The Birth Of Our World

There was only emptiness. A vast expanse of emptiness with seemingly no end in every direction. Nothing moving, changing, growing, dying. Just, nothing.

Until eventually, a golden spark emerged from nowhere. Like the fragile flames of a new-born fire, the sparks clung to life, growing slowly, but not into a fire. From the glow, a vaguely human figure appeared.

A man, lustrous golden hair flowing towards his feet, pale skin like jade, and glistening golden eyes that seemed to contain the enormity of the universe.

"Where am I? What is this place?"

Despite his adult physique, the man seemed naïve like a child, innocent and curious.

"Am I alone? Is anyone else here? Hello?"

Nothing.

After a few failed attempts at communication, the man accepted that he was utterly alone in the vast nothingness. Instead, he decided to explore his new surroundings. The concept of moving was foreign to him, but it seemed willing himself to move was enough to travel in this strange place.

And so, he travelled the expanse, time seemingly non-existent. To the man's dismay, no changes greeted him. After a while, he could only accept the harsh reality of the situation.

He was completely alone.

The man decided to sit, or rather, float in the air. Eyes closed; he pondered his situation. Was there anything he could do? There didn't seem to be anything to find out there in the empty. No-one to keep him company, to entertain him, to explain his meaning and place in this endless world.

But then an idea erupted in his mind. It seemed silly at first but the more he thought about it, the more realistic it appeared. Something inside him urged him to try and gave him the confidence to give it a go.

"Why don't I just create my own world?"

And with his words, a vast universe unfurled before him. A similar vast expanse of space, but this time dark and oddly comforting. A peculiar feeling washed over his body, as if it was no longer static but dynamic, changing. Time.

Like he himself had once been, a spark ignited in the empty space and grew. Grew until it encompassed his entire vision. A new feeling radiated towards him, one he couldn't help but find pleasing. Heat. Before he knew it, this new being before him abruptly collapsed within itself and erupted with incredible might.

The man felt no danger from the process. In fact, the idea of danger seemed not to exist yet.

Spewed from the explosion, debris littered the surrounding space. Upon closer inspection, each piece of matter was different. A myriad of metallic spheres blanketed by wondrous gases in fantastical clouds.

"Finally, something interesting" the man thought, a smile alighting his face.

While the man explored his new surroundings, the process seemed to continually repeat. The matter expelled would be attracted towards each other, amalgamating into a gigantic searing mass, only to once again erupt with greater might each time. New things continually emerged from the process as the man allowed himself to enjoy the process of exploring the new world he'd created.

Eventually, things stabilised, and large spheres of rock and gas orbited a far larger sphere of superheated gas. The first solar system.

The man eagerly awaited the next changes... And waited... And waited some more.

No changes seemed to be coming.

"Is this it? Is there nothing else?" the man worried. So far, his experience had definitely been interesting, but he was quickly becoming bored. Was he supposed to remain for countless eons only staring at the same rocks?

Seeking more change, the man once again ventured the vast universe, this time, the one of his own creation. He passed countless solar systems, galaxies and eventually, the entire universe. At each turn, he remained optimistic that the next place would hold something new to discover. Something to stir his spirits.

But as before, he was left disappointed.

Despite his new rocky companions, he remained utterly alone.

The man didn't allow himself to get frustrated at the situation. After all, had he not experienced this exact problem already before? Didn't he already know the solution to his loneliness?

"Such a vast universe and just me to enjoy it? How unfair. I suppose I'll just have to create some companions for myself."

To his words, the space responded. From the planets, life sprouted. Meadows of grass blanketed the land. Trees grew from the ground and reached their wavy hands towards the heavens. Animals meandered through the vast oceans and the mountains, the forests and the deserts. The previously barren lands were suddenly abuzz with activity.

In this moment, the man experienced a new feeling. As he looked over his creations, he couldn't help but feel proud at what he'd done. What a beautiful world he had created.

"Let's explore!"

For countless millennia, the man lived among his creations. He ran with the deer through the trees and over the hills. He swam amongst the schools of fish and lay amidst the coral reefs. He soared through the skies with the birds, migrating from to place to place.

When a planet had demonstrated all it had to offer, he would move on to the next. The man quickly realised that not all of his planets were suitable for life. Some were too hot, some too cold. Some had no atmosphere, no water. Some didn't even have any land but were just giants of gas.

That wasn't to say they were useless though. Some of them would use the strange field around them to protect smaller planets from colliding with smaller rocks headed their way. Their large size would distort the surrounding space and redirect and any projectiles. Gravity.

The man appreciated every facet of his creation, from the simple and quiet to the complex and loud.

At this point, the man felt that he could explore the universe forever, his boredom finally gone. However, the man realised that he had underestimated the length of eternity and the complexity of his world.

After exploring a few hundred worlds, repeating creatures began to pop up. After a few thousand, the unique creatures were outnumbered by the ones he'd already seen. Eventually, he scoured the entire remaining universe only to find nothing new.

This time, frustration did set in.

"I was sure I had it this time. What did I do wrong?" the man desperately searched for the answer. He needed a way to quench his boredom, one without a expiry date. For thousands of years the man sat engrossed in his thoughts, mulling over every possibility he could think of, until, eureka!

"I think I've got it this time! The issue this whole time has been that things have been too predictable. The creatures I've created just follow the same few patterns, controlled by their instincts. What I need is something complex. Something that behaves in peculiar ways, even going against its own instincts. Something so erratic and unpredictable that I'll never know what it'll do next! Hahahaha yes! This is it!"

This time, the man decided to do things himself. Heading to the nearest planet, he took earth in both hands. To an audience of the nearby squirrels, foxes and birds, the man moulded the clay in his image. Two long legs, a torso, two arms and a head.

"If I want a true companion in this life, why not make one just like me?"

With a passionate breath, the clay morphed, and the first human was born.

- - - - -

A dark room was illuminated by but a simple wax candle on the hardwood table. The darkness of the night was slowly being chased away by the morning sun. The open window allowed a pleasant draft to enter the room and along with it, the waking tunes of the local birds. Crisp, turning pages could be heard within the room amidst the candle's flickering, a sound that had echoed in the sparse room all through the night. A young boy, only 7 years old, sat hunched over the book on the table.

The boy had onyx-black short hair so dark that the feeble candlelight seemed to struggle, desperately avoiding being engulfed whole. His eyes were equally dark and enchanting; however, they were marred by deep eye-bags, an eerie shadow across the boy's face. In contrast, his skin was deathly pale, accentuating his dark features further.

The boy hadn't slept a wink all night, instead pouring over the rugged book in front of him, titled: [The Birth Of Our World - A Contemporary Rendition - By M].

"So that should've been the God Emperor, huh? I'm surprised they made him out to be like a little kid. Winston and the others always act so respectfully and subserviently when they talk about him. I wonder who this M person is to talk about him like that."

Eager to continue, the boy went to flip the next page but was rudely interrupted by a bellowing voice from below,

"Nox! Time to wake up! Be on the training field in 5 minutes!"

The voice came from a hoarse older man, who closely resembled the boy, Nox. This voice had been one that had tormented the last 5 years of his life incessantly.

With an acquiescent grunt, Nox stood to extinguish the candle. Before pinching the wick with his fingers, he allowed his fingers to linger over the flames. The heat sizzled the surface of his fingers and yet Nox kept an expressionless face, as if there were no sensation at all. After a moment more, he lingered no longer and headed out his small room. There was no need to get dressed as he had been up all night reading and never undressed in the first place.

Growing up here, in this place, Nox quickly realised he was strange. While things like pain and sleep still existed for him, they were dulled. Barring major wounds, Nox felt very little across his body. Moreover, a few sleepless nights posed no more impact than some scary eye-bags and grouchiness. While others were nestled in bed, he was researching this place, it's history, and planning his future meticulously.

Trudging through the hallways, passer-byes and maids would cross his path and promptly bow. His cold gaze ignored them all though as it remained trained on his destination. His journey took him through expansive stone bricked rooms carpeted in tasteful decorations in gold and silver, past luxurious red tapestries and carpets and eventually through an enormous wooden double door.

The blinding sunlight beckoned Nox to close his eyes, but he knew he wouldn't be afforded the luxury. Swiftly, the blade of a wooden claymore came hurtling towards his face. The wielder was much taller than Nox, allowing him to react briskly and roll beneath the blade and into a temporary safety.

Getting his bearings, Nox had chance to examine his opponent. A tall shirtless man with a thick, chiseled body and onyx-black long hair tied into a ponytail, tarnished by increasing strands of silver-white. His eyes were like a deep black ocean, fixed on Nox like a predator to his prey. Lips curving into a grin, the man chuckled:

"Fast reflexes boy! Let's see how you handle this!"

In both hands the man held a large wooden sword. The man's previous mighty swing had been delivered with but one hand. Throwing one sword over to Nox and only allowing him a moment to react, he pushed from the ground and, like a cannon, barrelled towards Nox.

"Not this time you old bastard." Nox thought vindictively.

Planting his feet and readying his stance, he stared down the man with contempt. However, the man was only spurred on by the boy's confidence.

"Give it your all boy!"

A mighty downward slash crashed from the heavens, threatening to crush Nox's skull. But Nox was ready. The man had used this move so many times by now he knew it inside and out. Angling his blade towards the ground, he deflected it to the ground and with a hard kick to the wrist, disarmed the man.

With all the speed and power he could muster, he unleashed a horizontal slash towards the exposed neck of the man.

"This is it! He's mine!"

Facing the incoming blade, the man could only smirk bitterly. Suddenly, the man seemingly vanished and before Nox could react, he was being swept off of his feet, a sword pointed at his forehead. The impact of his head against the ground had rattled his skull, his vision fading.

"You cheated... you old bastard" a weak mutter left Nox's lips before he fainted.

As Nox lay defeated beneath the man's feet, he couldn't help but break into a wide grin and whisper,

"You've gotten so strong boy. To think you'd make me use the speed of someone twice your age." The man kneeled down and plucked him from the ground seemingly effortlessly.

"What a little monster" the man chuckled, "rest well, my son."

Carrying Nox to the infirmary, Nox's father, Ryan, couldn't help but wonder what he'd done to deserve such a son. Ironically, Nox was wondering a similar thing amidst his delirious dreams. What had he done to deserve being brought into this strange world and to this hellish man?