Prologue: Between Dream and Reality

His breathing was ragged, faster and more erratic, like a machine running out of fuel. Air was drawn painfully into his lungs, which felt as if they were burning. His steps were heavy and uncoordinated, causing thuds on the dusty ground. Each step sounded like thunder, growing slower and more uncontrollable. The crunch of twigs under his feet became more frequent and chaotic. The crunching leaves beneath his feet added to the panic. His heartbeat pounded loudly in his ears, like an incessantly beaten drum. His pulse echoed, as if it could be heard from afar. Sweat dripped profusely, falling silently to the ground but feeling as heavy as a storm. His vision began to blur, the sound of his pulse and footsteps merging into a frightening symphony. The sound of stiff joints cracking with each step sent waves of pain through his body. Choking on his own breath, his throat was dry and felt as if something was scraping it from within.

The world around him spun, the sound of his footsteps grew slower and more distant, then everything went dark. His ears rang, the sound of breathing and heartbeat fading until they finally vanished into silence. "Thud..."

"I wish I could just disappear," the man's inner voice echoed into the void, reaching the ears of God.

"Zerahab," said God. "Zerahab! It is not yet your time to be here. Wake up!" commanded God.

Zerahab's eyes instantly snapped open. He couldn't see anything; everything was dark, and his body felt like it was floating in emptiness. Only a glimmer of light with a voice appeared before his eyes. His body couldn't move. His chest ached as if stabbed by a thousand swords. His tears fell into the void, unable to hold back the pain and tightness in his chest.

"I will give you a new life," God's voice emanated from the light Zerahab was looking at.

"No, not again, I don't want anything more in this world," Zerahab screamed in his heart. His mouth couldn't move.

"I hear your heart's voice. I will bless you with a new life. Create it as you see fit. Cosmara will be your dwelling place. The scales of good and evil are in your hands. From now on, have dominion over your life and Cosmara." The light then disappeared along with God's voice.

Zerahab jolted awake, breathing heavily, cold sweat pouring down his forehead. His heart pounded rapidly, as if it wanted to leap out of his chest, pumping adrenaline throughout his body. He looked around with wide eyes, trying to distinguish between reality and a dream. His body felt stiff, every muscle tense as if ready to flee from a nonexistent threat. His heart pounded hard, and his mind whirled, searching for calm amidst the chaos. He tried to convince himself that it was just a dream, repeatedly saying those words in his mind.

After fully calming down and realizing his surroundings, Zerahab opened his hands with the intent to wipe his face to wake himself up, but the universe appeared from his hands, shimmering like stars. Zerahab was both astonished and disbelieving at what was happening.

Zerahab clenched his fists, making the reflection of the universe disappear. He tried opening his fists again, and the universe reappeared from his hands.

"No, it can't be!!! This is not real!!!" he screamed.

As he looked around, Zerahab realized he didn't know where he was, everything was empty and there was only a void. Fear began to flow through his body.

"Someone please wake me from this nightmare..." he pleaded, sobbing in despair. In his earthly life as a human, Zerahab often had similar nightmares. He was in a void that made him unable to distinguish between reality and a dream. He often thought he was already dead. Every day, in his sleep, he could die at any moment.

Through his tears, Zerahab opened his fists again and stared at the universe. A beautiful planet caught his eye, labeled Cosmara, floating and rotating around Zerahab's head. "Cosmara," he muttered.

Whoosh, it felt as if he was pulled into another dimension. In an instant, faster than a human blink, Zerahab had moved from the void. His eyes beheld a vast flower field with a gentle breeze swaying the flowers. Creatures resembling butterflies and bees flew around. However, for some reason, everything was only in black and white.

"I hope all the black and white here were colorful and showed their cheerfulness."

Whoosh, just like when Zerahab moved, everything changed to what Zerahab said. The flower field became colorful with pollen glittering like glitter, and creatures like butterflies and bees danced happily in the beautiful flower field.

"No, it can't be. There's no such power in words. This must be a coincidence. I'll try once more," Zerahab said.

"Oh, creatures like butterflies and bees, may you have beautiful colors."

Silence.

"See, nothing happened. It must be a coincidence. There's no way I have such power," he said, looking down in disappointment at his feet. "Though I don't know where I am right now, I truly hope the creatures that look like butterflies and bees have their own colors that make them happy. I don't want them to be like me."

Whoosh, the wind blew. And when Zerahab looked back at the flower field, the creatures that looked like butterflies and bees had turned colorful and could talk like fairies in a fairytale.

"No, it can't be. This must surely be just a dream!" Zerahab screamed, increasingly frightened by what was happening before him.

Zerahab's scream drew all the creatures, flowers, butterflies, and bees that had changed because of his words. Zerahab screamed so loudly that all the creatures heard him and stared at him.

Zerahab, frightened, prepared to flee, thinking all the creatures would attack him because they were angry at being changed by his words.

"They are staring at me."

"The God of Cosmara has arrived!!!" they shouted, and all the creatures knelt before Zerahab.

"The God of Cosmara has arrived! The God of Cosmara has arrived!" they shouted repeatedly, making Zerahab both confused and scared.

"My lord, welcome to Cosmara," said a large tree behind Zerahab.

"What?! This big tree is talking?" Zerahab screamed in his heart. He was even afraid to say anything for fear of making a mistake.

"My lord, let me introduce myself, I am Verdantus. The only creature in Cosmara that could speak before you came and changed them. Now everything looks beautiful, my lord. I have been awaiting your arrival. Before, I was very lonely because I could not move and was the only one who could speak. But your arrival has changed them, and I will not be lonely anymore," Verdantus, the big tree behind Zerahab, spoke, opening a song from all the creatures Zerahab had changed.

Cosmara has become beautiful

Our lives more colorful

The God of Cosmara has come

He is the light of life for Cosmara

Loneliness turns to joy

The emptiness in our hearts is filled with happiness

The void has vanished

The God of Cosmara has arrived