Before Time Began
999 Words
Silence.
No one moved.
No one even dared to breathe.
The radiant being hovered above the Imperial Capital, his six wings stretching across the heavens. Every feather shimmered with galaxies, illuminating the world below.
The stars themselves seemed to bow before him.
Seraphina stood frozen.
His final words echoed through her mind.
“I was created… by you.”
It made no sense.
She was only nineteen.
She had grown up as an ordinary girl, unaware of her true identity.
How could a being worshipped as the Star God claim to have been created by her?
Ash slowly lowered his head.
“I told you.”
“The truth is more terrifying than the prophecy.”
Kael tightened his grip on his sword.
“I don’t care who he is.”
“If he threatens her…”
“You cannot fight Him.”
The Grand Oracle’s voice trembled.
“Not even the ancient emperors challenged the First Light.”
The Star God looked toward the Oracle.
“You remember.”
She immediately dropped to both knees.
“My Creator…”
His gaze shifted back to Seraphina.
“You have forgotten everything.”
He raised one glowing hand.
A tiny sphere of silver light appeared above his palm.
It drifted toward Seraphina.
Kael stepped between them.
“Don’t touch her.”
The Star God smiled.
“You still protect her.”
“As you always have.”
Before Kael could react, the sphere passed through him harmlessly and entered Seraphina’s forehead.
Pain exploded inside her mind.
She screamed.
The world disappeared.
…
She stood in complete darkness.
There were no stars.
No planets.
No sky.
No time.
Only endless silence.
“Where am I?”
A little girl’s laughter echoed through the void.
Seraphina turned.
A child sat alone on a crystal swing suspended in nothingness.
She couldn’t have been older than seven.
Her silver hair danced around her like liquid light.
Her eyes glowed brighter than suns.
She looked…
Exactly like Seraphina.
The little girl smiled.
“You finally came back.”
Seraphina’s heart raced.
“Who are you?”
The child tilted her head.
“You.”
“No…”
“Not you now.”
“You…”
“…before everything.”
Confusion washed over Seraphina.
“I don’t understand.”
The child jumped down from the swing.
“Of course you don’t.”
“You erased your own memories.”
She reached out and held Seraphina’s hand.
The moment their fingers touched…
The darkness vanished.
A universe appeared.
Not the universe.
The first universe.
Seraphina watched countless galaxies bloom like flowers.
Stars ignited one after another.
Nebulas painted the endless void with impossible colors.
It was beautiful.
“I made them.”
The child smiled proudly.
Seraphina stared.
“You… created the universe?”
“I imagined it.”
“It became real.”
Another figure suddenly appeared.
A young man dressed in white robes.
His six wings were much smaller than before.
The Star God.
Except…
He looked like a teenager.
He knelt before the little girl.
“My Queen.”
The child laughed.
“I told you not to bow every time.”
“You are my Creator.”
“I suppose.”
She shrugged.
“Help me.”
The young Star God stood.
Together they scattered thousands of stars across the newborn heavens.
Seraphina watched in stunned silence.
“They’re…”
“Happy.”
The child nodded.
“We were.”
Her smile slowly disappeared.
“Until He came.”
The universe shook violently.
Darkness spread across the newborn galaxies.
Stars died.
Entire constellations vanished.
A gigantic crack split reality itself.
Something moved inside it.
Not a person.
Not a monster.
Something without shape.
Without beginning.
Without end.
The child stepped protectively in front of the young Star God.
“You must run.”
“I won’t leave you.”
“You have to.”
Tears rolled down the little girl’s face.
“I can create another universe.”
“But I can’t create another you.”
She placed her hand against his chest.
Brilliant silver light surrounded him.
“I give you My Light.”
“You will protect the next universe.”
The Star God fell to his knees.
“My Queen…”
“What about You?”
She smiled through her tears.
“I’ll be reborn.”
“When the stars remember My name…”
“You’ll find Me again.”
Everything shattered.
The vision disappeared.
…
Seraphina’s eyes flew open.
She stumbled backward, gasping for air.
Tears streamed uncontrollably down her cheeks.
She remembered.
Not everything.
Just enough.
She looked at the Star God.
“You…”
His golden eyes softened.
“You remember Me now.”
“You protected the universe.”
“I protected Your promise.”
Ash watched silently.
Kael looked completely lost.
“What is happening?”
Before anyone could answer…
The heavens screamed.
A sound unlike anything they had ever heard tore across reality.
Every star in the sky suddenly turned black.
The Star God’s expression changed instantly.
Fear.
Real fear.
He looked beyond the stars.
“No…”
“It found us.”
The space above the capital split apart.
Not like before.
This time, reality itself peeled away.
Beyond the opening…
There was nothing.
No stars.
No light.
No darkness.
Only an endless white void.
A single barefoot man stepped through.
He wore plain black robes.
He looked no older than thirty.
His black hair moved gently in a wind no one else could feel.
He smiled warmly.
He looked completely human.
Yet the Star God immediately knelt.
Ash dropped to one knee.
The Oracle collapsed.
Even Emperor Orion lowered his head.
Only Seraphina remained standing.
The man looked at her with gentle eyes.
“So…”
“My little dream.”
“I finally found you.”
Then he smiled.
“And this time…”
“I’m not here to destroy your universe.”
“I’m here to wake you up.”
- Writer
