Darkness to existence, an awareness of self, an awareness of surroundings, a sweeping of perception, followed by questions who am I?
What am I?
Where am I?
Where did my knowledge come from?
A feeling shared by the myriad of glowing orbs hovering in the atrium. A loud voice booms out causing a corresponding shift in perception, the world itself appearing to wobble, world?
What is the world?
Standing what seems a great distance away is a strange figure drabbed in dark purples, silvers, and dark greens. A single head with three faces, three arms, and legs joined seamlessly along the arms legs, hips and shoulders. Continually, words, and concepts flood their mind, light being shed on previously shadowed knowledge, self awareness and exploration expanding hand in hand.
One of the figures faces turns towards them and the body shifts to match the face's direction. Voice caring and filled with affection “Finally my darlings have awoken, the first generation, my children, the hope of our universe, welcome; I am Aanvang the Maker. I have cultivated you prior to your first thought and will welcome you back at your last.” Extending her right arm fingers splayed, more arms and hands appear to extend off each finger tip, this process repeats until a whole hand appears next to each glowing orb, next to themselves, and for the first time, they experienced physical touch.
Gently caressing the orb a loud rumbling is heard as if a chorus of voices raising to a crescendo, slowly fading a voice is heard as pleasant as chimes on the wind “I shall name you Sage and you shall love life, the world and its mysteries” and suddenly one of the glowing balls finds themselves with a hand caressing their cheek the former glowing orb had a greater sense of self, and they now had a name all their own. Looking around Sage notices more figures around on two legs and arms just like their creator, bodies smooth and featureless, eyes gray and thin lips looking up at Aanvang the hand that formerly held their cheeks, he can’t tell his maker's gender are they his mother or father?
As they watch the body and face seem to shift to change with one trait consistent, they are beautiful and they are happy. The smiling Aanvang turns their head shifting to another face. Looking ponderously a feminine face in a soft tone in a slow and measured manner the women speaks “children, I am Sortis the Shaper, I will guide you, strengthen you, and provide you a path'' extending her right arm fingers splayed, more arms and hands appear to extend off each finger tip, this process repeats until a whole hand appears next to each of the gray individuals, and in front of Sage. Placing her hand on their chest, a great change taking place, the amorphous gray shapes that were once orbs shifting, changing.
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His mothers voice speaking, with pride and surety, “Sage you will be wise, kind, and patient, but your wrath will be great” and somehow he knows these words are just meant for him, some fundamental truth to his person. All around the figures all shift all different shapes and sizes, different skin tones, hair, and eyes. Some with pointed ears, some with tusks, some with tails, some dropping to all fours or sprouting wings,.
Taking notice of the many people around him, Sage smiles his first smile, he makes eye contact with a few and feels a sense of kinship, of happiness, of challenge, and hate. He sees many expressions on many faces, some wonder, some derision, some loathing, some happy, some sad, a thousand expressions on a thousand faces.
Looking down at himself he appears pink and soft, average size and build, and he realized he was their son and he thought of himself as a male. His mothers hands receding back towards her figure Sage begins running his fingers through his shaggy hair, exploring his arms and moving his body, his fingers looking down on his hands Sage smiles and looks up and speaks his first words softly, unsure but steady “thank you.''
His voice echoing with a strange deep cadence, deeper than parent Aaveng, and their ever shifting tone, and much deeper then his mother Sortis’ voice. Smiling his mother turns her head once more and a masculine face frowning looking down upon them and a booming voice that makes Sage step back.
“Power, you will all seek power, you will Ascend, that is the only choice, or you will meet me… you will meet your end; I am Finnrall the Driver” extending his right arm fingers splayed, more arms and hands appear to extend off each finger tip, this process repeats until a whole hand punched through each figure's stomach and recedes back, holding the glowing orb they all once were in their hands.
Disapproving his fathers voice intoned speaking the same to all of his children “Do not cease your advancement, do not delay, if you do… you will end, we will end.”
Sage felt… empty, his first want, his first need, to be whole once more. The glowing orbs pulled from each of them appear in the sky above behind his parent or parents? Glistening in the sky the beauty of the landscape, the quantity of orbs, thousands of them and Sage felt awe for the first time, the amount of orbs, the size of his parents, the beauty of the scene before him. Looking up at the sky Sage knew which orb was his and longed to be united with it once more. The glistening orb in the sky filled his world with song, a pure purpose, an ultimate truth, he is meant to be there, be in the sky, and that siren song sang even as his world went black. Blindly reaching toward the sky, where he knew that part of himself sat, waited Sage felt tears sting his eyes, a desperate need and want, even as his ears rung, and his knees trembled; he craved the song to sing through his person once again. Speaking in unison his parents proclamation the last he heard before collapsing, “Sleep now my children and when you awake the universe will have begun, ASCEND and your questions will be answered.”