Realm development

"My work is done. Everything is in place, and everything will run smoothly now as it should be." Stan faced me, "I might not appear ever again before you, so this might goodbye."

I was a little bit emotional. "I have a question… are there other me in every universe?" I was curious.

"No. There's only one of you. You are a singularity in this Multiverse."

"Okay… final question. Is this the only multiverse out there? And if there is, do you know any?"

"Those were two questions." Stan chuckled and I ignored him waiting for the answer. "There are other multiverses, but I won't name them. that's all I'll tell you. Goodbye Soul."

I was going to ask more questions now that he made me more curious, but he quickly faded out of existence. I just stood there looking at the multiverse.

I teleported back to my realm. My throne faded into existence. I sat on it and caressed its armrest looking over all planets and planes. I looked further to see the soul lives evolve. Now there were some creatures. I used the animals on earth as a templet. There were many mutations, and they were much bigger that Earth's. They almost looked like creatures from Avatar: the last air bender. I suddenly thought of an idea. Since I was god in my realm, why not play 'build the civilization'. I had to wait until there was a good amount of intelligent life. Now, there was just animal life. I had a list of things I wanted to do and experiment. I removed a new book and named it 'Soul Life'. This book was going to record every species of living beings in the Soul realm. I had already filled the other book: Soul Origin and was now in my library recorded in many volumes.

I wrote down the existing races down. There was not much because I had just started creating life. Maybe I'll wait for many years. Evolution back on earth took millions of years. I could take this time to perfect natural laws inside my realm and maybe by that time, the realm will evolve to a dimension. So, with that, I started perfecting natural laws and other duties such as providing First energy to the celestial. For the first hundred thousand years, I watched the life evolve. I did nothing more. I just floated seated on my throne. I didn't even have a home to go back to. I needed to create one soon. Life had evolved. There were intelligent creatures, ape-looking life, fish and birds. There were also humanoid creatures. This came in different forms. There those with longer limbs and others had scales. Others had sharp features like ears, teeth and fingers. Last ones had mutated and took half of the creatures' characteristics. The first visible ones looked like centaurs. I took out 'Soul Life' and recorded their appearances, behaviours and their period in the Soul calendar. I had to make a different time system because the story in the multiverse varied in different universes.

Another five hundred thousand years pass. I had built my home next to the Soul Tree. It was a simple tower with uncountable stories. I didn't even bother checking because I just teleported to the top. It was the only floor I used. I had been following a particular race on the first planet. They developed over the years. Many villages to towns to chiefdoms to kingdoms to empires. They had laws, resources and conflicts. There was one group that caught my interest. They lived in a forest nearby. I saw them manipulate nearby soul dust and other soul energies. I observed them. Days turn to weeks then turn to months. I decided to pay them a visit. So, I disguised myself as one of them and descended. I posed as an old man. The moment I neared one of them making up a story of bandits, they accepted me into their tents. Things were going well but I underestimated one of them. The moment I entered the tent, one of their members immediately got down on her knees. She was an old middle-aged woman, heavily dresses in many animal skins. She stood out from the rest of the group. She began reciting a chant or prayer.

The rest upon seeing her copied her and did exactly as she did. I could understand what they were saying. Something in the line of '…god has descended today. Please forgive us…' "Stand." I told them. they still kneeled with their heads bowed down.

"Please forgive us… forgive us…" the woman continued begging for forgiveness.

"Stand!" I said then used soul dust around them to make them stand. They were stunned I could make them do what I want. I pointed at the woman and then looked at everybody else and pointed at the door. They immediately left. On their way out one of them said, "Priestess Zarah has been chosen by god."

The tent was not accommodatable, so I conjured two chair constructs. She refused to sit down saying she was in my Prescence no matter how much I told her to sit. I left her to do whatever she wanted. "I am interested in you because you can manipulate soul energies." She was shocked. I continued, "You are among the first ones with much potential… what was this gathering of yours?"

She didn't look me in the eyes during my speech. "…We were being persecuted. Many think this gift is a curse." It only took a moment to see though her and what she'd been through. I didn't respond and just looked at her with a neutral expression. This went on for three minutes when she couldn't take it and she fell on her knees once again begging for me to stop them from being persecuted, that since I was god, I should do something about it.

"I cannot. You need to evolve fast and naturally. That won't be possible If I intervene." I looked at her.

"Please… you are god… you can do what you want." She was now crying.

We were interrupted when one armoured man stormed inside and pointed at us, "There's the witch. Grab her."

Zarah looked at me and was now grabbing my leg, "Please… we'll do anything… we'll be yours to order around… our lives will be yours… please" they cam and started pulling her away. Okay I had enough fun now. One of them approached me and was going to place a hand on me when I snapped my fingers. Everything on the planet stood still. Zarah wasn't affected, she could still move, "Go and find all your people and gather back here. Take this bracelet, it'll help you unfreeze your people." I stood. Zarah was still shocked and awed by what I did. A quick glance at her brought her back and she immediately rushed out.

Twenty minutes later, Zarah came back with over a hundred people. "Is this everybody?"

"Yes, its everybody. Umm… what are we to do now lord?"

I snapped my fingers, and everything resumed it motion. "I'll be taking you and teach you what I was you to spread."

"The people on Aerth have forgotten you and persecute any of your believers."

'Aerth is what they named this planet?' "I don't think I shared my existence for me to be worshipped. I don't need Faith from you people to become god. I'm stronger than that." I said and they just looked at me confused.

"…What?" Zarah didn't understand me, because why couldn't she? They didn't know anything beyond Aerth.

I just sighed and waved my hand. We teleported to the top of the tower. They were shocked by the sudden movement. "Know this tower in and out. This will be your new home. I take it all of you have some affinity to soul energy. Find the library and read every book I've recorded. You probably won't see me again in your lives. Pass down what you learn in that library down you generation. Inhabit this tower and record your discovery and, I want a book on your history." I looked at Zarah, "She'll be your leader." I faded away.

Back in the multiverse. The Black Winter, a cosmic entity capable of devouring universes, consumed the Sixth Cosmos, sparing only Galan of Taa to serve as its Herald in the new Multiverse. The Black Winter's destruction of the universe created an existential void, in which the elder god Knull, the King in Black came into being and claimed as his domain. When the Celestials began creating the seventh iteration of the universe, Knull declared war on them and their creations. I just hoped he won't come at my doorstep demanding anything.

Many eons later, I was floating in my now dimension on my throne watching how humanoid souls fought creature-like black translucent soul constructs. I could have solved all this conflict by snapping my fingers, but I wanted to see how everything would play out. I grabbed one dark soul from the battlefield and held it between my fingers. I examined it. It was corrupted, it had let negative emotions blind it and it spread like a plague among the humanoid life on Aerth and other planets and planes. It was now a dimensional war. I decided to sit out and spectate. I wanted evolution in my dimension, and what better way for that to happen? War. I even let Zarah spread her people across the dimension to combat these dark souls. They were powerful. Both Zarah's people and the dark souls. They held immense power, and I was going to see who's winning this war.

But my entertainment was interrupted when I felt a presence outside the dimension. I faced the newcomer's direction squinting my eyes. "You will not come closer Black Winter. My dimension is not food for you." A huge mass of gases with stars separated inside it. It looked like the Nebular. I only paused for a moment before advancing forth. I teleported outside to meet it. From inside its jaw-like mouth, Knull exited. He carried a sword made from his first symbiote. "I have declared war on the Celestials and their creations. That includes who provide them with the first energy you give them. I have declared you, my enemy."

I looked back at Black Winter who was devouring scattered soul energy from the dimension's boundary. I need stop them. "You war is with the Celestials Knull, but if you've come to disturb me, then I need to teach a young god who thinks his darkness can exist near me and another one thinking my dimension is up on his diet." A golden bow appeared in my left hand. I pulled it and an arrow materialized. I was now aiming Black winter. I released it now giving them a chance for manoeuvring. I quickly followed the arrow with the same speed and formed a spear. Knull not having time to evade pulled out his sword and blocked the blow. My attack was light but the moment it met Knull's; a shock wave of light blinded him. I followed that by thrusting my spear at him. He was on the defence. I didn't give him any chance to counter.

He tried manifesting darkness, but it rejected him. "Didn't I tell you… my light reached every corner of yourself and those around me." my spear changed into a long sword. I slashed across his chest leaving him wounded. He couldn't manifest the darkness to help him heal because he was in my presence. "No… you were never supposed to be this strong… you stayed in your dimension all years, eons and times; how could you be this strong!?" Knull was now starting to show fear. He started to advance carefully. He looked passed me to where Black Winter was. I knew I had to finish here then deal with the devourer.

"King in black, I have come for you."

On our right, a flaming bird came speeding appearing next to us in an instant. I knew she was here for Knull. I took advantage of that and left her to deal with Knull. I needed to save my dimension. I faded in light particles and teleported near Black Winter. I shot our several arrow and spears. It did damage but it seamed it was determined to devour my dimension. I then made myself a giant, making us now equal in size. He stopped devouring and focused on me. He knew at this size; I was going to be a threat. I conjured a long sword and slashed across him. I passed through him. "Aarggh… I will make sure I devour this dimension. You cannot stop me Soul." I started shooting first eldritch magic at me. I simply called my soul fire that overcame the frost and damaged Black Winter's nebular. He screamed in pain. He unleashed an attack that I wasn't prepared for.

I was flung back a huge distance and now I saw him ripping apart the barrier to my dimension. I could feel many planets and soul energy flying into the void. Rage overcame me and I was at the rupture immediately. My soul tree trembled, and my presence grew. It pressured Black Winter's and Kull's. The phoenix felt it too. A huge hand formed from soul energy wrapped around Black Winter's gas body. I crushed him compressing him. I used my authority as the first being to manipulate cosmic energy to devour part of him. Once satisfied, a golden chain appeared around him like a seal and then sank into him. "What have you done? Noo… you-" he shouted.

"Punishment. If you devour anything concerning me, you'll lose double the amount of the cosmic energy fuelling you. Now get lost before I show you no more mercy."

I looked over at Knull and he was suffering. The Phoenix was tormenting him. Seriously? What were this guy thinking? Wasn't I being the oldest mean something? Like the older you are, the powerful you are. My dimension, let me fix the barrier. Knull escaped. It didn't matter. I knew he was going to get trapped by the Celestials. I just made their work easier.

"Your Soul tree is truly something else. It sustains itself… no you sustain it. It carries life laws, even some of death. You making this carry much wisdom." The Phoenix Force said from behind me.

I kept quiet focusing of finishing my repairs. "May I look inside? Your creation is different from mine." I then nodded. I was almost done with the repairs. I let the tree finish it for me. We teleported inside and The Phoenix Force was now in a flaming humanoid form. She floated around keenly observing the soul life. She was intrigued by the remains of the dimensional war. It was also halted by the dimension rapturing. That was not good probably because some dark souls escaped into the universe. I was going to hunt them down later. She asked many questions which I answered her both fully and vaguely. She then left.

Many years later I was done with repairing and restoring order in the Soul dimension. I had many visitors. One who came caught me off guard. She came to inquire about lost souls in the universe finding their way to my dimension. I just told her they were souls, where else would they need to go. These souls were mainly not under the jurisdiction of the gods of earth. Those pantheons were young. I didn't think I was headed to earth this early because I found one powerful dark soul devouring other life there. I closed my eye and imagined earth. I disappeared from my throne.

I now disguised like an old man floated above the earth. Many eyes were on me now hiding in the void or from pocked dimensions near it. I just sighed and descended. I landed in a forest where there were some dead cattle. I decided to resurrect a few so I could disguise as a farmer and find the dark souls discretely. I grabbed five creature souls from my dimension and placed them on the corpses. They immediately went healthy and grouped together. Behind me, many trees came together and formed a humanoid figure who turned into a beautiful mature lady covered in leaves clothing. She had brown hair and green eyes. I didn't even look back.