Chapter 239 — What Remains When the Summit Trembles
No one moved.
Not because they couldn't.
But because, for once,
no one truly knew
which direction to take.
The Nameless Ancient was still held by the neck.
Not strangled.
Not hurt.
Just… restrained.
Like a parenthesis
one refuses to close.
Aetherion stared at him,
multicolored eyes perfectly still.
— "You know what's fascinating," he said calmly,
— "is that everyone who claims to be 'before us'
— always has exactly the same tone."
He tilted his head slightly.
— "A mix of certainty… and resentment."
Azarion sighed softly.
— "Aetherion. You judge him before he even speaks."
— "Because I've already heard this speech," he replied without loosening his grip.
— "'You stole.'
— 'You usurped.'
— 'Existence should have been mine.'"
He leaned closer.
— "So I'll ask you again.
— Slowly.
— Clearly.
— And without metaphor."
Silence.
Even the laws held their breath.
Some seriously considered a career change.
— "How," said Aetherion,
— "could we have stolen anything
— when nothing yet existed to be stolen?"
The Nameless Ancient closed his eyes.
Not from fear.
From fatigue.
— "You stole nothing."
His voice was neither strong nor weak.
It was… bare.
— "You used what remained."
Aetherion frowned slightly.
— "What remained of what?"
— "Of me."
A shiver ran through the hall.
Not shock.
Not scandal.
Just that unpleasant impression…
that the answer was too much.
Azarion gently placed her hand on Aetherion's forearm.
— "Release him."
He hesitated.
Then let go.
The Nameless Ancient stepped back.
Massaged his neck, more out of habit than necessity.
— "I was not a being," he continued.
— "Not in the sense you are."
He paused.
— "Before the Architects.
— Before the Origins…
— there was an absence."
A beat.
— "A conscious void."
Silence.
— "I was that void."
He lifted his head.
— "You built upon something
— you never created.
— And without me…
— none of this would exist."
Another beat.
Kaeron inhaled slowly.
— "Wrong answer."
Aedrys tilted his head.
— "Very wrong."
Azarion, however, smiled faintly.
— "Interesting. Continue."
Erik raised a finger.
— "Quick question.
— 'Conscious void,' is that an official concept…
— or a self‑appointed title?"
No one answered.
— "You came after," the Ancient pressed on.
— "You created by will.
— By perfection.
— By absolutes."
He clenched his fists slightly.
— "You gave forms.
— Laws.
— Stories."
He fixed his gaze on Aetherion.
— "But the void you used…"
He smiled.
— "That was me."
Aetherion looked at him for a long time.
— "Lie."
His aura was released.
Not brutally.
Not violently.
But totally.
The laws did not break.
They surrendered.
The Realm of the Architects bent.
The pillars of Creation trembled.
The stories froze mid‑sentence.
Even elsewhere—
In the Palace of Nothingness, Vael lifted his head slightly.
— "…Again?"
Nyxa blinked.
Nihil stayed silent.
Valt frowned.
— "He looks upset," Death murmured.
On Earth—
In the Eclipse Guild, Zarion froze.
— "…Father."
Valen's eyes snapped open.
Naël inhaled deeply.
Liora felt her heart skip a beat.
Elyon clenched his teeth.
In the Northern Pantheon, Blackstar straightened.
— "Ah. That's definitely not normal."
Aeternus shouted:
— "FATHER, STOP!"
Aetherion did not look away.
— "You say you were a 'void.'
— A remainder.
— A consequence."
He stepped forward.
Each step erased a hypothesis.
— "Then listen."
A silence fell.
Heavier than all the ones before.
— "I will explain cosmology clearly."
The laws shivered.
Not because he spoke.
But because he was about to speak.
Azarion closed her eyes for a fraction of a second.
Kaeron crossed his arms.
Aedrys stopped smiling.
Even the Nameless Ancient felt something change.
Not a threat.
Not an attack.
A lesson.
— "Not to convince you," Aetherion continued.
— "Not to silence you."
He raised his hand slightly.
— "But so you understand one thing."
He fixed his gaze on the Nameless Ancient.
— "You were not there before.
— You were there beneath."
Silence.
— "And what is beneath…
— never explains what towers above it."
Black.
Chapter 240 — The Origins Beyond Creation
His voice remained calm.
— Before the Void.
— Before the Nothingness.
— Before everything you can imagine...
He pointed to Azarion.
— There was only her.
Then himself.
— And me.
Absolute silence.
— From our will was born the Primordial Void.
— Not as a source.
— But as a space.
— A space capable of containing existence.
— From this Void, we built the Infinite Palace.
— The Royal Palace.
— Then eight primordial maidens:
— Ébérus.
— Élysia.
— Kharis.
— Astra.
— Vorta.
— Nyx.
— Aethera.
— Thalassa.
Azarion added softly:
— They watched over our children.
Aetherion continued.
— From our essence was born Zarion.
— Prince of the Primordial Void.
— Then six other figures.
He calmly listed:
— Aeternus, King of the Architects.
— Orvyn, King of the Ancient Humans.
— Seraphael, King of the Primordial Angels.
— Malphas, King of the Primordial Demons.
— Thryon, King of the Ancient Gods.
— Eidryss, King of the Primordial Divinities.
A brief silence.
— Then… Creation.
— An infinity of dimensions.
— Each dimension containing countless worlds.
— Each world containing an infinity of universes.
— Each universe having infinite variations.
— Multiverses.
— Omniverses.
— Hyperverses.
— All floating within the Void.
— Each dimension separated by the Nothingness.
Erik blinked.
— …I admit, I lost track at omniverses.
Aetherion raised his hand slightly.
— Imagine a single dimension…
— like a sheet of paper.
He made a simple gesture.
— On that sheet, there are worlds.
— Not one.
— Not ten.
— A number so vast that even numbers refuse to count.
— Each world is a book.
— And each book contains an infinity of universes.
— All immense.
— All complete.
He paused.
— Now imagine each universe
— exists in infinite versions.
— Different choices.
— Slightly diverging paths.
— This whole forms a multiverse.
Erik nodded slowly.
— Okay.
— I'm still alive here.
Aetherion went on.
— An infinity of multiverses forms an omniverse.
— An infinity of omniverses forms a hyperverse.
Silence.
— And all this…
— exists in a single world.
Erik choked slightly.
— Excuse me?
Aetherion nodded.
— Each dimension contains this.
— And there are infinite dimensions.
— They don't touch.
— They don't mix.
— They are separated by the Nothingness.
He lowered his hand slightly.
— And the entirety of a world's components
— floats within the Void.
Erik blinked.
— …Alright.
— I understand.
— I retained nothing.
— But I understand.
And this is the whole of Creation.
Above Creation,
Aetherion continued, without raising his voice.
— Above Creation,
— there is no chaos.
— There are realms.
— Structures that do not rely on matter,
— but on function.
He raised his hand slightly.
— The Realm of the Divinities.
— Where those who embody specific aspects of existence reside.
— Not abstract concepts.
— Active forces.
— Incarnated wills.
A moment.
— Then Paradise…
— and Hell.
His gaze grew colder.
— As places of reward or punishment.
— But also as guardians of the soul cycle.
— The transition.
— The passage.
— The balance between disappearance and continuity.
Erik murmured:
— So… cosmic administration.
No one answered.
Which probably confirmed yes.
Aetherion continued.
— And the Abyssal Realm of Monsters.
A shiver passed through several planes.
— A domain where forms are born
— that answer to no morality.
— Neither good.
— Nor evil.
— Only instinct, mutation,
— and absolute survival.
— Some, like Yzareth, are immortal.
— Killed, they return.
— Erased, they can come back.
He paused.
— Unless their essence disappears.
— Then, they can be reborn…
— at the risk of becoming children again.
Silence.
— Since Valen erased him,
— I have not seen him return.
He tilted his head slightly.
— Perhaps because of Vael.
— These realms are not within Creation.
— They overlook it.
Another beat.
— Above them all…
— the Domain of Concepts.
The silence grew heavier.
— Where no longer beings exist,
— but fundamental ideas.
— Time.
— Causality.
— Existence.
— Possibility.
— This domain does not create.
— It defines what can be created.
Erik frowned.
— …Ah.
— So that's the real problem.
No one contradicted him.
— And above that…
— the Six Pillars of Creation.
Aetherion let the name drop.
— Structures so vast
— they surpass Creation
— and even the Domain of Concepts.
— Each is indestructible.
— Each supports a fundamental function of existence.
— And each governs an entire aspect of reality.
He fixed the Nameless Ancient.
— They are
— the ones who maintain all you claim to be.
Aetherion resumed.
His voice was neither louder nor colder.
It was… final.
— The Pillars of Creation
— are not ordinary realms.
— They do not govern peoples.
— They uphold reality itself.
— As long as a Pillar exists,
— the function it embodies also exists.
A silence.
— If it disappears…
— it's not chaos that comes.
— It's functional void.
Erik frowned.
— …The kind of void
— where even chaos doesn't know what to do?
No one answered.
Again, that meant yes.
First Pillar — The Realm of the Architects
Aetherion turned his head slightly towards Aeternus.
— The first Pillar
— is that of the Architects.
— Its function is not to create worlds.
— But to generate the stories that traverse them.
— Without this Pillar,
— events would have no link.
— Causes would lead to nothing.
— Ends would not exist.
Kaeron whispered:
— Everything would happen…
— but nothing would mean anything.
— Exactly, replied Aetherion.
— Aeternus maintains
— the infinity of possible narratives.
— The lived stories.
— The failed stories.
— The stories that should never have begun.
Erik sighed.
— So without him…
— even death would be off-topic.
Second Pillar — The Realm of the Ancient Humans
— It generates new structures.
— New paths.
— New possibilities.
— Without it,
— Creation would repeat itself endlessly.
— It allows a civilization to branch.
— An error to exist.
— Progress to be born.
Azarion added calmly:
— A world without mistakes…
— is a world without a future.
Erik grimaced.
— …Absolute horror.
Third Pillar — The Original Empyrean
Led by Seraphael, King of the Primordial Angels.
— Where probabilities are born.
— Not what happens.
— But what can happen.
— Every chance.
— Every "what if."
— Every favorable divergence
— depends on this Pillar.
— Without it,
— everything that can go wrong
— will go wrong.
Erik raised an eyebrow.
— So it's the one
— who prevents the universe
— from being a permanent tragedy?
— Exactly.
Fourth Pillar — The Abyss of Countless Realities
— Where every choice creates other worlds.
— Other versions.
— Other mistakes.
— Every alternate world.
— Every broken reality.
— Every failure turned norm.
— Without this Pillar,
— only a single reality would remain.
Azarion whispered:
— And it would crush all the others.
Fifth Pillar — The Realm of the Primordial Divinities
The atmosphere changed.
— They maintain order.
— Coherence.
— Divine hierarchy.
— Without them,
— gods would contradict each other.
— Laws would overlap.
— Authority would become vague.
— Divinities would self-annihilate.
Sixth Pillar — The Realm of the Ancient Gods
Aetherion stopped.
— The sixth Pillar
— encompasses them all.
— It guarantees their coexistence.
— It prevents
— narratives from destroying probabilities.
— realities from crushing destinies.
— possibilities from contradicting themselves.
— It also generates
— an infinity of destinies
— and stories.
A silence.
— Today, two Pillars have disappeared.
— Only four remain.
— The Original Empyrean.
— The Abyss of Realities.
— The Realm of the Architects.
— The Realm of the Primordial Divinities…
— though its leader is gone.
— And all this…
— Creation, realms,
— the Domain of Concepts, the Pillars…
— is not a drop of water
— compared to the immensity of the Primordial Void.
— Above the Primordial Void,
— we built
— the Domain of the Creators.
— And beside it,
— the Palace of the Nothingness of Vael appeared.
Aetherion looked at the Nameless Ancient.
A final silence.
— After all this…
— What will you say to me?
Chapter 241 — What Can No Longer Be Hidden
The Nameless Ancient did not answer right away.
It wasn't fear.
It wasn't anger.
It was… a recalculation.
He looked at Aetherion for a long moment.
Then Azarion.
Then around him.
The Pillars.
The realms.
The laws that crushed him
without even touching him.
He breathed in slowly.
— I see.
Silence.
Erik blinked.
— …Ah.
— That's all?
The Nameless Ancient gave a tired smile.
— You did not lie.
Aetherion said nothing.
He didn't need to.
— You were there before.
— The Primordial Void was not a remnant.
— It was not a fall.
He slowly raised his hands.
— It was a deliberate creation.
A beat.
— And I…
He lowered his eyes.
— I was not the source.
The silence tightened.
— I was a consequence.
Kaeron frowned.
— So in the end…
— you were not before.
Aedrys tilted her head.
— You were after.
— But early enough to believe yourself indispensable.
The Nameless Ancient nodded.
— Exactly.
He raised his gaze toward Aetherion.
— When you opened the Primordial Void…
— something was left possible.
— Not created.
— Not willed.
— Possible.
Azarion spoke softly:
— An instability.
— A resonance, the Ancient corrected.
— A consciousness born…
— in the shadow of your act.
Erik made a face.
— So you're literally…
— a metaphysical glitch?
Silence.
— …That's harsh, admitted the Ancient.
— But not false.
Aetherion stepped forward.
Not threatening.
Not pressing.
— You exist because we left
— space for something to exist.
— Not because you were necessary.
— Not because you were fundamental.
He stared at him.
— But because the Primordial Void
— is vast enough
— to tolerate the useless.
The phrase fell.
Even the laws ached.
The Nameless Ancient said nothing.
Aetherion added calmly:
— As long as I am merciful…
— don't forget to tell whoever sent you
— to watch their steps carefully.
A beat.
— I won't be so merciful next time.
— Tell them to stop
— their deceitful schemes.
The Nameless Ancient nodded.
Then he left.
Without a word.
Azarion smiled slightly.
— You see.
— Sometimes, conflicts
— can be settled
— without creating battles.
Aetherion raised his arms.
— If you say so.
He sighed.
— He was lucky
— that I was merciful today.
Azarion agreed.
— That much, we can say.
Aeternus smiled.
— Father, now that everything is settled…
— I'm going back to my throne.
Erik muttered:
— Lucky.
— I just gained a cosmic headache.
Azarion and Aetherion left the Realm of the Architects
and returned to their domain.
The Nameless Ancient disappeared as well.
He reappeared before a silhouette.
Brown hair.
Brown eyes.
Black sclerae.
The silhouette spoke:
— Why did you cause
— no disturbance,
— no chaos?
The Nameless Ancient sighed.
— Honestly…
— it was intense enough.
He paused.
— I preferred not to act.
— The father of supremely powerful beings was present.
The silhouette narrowed its eyes.
— And you dare tell me that
— so casually?
The Nameless Ancient straightened up.
— First, with the other Architects
— and Aeternus,
— it was tense.
He breathed in.
— But with the arrival of the Creators…
— it was worse.
The silhouette suddenly grabbed him by the throat.
The Nameless Ancient could no longer move.
— I didn't bring you back
— so you would do nothing.
He grinned.
— Wait, calm down, said the Ancient.
— They also asked me
— to tell you to stop.
The silhouette released him.
— I know, it answered.
— I've seen everything already.
The Nameless Ancient caught his breath.
— And…
— what do you plan to do?
The silhouette slowly turned its head
toward the Domain of the Creators.
Then smiled.
— Father…
— you dare threaten me.
Her smile grew wider.
— You'll see.
The Void shivered.
Chapter 242 — What Begins to Move
The Domain of Origins was calm.
Too calm.
Not an empty silence.
An ancient silence.
The kind that exists before something dares to arrive.
Azarion was seated, her gaze lost in the infinite shifting of the primordial Void.
The flows of origin slid around her like unspoken thoughts.
Aetherion, meanwhile, observed.
— "He understood," said Azarion.
— "Yes," replied Aetherion.
— "But understanding is not acceptance."
A beat.
— "And the one who sent him?" she asked.
Aetherion closed his eyes for a fraction of a second.
The structures trembled.
— "He understood too.
— He's just pretending he saw nothing."
Azarion sighed softly.
— "The worst kind."
Aeternus was already seated on his throne.
Legs crossed.
Air relaxed.
— "So, if I sum it up…
— a metaphysical bug,
— sent by someone who knows very well
— he's playing with concepts beyond him."
He smiled.
— "Classic."
Erik appeared nearby, arms crossed.
— "I love it when the universe is on the brink of collapse
— and everyone acts like it's 'under control.'"
Aetherion looked at him.
— "It is under control."
Erik raised a brow.
— "Yours."
— "Exactly."
A shiver ran through the Domain.
Not an attack.
Not an intrusion.
An intention.
Azarion straightened.
— "He's watching us."
Aetherion nodded.
— "For a long time."
Aeternus tilted his head.
— "What's he waiting for?
— Permission?"
Aetherion gave a faint smile.
— "No.
— An excuse."
Elsewhere.
Much farther away.
The brown‑haired silhouette looked at the primordial Void
as one looks at a scene already rehearsed.
— "They think I'll rush in," he murmured.
— "That they'll be able to read me."
He laughed softly.
— "Always the same mistake."
Behind him, echoes began to form.
Not armies.
Not yet.
Ideas.
Possibilities.
— "Father believes his clemency is an ending."
He raised his hand.
— "It is only a delay."
The Void vibrated.
In the Domain of Origins, Aetherion opened his eyes.
— "He's moving."
Azarion smiled, calm.
— "Good."
Aeternus rose from his throne.
— "Finally, a little action?"
Erik sighed.
— "I had bet on three more chapters."
Aetherion looked into the infinite.
— "Let him come.
— This time…"
A beat.
— "I will not be merciful."
The primordial Void contracted.
Something had just begun.