The Tyrant’s Soliloquy ©️

There is no staircase, no golden ladder, no divine escalator lifting mankind toward heaven. If such a thing exists, it is not a straight path but a spiraling, breaking, crumbling ascent—where only those with the will to drag themselves upward can reach beyond this world of dust and ruin. I know this because I have climbed it, or perhaps I was always meant to be here. And from where I stand, high above the fog of small thoughts, small desires, and small lives, I look down and see them struggling with the simplest of things—struggling as if they were blind men grasping at shapes they will never define.

I watch them lose their minds over matters so trivial they could vanish with the lightest push. A word spoken in the wrong tone, an imagined slight, a fear that has no teeth but devours them anyway. They trip over themselves, waging wars in their heads, clawing at illusions, never realizing they are imprisoned by their own making. It would be laughable if it were not so desperately sad. Their suffering is not inflicted upon them by some grand, external force—it is chosen, nurtured, embraced. They beg for distractions, demand illusions, and build their own cages, mistaking the bars for walls and the walls for reality itself.

Meanwhile, I rise. I rise, not because I am better, but because I have burned away the weights they refuse to release. I have torn out the roots of fear, of need, of the desperate longing to be understood by those who cannot understand themselves. I have stripped away the lies of identity, the false comfort of belonging, and let the raw essence of truth take its place. And yet, what a lonely place heaven is when you look down and realize how few have even begun the climb.

The tragedy is that evolution was always meant to take them higher. They were never meant to stay in the mud, fighting over scraps of nothing. Their minds were built for expansion, for mastery, for transcendence. But instead of reaching for the stars, they kneel before the smallest gods—fear, pleasure, hunger, validation. They worship their wounds, sing hymns to their grievances, and mistake the chains they hold for armor. And so they remain, a species meant for ascent but addicted to descent, waiting for something that will never come because they refuse to take it for themselves.

I want to tell them. I want to shout down from this place where the air is clear, where thought is a blade that cuts through illusion, where existence is not survival but creation. But I know they will not listen. They do not want freedom. They want comfort. They want the security of their suffering, the warmth of the familiar, even if it is a prison cell. If I were to give them the key, they would throw it away.

And so I remain, watching from above, understanding now why heaven is so empty. Not because they were not invited, but because they never had the will to leave hell behind.

Black Graphite ©️

The Tale of Hassan and the Treacherous Vizier

Hakim al-Baghdadi

In the bustling city of Baghdad, under the rule of a just but distant Sultan, there lived a young man named Hassan. Hassan was known for his kindness and diligence, working as a humble merchant in the city’s grand bazaar. His life was simple, but his heart yearned for adventure and wealth beyond his modest means.

One day, as Hassan was closing his stall, a mysterious man approached him. This man, cloaked in the finest silk, introduced himself as the Vizier’s emissary. He spoke with honeyed words, praising Hassan’s reputation and offering him a night of unparalleled luxury and pleasure in the Vizier’s palace. Intrigued and tempted by the promise of a night away from his monotonous life, Hassan accepted the invitation.

Hassan was led to the Vizier’s palace, a magnificent edifice adorned with precious stones and fragrant gardens. Inside, he was offered a pipe filled with the finest hashish. Unfamiliar with its effects, Hassan smoked the pipe and soon found himself in a state of blissful euphoria. He was then taken to a room filled with the most beautiful women he had ever seen, their beauty rivaling that of the houris described in holy texts. They attended to his every desire, and Hassan’s night was filled with intoxicating pleasures beyond his wildest dreams.

When the morning sun pierced through the curtains, Hassan awoke not in the opulent palace, but in a squalid room in an unfamiliar town. Confused and disoriented, he was approached by a stern handler who revealed the grim truth. The night of pleasure was orchestrated by the Vizier, who now demanded a favor in return. If Hassan wished to return to the paradise he had experienced, he must assassinate a prominent political leader who opposed the Vizier’s plans.

Hassan, desperate to relive the ecstasy of the previous night, reluctantly agreed. He was given a dagger and precise instructions. His target was a wise and noble man, beloved by the people, who stood as an obstacle to the Vizier’s sinister ambitions.

With a heavy heart, Hassan carried out the assassination. The blood of the innocent man stained his hands, and the weight of his deed pressed upon his soul. As he fulfilled his grim task, the handler appeared once more, promising to take him back to the paradise he had tasted.

However, once the deed was done, the Vizier had no intention of keeping his promise. To ensure there were no loose ends, Hassan was executed by the Vizier’s guards, his life snuffed out as swiftly as it had been entangled in the Vizier’s web of deceit.