"Next, we have The Abyss". Akasha paused for a moment. "This one was tricky".
"I doubt it was as tricky as the Nightmares". Hildelith murmured but shut her mouth as Akasha shot her an expressionless stare. After the reality speech of her own hypocrisy, Hildelith didn't have the mind to lash out again. The fairy was right after all. Either you want or don't want it.
"Anyway. The Abyss was so close to being a hell like the one in your memories but somehow you changed that with the descriptions. Still close. More like a divine hell now though".
"How does the rest of it apply here".
"Right. So the mortals who lose are damned to this place to be whatever the Abyssals want".
"Strict rules on what can and can't be done". She ordered. Akasha nodded.
"For the Omega Reality, it's quite the same. Mortals who refuse to change after continuous tries of reincarnation simply come here to be ...whoosh". She made an explosion sound with her mouth and waved her fingers.
"Finally we have the abstract which does the same thing as intended".
"Let me guess, those who succeed in their dreams gain a life in the Divine realm ".
"Yes?".
"It's all basic and copied. From me. I want something different but... We will change all this later on". Akasha must have seen the thought I had as she nodded.
"That is doable and could be more exciting than this".
"Yes. But for now. This is what I am stuck with". Noticing Akasha's head about to droop she quickly added.
"You've done well and exceeded my expectations. I... I don't like some of it for obvious reasons but the idea was a good one. Curiosity, need, desire, and want, ruin the world just as much as hate and love can affect it". She looked up at the realms above her.
"I guess I didn't really think of it till now. My desire for a good form created a nightmare for my mortals. And yet while it feels bad I am also excited for it". Floating back to her she crouched low and patted her head.
"Thank you for this Akasha".
The fairy twirled.
"Your turn Creator. May I see the ideas".
"You've not taken them yet?".
"Wanted it to be a surprise to me". She giggled. Nodding in understanding she got close and linked with Akasha. The information flowed freely through one and to the other.
"This...this is good. I can see how you thought of this. Nice parents you got Creator". Hildelith for a split second froze before her brain caught up in memory.
"Remember. Only us". Akasha giggled and then shut her eyes.
"Hmmh....this can work. Need ... Suitable forms... Mortal coils. Done". Her eyes snapped open. "Calculation complete".
She waved her arms and a new screen popped up. "This is a veritable summary of all that exists and all that happens within your universe and all the realities".
The screen flowed on its own as she took in every piece of information. With all the new rules, the new flow, and everything.
"Something I must bring to your attention, Creator". Akasha spoke after noticing she was done reading.
"Yes?". Akasha initiated the link this time. Hildelith found her senses watching from above the universe form. There were several streams of energy that her eyes and senses were focused on. Streams that she would never have noticed without Akasha pointing them out. The streams stopped at several points across the universe form where they poured into some spherical energy.
"What am I looking at?".
"I believe. This was the doing of the Will before its retreat? Atleast what I think".
"And what is it for?".
Her vision changed to the spirit realm where souls were trying to jump into the rivers. Others were rushing and gathering around balls that were in their realm. Watching this her vision panned out and she saw all these balls everywhere. The rivers, the divine realm. Even Sol.
"If the Will is gone from my universe then how are the streams still moving?". She focused on one ball of energy.
"Because I got the sense that stopping it wasn't exactly beneficial". The link stopped and she was back floating at the door of the Rings. "I believe these energies are forming gods".
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
"That's. Too early. How long till they are formed". Akasha's eyes glitched weirdly then she answered.
"2880 flows". Her eye glitched once more.
"That's. I don't understand". Akasha blinked then a sense of realization came on her face. Another link connected both entities and Hildelith understood. Akasha had calculated and measured how the time in her universe worked.
The rivers completed a single cycle to and from. the 9th Ring and back to the Sol with 18 flows. Each reality crossing was a flow. So the to amd fro came out as 18. Each time the river completed a cycle the Entire Universe form like the hand of a clock tilted to the right by a universal inch.
There was a lot of space for mortals but to Hildelith the universe barely moved.
"Okay, 18 flows make one cycle. 9 flows make one Ring Crossing. 2880 flows make 160 cycles which is 80 Ring Crossings. A cycle makes a shift which means 160 shift.". She snapped her fingers and brought herself to the very border of her universe. The nothingness shrouded her.
Looking over the universe form she took a deep breath. "Akasha have you calculated how many shifts it would take the form to complete a full Universal Cycle".
"Calculated. It's take 333,989 shifts".
Hildelith just gawked. "Is that small or is that large".
"That's according to your point of view. To others below you. Even I and your children. It's been longer. That does not mean that each reality runs at a different time. For each flow, a river completes past a reality approximately ten reality years have gone by in each reality".
"That's..." She mentally tried calculating.
"For only others but the mortal realms". She paused and then glared at the little thing on her shoulder. Sighing she asked.
"Why does it apply differently for the mortal plane".
The look she gave me questioned my position as Creator.
"Unlike all the other realities. The mortal plane is unending and infinite. Stretching through all of space and time. The bands not only hold the tapestry but make it appear smaller than it actually is. Unlike the other realities which are spheres". She linked to me and I saw the ends of the tapestry.
"Lost worlds continually being formed from your divinity. Luckily The Will isn't here to create another bastard child for you". Hildelith broke the link rapped Akasha in the skull and reconnected.
"Ouch???!"
When Hildelith remained silent Akasha grumbled and continued. "The reality is forever being created. Forever expanding. The stories to come from these different and vast worlds are surely exciting".
"Alright. I get it's huge. But how does that even affect time?".
"Each world and solar system rotates and revolves on its own. Creating a symphony time more complicated than the simple flow of the rivers. All this time I believe to matter".
"So you measured the rotation and revolution of all active solar systems. And it got us how many mortal years".
"100. There are five active solar systems now and once there are more the years and the flow will keep expanding ".
"You mean 200 in total during the return flow. That's a total of 3040 years. Doesn't seem like much".
"That's Realions, centuries.". Akasha grumbled. She blinked. "Realions are centuries which entail 100 Aeus, that's years".
"Wait . So the realities takes 32 Realions or centuries to complete the cycle. More if new solar systems appear in the mortal realms. That's 304,000 years. I mean Aeus".
"We digressed a bit. The energy spheres will take 2880 flows to gestate right?"
"Affirmative".
"That should be enough time".
"For what... Oh". Akasha nodded on seeing the thought. "You believe the gods to be dangerous.
"Dangerous, no. Problematic, yes. The others coming will do everything to attain feats and high rewards"
"Then just remove the feat feature".
"You can. .yes you can. Look. They won't find it fun without anything to strive for. But making my children a point to reach would be worth it".
"I saw that thought about hiding".
"A ladder's rungs are never completely visible in a climb. You only know what comes next when you arrive there".
"Point taken. Something else to solve though..."
"Another problem". Sighs.
"Hmmh. Well the retreat of The Will took many things with it. Even your templates and some features of your system".
Hildelith froze as she realized she had not called up her status since she made Akasha and received those notifications. Her attempt to try was halted by Akasha.
"Don't bother Creator. Nothing that belongs to the system still exists here. I am sorry, but I believe that by making me and the Rack Of Life and my actions of spreading into all the universe I might have made The Will act this way".
She sighed. Looked around again at everything. Shaking her head she looked back to Akasha. "I told you not to blame yourself for existing and doing as made to do. If anyone is to blame it's me and only me. I should have known but I guess I wasn't as smart as I thought".
"Don't be sad. With this stream I believe the Will still considers you as part of the game. You've not been ejected or perma-killed yet".
Hildelith thought about it. The Will had even congratulated her on creating Akasha. No way was this wrong. And like Akasha said, if it was a bad mistake then she should be out of the game. If it was a mild one then she'd have to find a way to figure it out.
Something else clicked.
"You mean everything. Even the templates for creating races and my children. How are my children..." A quick link showed that her children were fine. They were now under the Akashic energy and doing fine.
"Ah thank goodness".
"What now?".
"Now, I believe you either create life, think of what your gods will be or how they will be, free more lost worlds, or just train".
"What of my status. I can't train without knowing what I can and can't do now the Will doesn't exist".
"I'm already fixing the last of the new template. All it needs now is your consent".
A screen appeared in her vision. It was a basic setup with blank pages but clear lines for what was where and not where.
"Something is missing".
"What?". Once again Akasha peeped into the Creator's thoughts. "That sounds better than just letting them travel a stream".
Her eyes shut and her form seemed to glitch in place.
"Done. Anything else Creator?".
"You've covered most of everything important. If anything comes up we'll edit the template then. For now, you did great". She smiled at Akasha who whooped and made an aerobatic flight. Coming to a halt in front of the Creator she clapped and a ripple stored out.
"It's done".
Hildelith took a very deep breath. Worried filled her mind and she created various thoughts and scenarios. Finally, she snapped the thoughts away.
"No matter what. I can and will fix it. Status".
A screen flickered into existence before her and began reading. She could have sent it into her mind but she wanted to ease into the hopefully not a shock slowly.