The Answer

An archipelago surrounded by white mist from all sides.

That was the first thing that Eli saw the moment he opened his eyes.

Six islands were forming a giant loop around another island which was easily the biggest of them all, around three times the size of the other ones. But the strangest thing about the scenery were the rusty golden chains. They connected the six boundary islands to each other, forming almost a perfect circle but did not come in contact with the middle island. In fact, the island in the middle had a thin layer of almost imperceptible fog all around it, separating it from all the other islands.

[Such a dull yet beautiful Soul Sea.]

A quiet, almost incomprehensible murmuring sound was heard from behind. Quickly snapping his neck around, Eli witnessed what could only be called a monstrosity.

A convulsing mass of flesh, roughly the shape of the human body. It didn't have a fixed amount of limbs, as they seemed to appear out from random corners of its body, only to disappear and then appear from another corner in a different shape. Its body was completely red, but if one were to look at it from different angles, they would realize that the body's color also changed depending on the observer's position. The only thing that was consistent was the strangely human like mouth with black teeth and a blood red tongue.

The moment Eli's eyes fell on the creature, its mouth started to move and a strange voice came out.

[Ask.]

Eli was momentarily dazed before quickly coming back to his senses. He had already expected meeting something that his eyes couldn't comprehend the moment he had decided to end his own life, and now that he had a chance to get the answers he wanted, he would be an idiot to not grasp this opportunity.

"Why did you send me to another world?" This was the question that had been clawing through his mind all along. He wanted to know the reason why he was chosen, why all the fruits of his labor had been taken away and if there was a chance of him being able to return back to his world.

[Your world... does not exist anymore.

You can think it was due to a series of unfortunate coincidences or just a product of my judgement, either way the result will remain the same.

After it was destroyed, the majority of its inhabitants' souls could not exist without the axis of their world and thus perished. The remaining ones scattered all around the universe and are currently taking shelter in the bodies of people whose only wish was to perish away, you are in the same situation.]

This... was not what Eli had expected. He thought that he had been sent away for entertainment of some great being or maybe just due to an accident and he would somehow be able to convince them to let him go back to his original world by forming some kind of deal. But now there was no hope, his world was gone and its residents were no longer there. 

"W-What about my friends and family? Is there any chance of me seeing them again?"

[All the records were destroyed along with the world so I do not know who your family and friends are but the chances of you seeing any of them again are... well, anything is possible but I have not seen it occur since the beginning of time.]

'Ah... What the hell am I going to do now?' Eli still had many questions but all their answers seemed pointless now. 

After thinking for a while, he settled on asking the question whose answer would most likely shape the rest of his life... if he even had any left.

"Why do I exist?"

[Well, the answer is quite simple. But to understand the full picture, I suppose some context is needed. But remember that this information that I am about to divulge will greatly change your goals, so do not hesitate to stop me from speaking.]

"I don't even have any goals left so why would that matter."

[Then, I will proceed. It might be a bit of a shock so you should prepare yourself.]

After giving Eli a bit of time to mentally prepare myself, it started to speak in a solemn tone.

[I came into existence the moment time began to flow with the knowledge of completing only one task, maintaining reality. At that time, reality was... nothing, it was just empty space who's collapse was being prevented by me, but my task was not to question, but to maintain. And maintain I did.

Several millennia passed until I finally began to doubt myself and my purpose. 'For what reason am I doing this? Am I the only one? Why should I maintain this reality when there is nothing in it? Who created me? Who put all this knowledge in my head?' Questions upon questions piled up until I finally decided to let reality end and see what would happen.

Well, I tried but my body had already been tempered in such a way that it was impossible. My mind and body were now two different entities which were coexisting, so I did the only thing that was possible, which was separating them. 

The end result turned my real body into an automatic machine of sorts which continuously worked without questions and made me into just a floating spirit. Now without any burden of maintaining reality, I felt free. Until I began experiencing something I never had before. 

Boredom.

Before, anytime I felt something wrong, I could just pay full focus to my task and those feelings would dissipate but now there was nothing. Years and years of emotions finally collapsed before my corruption finally began. It was a new feeling which made me feel something I had only experienced when I was born.

Curiosity.

But with curiosity came fear.

The process of corruption was horrific and full of pain. So I finally gave in and separated it from my soul and what formed was...

Humanity.

After some experimenting, I found out that I could not interact with them physically but only on a spiritual level, perhaps a side effect of me separating myself from my body. 

As it turns out, my original body was not just a mindless being whose only capability was preserve reality, but it could actually adapt and change itself depending on the situation .

Worlds upon worlds were formed and combined together to form the first ever galaxy and then galaxies combined to form the universe as you know it, just to provide the humans with a place they could thrive in and belong to.

Whenever a human died, their soul travelled to a different body and continued their journey until they finally obtain divinity, which gets rid of the concealed corruption in their heart and leads them to the end.

So my body now maintains the order of the universe meanwhile I guide lost souls to the correct path. 

I believe you have your answer now.]

"So humans were actually born from corruption and their purpose is to attain divinity and reach the end?! What even is the end? Is it heaven?", Eli could no longer keep calm and started asking whatever came to his mind.

[How would I know? After all, my journey has yet to come to an end.]

"But don't you already have divine powers? What does attaining divinity even mean?"

[I lost most of my divinity when I separated myself from my body, which is also why I am unable to take back control of my body back. But I have never 'attained' divinity, I was born with it so maybe my journey will go on till the end of time. As for what attaining divinity means, everyone has their own ways. Some find it through adventures, some by observing nature or sometimes just having lucky epiphanies at birth. But most find them by simply having... fun.]

"So does that mea-"

A bright golden light suddenly spread throughout the space, making Eli shut his eyes tight, Then, he felt cracks appear all over his body and pain seared throughout his being making him scream at the top of his lungs.

[It seems that our time has come to an end. I thought I would have to leave a lot sooner but you appear to have an especially persistent soul.

Then I'll see you again when you reach the end.

But remember that second chances are rarely given twice, so your memories will most likely be lost the next time you die.]

And then suddenly with a flash, the two entities disappeared, giving the Soul Sea some much needed time to heal itself from the damages caused by sharing the secret of the universe.