The Absence of Color

A rainbow is one of the most peaceful sights you'll ever see. It could be hopeless outside- grey, wet, and depressed, when the light from the Sun above suddenly breaks through the clouds, shining for the world to see it. It's inspiring, to be honest. The rain clouds were simply an attempt to keep the Sun- the happiness- out. Yet, the Sun refuses to back down, and passes through that barrier, rather than shattering it.

There they are, the Sun and the rain, coexisting peacefully together, in a way that happiness and sadness never could, and in order to show the world that they have made peace, a rainbow is formed- with six colors binding them together. It brings me comfort, knowing that they were able to form a treaty of some sort, and such a beautiful one too.

Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple, all coming together to provide balance in the sky, in a truly amazing sight to see.

So, I don't think people who consider black to be a color have ever seen a rainbow in their lives.

By definition, black is the absence of all color- the absence of that treaty between the Sun and the rain. Instead of happiness, sadness, or both at once, there is just an endless, colorless, chaotic emptiness. It does not absorb any light, nor can you use it to find your way in the dark, because it is the dark. It is the darkest you could possibly get. There is no black in the rainbow; there is no emptiness nor craziness in the essence of peace and balance.

Surrounding yourself with the absence of color was a dangerous thing to do. It was so dark and so empty, making it so easy to lose your way in it. If the world was black, you would be able to walk forever, and not find anything.

That's exactly how it was for me. My world was empty and colorless.

I was surrounded by the darkness of the non-color black. Surrounded by complete and total emptiness, with nothing on either side of me. I didn't know if I could stand up and walk away- maybe I didn't even know how to, or maybe I already was. I couldn't see a thing, not even my own body, at all.

I had never seen a rainbow in my entire life. There was no such thing here.

Actually, how long had it been since I had last seen... anything? Anything at all? Anything but the emptiness I lived in? Anything but... nothing? I didn't know. I could have been here for an eternity for all I knew. I had no recollection of ever doing anything, of ever seeing anything, apart from my world without color- my world filled with darkness.

It was all I had ever known... until that one moment. That one moment that changed everything. That one moment that jump started my newfound life.

When I opened my eyes- if I had ever closed them in the first place, I don't know- I was no longer surrounded by darkness, but standing before what appeared to be a small pond filled with water. Despite having never seen water in my life, I knew what it was, yet I did not know why. It wasn't as if there were any books in the colorless world I lived in.

But this wasn't colorless. The water was a bright, Robin's egg blue filled with small, pale pink, and floating sakura petals, with the pond itself being surrounded by a series of small rocks- some with moss growing on them, and some without. There were wildflowers growing beneath them, peeking out through the cracks between the rocks, and it was only then that I realized I wasn't indoors nor was I outdoors, but in a cave.

Looking down, I noticed I was standing on a reddish, rocky surface myself, but to my surprise, I was not barefoot. I was wearing a pair of black sneakers, which for some reason, felt incredibly uncomfortable and... muddy... despite there being no soil beneath me, and there was certainly nor soil nor water where I had been before. At least, that's what I had always thought. My shirt- a white collar shirt stained with what I could only assume was also reddish-looking mud- was also damp, as was the red skirt I was wearing, which also happened to be both muddy and slightly torn.

My hair brushed against my back, soaking and dripping wet, and I suddenly became curious to see what color it was, considering I had never actually seen it before. Truth be told, I didn't even know I had any hair until just this moment, but then why did I know what it was? Why would I have known about something I didn't even know I had myself?

"You ask a lot of questions."

I almost jumped from the place I had been standing. Though I had taken my time to observe my surroundings and the newfound color and light around me, I had not taken any notice of the small figure that was currently in the pond. I wondered if they had even been there before they spoke.

As they slowly raised their head to get a proper look at me, I was able to get a proper look at them. They were absolutely beautiful. Their straight hair the color of lavender was surprisingly-neatly and spread out in the water, entwined with the pale pink sakura petals so that it looked as if they were purposefully placed there. Their eyes looked as if they were made from pure gold, and their skin looked as if it had been sculpted from bronze. I couldn't help but notice the faint glow they emitted, especially from their chest and face, though it was possible that it could have to do with the gold wrap around their entire body, nearly shielding the fact that they were naked underneath it, possibly so as not to appear rude in the company of guests. Did they get guests often?

Though they did look somewhat like a woman, they also somewhat resembled a man. Something inside was telling me that I should not try to fit them to a specific gender, though, because I got the feeling that this was no mere human…

Much to my surprise, when I wasn't prepared for it, they spoke to me in a clear, calm, and somewhat high voice- not high as in a girl's voice, but high as in the voice of a younger boy.

"Thank you."

I blinked, confused as to what I had done to deserve words of thanks from someone as majestic-looking as them. Almost on queue, I felt my cheeks heat up, though they did not react to it at all.

"W- What for?" I managed to stutter out, but they simply shook their head in dismissal.

"It's nothing, forget I said anything. I'm sure you have some questions that you would like answered?"

That was a massive understatement. The amount of questions I had were endless. Where was I even supposed to start?

What is this place? How did I get here? Why are you wearing clothes in a pond? Why are my clothes dirty and wet? What color is my hair? What about my eyes, what color are they? Is there a reason why my shoes are so uncomfortable and muddy? Where was I before? What are you? Who are you?

What day is it?

How long have I been in that dark place?

Why do I know things about stuff I've never even seen?

Why don't I know basic things like what my hair color is?

What's…

Who am I??

"What's... my... name?"

Of all the questions I had, that was the only one I was able to ask. I kept my tone quiet, and my eyes on two of the moss-covered rocks with three poppies sticking out between the two of them. I eventually gathered the courage, however, to look away from them and at the small figure still sitting in the pond.

They eyed me with curiosity and slight confusion in their eyes, but I felt as though there was more than that. It was as if they were staring into my soul, analyzing my existence- and I stared back at them, unsure of what else to do, into their golden eyes. After a solid two minutes of staring, they finally sighed (rather loudly), and inched a little closer to the edge.

"Your questions will be answered in a matter of time. Some will be now, some will later, and some will never. I can tell you one thing for certain, though:"

I slowly nodded, not entirely understanding why they were being so cryptic of this situation. But, they were my only hope of finding out what was going on, and I had no idea when I would get sent back home again... so I had no choice but to go along with it. I supposed I didn't mind, as long as it wasn't anything ridiculous.

Just as long as what I was told made sense.

"Your name is Kokirai Sora. You're dead, I'm God, and I'd like to offer you a gift."