Chapter 1: Before Creation
There was no light. There was no sound. There was no time—nothing, and yet we were. Four of us, infinite, eternal, and unshaped by anything else. Elyon, Nyxiel, Kaelith… and me, Ray. Not born, not made, not appearing from anywhere. We had always been.
We drifted in the void together, a family of beings with no beginnings and no ends. We had no purpose, no roles, no reason to act—yet that didn't stop us from being. From laughing. From teasing. From simply enjoying one another's presence.
Elyon's voice broke the quiet first. "You know," he said softly, warmth threading through the emptiness, "it's… strange. Just being here. Without anything to do. Without anyone to speak to… except you all."
Nyxiel's shadows stretched and coiled lazily around him. "You call this strange? I call it boring," he said, teasing. "All this stillness, and yet you sit there humming about… what? Thoughts?"
Kaelith spun in place, grinning. "Boring? Please! Boring would mean no one's having fun. I'm having fun. I'm spinning. I'm moving. You two are just sulking in the void pretending to be serious."
I let out a quiet laugh, and for the first time, my presence reached out, subtle but warm. "I'm not sulking," I said, letting my voice echo lightly, teasing. "I just… enjoy watching you. And besides, someone has to be the responsible one."
Kaelith paused mid-spin and looked at me, mock-offended. "Responsible? You? The silent one who does nothing but hover around? That's rich!"
Nyxiel chuckled softly, his shadows flickering in amusement. "Rich, yes. But I agree with Ray. Observing can be… rewarding. Sometimes the quiet one has the best view of everything."
Elyon smiled, his soft glow gentle, comforting. "Rewarding… perhaps. But don't underestimate the joy in simply being together. Watching, laughing, teasing—it's enough."
Kaelith's grin widened. "Enough? That's a pretty low bar, Elyon. You don't even know what fun could look like."
I drifted closer to Kaelith, letting a subtle warmth brush against him. "Want me to show you?" I asked playfully.
Kaelith's eyes—or the nearest approximation of them—lit up. "Oh? And what exactly would you do?"
I smiled quietly, letting a ripple of energy swirl around him, gentle and teasing. It made him spin faster, laughing, and the void shimmered faintly with his joy. "See? Fun doesn't need much. Just a little push."
Nyxiel rolled his eyes, shadows flicking like a grin. "I don't know why I ever doubted you, Ray. You're the worst kind of trouble."
Elyon laughed softly, a deep, warm sound that seemed to ripple through the void. "The worst kind of trouble… or the best kind of company?"
Kaelith spun one last time before settling next to me, smiling. "I'll take that as a compliment."
And there we were. Laughing, teasing, nudging each other, gentle and warm in the infinite emptiness. It was the closest thing we had to family. No births, no origins, no childhoods. Just… each other.
Nyxiel stretched lazily, leaning close to Elyon. "Do you think it will always be like this?" he asked quietly. "Just… us, waiting? Or will something come along to ruin the peace?"
Elyon's soft smile didn't waver. "Eventually, things will change. We know that. But for now… this is enough. Just being here, together. That's all that matters."
Kaelith nudged me playfully. "See, even Elyon agrees. Family time is enough. Don't look so serious, Ray. Join in."
I drifted closer to them, letting my presence blend with theirs. "I am joining," I said, laughter in my voice. "Just… quietly, of course."
Nyxiel's shadows twined gently around me, soft and protective. "Quietly… yes. That's your style. But it suits you. Even troublemakers need someone to balance them out."
We fell into a rhythm, floating together in the void. Elyon hummed quietly, a vibration that made the emptiness feel almost like a soft cushion beneath us. Nyxiel let his shadows ripple lazily, playful and teasing. Kaelith spun and twirled, filling the void with laughter and light mischief. And I… I joined in, watching, laughing, teasing, feeling the warmth of our shared existence.
Time had no meaning here. Minutes, hours, eons—they all blended together. And yet, the moments we shared had weight. Moments of connection. Moments of laughter. Moments of silence that spoke louder than any words.
Kaelith floated closer, bumping lightly into me. "Ray, you're too quiet. You need to argue with someone. Make things interesting. Come on, it's what families do."
I smiled softly. "Fine. But I pick my battles."
Elyon laughed. "Pick wisely. Even in the void, your mischief has consequences."
Kaelith shrugged, grinning. "Consequences? Pfft. Not until creation comes along, anyway."
Nyxiel chuckled, shadows flicking like a playful nudge. "Sooner or later, we'll all see how much fun it is when everything starts to move and shift. But for now… quiet is bliss."
I drifted slightly closer to Elyon, letting warmth and light mingle subtly. "Even quiet is more fun when you have company."
Elyon smiled softly. "Exactly. That's what matters most."
Kaelith spun once, then rested next to me, faint laughter lingering. "Alright. For now… we exist together. No worlds, no stars, no angels, no tasks. Just us. And somehow… that feels enough."
And it was.
We laughed, teased, argued softly, and shared a bond that was older than thought itself. The void hummed faintly with our presence, alive in its own subtle way. Elyon's warmth, Nyxiel's shadows, Kaelith's mischief, and my quiet observation blended into a harmony, infinite, steady, unbroken.
Time would come when creation would begin. Worlds, angels, stars, and chaos would arise eventually. But in this moment, in this quiet before the storm, the void was ours. We were family. We existed. We laughed. We teased. And I, Ray, was not just watching. I was part of it.
And that… was enough.