In the tumultuous waters of the river floated a child's body with torn clothing on its chest. Occasionally, it bumped against rocks or surfaced briefly. Remarkably, its heart still beat... Thankfully, his young age had endowed him with a robust body that had managed to staunch the bleeding. But how long this had gone on was unknown...
"Doo-doo!" Suddenly, Kai opened his eyes, confronted by an entirely dark expanse in front of him. Rising with a pounding headache, he began to look around. Wherever he looked, darkness prevailed – underfoot and overhead alike. He couldn't make sense of what had happened to him.
"Am I dead?" That was Kai's first thought.
Checking his chest, he realized it was smooth skin that met his touch. Rubbing it, he understood that there was no wound anymore.
"Hmm, this is very strange... I distinctly remember falling bloody into the river," Kai began to panic a little, but quickly regained his composure and continued to survey his surroundings.
Suddenly, he saw a faint glow in the distance... He couldn't explain to himself what it was exactly. It seemed like light, yet it was dark at the same time... Kai cautiously started moving towards the source, taking slow steps.
After a few minutes, he reached the glow and saw a peculiar sphere nearby. It seemed to be made from some dark material. Kai had never seen anything like it... It didn't resemble stone, glass, or even metal. Gazing at the sphere, he felt as though it was consuming his soul and body. He began to feel dizzy, and he increasingly lost understanding of what was happening...
At that moment, under the influence of a strange compulsion, he extended his hand and with trembling fingers began to approach the sphere. This feeling, like being intoxicated, enticed him! His consciousness wrestled with it, as he realized that something unusual was occurring. Kai tried to resist, yet at the same time, his hand continued to move slowly.
Touch...
"Boom!" Such an incredible resonance resounded, as if a celestial bell had rung! Kai felt as though an unparalleled melody was penetrating his soul.
It sounded as if someone were playing on strings woven from the essence of existence itself. Some notes were like birdsong, others akin to epic explosions, some induced bliss, like the bubbling of a hot spring. He felt a spectrum of sensations he had never even heard of before.
This caused Kai's head to split. It seemed his mind couldn't fully comprehend everything transpiring. He felt as if red-hot needles were being inserted into his brain. His heart constricted incredibly, rhythm faltering, and his stomach ached fiercely. Because of this, he collapsed to his knees instantly.
Suddenly, throughout the entire space, the sounds seemed to merge and resonate. Kai couldn't explain what he was feeling right now. This epic sound had no words, but its meaning was crystal clear... It was as if the information were imprinting itself onto his soul and heart, the essence flowed through his entire body.
"The Uncertainty of Time-Space is the first law. Imperceptible and unperceived, it seems to have existed before everything and will persist after."
"The Causelessness of Luck is the second law. One cannot fathom the causes and effects of the universe's manifestations, as if everything is decided by the roll of dice with infinite sides, giving birth to the most incredible regularities."
"The Eternity of Will is the third law. Will exists in all that is living and non-living, an immaterial essence that sets all laws of existence in motion."
"Life and Death are the fourth law. The result of the creation of the supreme triad of laws – time-space, luck, and will. Luck and the will to evolve within infinite time give rise to entities and lead them to non-existence."
"The Law of Flesh is the fifth law. Everything begins with flesh, the flesh of the living and non-living, material and spiritual flesh; even natural phenomena have a form of flesh."
"The Law of Energy is the sixth law. Development and activity of everything generate myriad variations of energy, its combinations, and forms."
"The Law of Spirit is the seventh law. With sufficient time, everything gains its spirit and its consciousness, manifesting the highest form of being."
Breathing heavily and striving to clear his mind, he wiped off sweat and pondered the words. These words had incredibly struck his mind. In a trance, he began to repeat these laws allowed and contemplate them.
"The Law of Time-Space, everything in our world is subject to the flow of time..."
"The Law of Causelessness of Luck... Indeed, luck has often saved me from scrapes. But also because of bad luck, my refuge is now destroyed..."
"The Law of Eternal Will. Only the strong survive in this world, and to reach the pinnacle, an iron will is needed to overcome all obstacles, even those I had to face today."
"The Law of Life and Death... Hah, indeed, I've observed this so many times in nature, when an animal's death becomes nourishment for plants, and plants become sustenance for humans... Even the lives of my siblings turned into death instantly..." Kai sighed heavily.
"Next, we have..."
"The Law of Flesh... Does everything possess flesh, does even the inanimate have flesh?" Kai uttered doubtfully.
This was unclear to Kai... But he decided to remember all the laws he had heard. It seemed to him that this was something incredibly important!
However, Kai didn't even notice how his thought patterns had subtly changed. As if these laws had melded with him, endowing his mind with a fragment of their wisdom...
"The Law of Energy? Hm, is this about the energy that masters sense in legends? I must understand it too, to become stronger. Then, I'll obliterate those scoundrels who killed my loved ones. Even though death replaces life, it doesn't mean I should forget about those bastards."
"And the last one was... the Law of Spirit... Is this like my thoughts? When I think, is that the law of spirit?"
"Time and Space, Luck, Will, Life and Death, Flesh, Energy, and Spirit! I must never forget these, regardless of what happens!" Kai firmly declared.
At that instant, a bright flash occurred, completely blinding Kai!
Kai coughed violently, spitting out water. He began to open his eyes... With incredible surprise and concern, he realized he was lying on a rock by the riverbank. His chest was torn open, and moving even slightly was painful.