Chapter 5 – A Short Story of Creation
"There's not that much to tell about me, but since you're asking... As I said before, my name is Wuitt, I'm 15 years old, born in the small town of Alermium. My father holds the title of marquis, but only because the town is on the frontier; it's a hollow title now. The last I saw of the town, before I left, it was in flames. My father's name was Thormace Alermium. I know a little about swordsmanship and have some skill in managing and leading small groups." As I recounted my story, the man nodded as though approving of what I said.
"Good, good. That saves me the training I thought I'd have to give you. In that case, Wuitt, I must tell you: your world is undergoing a great transformation at this moment, and that's exactly why we’re here, in the middle of this desert."
“What do you mean?” I asked, not understanding what kind of great change he could be referring to.
"The Observer, as I like to call him... They say he only acted once, after ages of merely observing: he created this planet, then forgot about it after his initial plan failed—or so I thought. Every other being like him has used their powers almost to the brink of nonexistence, and I was becoming restless. I decided to try something that hadn’t been done yet. But before I acted, I grew curious about what he was doing here and came to see for myself, and he trapped me here."
“Although this region is under my control, I'm bound here and cannot leave. But with you here, I believe I no longer need to worry about that.”
Saying this, he stood up and began to walk, as if lost in memories. After a few moments, he returned and sat again.
“I am the last of my kin, the last to wield the forces I am made of, with the exception of the Observer, of course. But, like many others, it's time for me to pass on and live as a concept, without losing my existence completely. So, I would like to know if you're willing to bear my burden and, in a way, my existence.”
I looked at the old man seriously. ‘He's senile there’s no other explanation. Poor man, age must have done him harm. But I guess it’s best to go along with his thoughts; they say it's not good to argue with madmen.’
"And what would I gain from this? Would there be any benefit? Why should I believe you?"
When I finished asking, the old man leaned closer and said, “All who witnessed history are dead. Skeptics call it legend, while the ancients and keepers of hidden wisdom call it truths older than the beginning. The question remains: whom do you trust? That's for you to decide, my boy..."
“...some out there will call you blasphemous, heretical, a liar if you speak of this, but it truly happened. Only a select few may truly know the truth.”
“When you go out, you will discover that my words, no matter how insane they seem, hold the greatest truth for this little world. This world, which, as we speak, is no longer so little. Here, listen to one of the lost tales of creation.”
And he began to tell the story in a deep voice, with such certainty that it was as if he had witnessed it himself. In a strange way, I could picture each scene he narrated, as if the story itself were forming images in my mind.
“The ancestors say, in myths passed down through generations, that in the vastness of time, many tales have long been lost. Once, there was nothing a void without the concept of time or space, something incomprehensible to any being. From this 'void,' a pure force grew, filling the infinite emptiness until it formed a being, shapeless and undefined. This being existed alone in that void for an unimaginable period.
Then, at some point, a similar force arose and gave birth to another being, different from the first, and it took its place beside him. This process happened 999 more times. Each new being possessed half the force of the one before.
These beings gathered around those who came before them, gradually forming a circle. In an infinite void now devoid of that force, they existed with no reason, meaning, or purpose. Over the ages, they evolved, gaining personality and unique characteristics. Some were restless, while others, like the first, simply existed.
One of them eventually began to shape himself, and, for lack of a better term, he 'illuminated' the void, creating what we now call light. Many nearby beings looked at the light with curiosity, observing its nature, and started to move and create things similar to the 'light.' Thus began their self-learning in creation.
In their experimentation with light, they eventually generated heat, and from the sparks of this heat came fire. Fire condensed into lava, lava into stone, and so on.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
After ages of experimentation, they eventually created life. Those who had only watched their companions shape matter became fascinated with this new concept of life. They learned to mold it, creating various races, each with different shapes, personalities, and preferences.
As time went on, differences emerged among these beings, dividing them. They formed distinct groups, each creating what pleased them, and thus, countless worlds came into existence, each with its own laws, life forms, and shaping the universe itself. However, they were slow to realize that each creation drew on a small part of their own existence, linking their creations back to themselves, subtly feeding their power. Over time, many exhausted their power and ceased to exist as beings, becoming mere concepts or physical representations. The first and last simply observed creation, never intervening.
These beings, later known by the sapient races as gods, had expended much of their existence on creation, shaping laws and forms. They withdrew deeper into the depths of their creations, where they remained until the events of the first great holy war.
The first god watched the entire process and saw the potential in what his kin had left behind. He gathered these discarded remnants and created a single universe from them. But in his ambition, he wanted to create the greatest world in this universe, a planet that could contain all creations. Yet balancing it proved unexpectedly challenging.
In his first act, he submerged the world in water to create oceans. In his second, he caused earthquakes, raising land masses to create mountains as high as the heavens. In the third, he set the world aflame, creating volcanoes. In the fourth, he froze the world to cool it. In the fifth, he split the land, forming continents. In the sixth, he let it rain for an eternity. Finally, in the seventh, he abandoned the project, scattering life forms and setting this world adrift in a remote corner of the universe. After his experiment, he returned to his silent observation of other worlds’ endless cycles of existence and creation.”
I was speechless, uncertain what to say. In a way, it was profound and didn't seem like the ravings of a madman. So I asked again.
“What did you mean by changes outside, and what exactly is the outside?”
Before answering, he examined me, perhaps judging whether I believed his tale.
“The world you were born in is no longer the same. We are in the world, yet apart from it, as if sheltered by a bubble that shields us from the changes outside. As for those changes, the Observer is altering the planet itself. Right now, new continents are being added, torn from similar worlds, and placed here. Entire realms have been cast here, from what I can tell.”
He started murmuring to himself, looking at the ground, hand on his chin, fingers moving. I could hear, but not fully grasp, the meaning of his words.
“Hmm… it seems he made this planet capable of generating mana. That will be interesting to watch.”
Suddenly, he looked directly into my eyes and asked, “So, boy, do you want to be my heir?”
“You still haven’t answered my questions,” I replied. He looked down, seemingly lost in thought.
After a few moments, as if satisfied with his reasoning, he looked back at me.
“How much do you believe in luck, destiny, or the cycle of life?”
“I’ve never really thought much about it,” I answered.
“Luck and destiny are essentially the same thing. A person destined to die will die; one destined to live will live. Someone terminally ill might recover, and someone with severe injuries might heal as if nothing happened. Conversely, a perfectly healthy person might die without apparent cause.
“When something is meant to be yours, it naturally comes to you. Conversely, something that’s not meant for you will never be yours, no matter how hard you chase it. Things aren't always fair they simply are what they are."
“As for the cycle, it is the soul’s process. Every soul defines its being, and when something dies, usually only the sapient, its soul goes to judgment before returning to the cycle…”
As he explained the cycle, his appearance began to change. His cloak transformed into a majestic garment of fine fabric, unblemished, and appeared new. His demeanor exuded dignity and majesty, his hood lowering to obscure his face entirely.
“My kin use this cycle to spread their faith, and the races they created revere them as gods. They exploit my creation for their benefit. Not that I don’t understand I, too, wish to use it to sustain myself as a conscious concept.”
After a pause, he continued.
“As I said before, I have many names. Some call me Death, for souls are my domain…” Suddenly, he drew back his hood, and what I saw was no longer an old man but a beautiful woman with black hair, golden eyes, an impeccable face a terrifying beauty. 'Now I understand when they say death is the only truth,' I thought.
"Let me introduce myself. As I said earlier, I have many names. Some have called me Death, for souls fall under my jurisdiction…."
Suddenly, she pulled back her hood, revealing not an old man anymore but a stunning woman with flowing black hair and golden eyes. Her face was flawless, a beauty that struck with an almost frightening allure. In that moment,'I think I can now understand when they say that death is the most beautiful of all creatures'.
She continued, “They call me Lady of Fate, Goddess of Luck, both of which I created. These were the three things I felt were missing in the universe after all my siblings’ creations. Now, for the last time, I ask you: would you like to be my heir?”
Surprised and awestruck by the transformation of the figure before me, now claiming to be a goddess and proving it with the shift in her appearance, I found myself too stunned to refuse.
“Yes, I would,” I said nervously, and her answer was a smile as beautiful as life itself. I heard a whisper that made my heart race, “Good, good.”