Three ancient scrolls collided within the turbulent currents of time and space. On the scroll that sealed Raiden, a hand was gripping a corner of the scroll with unyielding force.
Finally, the ancient scrolls unleashed an unparalleled power as they collided, tearing a rift in the fabric of space-time. The three scrolls passed through the rift and vanished into an unknown world.
.....
Suddenly, a rift appeared on the surface of the Pacific Ocean, and an ancient scroll silently emerged from it. Attached to the scroll was a bloodied, unrecognizable strip-like object.
After completely detaching from the rift, the strip-like object plunged into the Pacific Ocean, while the ancient scroll disappeared without a trace. All of this went unnoticed by anyone.
Neither the guardians of this world nor the watchers residing in the unknown realms, coldly observing the Nine Realms, were aware that a few uninvited guests had already slipped into this world.
....
At the end of time, in the land of nothingness, after countless ages, a new visitor finally arrived—a beautiful soul.
Raiden body floated quietly in the void, enveloped by an eerie white mist. This mist was the essence of time, a force condensed from nothingness. Raiden soul was imprisoned within his body, unable to move.
Here, Raiden soul lost control of his body and all awareness of the outside world. The only thing he could feel was the passage of time, cutting into him like a knife, over and over again.
Living like this seemed worse than death.
But Raiden was fortunate. He was supposed to be imprisoned for a thousand years in endless solitude and darkness, suffering until his soul dissipated in agony.
However, memories—those of Bjorn and Raiden before they merged, memories he had never experienced—began to play out in his mind.
....
Raiden was once just a character in a game, a figure in a virtual world. He was a character controlled by Bjorn, and every decision in his life was dictated by Bjorn.
Bjorn made casual choices and simple judgments, but in Raiden world, each seemingly effortless task represented a life-altering decision, one that Raiden had to stake his life on.
The magic and skills that could be learned in the game with just a few skill points were, in Raiden world, achieved through blood, sweat, and countless sleepless nights.
Now, Bjorn had become Raiden. He would experience everything Raiden had ever experienced and learn everything Raiden had ever learned, because Bjorn was Raiden.
In the past, Raiden had the help of rules—rules that belonged to the world of the ancient scrolls, the rules of the game world. These rules enhanced Raiden ability to learn and understand.
But now, Bjorn, who had become Raiden, could only rely on himself and time to comprehend these rules.
Rune, frost, flame, thunder—the secrets of endless magic filled his mind. Knowledge, rules, and the power of the gods immersed Raiden in a world built from memories, a world where he solved Raiden entire life.
Raiden quietly immersed himself in this world within his mind, the world that had become Raiden, as he lived through Raiden life.
And all of this, in a place where even time holds no meaning, was a kind of blessing for Raiden.
Raiden was fortunate to spend year after year in the world within his mind. Perhaps he suffered greatly in that world, enduring various trials and experiencing the filthiest aspects of existence, but believe me, he was lucky.
At least he was alive, and in the place where he lived, there was still color.
Raiden grew bit by bit in the world within his mind. He was gradually becoming the true Raiden, and at some point, his soul finally merged perfectly with this body.
But at the same time, his body was constantly aging. Time eroded the power within him, and the moment that power vanished would mark the end of Raiden.
Perhaps he could die quietly in the world within his mind?
A hundred years, two hundred years, five hundred years, a thousand years... Whenever Raiden life was nearing its end, the power within him—the power of the Dragonborn, the power of magic, the power of a warrior, the power of the ancient Nords—would surge forth, replenishing his lifespan.
At the end of time, time itself was the most useless unit. A second here might be a thousand years in the outside world, or a thousand years here might be but a fleeting moment elsewhere.
This was a place where even death seemed insignificant.
No one knew how many years had passed.
Raiden woke up—or rather, his soul woke up.
When his soul awakened, he felt the world within his mind. Raiden was overjoyed.
He thought he had escaped that filthy, sinful world and found liberation, but he was wrong—terribly wrong.
In his memories, he had experienced everything that "Raiden" had gone through, everything he had orchestrated himself.
A simple memory of joining the Dark Brotherhood nearly drove Raiden mad. He realized how terrifying and sinful his seemingly casual choices had been, and that his hands were already stained with blood.
The blood of the innocent!
After waking up, Raiden spent three years blaming himself for his choices, lamenting the tragedy of "Raiden" and rejoicing that he had finally escaped that world.
But it wasn't long before Raiden regretted it. He realized that this world was the true hell, a punishment for himself. Compared to this, that other world... was practically paradise.
Now, Raiden was trapped within his body, as if confined to a narrow bottle. He had lost his freedom; he could do nothing.
The only thing he could feel each day was the passage of time, the sole enjoyment in his pale world—a twisted pleasure in the pain time brought him, because that pain gave him the sensation of being alive.
At first, Raiden was like a madman. He screamed, he prayed, he wanted to tear his soul apart, but he could do nothing. He could only endure the pain day after day.
Because that pain was the only thing he could feel.
Over time, Raiden grew accustomed to the pain. He began to find a strange pleasure in it, a reason to keep living. In his mind, he organized the knowledge he had gained from the world of the Elder Scrolls, and he began to construct and build a world of his own.
He sought life within his prison.
He did not want to die.
Only after experiencing pain does one truly cherish the hope of life.
Time brought Raiden pain, eroding his life, and Raiden used the pain time inflicted on him to study it.
His body imprisoned Raiden, stripping him of freedom, so Raiden recklessly transformed and destroyed his own body.
Under the combination of these two forces, Raiden changed. His blasphemy against the rules plunged him into an even more terrifying abyss, but what did a man already in dire straits have to fear?
Thus, Raiden paid a price—a heavy price. He tore himself apart... his soul, his emotions, everything... Raiden lost what it meant to be human...
....
The Dragon Scroll that sealed Raiden vanished from Earth, while the sun, a symbol of light, was picked up by a traveler in the cosmos.
A man dressed in peculiar attire was listening to soothing music, sipping a strange juice, and leisurely piloting his spaceship through the universe, hauling a large cargo of "goods."
"Hmm?"
The man froze, sensing a powerful force hurtling toward him.
"Bang!"
An enemy attack?
Energy or physical assault?
What had struck his ship?
The ship's cabin was blown open with a gaping hole, and the "goods" inside were either destroyed or reduced to scrap metal.
But a long, rolled-up scroll lay quietly on the ship's floor. The man walked over, gently picked it up, and cradled it in his arms.
Power... ample, unparalleled power.
The man greedily sniffed the scroll with his nose.
"Treasure... mine now."