“So at what point do we have to start?”

“Well, it’s been long enough…”

Luna mumbled as her gaze turned toward the monolithic gods around them.

They were so distant, their bodies no doubt millions of light years away. Yet, they saw them as giants. One of them was even holding a galaxy in their hands, as if it were an adorable kitten.

The scale of their power prior to being reduced to this state couldn't be fathomed.

Life, Death.

Creation, Annihilation.

Order, Chaos.

Those six gods were drifting around Luna and Iris, seemingly dead. Or, it was more like they were stuck in a state of limbo, frozen, not quite alive, but not quite dead.

Luna’s gaze fell on Life. That was the goddess who held the galaxy in her hands, gazing at it so lovingly.

“I think a 200 year long conversation is good enough for a while. Hell, a year is enough to talk about damn near everything. So, I think I’d rather do anything else right now.”

Iris let out a long sigh as she observed Annihilation. The cyclops with six arms, four of them equipped with four shattered blades.

“I wonder what we need to do though to start…”

Luna pondered. Were they supposed to approach these gods? And what then? How were they to begin comprehending these concepts?

“Not sure. Maybe eating them would do the trick.”

Iris shrugged. Suddenly though, she turned around.

“Luna?”

Her sister was gone, vanished without leaving a trace behind.

At that moment though, her vision twisted. Iris turned back to Annihilation, watching as it grew more and more powerful in her senses.

She sighed.

“And so it begins…”

………

Luna reappeared in a completely dark space.

But she wasn’t alone.

“What…”

She was a bit curious as she gazed at the other woman in front of her.

That woman was dressed in a garment of roses and vines and leaves, looking like mother nature herself.

This woman stared at Luna like she were her own child.

The two were silent for a while, just observing each other.

Finally, it was the other woman who spoke first.

“So, you’re the one. My successor.”

“...I guess.”

“Call me Oraios. And I guess now is where I start giving myself up for you.”

“I have a question.”

“I’m sure you have many.”

Oraios smiled at Luna, but the smile seemed… sorrowful.

Luna decided to satisfy her curiosity.

“You are an Archon?”

“I am. I am Wealth. I am Life.”

“Who did this to you?”

“Hm, right to the core, I see.”

Oraios chuckled.

“Unfortunately, I cannot tell you that. Simply because I don’t know.”

“How is that possible?”

“Because the one who took everything away… Well, he was far above Order and Chaos, let alone me. And his existence was not something I could retain in my knowledge if he didn’t desire it. The only reason I know that someone did this to me is because I remember another, more prosperous time than now. I don’t even remember what happened that brought us here… It’s like it didn’t happen at all.”

“...”

Luna wasn’t sure what to say. Someone so unfathomable that their victims were unable to even remember them. Their entire existence was an enigma in itself.

Luna decided that she couldn’t get any more information. So, she asked another question.

“Why are you so willing to give yourself up to me?”

“Because I have no other choice. I am unable to give life to the universe. And although I desire to see life blossom once more, I desire even more for it to blossom at all. If giving myself to you brings life to the universe, I won’t hesitate in doing so.”

“I see… And, what makes you think I’m capable of inheriting your power?”

“Capable? Now, that’s not much of a factor, is it?”

Oraios tilted her head. But then, she smiled.

“Or are you still under the notion that talent exists at this level?”

“Does talent not matter when comprehending concepts?”

“Dear, talent only exists for mortals. I’ll give you a piece of advice that Yao once told me.”

“Yao?”

“Creation.”

Oraios smirked.

“Anything can be created. And anyone can be built up to any level. There is no such thing as absolute capabilities or limitations. Everyone has the capacity to become anything. If they don’t, then they just don’t have enough power backing them.

“You, my successor, have an Archon who is about to give her very existence to you. I will become you, and you will become my power. You will become Life. And Creation. And Order. To us beings who form the foundation of the universe, what, exactly, is stopping us from bringing you to our level? I say the only limiter is Time. But then again, Time binds even Order.”

“Right…”

Luna couldn’t help but nod.

It was as she said. What was talent in front of these existences? That was a thing for mortals to worry about.

The only thing that could influence this process was Time. But in this special situation, that didn’t mean much.

Oraios let out a sigh.

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“No special tests, no matter of worthiness, no matter of talent. I’m going to give you my power, and over time, you are going to accept it. At least your existence is already enough to handle Life. So it should be no bother for you. Now how about we get started? No Time to waste, right?”

Oraios snapped her fingers, and at that moment, Luna felt a warm sensation in her hand.

She brought up her palm. Now floating above it was a small cluster of absolute physical power. It reminded her of the presumed big bang, that cluster of everything that spawned the universe with an explosion. This was like that, except dialed down.

Oraios smiled.

“This is a galactic seed. With it, you will spawn and personally grow a galaxy. And through its growth, you will learn everything there is to know about Life itself.”

“...But wouldn’t the galaxy grow and form on its own?”

“Under a normal universe consisting of every concept, yes. But, if strictly Life is non-existent, then you will need to fill that gap. Only through your comprehension and power will life flourish in this galaxy of yours. And make no mistake, everything is absolutely real. This isn’t an illusion. This galaxy you will be growing is a complete galaxy, and in the end, will be complete with its own peoples and powers.”

The more Oraios spoke, the more Luna felt the weight of the seed in her hands.

This would become a real galaxy. Everything, everyone, within it would be lives that she had personally created.

Creating life. Luna would be doing what only true gods could do.

“But you will not just be giving life to this galaxy.”

Suddenly, Oraios continued.

“You are to become Order, and therefore, you must also learn Creation. So, you will become both Life and Creation simultaneously. This means that you will not only have to bring Life to your galaxy, but create it as well. Nothing will form without your direct influence. There will be nothing, no tangibility or structure, without your explicit command.”

“Indeed. Because what else is Creation if not imparting your will unto the universe.”

Another voice shook Luna’s ears, as she turned around and faced another of the Archons.

Oraios nodded to the other being.

“Yao, Mastery, Creation.”

“I sense the beginnings of true Creation within you, Luna. But, not stemming from yourself. Who was it that Created the cluster of that impossible energy within you?”

Yao, Creation, bore down upon Luna as his gaze pierced through every fiber of her being.

A Forgemaster, the icon of Creation itself. Within his chest was a quasar blazing with incalculable energy. That energy flowed through the Archon, though it was not chaotic. It was deliberate, slow, only doing as its master wished. No amount of chaos could affect this energy.

The pinnacle of control, only second to Order itself, stood before Luna with curiosity.

She regained her bearings in time to respond.

“Dream, my husband. He created the gray mist in order to keep us sisters from killing each other with our opposite energies.”

“A husband! You’ve forged a covenant with another?”

“Something like that…”

“Mm…”

Yao seemed to groan before backing away. His face, except for a mouth, was entirely blank, covered in what looked like dark ash.

“I can’t know… How frustrating, truly. I, the very concept of Control, Mastery, and Creation, have been reduced and shackled by the impossible. Bound with a paradox… Forced to give my very being to another variable outside of my control. How ironic!”

Yao blazed with rage, something Luna didn’t know was possible.

But then again, she understood how suffocated Yao was probably feeling.

To be Creation itself, yet you couldn’t create.

To be Life itself, yet you couldn’t give life.

Reduced to nothing but your ego.

The Archons weren’t dead, but they were no different from corpses. They were nothing but empty shells.

Now, they were being forced to give up their existence to someone else.

It was an impossible situation.

Luna let out a small sigh. It wasn’t like she could give them any meaningful consolation.

But it also wasn’t like these Archons hadn’t had plenty of time to think about things, so Yao was able to recover within a moment.

“Anyway, you, Luna, will learn just how the universe forges itself, beginning with its birth. This will come with a change in your psyche, a change that compels you to understand that the universe is not just a product of the concepts, but the concepts themselves. Now…”

Yao placed his hand over the galactic seed that was hovering over Luna’s palm.

“Begin!”

*BOOM*

With an explosion, that tiny seed expanded countless times, exploding in an array of color and energy, blinding Luna's senses for a long moment.

After that first few moments in time though, everything seemed to settle. Then, Luna began to observe.

She gazed around her, and found that space was still dark.

But she could sense the particles around her, burning throughout every inch of space with heat that could incinerate planets. Yet, they weren’t particles that she could distinguish. It almost seemed like it was pure energy filling all of that space, and not any form of matter.

It was as she was observing all the particles around her that she started to wonder.

Yao and Oraios said that this galaxy of hers would operate without the concepts of Life and Creation. She would have to become Life and Creation, and that would allow this galaxy to grow and function.

That meant that things like the laws of physics were nonexistent.

How would she go about enforcing the concepts? She had lost all of her conceptual comprehensions. She was nothing more than soul and body, wielding great but minuscule power incomparable to the Archons.

It was at that moment that she felt her soul stir.

Two great waves of magical energy crashed through her soul and into her mind. It was then that Luna felt what she once did long ago.

That moment of enlightenment, when one was accepted into a concept, blessed with the opportunity to comprehend their secrets.

Except, there were no concepts coming to her. There was no blessing, no conceptual worlds.

It was an infusion of understanding. Luna felt the power flood into her, and she was not just forced to accept it, but forced to embody the power. Her mind was turbulent as it was overwhelmed by profundity and infinite power.

One was Creation. It came with unyielding rigidity. Creation sought to forge her into a vessel that could hold all its power, forge her into something far greater than she was right now.

But Luna couldn’t provide the necessary ‘material’ to carry out the forging.

That’s when Life worked its own magic. Life vitalized her vessel, allowing it to grow, providing that material that would fill her vessel as it continued to expand and become empowered.

The two worked in tandem, and for a while Luna wondered where the energies like Dust and mana were. Were they not necessary to grow her soul? Was Dust not necessary to allow her to wield more power?

As if reading her mind, Luna’s question was answered.

“The materials and energies of the universe are inconsequential. You are not borrowing the power of Life and Creation. You are becoming them! And the concepts are responsible for the very existence of Dust, Mana, Aether, and Flux! These are things that can be generated with but a thought, and in limitless quantities! Release your mind from its mortal cage. Learn what it means to be the beginning and end of all things. Learn what it means to be an Archon!”

It was with those words that Luna finally regained herself.

And she let the powers within her mind flow. She didn’t resist, and she let herself begin to change.

She realized that she still had yet to truly change her mind. She had not elevated it, as she should have when she became the god of several concepts in the main universe.

The reason was because, perhaps deep down, she didn’t truly feel like she was a god. Despite being able to wield the concept with abandon, she didn’t feel like the one in control.

And when she was killed, annihilated by every concept that turned on her under the command of Order, she finally realized how worthless her achievements had been. It all meant nothing in front of that one.

She had control over nothing, not even herself. By now, all her legions that had fallen under her command, the people who she had won the loyalty of, were now probably back under the control of Order. The only thing that protected her from the ultimate control of Order was the spawn of the Archon of Time, Solomon, the god of Wisdom.

But now…

She was finally getting the ultimate control she always wanted.

She was going to become power itself, the foundation and function of existence.

There was nothing greater than this. This was at an incomprehensible level compared to her previous self.

So she relished it. She relished the changes in her mind, the changes to her soul, the changes to her existence.

She was being forged by the existence of two archons.

There was nothing for her to do but wait and utilize the fruits of their labor as she created a galaxy in her own image.

It was only a matter of when, not if.

Without her knowing it, a smile blossomed on Luna’s face.

Oraios and Yao could both see the contents of Luna’s mind. They knew her every thought. But they couldn’t say anything about it.

Yao turned his attention to Oraios, even as he infused his existence into Luna.

“To think the Archons would be forced to combine their existences into two little girls. Perhaps along with our last, this will be our greatest undertaking since our conception.”

“Mm. Don’t forget that other one.”

“Ah, right. Death. I think she has it the hardest. Though, I wonder who that Dream is. He supposedly gave himself to nothingness, yet he is still remembered. Could he be…”

Yao’s eyes narrowed for a time. But in the end, he sighed.

“Damn. I can’t know.”

“Don’t fret so much. I suppose it's good that we’re finally doing this. We can rid ourselves of this eternal isolation and release the concepts. The universe can finally be revived, with these children as the foundation.”

Oraios smiled as she looked back to Luna who was smiling and laughing, possibly drunk on the power that she was being given.

Yao shook his head.

“I long to create, at least one more thing. I suppose that this girl shall be my final project, my final endeavor, brought higher at the expense of my existence.”

“I don’t suppose you’ve created anything greater.”

“...No, I haven’t.”

Finally, Yao formed a small smile.

“She shall be my greatest Creation.”