All alone in the Void

"Nooo… I'm not the creator. I'm more like the point of origin for all life. Look at if this way… for you human beings to have a body, they must have a soul or spirit. When they die, their spirits go to hell… or heaven then reincarnate. You understand? The thing is… the soul never really dies or get destroyed, that's because I exist."

~Soul~

I died. I don't remember how but I know I died. It felt like I died… like that life came to an end. Now I was floating in the void. It was huge and scary. I was small, very tiny compared to the void surrounding me. I was like a grain of sand and a dim halo surrounded me. I waited for anybody or any being responsible for death and its afterlife, but no one came. So, I continued to float in the void.

I could feel myself as a body but could not move or see it. I tried moving myself, but I just wouldn't bulge. I felt exhausted after a short period and rested. It felt like I had overworked myself and the fatigue made me sleep. When I woke up, I had grown, although it was negligible, it was still something. I could now move a few inches. Sometimes I doubted I moved at all. I could not tell the distance or direction I moved.

I did this a lot of times. It was boring, but if no Death entity came for me, I only had myself to help. I grew to the size of a basketball. Moving around was now easy but I became bored quickly. So, I tried another thing which I knew was going to be taxing. I tried manipulating my sphere body. First thing I had to do was change my body to various sizes. I did this till I became exhausted again then slept.

I woke up and it was now manageable. I could shapeshift to cubes and cuboids, also flat cylinders and hollow ones. Easy know shapes was all I could do for now. Attempting to shapeshift to shapeless objects was a challenge so I rested again. I strained myself again. After a while I was able to imitate shapes of various objects like a young plant, creatures like octopuses that had simple tentacles. I was mimicking all the objects' shapes not their colour appearance. It was like golden constructs with a bright halo surrounding it. Even though I was able to take their shapes, it was translucent and intangible. I was just a spirit… a forgotten soul that probably escaped a reincarnation system of some death entity.

I was now a golden eagle flying through the void swiftly, looking for anything out there that might help me or trying to find the end of this void. I knew I had been moving for a long time. It felt like it but now with my evolution, compared to how I was when I found myself out here, I didn't feel exhausted. I hand grown now, and I couldn't tell my exact size. Plus, there was nothing out here I could compare with. There was no knowing measurement and direction here.

Then I decided to just stop and start something. I shapeshifted to a humanoid figure. Then I used the halo that surrounded me to make a simple toga that ran over my right shoulder down to my knees. There was a golden translucent rope tied on my waist holding the toga in place. My face was human, but my hair was flaming. It wouldn't settle and rest on my head no matter how much I tried. I looked around thinking of something. I manifested some light from my halo into my right hand and let it spread as far as it could. It was like a shock wave made of light traveling outwards in every direction, scanning for anything that I could have missed. It spread quickly and retreated twice as fast back into my palm. Nothing was seen in the millions of miles I scanned around me. I didn't know the measurement since I was in the Void. I just assumed my height to be two metres and used that as reference.

For what I was going to create, space was necessary. There was no space in the void. It was just vacuum. 'What can I do to deal with the vacuum? I need something to fill it…' My chin rested on my right hand. 'I know… I could try filling it with my spirit, my essence and myself...' My right fist hit my palm lightly. I then released all spiritual power contained within me. 'This is too slow for my patience.' I then thought of something that might quicken the process. I split myself in to two then again and again until there was eight of me. All looking the same. I then sent them all over what I had scanned.

We were spread evenly, and we were equidistant to each other. We then began releasing our spirit power. It took a while but it was much faster than before. We did this for a while until we felt connected to each other through the spirit power radiating from ourselves. We then created a barrier around us at the edge, where the spirit power reached and was straining to hold. With this, we now had space made from my spirit power. I created a spherical spiritual space. To make sure I could maintain the evenly spread spiritual power, I made my clones stay where they were and made them secondary sources of my power. 'What next… hmm…'.

Now, for something to maintain this… 'spirit realm'. A main source. I moved very quickly to the centre of the spirit space. I needed to create something that will hold all this power together. 'I need to think of something cool… a pillar? No. an orb? No. a star? I have other plans for that. A massive tree… no, a World Tree. I'll steal that idea from cultivation novels. Heheh' I continued working to create a power source. I gathered half amount of spirit power from all secondary sources and added another half from my own. The spirit space started shaking threatening to collapse any second if I hadn't spread my form to hold it together. It was straining doing all these things at the same time, but I could not afford to lose now. I had a feeling that once I created this 'World Tree' then everything would be fine.

I continued to hold everything in place giving it my all. The battle was mental. Holding everything in place with just my mind was challenging. It felt like there was no hope but from everything I had gone through till now, I had to succeed. I remembered all the straining I subjected my soul when I was just a tiny soul. By now, I had already forgotten my past life and now accepted I was out here all alone. I was going to start something, and it all began with this World Tree. I had collected enough power and now I was going to shape it. All the power started forming a tree but halfway through it, it collapsed. The golden soul particles exploded, and I nearly lost my concentration. The spirit realm shook, and I felt as if it was warning me or reminding me that I solely held it together. I tried again and again but the result was the same.

Then I thought of a different approach. 'Let me start with a seed… then grow it using my soul power.' I created an intangible, golden, translucent seed in my palm and placed it in the middle of the realm. And started feeding it with power while imagining how a seed would grow. I stood still in full concentration and watch how the seed drew in a lot of my power. It then started devouring nearby soul lines and soul particles. The realm shook and I had to split my concentration again. The realms boundary started collapsing inside and I left the seed to try and push the boundary outwards. It reached a point where my secondary power sources started going out due to them being absorbed by the seed. I now gave my full attention to the boundary. I expanded in size and used my body to hold the boundary. This went on for a long time.

I began thinking I wouldn't hold much longer and started to think of other ways to sustain the realm. 'Will I have to start agai-' I cut short my thought and noticed that everything went still. Everything stopped, even the boundary stopped collapsing. I shrank back to normal size and moved to the seed. It was pulsing and glowing golden with spirit power. I put my finger on it, and it burst open before me and a tree sprouted forth growing fast, too fast. Its height had already passed me and was still growing. I moved back and continued observing it. Every branch, stem and root were light golden constructs. It leaves were fiery and spread its light in every direction. It was beautiful.

Once it stopped growing. It spread its aura outwards restoring all secondary power sources and replenishing them, made the realm's spirit air dense and thicker and pushed back the boundary to an even further point than before. I also felt relaxed as my power slowly returned to me. I could feel the Tree's connection to me. It was like I was the Tree, and the tree was me. Technically, everything in the realm originated from me, sooo… yeah. I was the creator of this realm. Now I could play god in my realm. I started thinking random things into existence. 'Hmm… let there be… a chair.' A simple wooden chair immediately formed in front of me. It was still a gold construct. I waved hand and the chair dusted away. 'No that looked plain and boring. I want a comfortable throne, something that shows… majestic and respect.' Soul lines and particles gathered from the surrounding. A big throne with arm rests and a long back rest formed in front of me.

I took a seat and it felt like I was being rewarded now. I felt like I truly built this realm. It was going to be my new home, so I was going to make it the best looking home. Now it was just me sitting on a throne facing a floating tree. I needed land, a sun and moon that rotates and house for starters. I didn't know if I wanted to make planets or just be a flat earth person. 'No, this realm is too big for a flat earth.' First thing I did was create land for the Tree. I decided to make a whole planet just for it. Once I finished making it, the Tree's roots grew till the centre of it. The planet shook for a while then stopped. I teleported outside the planet. I was looking down on it. The planet was a grey construct. 'That's new. I thought I could only create golden constructs.' I need to record everything now. I loved organisation. I held out my hand a book formed in my left hand and a quill on my right.

I then started with the realm's creation from the beginning. Every single detail was recorded in my book. I sat at my thrones and moved to the highest point in my realm. I gathered light from my halo in-between my palms and compressed all of it in a single point. Heat began generating and I continued pouring light energy letting it grow. I did this for a long time then released it into the space. I let it fall to the centre a few million miles from the first planet I created that hosted the World Tree. I felt that I had worked too much, and I needed a vacation. I went back next to the World Tree. I created a river that passed next to it. Then I altered the landscape behind it. I added mountains, a forest and anything I could come up with. It now looked like a breath-taking view. I sat back on me throne and enjoyed the view. At some point, I took a nap on my throne.

"Young man, would you be so kind and let me in?" an old voice made its way into my ears. My eyes open quickly, and I looked around searching for the one who spoke. I thought I was hallucinating since I had already accepted, I was the only person/being out here.

"I'm outside your 'realm' and I thought I should notify you directly since you don't have a door I could knock on." The old man chuckled. He sounded so near it was confusing because the realm's boundary was far away.

"Hold on a moment." I looked his direction and opened a hole he could pass through. I could see him enter, 'hmm… he looks familiar.' and I was happy that I wasn't alone anymore. I finally found someone who I could talk to. 'Technically he found me.' He immediately teleported and appeared before me. I hid my happy expression, but I just couldn't. I had a small smile on my face. I immediately conjured two chairs facing the landscape and pushed my throne into soul dust. I offered him the seat. We both sat down and viewed the mountains. "Soo-"

"Sorry young man, I should introduce myself. Many call me, The Beginning, the Influence or Genesis and many other names but I liked being called Stan." He extended his hand for me to shake. I froze. I was shocked, every type of stunned expressions was wilding out on my face. I tried speaking and I couldn't. I tried reciprocating his handshake and I couldn't. My flaming hair immediately extinguished and now it was just golden. I recovered quickly and took a deep breath. I shook his hand, "Are you The One Above All?" I realized what I just asked him, and I knew he was him. My behaviour changed completely. He confirmed his identity by just smiling.

"I have been watching you since you appeared in the void." He then continued, "I was going to take you from the void and send you to reincarnation, but I saw you try navigating in the void and find a way forward. I could see it in your eyes when you decided to leave your past life and focus on what's ahead now."

"Sooo… now are you going to give me wishes? Because I already choose Marvel Universe" I was rubbing my fists in my palms. I was already thing about a lot of things. I was already powerful. Maybe I could be a god straight up.

"Unfortunately, I can't young man." I looked at him with a 'Why?' look. He then continued, "because I haven't created it." A shock bomb went off in my mind.

"You appeared too early. There's nothing out there. Well, there's your realm now in this vast void." Stan explained, "I was going to start creating the multiverse then you appeared. I then watched you and I can say you've accomplished much. With just your soul power, you've managed to create a realm."

"Getting praised by you… is something else." I was flattered.

"How about this. When I create the multiverse, you can be one of its Cosmic Entities." I gave him my stunned looks which I was pretty sure he was used to it by now.

"And before you say you can't because you are not powerful enough, look at what you've done here. This is using your power to create. I'm still sure you can learn much more… like creating life although only at spirit level, but it's still important because all living being require souls… you'll be like a cosmic being having power over life." I was already hooked.

"When do we begin?" 

"First you watch me create the universe. Maybe you'll get inspired and innovate some of my ideas. Let's go outside." Stan stood from his chair. We then teleported outside and faced the void. The spirit realm was behind us. He then began. He removed a book and pencil. 'Was he going to draw the multiverse?'

He understood my look and chuckled, "What? I'm an artist." He flipped through the first pages, and I could see some stories. 'Are those other stories?' but I just took it as some sketches. "I'll be doing this really fast, so watch carefully." He then wrote in a speed that was not possible, but this was Stan, TOAO. He started with the story of the first firmament, where the multiverse hailed from. I gazed far into the void, and I saw the first universe of Marvel. As Stan Lee drew the story in his book, I could see it unfold in the void in front of us. Where the Aspirants, loyal servants of the First Firmament went to war with the rebel faction, the Celestials. The first Firmament was defeated and shattered. I watched a universal war play out right in front of my eyes. It came and went as Stan narrated that war.

Stan continued narrating the origins of the multiverse. The multiverse then sprang from the shattered First Universe. What was once the void was now replaced by hundreds of universes. Stan then changed his story from the original comics. He wrote that I emerged from the shattered First Universe, the Soul Entity, a Cosmic Being that was the origin of all living beings' souls. He further explained my abilities. I provided the first energy for living beings and the Celestials used them in creating Universes. I knew concepts and laws on Life. And that I was known as the Origin Cosmic Entity. Stan looked at me, "I going to be here for a long time. You can go back and develop your realm, make it into a dimension and get strong enough. Marvel has just become a reality for you."

His last statement humbled me. It was true. I now lived in a dangerous universe with very powerful beings. I needed to be strong enough to protect myself and be completely absolute. I nodded to Stan and teleported back to my realm. Upon entering, I saw remnants of the Aspirants in the Universe war. I knew Stan send them here for me to study and get started on cosmic energy. I made them float and completely stripped them from their armour. All their energy bodies were absorbed by my World Tree. I felt a pleasurable head rush the moment they were absorbed. I started comprehending the mysteries of Cosmic Energy. I knew I would be inside my realm for a long time because of the development of the realm. I felt a presence outside my realm and knew who was here. It was a celestial. I knew what he came here for. I let him in. he looked towards me then my World Tree. "I've come for the first energy, Soul." I frowned at that.

"How are you going to collect it… the moment any soul energy gets out of this realm, it will dissipate."

"I have this to collect it." He removed a mechanical sphere which opened with a pressured hissing sound. I took it.

"Very well." I conjured soul energy in my hand and feed the sphere. It took only a moment to fill it. As usual it was golden. "Only this much?"

"You underestimate your soul energy. With this new multiversal age, your soul energy is a better substitute with what we have been using. We've tested it and it is much better than what was used in the first universe. I'm sure with more experiments, it will be much more useful." He picked the sphere and went on his way. I got back to work. I removed my book and recorded everything till now.

Many years later, I was trying to create soul life in my realm. My realm was a semi-dimension. It was constantly absorbing cosmic energy from the multiverse. Now my realm had more planets of various types, more stars and moons for the planets. I had star systems with different kinds of conditions. All recorded in my book which I named Genesis. It recorded the origin of every living and non-living things I created in the Soul realm. The only challenge now was creating beings and creatures using soul life. I was god in my realm but any life I created was not perfect. I was trying for something human, something with freedom, free will and intelligence. But what I created was will-less. It only moved when I gave it orders. I tried a different approach. Stan advised me to use evolution in my creation, and that I was going to fast with trying to develop the dimension.

I then planted soul life organisms on every planet in my realm and then sturdied them. I placed them under different conditions. I wanted to see and observe if there will be new soul races that form. With omnipotence, I was able to keep track of all organisms. They grew but they remained the same as usual. Those were the organisms placed in normal conditions. Good news was the ones placed in harsh and different conditions. Those brought what I was looking for. It was close to mortal evolution.

"Ooh… I see you made progress." Stan appeared beside me.

"Yes. I just had to be patient, like you said." I told him.

"I've come to tell you that I'm making the infinity stones." I was confused, weren't they formed when the first universe shattered?

"No, they weren't." I wasn't surprised he knew what I was thinking. "They'll be made when the cosmic entities form themselves. I want you present and involved in making the soul stone."

"Aren't you going to make it the same as the original?" I looked at him.

"I was going to, but I changed some things when you first came to the void. Don't worry many things remain original in this multiverse variant." He further said to calm me down. "Soul, you need to start thinking and behaving like a cosmic entity. I want to see what changes you bring to this multiverse. You are already strong… like your soul energy for example. You sustained yourself in the void for hundreds of thousands of years before I showed myself. Normally, the Abstracts and even the universe needed a spark from cosmic energy. You need to be confident."

I calmed down and put on a serious face. "I can do what I want?"

"Yes, you can. As long as you don't cause an imbalance in the multiverse." I thought about The Living Tribunal. I was going to speak when he held his hand up.

"Yes, I've already created him, and he'll have the highest authority. I need a policeman to keep things in order. Now let's go." He put his hand on my shoulder, and we teleported outside.

"I'll need to change the story around where the first firmament shatters." He removed his book and flipped the pages. "Ahh… here it is." He erased it and started narrating a different story.

[When the first Firmament shattered into many universes forming the multiverse, the Soul Cosmic Entity was the first to form from all dissipating energies of the universe. Other Abstracts followed right after bringing a new age for the multiverse.

With the shattering of the first Firmament, six infinity gems were formed. Each representing six different aspects of the universe. These five aspects were within the authority of these five cosmic entities: Soul, Death, Entropy, Infinity, and Eternity.]

As Stan continued narrating, I could feel a pull from inside me. Then power was pulled from me and gathered in the far distant swirling waiting for the other aspects to arrive. Not long did we wait. The aspect energies swirled together and combined and exploded outwards. When the cosmic energy dissipated, six stones were shown floating to us. I reached out my hand and grabbed the soul stone. I could feel the whole universe. My eyes reflected the universe itself. I could see everything; nothing could escape my sight. I opened my hand and let the soul stone float back.