The void was absolute. No sound, no light, no breath of time. The nothingness had reigned for eternity, impenetrable and silent. Then, from nowhere and everywhere at once, a breath escaped the breath of the Silent Creator.
The breath rippled through the void, caressing infinity, brushing the abyss with an invisible yet immeasurable power. The darkness shivered beneath this touch, as if the universe itself were holding its breath, awaiting what was about to be born.
Then, a flicker. A single star appeared, fragile yet radiant, followed by another, and another, until the darkness shattered into a myriad of lights. Galaxies spiraled through the void, nebulae formed in majestic swirls of colors unknown. Each star was a possible world, each light a promise of life.
Oceans of ether, primordial and glittering, stretched between the nascent worlds. These invisible seas seemed to pulse with a silent yet infinite energy. Vast mountains, with unreal contours, rose like the spines of a slumbering god. The entire universe seemed to breathe for the first time, vibrating with power and mystery.
At the heart of this creation, two forms began to take shape. They did not emerge from the void by chance, but as echoes of the Creator's breath. Shadows condensed, taking form and substance.
Then the Creator spoke, and his voice resonated through the cosmos like an endless echo, traversing galaxies and nebulae, filling every corner with a vibrant and majestic presence.
"You shall be called Akano Fujiraki," he said, "and you, Lloyd Mu Sayano. You will carry the breath of creation in your hands and witness the birth of worlds."
The two beings froze, feeling the weight of these words, still unable to comprehend the full magnitude of their destiny.
"Here are your artifacts," the Creator continued. "Akano, take the Quill of Absolute Narration. Everything you write, shape, or imagine becomes instantaneously reality. Lloyd, take the Absolute Counter-Narrative Mirror. It can instantly counter, reflect, or invert any creation, narration, or power, even that of your brother. No concept of speed or time will limit their activation."
The artifacts appeared before them, hovering in the air, radiating a light both alluring and unsettling. Each artifact was bound to them for eternity, capable of acting autonomously and proactively to protect them from anything within or beyond creation. Nothing could separate them from these silent entities.
"However," the Creator continued, "you are not immortal for now. You must prove that you possess the values necessary to attain such a privilege. Your artifacts can protect you, but only if they recognize your true worth and your will. Upon your arrival on this world, you will not be automatically shielded until you have discovered and understood your powers."
The Creator revealed a vision of Earth, vast and teeming with life and mysteries.
"I have scattered secondary artifacts across this world," he said, "granting a taste of accelerated regeneration. Ordinary inhabitants regenerate at a normal pace. Some beings already possess regeneration 2 to 6 times faster. If you discover these artifacts, your regeneration can reach ten times that of a normal being, but you will have to explore, follow clues, and face quests and dungeons to claim them. Anyone may attempt to discover them, but only those with the necessary strength and value will fully master them."
The Creator's voice continued, resonating like the vibrations of a thousand galaxies:
"I also bestow upon you the power of submission. With this power, you can freeze anyone, block all movement, thought, or ability. This power activates instantly, with no limit to target or strength. Time and ordinary limitations no longer exist for this power."
Akano and Lloyd felt the immense power and responsibility that weighed upon them. The stars seemed to shiver under their gaze, and the entire universe held its breath.
"To benefit from the full proactive protection of your artifacts," the Creator explained, "you must enter a pact with them. Once this pact is sealed, it is irreversible, even in betrayal. Even without a pact, you are eternally bound to your artifacts, but their protection will always depend on your worth and discernment."
The Creator's breath never faded. It remained in every star, every world, every wave of ether, observing, guiding, and awaiting the moment when his children of creation would take their place in the vast theater of the cosmos.
Every whisper of cosmic wind, every twinkle of a star, every vibration of the ether was an invitation to the unknown. For in this cosmos, the birth of worlds was only the first step. The true stories were about to begin, written by the hands of those who had been chosen.
Silence was broken, yet mystery persisted. The universe had awakened, and with it, the adventure of infinity had begun.