The vibrant white room stretched into eternity with no corners, no ceiling, no floor that could be trusted. It simply was. In its center stood a man whose very presence seemed to pulse with color, as though someone had taken the essence of light and convinced it to wear a middle-aged body. Beside him, a young woman equally radiant rested her hand on his shoulder.
A wooden chair materialized beneath him and he sat without surprise. Their godlike glow, the chair's impossible arrival… none of it demanded attention as much as the disconcerting absence of genitals on their otherwise perfect forms. They didn't seem to mind. They stared forward, statues in a room of light.
Then the wall before them shimmered and melted into living glass.
On the other side: a scene no mortal mind could dream without breaking. Stars folding into rivers of fire, worlds drifting like motes of dust, a cosmic ballet too immense for sanity. Yet their expressions remained unchanged.
The man lifted his hand. Reality obeyed. The vast panorama vanished in a single blink, the glass re-hardening into white wall. At the same moment, a crystal ball size of a football, gleaming with inner storms appeared in his palm.
At first, it seemed like any ceremonial orb, but a closer look stole breath. Inside the sphere swirled a miniature universe: millions of stars, each no larger than a button; galaxies coiling like luminous shells; streaks of nebulae drifting as though caught in a slow exhale. A few stars dimmed, flared, and collapsed into tiny black holes that devoured passing light with a hunger beyond imagination.
And between the galaxies ran glowing rivers, currents of brilliant energy that threaded through cosmic gaps. Another black dot blinked into existence, but unlike the devouring ones, it spat everything it swallowed from its twin across the universe, folding space like fabric.
All this was only a fraction of the orb's wonders, and even describing them felt like attempting to teach color to the blind.
The man didn't spare it a glance. With casual indifference, he set the sphere into a wooden box resting on a crimson cushion and another object conjured from nothing. Inside were ten such crystal balls, arranged like a divine garland answering the impossible question: What does existence look like?
He sighed, voice dead and hollow. "I am dying of boredom."
The woman winced. "Not even a week ago, you created a world in 'Thi' because some random book mentioned it, only to destroy it. And the reason you gave for destroying it was "dull". We finally come back, and now you're bored again?"
His expression only deepened into gloom.
She gave an exhausted sigh. "Fine. Should we go destroy a planet in another universe? Or make a new one? If that's boring, you could create a new species from another book and I'll breathe life into them."
"No," he muttered. "They're all boring. I want something new… something different."
She flicked her gaze at the wall; it obediently bloomed into a collage of images ranging from games, dances, strange sports, to forms of entertainment even humans had no words for.
Pointing at the shifting gallery, she asked, "Well? Which one will keep your divine butt entertained this time?"
He walked toward the wall with slow disdain. "I said different. Not the same things I do every time I'm bored."
Seeing his stubbornness, she flashed a teasing grin. "Then why not visit one of my soul seeds? A little talk with my dolls might fix you."
He ignored the jab. "Hmm… I think we should play this game." He pointed at an image of the two of them playing chess before a crowned man, an entire hall of spectators watching.
"Chess? Didn't you hate chess because you lost to me?"
He straightened smugly. "Me? Lose to you? You must be remembering wrong. You lost, and the kingdom's whole ministry hailed my victory."
"That wasn't victory, that was cheating. You changed a rule in everyone's mind, including the poor inventor of the game! Humans are still playing it wrong."
His eyes brightened mischievously. "I know how to entertain myself now."
Her expression flattened. He continued anyway:
"We're playing chess again. But not with those lifeless wooden pieces. This time, the pieces will be alive. Or maybe…" He chuckled. "Maybe it's better if we're the audience, not the players."
"Of course," she said dryly. "Watching is safest for you. That way, you can't lose."
He scowled. "Winning is all that matters, not how you win."
"Yes, yes. I can't argue with you."
She waved a hand. "Fine. Let's play chess."
"Good." He nodded as the wall dissolved again into a vast star-speckled void.
She asked, "Which planet shall we pick? It needs evolved beings otherwise they can't 'cheat'." She stressed the last word a while longer.
He raised an eyebrow. With a gesture, the wooden box reappeared in his hand. Opening it, he said, "Let's play it real. And I want this one to last for a while."
Nine of the spheres floated upward, orbiting around them like obedient moons.
She narrowed her eyes. "Are you really that bored?"
His nod was pitiful.
She sighed and faced the revolving spheres. A slip of paper appeared above each orb with crude handwriting, glowing letters writhing like sentient ink.
"I'm bored too," she said. "So let's pick from the Anima worlds this time."
She stepped close and plucked the paper above the sphere in front of her and muttered, "It's been a while since we checked on them. Let's see where the seeds ended up."
Hyun — Universe One.
Anima world: Nabut.
Dominant species: Gantz.
Evolved through quantum study; teleportation and telepathy commonplace. Four great wars behind them.
Di — Universe Two.
Anima world: Uranus.
Dominant species: Witches and Dragons.
Masters of life-source arts. Three great wars.
Thi — Universe Three.
Anima world: Earth.
Dominant species: Humans.
Students of nuclear and quantum fundamentals; knowledge expanding slowly. One great war.
Ar — Universe Four.
Anima world: Mercuria.
Dominant species: Theropods.
Knowledge questionable, inventions primitive. No great wars yet.
Fi — Universe Five.
Anima world: Pearl.
Dominant species: Machina.
Devoted to existence but uninterested in learning more. Three great wars.
Sinh — Universe Six.
Anima world: Eden.
Dominant species: Heroes.
Wielders of celestial power. Four great wars.
Asta — Universe Eight.
Anima world: Tristar.
Dominant species: Supremes.
Can channel celestial energy and life sources. Six great wars.
Nan — Universe Nine.
Anima world: Nagnia.
Dominant species: Vampires, mermaids, goblins, and countless others.
Only now learning that knowledge matters as much as survival. Four great wars.
Unni — Universe Ten.
Anima world: Greystone.
Dominant species: Gods.
Knowledge infinite. Ten great wars.
Finishing reading, she lowered the glowing sheet.
The man opened the box again and lifted its final sphere.
"Nirvana…" he murmured.
"That wish-" she began, but he cut her off.
"I remember. Doesn't it have seventy more years?"
She nodded quietly.
"Hm. We haven't started preparations yet?"
"You told me to wait until the end begins."
He closed his eyes. A hum passed through the room.
"How didn't we notice earlier…?"
She mirrored him, closed her eyes and gasped softly. "You told me not to watch it, so I didn't keep tabs… but I never thought the end would begin this soon."
His expression bloomed with excitement. "I've decided!"
Seeing her expectant look, he clarified, "The game will be played there."
She hesitated only a second. "Not a bad idea. Should I prepare the board?"
He rose sharply. "No. Leave this part to me. I'll be the mastermind. You sit back and-"
For the first time, she cut him off, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Can you understand human feelings?"
He blinked. "I can feel bored."
She rolled her eyes. "That's not a feeling."
Silence. Then he admitted, "…No."
She softened. "Can you create anything without destroying?"
He thought. Too long. "…No."
"It's an Anima world with its end already starting. We can't risk anything. We both go."
He nodded.
Smiling faintly, she lifted the crystal ball and whispered, "SETH."
The room dissolved. Light extinguished.
They emerged into a vast dark expanse before a colossal planet hanging like a silent omen.
He tilted his head. "Shall we use our old names for this game?"
"Yes, Obero."
"Then," he said, gazing at the world they were about to reshape, "let's begin preparations for the game, Isha."