A long silence reigned over the place... or rather, over the "non-place." There were no moments to count, no pulses to measure. Life was absent. Only Shinkori, in the presence of a being impossible to fully perceive or describe.
"It is time, Shinkori,"
Akasha said, its impassive voice echoing in the heart of the void
"You will not be as you were, nor as you expected. From this moment, you shall begin."
The words resonated within Shinkori, as if etched into the core of her new existence.
She said, or thought she said
"But... where to? And how? I know nothing about myself... nor about the world... not even about the purpose."
Akasha replied with a wise and nihilistic calm, "Ignorance itself is the beginning of wisdom. If you knew everything, what would be the purpose of existence?"
Then suddenly, a thread of light pierced the void... No, it wasn't light in a tangible sense. It was awareness, a presence. With this realization, Shinkori began to feel as though something was being constructed inside her... a new memory? A body? An essence?
"Here the Root is forming..."
Akasha whispered, as if observing a distant yet connected cosmic event.
"The Root? What do you mean?"
Shinkori asked.
Then Akasha answered with a tone of infinite wisdom
"The Root of everything... the first seed that grows in the heart of nothingness. You are the first Creatrix now, Shinkori. This is your test. You will fall into a world that does not yet exist, a world in the making, and you will create it as you live within it. As for me? I am merely the Akasha Records, which log every conceivable or inconceivable possibility, all events that have occurred and those that haven't, and also everything that precedes the concept of cause and effect, above the concept of dimensions, and with it, the Archetypal Reality."
Shinkori processed the Reality and the Truth. She could logically manifest anything possible. The extended Archetypal Reality could even manifest anything logically impossible.
The thing is.....
"Me? Create a world?"
It seemed ridiculous, almost impossible, yet... strangely logical.
Akasha repeated, its voice still devoid of emotion
"Your power, even if it represents only 0.0000001 of my essence, is enough to change the course of a world. But power alone is not enough. You must remember: everything you forge will be an extension of your essence. If your heart is dark, a dark world will be born. If mercy dwells within you, mercy will grow like an unshakeable mountain."
There are also infinite possibilities, and every creation of yours affirms this. Can a human be a God? Well, as I explained to you, there are levels.
"And will I remember this when I begin?"
"Perhaps... perhaps not. But you will feel it. The soul can never entirely forget what it was created for."
The consciousness brightened around Shinkori, and something resembling a form began to materialize. Limbs, eyes, breath, pulse. It wasn't a fully human body, but it was the closest thing she could comprehend.
"Prepare yourself, Shinkori. When you fall into the world, it will be utter chaos. No rules, no life, no death. You will start from Zero, with the first breath, with the first drop of clay, with the first spark of fire. You are the first observation... and the first choice. So choose wisely."
Then one question lingered in Shinkori's mind.
"Will I be alone?"
Akasha laughed, and the sound filled the entire void. It was cold and emotionless, part of the vortex of the true Root.
"You will never be alone. I am within you... and the world will speak through you. And you will meet others, whether created by your consciousness or drawn to you from the cracks of existence."
Then suddenly, Shinkori fell. But it wasn't a downward fall; it was an internal descent. A whirlwind of energy, of memories, of concepts yet to be created, swept over her being. And she began to see... bizarre visions. Mountains without roots, skies that breathed, voices speaking an uncreated language. And beings... indescribable entities, some observing, and some born from shattered shards of light.
Then—everything merged.
Then—darkness.
A first scream.
Then—
A faint light came from every direction and from non-space. Her eyes opened to a gray world. The ground was made of coarse dust, and the sky was silent—no sun, no moon, just the reality.
Shinkori stood up, or rather, her body, built for her, her hair fluttering steadily, her bare feet and naked body sinking slightly into the soft earth as if they were made of living ash.
"This is it..."
she whispered.
Then she heard it.
Akasha, from within her
"Welcome to the First World, Shinkori. This is the Root of Initiation."
"Is this my world?"
She turned, completely silent, but she felt a faint pulse in the ground. As if it was beating with life... or waiting for her.
She asked aimlessly,
"Is this my world?"
Akasha replied,
"No, this is your world before it is created. Now... create it."
And Shinkori took her first step.
The Earth trembled.
The Sky shook.
It was as if the world were a collective unconscious.
"It has begun."