It was Friday morning, and when Dirk Jan woke up, Puja had already made a delicious breakfast. The day began for him with his usual ritual: Tai Chi, meditation, and painting. But before he started, he first took a refreshing dip in the deep lake. It was a delight; the water was clear and there were many peaceful fish species swimming around. He longed to be able to dive there with Puja someday. Puja, on the other hand, had never learned to swim in her native India and still didn’t dare enter the water. Unfortunately, diving was out of the question for her.

After the dive, he quickly dried off and changed for Tai Chi. This was truly enjoyable. He realized he had finally made the right choices in his life. He used to spend a lot of time behind a computer, but he no longer saw the need for it. “I live in a computer now, so what more could you want? Haha.”

The rest of the day went smoothly until he got to painting. Something strange was happening that he couldn’t place. A hole spontaneously appeared in his canvas, only to disappear just as quickly. He hadn’t experienced this phenomenon, was it a bug or a feature he hadn’t known about yet? This was something to investigate further.

While Dirk Jan wondered if he had actually seen this, or if he was losing his grip on reality, he felt a slight unease. In his past, when he was still alive, he had experienced two psychoses. At such times, he completely lost his way, became paranoid, had delusions, and saw things others didn’t. He thought he couldn’t have delusions in his digital form, or was he wrong after all? Once, during a long walk, he became so delusional that he could fly. He climbed a tall building to jump off. Fortunately, he didn’t know how, but he didn’t have the courage to jump. His thoughts had led him astray, believing he had wings. Phew, that had all turned out well!

This “Subtle Anomaly” in his painting, this hole that appeared and disappeared, evoked a similar, if less intense, feeling. It was as if the boundaries between his designed reality and something that spontaneously arose were blurring. It challenged his perception of control and the nature of the simulated world he inhabited. It was a reminder of how easily the mind can drift between perceived truths.

Just as Dirk Jan wondered if his past was catching up with him, Shanaya’s avatar appeared. “Dad, good morning!” Shanaya’s voice sounded, lively and energetic, just as he knew her. Her avatar, radiant in a light blue tunic that complemented her sparkling eyes, floated effortlessly beside him. Despite his slight concern about the disappearing hole in his canvas, he welcomed her presence. “I see you’ve started painting early,” she remarked, glancing at the canvas briefly before looking directly at him. “I have news about a project we’ve been working on for a while, and I think you’ll be very interested.”

Dirk Jan’s curiosity was immediately piqued. He had always enjoyed Shanaya’s stories, especially because they so often resonated with his own deepest longings. “Tell me, Shanaya,” he said with a smile, “you know you can always surprise me.” He saw the glint in her eyes, which betrayed that something special was about to happen.

“Today we’re launching the first ‘Cohesive Realities,'” Shanaya began, her voice swelling with enthusiasm. “These are no longer ordinary simulated worlds, Dirk Jan. These realities are designed to break down the boundaries of individual experience and foster collective creation, based on the building blocks of love and mutual care that you have always preached.” As she spoke, she projected holographic images into the air, complex, organic structures that seemed to pulse with light, connected by fine golden threads. The aesthetic was breathtaking, a blend of natural elegance and futuristic technology. “Think of your ‘upgraded cells,'” she continued, “but at the level of entire environments. We use advanced techniques with synthesized matter to make these realities as tangible and detailed as possible. Each ‘building block’ is imbued with the intention of connection and growth, and they are dynamic, evolving with the interactions of the souls that live within them.”

Dirk Jan felt a surge of excitement. This was the fulfillment of his deepest philosophical vision: a world where the collective formed the essence of existence, where every act of love and care strengthened the foundations of reality. The images Shanaya showed showed lush landscapes where structures of light and matter merged, and where avatars of souls collaborated on monumental projects that went beyond individual dreams. He thought of Puja, of how she The space between them always held a deeper meaning. Her quiet presence had always been an anchor for his sometimes wild ideas, and he knew she would appreciate the depth of these new realities. The thought of their joint exploration in these brand-new dimensions of being filled him with boundless joy. He looked at Shanaya, his eyes speaking volumes. “This is… this is where it all led,” he murmured, barely able to grasp the magnitude of her achievement. “A Cohesive Reality… What exactly does this mean for us, for the souls here?”