carlos. He never imagined that his monotonous life would take such an exciting turn. Look how he gets nervous every time someone mentions his boss. It’s like he expects someone to find out at any moment. But still… he can’t resist.”

Both beings looked towards a brightly lit office in the center of the city. Carlos was sitting at his desk, sweating as he checked his phone, worried about a text he just got from Veronica.

Lazlo sighed in delight - "Ah... the sweet sound of panic. It's like music to my ears. You know, we could sell tickets to this. 'Watch a man ruin his life in real time!' " -

Brixen smiled deeply , "Yes, but the best part of all is how easy it was. I just had to remind him that he was stuck in a rut, and he did the rest. He threw himself into Veronica's arms as if it were the adventure he'd been waiting for his whole life. And now... he's caught in his own web. Secret messages, sneaky dates, lies. Who needs soap operas when you can see this?"

Lazlo said –“Well, we can’t forget about the other little details. See that guy waiting outside Carlos’s office? He’s a private investigator his boss hired. And here’s the best part: he didn’t even have to suspect Carlos, but Veronica. Everything is going to collapse like a house of cards in a hurricane. What a great ending to the plot!”-

Brixen couldn't help but laugh – “Amazing! And here I thought some humans were good at planning. But look how they trip over their own feet, again and again. They don't need a push, just a little whisper here and there, and boom! They're lost.” –

Lazlo leaned forward, watching as Laura took another call from the debt collector. She stared at the phone, too anxious to answer.

-"What I love is that it all seems so... mundane. What could be more ordinary than debt? But that little detail is eating away at her entire life. Her marriage is in jeopardy, she's had constant arguments with her husband about her spending, and to top it off, she's starting to lie to cover it up. All for dresses she didn't even want in the first place. Art, pure art!" Lazlo shook his head in delight .

Brixen said thoughtfully –“Hard to know who will fall first. Say. Carlos is playing with fire, but Laura… she is one step away from breaking down. Maybe she will reach the point of breaking first. But you know what… why choose? We can enjoy both at the same time.” –

They both  laughed amongst the city lights as people went on with their lives, oblivious to the forces that manipulated them.

Lazlo and Brixen were watching Laura from their usual spot, a dark corner in the mall, as she examined a pair of flashy, expensive shoes. So far, everything had gone according to plan. Laura was almost determined to buy them, even though her credit card was maxed out.

Lazlo commented with a sly grin – “Look at the way she holds them, Brixen. She can already imagine herself walking around with them, as if they were the perfect accessory to complete her transformation. It’s just a matter of seconds before she gives in and buys them. Another small step towards financial disaster.” –

Brixen replied with a laugh – “Oh, yes. There is no way to stop it now. It is like a train without brakes… and we are the drivers. I love it!”

Suddenly, Laura’s expression changed. Her fingers, which had been caressing the shoe box, stopped. An old man who was standing a few feet away, apparently looking at the display cases, passed by her and stared at her for a moment. It was Rasher, of the Dharmapala caste, but neither Lazlo nor Brixen had paid him any attention at first. Laura looked confused, as if an unexpected thought had crossed her mind. She looked at the shoes one last time, returned them to the shelf, and walked away.

Lazlo frowned –“What? What just happened? Why did he leave without buying them?”-

Brixen blinked in surprise . “I don’t know. She was already ready to swipe the card. Maybe some rational thought occurred to her? Although… that doesn’t usually happen without our intervention.”

Both beings looked more closely at Rasher, who was now slowly walking away from the tent. For a few seconds, he stopped, turned, and seemed to look towards where Lazlo and Brixen were. It was only an instant, but for them, it was enough to feel a strange chill, a feeling of being watched by someone who shouldn't be there.

Lazlo looked at Brixen uncomfortably –“Did you see that? That old man... Rusher, he was watching us, right? Or am I getting paranoid?”-

Brixen feigned nonchalance – “Bah, I’m sure it was just a coincidence. Although… I can’t be sure, there’s something strange about him.”-

A few days passed, and as Carlos sat on a park bench checking his phone, he prepared to send another message to Veronica. Brixen watched him with satisfaction, anticipating the next step in his game. Carlos looked determined, almost eager, but suddenly, someone sat next to him: Rasher, the old man from before. Without saying anything, he simply stared straight ahead, as if he was enjoying the scenery. For a few moments, nothing happened. But Carlos began to frown, staring at his screen. He froze, then put the phone back in his pocket and stared into space.

Brixen was upset –“What is he doing? He should be sending that message. Those two were going to meet tonight!”-

Lazlo looked worriedly at the old man . “That old man again? I’m starting to think this isn’t a coincidence. It’s like… he’s influencing our victims like this. This is ridiculous!”

As they watched, Rasher stood up from the bench, placed a hand on Carlos's shoulder for a moment, and walked away. Carlos blinked, as if he had just woken up from a dream, and stood up. He began walking towards the park exit, leaving without calling out to Veronica. Lazlo and Brixen watched, surprised and confused.

Brixen was more irritated than ever -“What the hell is going on? That guy is ruining all our work. It can’t be a coincidence that he appears right at critical moments!”-

Lazlo looked thoughtful, a spark of worry in his voice . “No, it’s definitely not a coincidence. But… if it’s not human, what is it? Maybe… one of those Dharmapala, spiritual guardians. But we haven’t seen one around here for ages. What could it be doing butting in on our games?”

Brixen crossed his arms, visibly frustrated . “Guardians? For what? To save these humans from their own idiocies? How boring! But if he’s trying to interfere, I’ll have to make things difficult for him. I don’t care who he is.”

From a distance, they could see Rasher walking slowly, as if he were in no hurry. But for an instant, he turned his head and looked directly in the direction where Lazlo and Brixen stood. This time, his gaze was intense, like a warning. And the two friends felt the pressure of that gaze piercing through them. It was a silent challenge, a sign that Rasher knew exactly what they were doing and that he wasn’t going to sit back and do nothing.

Lazlo muttered worriedly , “I think we have a problem, Brixen. And it seems that this game is going to get more interesting than we thought.”

Brixen gave a twisted smile . “Well, I like a challenge. If this old man wants to play, so be it. But don’t be surprised when things get more complicated for him… and his precious humans.”

Lazlo and Brixen looked at each other, a mix of frustration and excitement. For the first time, they felt like the game would bring them something more than just the pleasure of manipulating humans. Rasher had introduced a new dynamic, and while they didn’t know exactly why he was interfering, they were determined to find out… while defending what they considered their territory.

The Dharmapala caste originated eons ago, long before humanity existed. They were created by the Primordial , a cosmic entity or force that sought the balance of the universe. This entity had no form or name comprehensible to mortals, but its purpose was clear: to maintain harmony and order in all realities, ensuring that no power, not even those of the darkest and most chaotic beings, could unbalance the fabric of existence.

The Primordial realized that as different forms of intelligent life emerged, some shadowy forces, such as the Tenebris - beings of dark matter like Lazlo and Brixen - began to take advantage of the fragility of these creatures. These dark entities fed on the chaos, conflict, and suffering they could induce, slowly spreading their influence across the cosmos. To counter this threat, the Primordial created the Dharmapala into  the Guardians of Balance - beings with the ability to traverse dimensions and preserve harmony on worlds where chaos threatened to take hold.

The Dharmapala were neither beings of light nor darkness, but something in between. They were the manifestation of perfect balance, created with the ability to influence sentient beings without imposing their will, but rather guiding them toward equilibrium and mental clarity. Their role was not to protect individuals from their own mistakes, but to ensure that outside forces did not manipulate their decisions in an unfair or unbalanced manner. If a dark being like Lazlo managed to tempt a human, the Dharmapala could interfere only if they saw that the human had been manipulated beyond their natural capacity for choice.

The Dharmapalas' role as balancers was given to them as an eternal oath. Unlike the beings of dark matter, they did not delight in suffering or manipulation; their satisfaction came from seeing creatures free to choose their own paths, without outside interference. They did not intervene directly unless absolutely necessary, always respecting the free will of the beings they guided. Thus, the Dharmapalas became the eternal guardians of balance, invisible to most, but always present when the scales began to tip dangerously to one side.

Throughout the ages, Dharmapalas were revered by some human cultures as spiritual protectors or benevolent deities. In Buddhism, they were referred to as guardians of the doctrine, but their true nature was always much more complex. They were beings that transcended good and evil. Thus, while Lazlo and Brixen were toying with the destinies of Laura and Carlos, a Dharmapala like Rasher saw that the situation was getting out of control and decided to intervene, to prevent the dark forces from overstepping their boundaries and upsetting the balance of the world.

Lazlo and Brixen watched Rasher from the shadows of the city. After days of following his movements, they believed they had found an opportunity to confront him. They were sure that if they managed to manipulate his thoughts, they could free themselves from the Dharmapala's interference and continue their games uninterrupted.

Lazlo said with a sly smile , “Look at that decrepit old man, hanging around like a guardian. He’s pathetic, isn’t he? He thinks he can save those humans from themselves. But today will be different.”

Brixen nodded at his companion's statement . “Yes, today we will play on his turf. We will make him come closer, lower his guard… and when we have him right where we want him, we will crush him. There is no being that can resist our suggestions for long.”

Rasher walked slowly down an alley, in the form of an old man, seemingly distracted. Lazlo and Brixen  approached him, whispering, trying to introduce subtle thoughts into his mind. They circled around him like predators stalking their prey, trying to plant ideas of resignation in his mind.

Lazlo whispered softly, reciting a hypnotic chant – “You are tired, Rasher… Why fight anymore? Give up. Leave us to it. You are nothing more than a relic of forgotten times…” –

Brixen hovered around the old man as he added his own whisper of persuasion – “Yes, Rasher… why bother interfering? Leave them to it, they are only human. You can’t save them all… relax. Let the weight off your shoulders.”

For a moment, Rasher seemed to want to pause. He lowered his head, as if considering Lazlo and Brixen's words. The two dark matter beings looked at each other, pleased and convinced that their tactic was working.

Rasher thought to himself, as Lazlo and Brixen butted in on his reasoning – “Maybe… maybe there’s not much point. After all, what difference would it make to help two humans? How long has it been since all this started? Maybe it’s time to let the chaos of the universe take its course…” –

Lazlo and Brixen moved closer, confident that they had achieved Rasher's surrender. But, just as they were about to materialize closer to him, Rasher's figure slowly faded away, like smoke dispersing. The two beings looked at each other in surprise, realizing that they had fallen into an illusion. Rasher's soft, deep laughter echoed in their minds, enveloping them in the darkness of the alley.

Rasher told them in a calm and firm voice – “Ah, my dears. You thought you could manipulate me like your human toys… Naive. The Primordial has been making me play these kinds of games for eons. Did you think I would give up on these clumsy and crude attempts..?”-

Lazlo frowned, furious and confused, while Brixen began to fidget, looking around. The walls of the alley closed in around them, and suddenly, the environment changed. Colors became dull, sounds became distorted, and both Lazlo and Brixen began to feel like everything was spinning in circles, as if they were trapped in a chaotic dream.

The city seemed to transform as buildings fell apart and rebuilt. Rasher had plunged them into a time loop. The clock of time spun madly back and forth, making it useless to try to locate Laura and Carlos, who flashed through history before their existence and after centuries of death in just a few moments.

Brixen screamed as he tried to keep his sanity – “What is this? What is happening to us?” – Neither Lazlo nor Brixen knew how to assimilate the existence of time, which did not exist in either the fifth or fourth dimension.

Rasher responded with a laugh . “They get what you do to humans all the time: mess with their minds, their perceptions. But unlike you, I don’t need to destroy in order to win. I just need to disorient you a little, so you see what it’s like to lose control.”

Lazlo and Brixen tried desperately to break the time loop, but every time they thought they had found a way out of Earth's temporality, the environment changed again. One moment they were in the alley, the next in an empty office, then in a lonely park... the images mixed together, the distances altered, and their senses began to betray them. Rasher appeared and disappeared at will, like a spectre, watching their clumsy attempts to escape.

Lazlo gasped, with a mixture of fury and fear, shouted – “This is not possible! No Dharmapala should have this kind of power! We are the ones who control the mind!”

Rasher appeared just behind them. His deep, resonant voice said , “It’s not a matter of power, Lazlo. It’s a matter of experience. I’ve seen beings like you collapse under your own weight. And if you think you can make this world a game board without the Primordial putting limits on you… you’re wrong.”

With a subtle movement of his hand, Rasher once again altered Lazlo and Brixen's perception, leaving them trapped in a mental labyrinth that seemed to have no end. The two beings began to stumble around, like lost shadows, unsure of what was real and what was not. Rasher stepped away, letting the spell take its course, knowing that the two dark beings would be trapped in their own trap of illusions.

Rasher whispered as he gradually disappeared -“Sometimes, the best balance is to let predators drown in their own game. And today… is one of those days.”-

Rasher's triumphant laughter faded as Lazlo and Brixen stood trapped in a prison of their own making, confused and desperate, unaware that they had been defeated without Rasher even lifting a finger. Their absolute control was gone, and the balance they sought to break had been restored, albeit in ways they could never have imagined.

END