...Ah...

I suppose I finally overdid it?

A field of white stretched out endlessly in front of me. It was neither welcoming nor was it daunting — it just was.

Standing in the middle of this white nothingness, I naturally concluded that I must have met my demise.

I definitely wasn't just unconscious this time.

“...”

A storm of emotions tore through my chest. Anger. Hate. Shame. Embarrassment. Each one more poisonous than the last.

"I won't go back," I mumbled, the violent flames ravaging my mindscape snuffing out immediately. "Not even in death."

Just then, the sound of footsteps reached my ears. My eyes darted to find the source of the rhythmic noise, soon falling on a strange sight.

A woman - perhaps in her twentieth year - walked toward me. She wore simple white clothes that melded seamlessly with the background, and if her skin was any whiter I'm sure that she, too, would have been invisible in this space - well, that was if her glossy black hair was bleached white too.

The woman lifted a finger as she got closer, as if to say I should not open my mouth. She stopped beside me, her golden irises seemingly gleaming with consideration as stared at the ground.

"That would be a little too boring," the woman said, waving her hands.

Pop. Pop.

Accompanied by a sound reminiscent of balloons bursting, two wooden chairs that were facing each other materialized in the space.

"A little Q and A should suffice brilliantly, don't you think? Good."

The woman's calm eyes finally met mine. In that instance, I knew she wanted me to sit on one of the chairs.

I made a small gesture for the chair furthest from me. "After you."

The woman let out a little laugh, amused. Though she did sit down first nonetheless.

I followed suit.

"You died."

"I know."

Silence.

Was that rude? I took a step back mentally, reevaluating my position here. I was dead. So was all the prestige I had when alive.

"...Are you God?" I asked with as much humility as there was in my ethereal body.

"I am."

"..."

I let out a trembling breath... You are, are you? Well, I should've guessed. It was quite obvious. Mm. Now, I suppose what happens next is: I get reincarnated because of all my positive karma to a world of swords and magic...

Elaborate, dammit!

I am God and this is what I want so on and so forth...

"Huhu."

The woman laughed. It was a deep, caustic sound that grated my skin as if acid poured down the entirety of my body.

"Positive karma? I understand you're joking, Mr. CEO. But aren't you being a little too shameless," she said, smiling merrily. "I don't even need to bring up most of the atrocities you've committed to getting what you want; all we need to do is take a peek at how you died."

...Stop it.

"Ah. What was it again? Right. You banged your head a little too hard on a wall in frustration and envy when you heard a young genius's dazzling climb to the top."

I bit my lip, but the calming pain never came. The woman's laughter echoing throughout the white void, echoing in my mind. It took all I had to not lose all my composure.

It was fine. No one understood me, God or not, I suppose she was no different.

"So? What will become of me?" I asked. "Eternal damnation?"

God wore an aghast expression. "Heaven's no. I'm not as cruel as you are. No. Huhu. I'm simply curious."

Curious?

"...About what? Actually - how can you be curious if you're God? Aren't you supposed to be omniscient?" I asked suspiciously.

"Omniscient? Oh, I am; is; was. But it's not at all what you're thinking," God said. "In the first place, that's not a concept you'd be able to understand even if I were to spend an eternity explaining. Just as you would never be able to explain your preconceived notions of consciousness to a single-celled organism."

"...I suppose that makes sense," I admitted bitterly after thinking on her words.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

"It's good you understand." She hummed innocently. "Now, onto something far more interesting. Did you know, everything I create has a True Name? The chair you're sitting on, this space, even me."

I shook my head, keeping my mouth shut as she continued.

"Once you know the True Name of something, you gain [Absolute Authority] over it. For example, if you knew the True Name of this space you'd be able to warp it to your will."

An apple formed in God's slender hand, then it stretched out into the horizon, becoming a green sky filled with red and yellow-green apples for clouds.

"Something like that," God said, gazing at the sky. "Huhu... Sorry for the lack of imagination."

...That wasn't something I wanted to hear from God.

As if hearing my thoughts—no, she definitely heard my thoughts—God smiled. "My True Name is: ■-■..." she paused, the harsh crackling sounds making up her 'True Name' booming in the background.

The sound was as if someone recorded a thunderclap and amplified it with maximum base. And though other sounds were accompanying that noise, I simply couldn't grasp it audibly or mentally. Some were too soft, some too loud. A cascading symphony of what sounded like madness, bombarded my senses if I tried to take it all in.

When my lucidity stabilized—to a degree—I looked up to find that God was staring at me.

"Anyway," she said, dismissing my anguished expression with a mischievous grin. "This elegant name of mine translates horridly to your tongue as Yemilunfasarl-Seinforz... Yemil for short, if you prefer."

My disjointed thoughts locked together. "Slow down, please," I said hurriedly. "You just told me your True Name..."

"Indeed. It seems I have." Sein's grin blossomed into a smile. "What of it?"

Don't I have Absolute Authority over you now? Did she really want me to say it aloud?

"Let's not get sidetracked now. Where was I? Hm. True Names. Right, each creation of mine has a True Name. From the tiniest of atoms to the most ancient of blackholes galaxies spiral around."

Wait! Who cares? Don't just gloss over the most important thing...!

"Don't ask me how I choose the names, it's quite the meticulous process," God continued, blatantly ignoring my inner turmoil. "But, guess what? For once, I didn't need to go through that tedious process. Do you know why?"

Forced to focus on the conversation, I shook my head absentmindedly.

"Because the little bugger named himself! Absurd! A completely unprecedented event in the history of the All," she chirped excitedly, gently clapping her hands together. "Do you understand the gravity of that? A mortal's [Pride] 'beat' God's [Will]. Huhu. Imagine my surprise... Are you? Are you imagining the shock value that holds? Ugh! You're not!"

"..."

Was it really that amazing? So what? I changed my name from the less than elegant name my parents gave to something befitting of my greatness.

Besides—

"Didn't you name yourself?"

Sein shot me a deadpan expression. "I did. But the difference between you and I—is that I also created myself. You, on the other hand, are just another one of my precious creations."

'Just another creation, is it?' I thought, flabbergasted. "Are you sure?"

"You're so ignorant. It would've been easier to explain if you were more like those kids... But if I were you to show everything...it wouldn't be interesting anymore... Hah. It's fine." She looked into my eyes, commanding absolute attention. "You're overflowing with desire - it spills from every layer of your existence, even now."

Her eyes gleamed, as if she was a parent that caught their child doing something naughty - yet adorable.

Somehow...

I knew I had been caught.

"Do you wish to bed me?"

"..."

How did she know? Perhaps she caught the slight glances I made toward her smooth, white legs. Or maybe it was how I lost focus studying the intrinsically perfect facial feature. Pale pink lips, button nose, thin lips. Or perhaps - just maybe - it was the way I couldn't help but appreciate her lush black hair, especially her splendidly trimmed bangs which had a few white strands speckled in them.

What am I saying? She probably knows because she's God.

What I'm trying to narrate here is that it's not my fault. Truthfully. I mean - I gulped - looking at her attire.

She wore a thin fabric skirt that cut off halfway down her thighs and a white shirt - which was strained by her ample breast, I might add - that didn't reach her midriff. I could even see the outline of her nipples press against the silken fabric. Was I to assume she also wasn't wearing panties...?

Okay... Focus. With all things considered—

—this was obviously bait!

Why would God pick such a salacious form to appear in front of me? Oh. Simply a coincidence that, instead of a white-bearded old man, God is the perfect woman? No!

It was all a ploy for that one question.

I stopped to think deeper on the question... this was probably a simple test of virtue. All I needed to say was no.

Smiling, I confidently sat back, answer in mind.

"Yes."

Even if I were to sell my soul. Yes. Yes. Yes. A million times yes.

Pft.

The sound left Sein's mouth as she held her mouth shut. Tears brimmed her eyes, her cheeks pouting. But instead of bursting out into what seemed to be inevitable laughter, she managed to pull herself together.

"...You're mistaken, Mr. CEO. That wasn't an offer. A simple observation of the lust oozing from you," Sein said, flicking away the droplets of moisture in the corner of her eyes with a finger. "I am very flattered, though."

My expression crumbled slightly.

"Ah?"

“Don't look so crestfallen...appearances are not always what they seem," Sein said, she gently groped her breast. "Hm. I suppose this was a mistake on my part? Regardless, I assure you I'm not even human...wait, I suppose, in some sense, I am. I should be saying, I'm not something you could handle."

"..."

She's teasing me. Unable to withstand the torture, I tried changing the topic.

"You're talking about me, correct? The 'being' that named itself because of… pride?"

Pride.

That was just one of the seven words synonymous with my name, Renith. Of course, listening to her long-winded monologue, I already guessed she was talking about me - I would've been offended otherwise.

"Wonderful. As expected. Speaking of your pride," Sein said, smiling. "Did you know it's also the reason you're able to converse normally with me? Usually, every living thing - no matter how 'godlike' - can never withstand my aura as the Creator. But you? It's almost as if you 'believe' your existence is at a level greater than mine...what an oddity." She stared, black eyes glinting with wonder. "Ah. I'm rambling."

I also snapped out of my daze, her enchanting spell dispersing as her expression changed from something worthy of endearment to something a little more businesses-like.

"You're an object of interest to me," Sein said, hands slowly clasping together. "To put my intentions bluntly, I wish to cultivate you into something grander - more deserving of my attention."

I furrowed my brows. Treating me like some toy? That was a little too much, but then again, she is God.

'Annoying,' I thought, a helpless grin hanging from my lips. I held no power...But, still. "What's in it for me?"

"That wholly depends on you." A mysterious smile plastered on her lips. "I promise you."

"Oh? Then what I want is..."

"Calm yourself. I won't be entertaining that thought for even for an instant. In fact!" she yelled, panting, her cheeks flushed. "I wasn't asking you to ask something of me! Do you not listen? I can't delay this anymore. Begone. I hope we meet again...and that you're more mature by then!"

A blinding light filled my eyes.

Wait - huh?! Just a moment. Please! I simply wish to -

The light engulfed me before I could even finish my thoughts, my consciousness eroding away.