Awakening

In the moments before the multiverse's newest, and strangest, ascendant is "born" time freezes in the universe that is destined to become his birthplace. The entire universe freezes, causing everything from spaceships and cars to stop moving, as well as freezing things that are larger in scale, such as the gravitational pull of blackholes or light in the middle of racing from one part of the universe to another.

The reason for this supernatural event is the potent weight of the will of the multiverse itself pressing down on and making demands of the universe. It is in the process of creating something wholly new, and it demands total stillness and submission. The lowly universe is incapable of resisting the forceful demands and potent weight of the multiverse so it obsequiously submits and does as it is dominatingly told to do.

The universe is still as the multiverse itself sets about creating… something in a medium-sized galaxy. It watches the multiverse flex its potent power and create, from nothing, powerful magical and divine metals and weave them into the vague outline of an utterly gigantic spaceship the size of a continent. The materials used in the creation of the ship are powerful things, orichalcum, darksteel, and mithril, three mystical metals, in equal measure.

At the same time, in the same galaxy, the multiverse also sets about creating something else. The second thing being created by the multiverse is physically much smaller than the continent-sized spaceship, but it is much more demanding to create.

Inside of the office of a principal of a high school on the human world of Earth, the multiverse rearranges matter itself to construct an avatar; a corporeal manifestation of a cosmic being. This is the easy part of the task arrayed before the multiverse. The not-so-easy part is the process of subtly editing the minds of as few people as possible in such a way that there is a logically explanation that allows one to make sense of the teenager in the office of the head of the school.

Memories are created in dozens of minds, copies of hundreds of forms are created, filled in, and filed, things such as the footage of security cameras are subtly edited, and assorted objects come into existence throughout the country of the being's "birth", all to create a backstory that explains where the teenager in the seat in front of the principal came from. The young man himself begins to gain a modicum of awareness mere moments after his creation, even as his mind is being tethered to the distant spaceship that constitutes his true body. This awareness is animalistic and instinctual as opposed to the awareness a sapient being might be capable of.

He is able to study his surroundings for a unit of time equaling the time it would take for a human heart to beat dozens of times before the multiverse has created enough of his true form that he subtly senses his powers and cosmic awareness begin to come to life within him. As he gains awareness of both his powers and his nascent, and strange, cosmic awareness he begins to meaningfully think and make observations for the first time even as the multiverse begins to wrap up the work it is doing for his sake.

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I study the principal's office with a curious look. It is a dark room lit only somewhat by a window letting in some sunlight behind the principal and a loud but only barely functional electric light affixed to the ceiling.

Now that I can think in a meaningful sense, as opposed to my early and thankfully brief limited state of mind, I can make meaningful sense of what is around me. The principal in front of me is still frozen, and so am I, but my senses are fully alive. As I study him I muse on my spontaneous "birth" and my newfound ability to meaningfully think.

The process of going from animalistic awareness of my surroundings to true, conscious thought occurred in an instant. The moment that my mind was bifurcated I gained awareness of both the distant spaceship I am some bizarre manifestation of and my own supernatural abilities I went from "thinking" in grunts and only being capable of reacting to stimuli to gaining developed linguistic abilities and the ability to think on a scale that is beyond that of the man in front of me. I'm also aware of the distant spaceship and the strange fact that I am supposedly its "Avatar" as well as being the ship itself.

My mind is a bifurcated mess and just as keenly as I can study my immediate surroundings, I can study my other body. It is located in a distant part of the same galaxy as me, but it is many thousands of light years away from where "I" am. It is a large, powerfully armed and speedy vessel and I can intuitively sense every individual device affixed to it as well as every function it is capable of. The vessel is large and powerful, but it is as incapable of movement as I am, for the moment at least.

I know of the effects of the mystical metals the vast ship, and "I" are both made of. I know of orichalcum's potent mystical properties, the immense durability of darksteel, and the energy of things made of quicksilver. I feel how each of them affects me, both as a vessel and as a person. I also know about "transystems", potent technologies I possess and am capable of using as a "Transynth", a potent and beyond-divine, beyond-eldritch, machine.

The man in front of me is a human, and I am not even though I look like one. He is a mundane being, and just by being in his presence I can sense that while he is smart by the standards of this world his mind is nothing compared to mine.

I can distinctly sense the man's thoughts, and this strange psychic ability of mine is so finely tuned that I can sense that his mind has been modified, on my behalf, to account for why I am in front of him. He has somehow gone from preparing for the morning announcements, which matters since today is the first day for students according to his own thoughts, to having a conversation with me as he hands me my class schedule.

At the same time I am aware of other, decidedly less mundane things than the attention a principal is about to pay me. My physical senses are sharp and I have the awareness needed to know that in moments they will be flooded with stimuli, but I'm also aware of something altogether stranger then my current context. Simply by looking at the principal I can firmly sense recent instances the man gave into what my instincts tell me are called "Deadly sins", as well as times he behaved in line with "Cosmic domains".

These words are strange but feel powerfully familiar to me. Just by thinking about "Deadly sins" I can feel my potent connection to all eight. "Lust", "Pride", "Envy", "Despair", "Greed", "Gluttony", "Wrath", and "Sloth", are all powerful things that I possess a strange and natural connection to.

When I think about "Cosmic domains'', a lot more than eight make themselves known to me. "Love", "Lust", "Fertility", "Life", "Creation", "Death", "War", "Knowledge", "Science", "Magic", "Psi", "Water", "Fire", "Earth", "Air", "Spacetime", "Order", "Chaos", "Darkness", and "Light" are all domains that I am naturally connected to. I'm unsure of whether or not there are any boons to be gained by being naturally connected to domains, but I am certain that my connection is immensely strong.

It is as I am thinking about these "Cosmic domains" that the figure begins to slowly move, and at the same time I feel a sudden and potent influx of information surge into my mind. I am abruptly made aware of hundreds of instances of the domains and sins I am connected to occurring around me.

My mind is inundated with a breathtaking awareness of things as small as photons, and as immaterial as people even a few miles away from me learning the meanings of new words. I can also sense people miles away from me beginning to masturbate, and other people who are in the process of calling their bosses for the purpose of lying to them to get out of work. Each of these instances, be it of my domains or of a sin, sends invigorating energy into me.

"How strange… And how delightful." I mentally muse, even as the man in front of me instructs me to look at the piece of paper he has just handed me. I do as I am asked, since I recognize that in this building and the surrounding buildings he is the highest authority I can reasonably expect to interact with.

The piece of paper is covered in the markings that he and his kind know as the "English" language. It divides up the next several hours of the day and informs me of where I am supposed to go, at what times, and as I study it the man talks to me about the history of the school. It also contains a small card that I know is called an "Student Identity Card", which is used for accessing parts of the school as well as proving that someone attends this institution. I politely listen and at times that I intuit would be appropriate I make sounds that convey to him that I am appropriately excited to learn here.

Every second that passes I am informed of new instances of the sins I am connected to and the domains that are somehow "mine". My physical senses are also keenly sharp and I can feel all sorts of stimuli coming into my sensory range and being interpreted by my cosmic brain.

I hear humans miles away from me speaking languages other then English. I can smell a curious and oftentimes unpleasant mixture of scents due to the fact that I am not just smelling things in my immediate vicinity but also things miles away. I can even see through physical objects around me, including living objects such as Principal Richmond, who has not actually told me his name but has a nameplate on the desk that separate the two of us.

The man talks to me for some time about his excitement that I'm joining the school. Truthfully the conversation is a bit boring, but I politely play along, until he says something that is actually a bit interesting.

"Any moment now we should be joined by Zachary Edgar. He'll be your guide to your first class." The principal tells me, causing me to perk up in sincere interest.

"Oh? Do you know him well or is he just a part of a club?" I ask curiously. My voice sounds odd to me, but I can get over that with time. The principal chuckles at my question.

"Sadly, I do not know him well. This school has thousands of students, and so it's difficult for an administrator who doesn't teach to get to know them. I have, curiously, been told that he is an energetic sort." The principal tells me, causing me to smile.

I may not have traditional knowledge, but my knowledge of things like sins lets me easily imagine the sort of colorful language that such a remark could be used in place of. Zachary may well be a mischievous sort.

The principal begins to tell me of the history of the school and he manages to talk for nearly a full two minutes before I hear a knock on the door behind me. Principal Richmond glances up and smiles as he gestures for the knocking figure to come in. I turn and smile when I see someone who looks to be about the same age, roughly, as me.

"Hello Principal Richmond. You must be Greg." The figure, a black student standing a little under five and a half feet tall says as he studies me. I nod at him, taking in the fact that my name appears to be Greg with a mild amount of amusement. Given my cosmic awareness there is something remarkably ordinary about having such a simple name. He smiles at me, warmly, and glances at the principal.

"Have you given him the spiel?" The student asks, causing the principal to smile and audibly chuckle. He nods at the student and Zachary beams at him. I take this as a sign that this encounter is almost over and so I quietly get up and grab and don the backpack placed on the floor behind the chair I was, for all intents and purposes, born on.

"Alright the two of you, get to class. And have a good first day, seniors." The principal tells the two of us as Zachary walks out in front of me. I wave farewell to the principal even as I use my other hand to give Zachary my schedule.

He studies it and chuckles before telling me that we are not in the same first class, but that he's happy to show me the way to my classroom. At the same time I gain a potent rush of energy as he is the center of an instance of the "Knowledge" domain, one I caused which seems to massively boost how much energy I get from the instance.

That observation itself serves as another instance of "Knowledge" which fills me with more energy. I inwardly chuckle as I take in the implications of this. If this is true, then my own activity will certainly cause me to generate radically more energy then I could get otherwise.

We exit the office of the principal and find ourselves in a bigger, more brightly lit office. A middle-aged woman behind an old-looking desk turns to look at us as we walk by, and as she glances at me I am suddenly keenly aware of the fact that she finds me attractive, which in her case is a sin.

My awareness of sins is a strange thing. When someone sins, even just in their minds, which includes things like moments of inner rage, I am made aware of that fact, so long as the reason for the sin is linked to one of the eight deadly sins. It's almost like it's a bit of trivia I have suddenly recalled while studying for a test.

This is a powerful sense that allows me to know when someone is recalling a time when they cheated on their romantic partner or to know when someone's greed is driving them to daydream about a bank robbery they are planning. Even things like someone lusting after somebody when they have a romantic partner that is not the subject of their fantasies falls under this, as does substance abuse.

What's more bizarre is that lust is both a sin and a domain. Sometimes something lust related occurs it lights up the parts of my mind that are attuned to both domains and sins, energizing me more than anything else does and the fact that I'm the subject of the lust fills me with even more energy than previous instances of lust have. The potent burst of energy is exhilarating and a part of me wants to inspire more such bursts.

When an instance of lust lights up the parts of my mind attuned to both sins and domains is when it is improper for someone to feel lust. This is when someone shouldn't be feeling lust, such as when they have a romantic and sexual partner, or when the desire they feel is for something dangerous to their health such as a drug. At other times lust only lights up the part of my mind that is attuned to instances of domains.

Zachary leads me out of the building and we enter a courtyard situated firmly in the middle of a number of buildings all of which are about the same size as the one I have just left. The courtyard is a large place hundreds of feet from one end to another, and a number of students and staff mill about it. The sky above us is perfectly clear and it is quite warm outdoors.

"This is the school's primary gathering place. You'll be seeing a lot of it, as it is the easiest way to walk from one building to another unless the two buildings are right next to each other. It's also where most students eat lunch." Zachary tells me even as we make our way onto the courtyard. People turn and see him and nod at the two of us, and I discover that my good looks work on both women and men as I end up being the center of instances of lust from people of both genders.

Zachary and I gather a small retinue as a few other students decide to come and accompany us. They warmly greet and are warmly greeted by Zachary, and introduce themselves to me. Some of them are seniors and a few are even going to the same first class as me. It is during this time I decide to try and learn about the principal.

"So is it normal for Principal Richmond to personally welcome new students?" I ask, causing one of the seniors with us to chuckle.

"Him? Nah, he met with you because you're a genius. He wanted to hit you with some of his world famous 'Richmond Kissassery' before you could make your first impression of the school" The student, one of Zachary's friends, tells me. This causes Zachary to laugh and he playfully hits his classmate.

"Come on Jonah, we're not supposed to reveal that we know stuff like that. The teachers get all bent out of shape when they find out some of us 'Student Ambassadors' actually gossip about the emails they give us." Zachary says, feigning annoyance, before shaking his head and turning to look at me.

"But Jonah is correct. Principal Richmond is not a bad guy or anything but he definitely only met with you because of your grades. In addition to the emails Jonah and I got to read, he even told me how excited he was to have a new student as smart as you when he told me to be your guide. I guess he wants me to be the face you associate with the school." Zachary explains, inadvertently revealing more of my own backstory to me.

The reveals dropped by Jonah and Zachary convey new information not just to me but also to some of the students accompanying us and so they count as instances of the "Knowledge" domain, and even result in two instances of the "Envy" sin, all of which revolve around me and thus are appropriately amplified. This is interesting to me and I smile as I take in this news.

We eventually cross the courtyard, though not before I inadvertently cause more instances of sins and domains as more people notice me and as a few students even text each other about me. We walk into one of the buildings located far from where Zachary and I first set foot on the courtyard, and I find myself inside of a long hallway where rows of lockers line the walls, and are only occasionally broken up by doors that lead into classrooms. Zachary leads us all the way to the front door of the classroom I'm supposed to be in and when he stops he places a hand on my shoulder and I feel time abruptly come to a near-halt.

His hand is warm on my shoulder and I can feel his heartbeat through it. This is the first time that someone has directly touched me, and it feels odd. Each time his heart beats I can feel the way that blood courses through his body. If I were to shut my eyes I could perfectly visualize him and the veins his blood uses to travel from one part of his body to another. And this knowledge causes a previously unknown part of me to stir to wakeful consciousness.

The sudden proximity of blood, nearer to me then it's ever been, causes me to feel a powerful thirst. This itself is an instance of lust, as lust does not pertain uniquely to desires of the flesh.

My mind races as new knowledge supernaturally fills it, knowledge which pertains directly to myself. "Sanguinarch", "Manifold Ascendant" "Essence", "Major sanguine powers", "Foci", are among the words that fill my idle thoughts, accompanied by brief explanations of themselves, and informing my conscious mind that I am a being of immense complexity and potent, reality-warping power.

I mentally mull over the explanations that accompany each of the strange words. Sometimes as I am studying a word other words will appear and provide additional information. "Sanguinarch" refers to an immeasurably powerful type of vampire, and I am a sanguinarch, as well as other things.

Attoseconds after I learn what a "Sanguinarch" is, other words reveal themselves. "Transynth", "Cosmic god", "Dragon lord", and "Archdemon" all appear in different parts of my mind, and when I focus on them I gain more awareness of what I am; a "Manifold Ascendant". In addition to that, when I study "Major sanguine powers" numerous other words appear as well, such as "Greater megapowers", "Draconic abilities", "Demonic perks", "Divine perks", and one of the few things I was previously consciously aware of; "Transystems".

My mind races as knowledge concerning my nature fills my awareness. With this I am keenly aware of just how free my own powers make me.

My powers are immensely potent. In this moment, with Zachary's hand on my shoulder, I could easily do things as dramatic as turn him into a servitor by using one of my "Foci", a central theme around which I can manifest unique abilities or traits related to my "Sanguinarch" nature, as well as a potent "Major sanguine power", a more standard power useable by many different sanguinarchs, to make him immortal. I could also do a number of other things in this moment, such as transform him into an immensely powerful vampire or bless him in a number of potent ways thanks to my nature as a cosmic god.

At the same time, a primal part of me wants to reach out and greedily slake my thirst. Doing so would invariably harm Zachary, and it is easy for me to restrain myself and commit to not harming my classmate. Annoyingly, not feeding on him prevents me from attaining "Essence"; a potent mystical substance that is the key to the greatest abilities possessed by sanguinarchs.

"Essence" is generated from five different sources: the shedding of blood, the consumption of souls, bodily pleasure caused by consensual sexual interactions between two or more consenting adults, oaths sworn to sanguinarchs, and generated by one's own dominion. That last source, "dominion", requires me to have a dominion in the first place and I can only attain that if I begin to directly acquire essence.

Time begins to speed up and I listen as Zachary tells me that this is my class. He then tells me to ask some of my classmates to guide me to my next one, and he gets out his phone and offers me the device's number which causes me to realize that I don't actually own a phone.

With a snappy glance at his phone I feel my mind make sense of the thing, all the way down to the materials it is made of thanks to my status as a cosmic god of science, knowledge, and a transynth; innately a cosmic being of technology. Fortunately, between my knowledge and my abilities I can do something about to fix the fact that I lack a phone and I momentarily activate "Existential Inducer" one of my "Transystems" that has the power of allowing me to supernaturally create devices I understand.

I feel the power activate and in an instant create a phone that is only superficially different from Zachary's. The device is powered by my own potent supernatural energy and it flares to life as I pull it out of my pocket and offer it to my classmate. He smiles and enters his phone number into my phone, and then goes ahead and texts himself all before handing me the device.

"There you go. Now we can text each other! Anyways, I've got to get going to my class now. I'll see you around Greg!" Zachary tells me, before departing with several members of the retinue in tow. I'm left with a handful of my fellow seniors who subtly encourage me to go into the classroom and approach the young man looking at us curiously. I chuckle and do as suggested.

"Hello! My name is Greg, I'm the new student." I explain to the teacher; a "Mr. Matthews" who teaches 12th Grade English. He nods when I tell him this and smiles at me. He is a youthful looking teacher dressed in jeans and a t-shirt of his own. He only looks a bit older then the students, and at a glance I realize he must be a very young teacher.

"Ah, hello 'Mr. Gardener'. It's nice to meet you! Are you excited for your first day?" He asks me, causing me to learn my own last name and thus causing an instance of the knowledge domain to happen, even while he hands me a copy of the classroom syllabus. I nod at him and tell him that I am quite excited to be here which delights him. He tells me he is happy to see a new face, even though it's fairly unusual for someone to enroll in a new high school as a senior.

The educator then asks me if I'd mind putting copies of the syllabus on desks throughout the classroom and picking my own seat. I tell him I'd be happy to do so and I feel his impression of me rise a bit as I take the stack of papers and begin to do as I've been asked. I take a minute or so to explore the classroom, before putting my backpack on the outer edge of the first row of desks. He thanks me as I sit in my seat and as more students gradually begin to make their way to the class, some noting my presence with a mixture of curiosity and excitement.

I take this period of relative downtime to begin to wonder how I can use my powers to set about gaining "Power sources" that aren't just instances of sins or domains. During this time I begin to think deeply about the potent powers at my disposal, and inwardly I begin to smile.