In the boundless void where nothing existed—
not space, not time, not even the whisper of reality itself—
a lone figure drifted.
A woman.
Her long hair flowed like liquid starlight, though no stars shone here. Her eyes, when they slowly opened, gleamed with a brilliance that had never once been reflected, for there was nothing to reflect them. She glanced around the endless nothingness and released a soft sigh.
"This world is so boring. There is nothing to do here… nothing to see, nothing to touch. Is there truly nothing that can entertain me?"
Her voice was like music in a place that had never known sound. Yet, as always, no answer came. She knew there wouldn't be. After all, there was no one else. Only her.
For a time, she simply drifted in thought. Then, a spark flickered across her face—an idea. With a delicate snap of her fingers, the void rippled. Countless mirrors bloomed into existence around her, each one shimmering with scenes from distant worlds.
Through them, she watched. Heroes clashing, villains scheming, mortals striving toward power. Different verses, different tales, endless characters.
At first, her golden eyes lit up with excitement. But soon, her smile faded, her gaze turning dull.
"How disappointing. No matter which world I peer into, everyone is so… weak. Predictable. Boring."
Her bare feet touched nothing as she strolled through the mirrors, each step echoing without sound, her thoughts spiraling faster and faster. Then, suddenly, she stopped.
Her eyes widened. A sharp glint of inspiration crossed her face.
"Wait… 'verse'? 'Characters'…?" She murmured, and then her lips curved into a dazzling smile.
"Yes. I understand now. I will not watch their stories any longer. I will create my own."
Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply, as though drawing in breath from an existence that had never existed. When she opened them again, her gaze was filled with unshakable resolve.
"I have watched countless verses. Not one of them has truly satisfied me. Not one character has stirred my soul. Very well…"
She lifted her hand, and a single mirror appeared before her—different from the rest. In it, she saw Earth. Humans scurried in their endless pursuits, and among them, scientists argued over a theory, their lips shaping a phrase.
"Beyond Bubble."
The woman's eyes curved in delight. She waved her hand, and the mirror dissolved into motes of nothingness.
"Beyond Bubble, hm? I like the sound of that. Then let it be so."
Her voice resonated like law itself. She raised her hand high, and with a single snap of her fingers—
The void bloomed.
Infinite Beyond Bubbles unfolded in an instant, each containing endless realms: monocosms, infinicosms, omnicosms, stacked beyond comprehension. Universes, multiverses, infinities of infinities—all birthed from her single thought.
And it had taken no time at all.
Her laughter, soft yet all-encompassing, echoed across the newborn cosmos.
The woman drifted in silence, gazing upon the infinite bubbles of creation that now filled the once-empty void. Worlds spun, stars burned, seas churned, mountains rose, and countless laws of existence blossomed in harmony.
A smile curved her lips.
"Perfect… it is beautiful. But something is still missing."
She pressed her palms together, as if weaving the threads of thought into being. Her golden eyes flickered with radiance.
"Life… of course. How could I have forgotten? Worlds without life are as dull as the verses I abandoned. But ordinary life would be far too predictable, far too tedious."
Her fingers snapped, and a spark burst forth, echoing across every Beyond Bubble she had birthed.
"No—this time, every being will hold magic within them. Every breath, every heartbeat, every soul shall sing with power."
And with that decree, magic descended like unseen rain, saturating every world. Rivers of mana flowed beneath oceans, stars hummed with arcane energy, and in every creature yet to be born, destiny itself trembled with possibilities.
The woman chuckled softly. Then, her expression shifted—an idea, sharper than all the rest, struck her.
Another snap of her fingers.
From the mist of nothingness, a mirror-image of herself emerged. A perfect copy, silver-white hair cascading, golden eyes gleaming like twin suns. The reflection breathed, blinked, and then smiled with curiosity.
The copy tilted her head. "So this is me…? Hm. Golden eyes, silver hair… I must admit, I look better than I thought."
The original's laughter rang out, clear and melodious. "Of course you do. After all, you are me. The same face, the same taste, the same everything. But…"
Her smile deepened into something sharper, almost mischievous. She reached forward, touching the copy's forehead with a single finger. The clone's golden eyes widened, then flickered shut. Her body sagged into slumber.
"Don't worry, little me," the goddess whispered, her voice soft as silk. "I have erased your memories, your powers, your divinity. You are me, and yet… you are not. You will walk among mortals, unaware of who you once were. You will be my principal piece in this story, my queen on the chessboard."
Her hand lingered on the sleeping double's shoulder, her golden eyes glimmering with both tenderness and cruelty.
"I will watch everything from beyond existence, non-existence, unseen, unheard… And should this tale bore me, I will shatter it all, erase every bubble, and create anew. Again, and again—until I am entertained, even If It means I need to creat and destroy everything infinitely times."
With a single gesture, she cast the slumbering copy into the depths of creation.
The infinite bubbles rippled. Light consumed everything.
And then—
The silence of eternity was broken by the cry of a newborn child.
—
In a small, humble chamber lit by flickering lanterns, a woman lay cradling a tiny baby in her trembling arms. Tears glistened in her eyes as she pressed her lips to the infant's forehead.
"She's so beautiful…" the mother whispered, her voice quivering with joy.
A man leaned over her shoulder, his calloused hands shaking as he brushed back his sweat-damp hair. His eyes widened at the sight of the child, and tears of happiness spilled down his face like a waterfall.
"Absolute beauty…" he choked, laughter and sobs mixing in his throat. "Marie, look at her. She's perfect."
The baby, swaddled in linen, ceased her crying. Slowly, her tiny eyelids fluttered open.
Golden.
Her parents froze, breath stolen from their lungs. Those innocent golden eyes shone like dawn breaking after endless night.
Marie gasped, awe softening her features. "Her eyes… they're golden."
Her husband's lips trembled into a smile. "Yes… golden, like sunlight. Like something divine."
He turned to his wife, his voice low with reverence. "Marie… I've thought long about what we should name her. And now, looking at her… I believe I've found the perfect one. Selena."
Marie lowered her gaze to the child in her arms. The baby cooed softly, reaching with tiny fingers as if to grasp the universe itself.
Tears glistened in Marie's eyes as she whispered, "Selena… Yes. That name is perfect. I love it."
The father's arms wrapped around them both, his smile radiant through his tears.
And so, in a small corner of one of the infinite worlds, under the watchful eyes of a goddess hidden beyond existence, Selena was born.
The piece was set upon the board.
The story had truly begun.