Hiro's mind was empty, like the vast expanse of space—silent and void of thought. As he slowly lost consciousness, he felt himself drifting into a deep, tranquil sleep.
His body and mind surrendered to the soothing embrace of rest, and the weight of the day melted away, leaving him suspended in a peaceful, dreamless void.
As his unconscious body lay on the dungeon floor, three divine figures watched him with anticipation from a realm beyond his own.
"I think it's about time," one of the three figure said, commanding the system. "Engage with the target."
---
**System Initialization...**
**Power Supply Status:** Active
**Command Execution:** In Progress
**Plausibility Calculation...**
**Total Plausibility:** 1,835,426
**Energy Consumption Calculation...**
**Total Energy Consumption:** 367,085,200
**Establishing Connection...**
**Target's Consciousness:** Connected
**Space Creation...**
**Status:** Completed
**Barrier Formation...**
**Status:** Completed
**Penalty Application...**
**Status:** Applied
**Time Limit Enforcement...**
**Duration:** 30 Minutes
---
As the system hummed to life, its initialization protocols flashed across the display. Power surged, verifying that all systems were active and operational.
Commands flowed seamlessly as the plausibility calculation commenced, yielding an impressive figure of 1,835,426. Concurrently, energy consumption metrics tallied up to a staggering 367,085,200 units.
With the preliminary checks complete, the system reached out, establishing a connection with the target's consciousness.
The link was secured, and space creation began, materializing a designated area within moments. Protective barriers formed, their integrity confirmed as unyielding.
Next, the system applied a predefined penalty, ensuring compliance and balance within the created space. A strict time limit was enforced, granting a duration of precisely thirty minutes.
The stage was set, and the intricate processes converged to bring the virtual environment into existence, ready for the three divinities to descend.
... As Hiro's eyes fluttered open to a world he did not recognize. He found himself adrift in an endless void, where neither light nor darkness existed.
It was a place where time seemed to stretch infinitely, and the only sound was the echo of his own thoughts.
The air around him seemed to hum with unseen energy, a pulse that echoed in the rhythm of his own heartbeat.
He was suspended in a vast, ethereal space where shimmering barriers enclosed him, forming a cage that glowed with an otherworldly light.
"Where am I?" Hiro muttered, scanning his surroundings with a mixture of curiosity and trepidation. "Am I dead? No, it can't be," he reasoned, as memories of his life flickered in his mind like distant stars.
A voice, resonant and mechanical, echoed in his mind, breaking the silent atmosphere around him.
Every word seemed to vibrate through his bones, each calculation and status update.
Suddenly, the voice ceased, intoning, "The conditions have been met. Descension is now possible."
A light descended into the void, piercing the emptiness with a brilliant, radiant beam. It cut through the surrounding darkness like a knife, illuminating the space with an ethereal glow.
The once impenetrable blankness now shimmered with fragments of golden light, casting long shadows and revealing the outlines of hidden forms.
The light seemed alive, pulsating with rhythmic energy, drawing everything towards it as it grew brighter and more intense.
The void, once silent and still, now thrummed with a vibrant, almost celestial hum, as the light continued its descent, transforming the emptiness into a realm of possibilities.
As the light dimmed, it revealed three ethereal figures, their beauty beyond human comprehension. Their forms shimmered with an otherworldly radiance, their features both delicate and striking.
The first figure, draped in flowing robes that seemed woven from the light itself, held a staff that glowed with an inner blazing ice.
The second figure, with wings that spanned wide and sparkled like a thousand stars, carried a harp that sang softly with every movement.
The third, a serene and regal presence, wore a crown of shimmering crystals and held a book that emanated a soft, warm light.
As they stood in the void, their presence brought a sense of peace and awe, as if the very fabric of the universe bowed to their existence.
Their eyes, deep and knowing, scanned the newly illuminated surroundings, as if seeking something or someone. The air around them vibrated with a gentle, harmonious melody, and the void, no longer empty, felt charged with a profound sense of purpose.
"I am Akasha, the Goddess of Creation, the ruler and embodiment of rivers and oceans," the first figure said.
Following her, the second figure spoke, "I am Vayu," she said, her voice like a whispering breeze, "the Goddess of Reincarnation, the ruler and embodiment of storms and winds."
"And I am Prithvi," the last figure spoke, her tone steady and grounding, "the Goddess of Life, the ruler and embodiment of earth and nature."
Hiro stood in awe, a mixture of fear and wonder coursing through him. The atmosphere was heavy with ethereal energy, the very air vibrating with the power of the deities before him. The void, once an abyss of uncertainty, was now a sacred space filled with divine presence.
"Excuse me. Why are you here? Am I dead?" Hiro asked, his face indescribable.
"No, you're not," Akasha replied as she laughs at Hiro's question.
"Then, why am I here?" he asked again breaking the goddess's laughter.
The goddesses exchanged glances before Prithvi spoke. "Child, you are here because of destiny, rather because we called upon you. We've been watching you since the day you found the key."
"What key?" Hiro asked, confused.
"Forgive me. The key is the book that sealed your memory and power within you," Prithvi said.
"The book?" he replied.
"Correct," Prithvi confirmed.
Vayu also spoke. "Prithvi, stop being poetic. Boy, we called upon you here because you have a fragment of our sister Agni, the Goddess of Destruction, in your soul."
"Goddess of Reincarnation, how is that possible?" Hiro's face was indescribable as confusion took his mind.
Akasha interjected. "Child, your mother is a priestess of Agni. All priestesses receive blessings and sometimes fragments."
"Your mother was cherished and loved by our sister, so when you were born, Agni descended and gifted you a fragment of herself."
"When divinities descend into the mortal realm, our divine powers are sealed by the system as a penalty. Our case is different since we didn't descend fully," Akasha explained, her voice heavy with regret.
Hiro interrupted, his voice trembling with anger. "Wait. You're telling me this sister of yours loved my mother? Then where was she when a demon killed my parents?"
Akasha took a deep breath, her eyes clouded with sorrow. "Let me finish the story. When Agni descended into the mortal realm, the system we created applied a penalty on her. As a result, she partially lost her power."
"And little did she know, a scheming demon awaited her descent," she continued.
"Who?" Hiro demanded.
Akasha hesitated, her voice barely a whisper. "I cannot reveal his true name to you, but he is known as the Rogue, the Primordial Red."
Hiro clenched his fists. "So, this Rogue targeted my family because of that fragment? The reason I lost my parents is because of this... Get it out of me!"
"No, not yet," Vayu interjected firmly. "Collect her fragments for us, and we will reward you."
Hiro stared at them in disbelief. "Me? You want me to collect those damned fragments of your sister?"
"Watch your tongue, Hiro!" Prithvi's demeanor darkened as she commanded, "Collect the fragments, and we will resurrect your parents."
Hiro felt his world spinning, unable to process what he'd just heard. The weight of their words crushed him.
"I am the goddess of life, Prithvi," she declared. "Bring us the fragments, and I will bring your parents back to life."
Tears streamed down Hiro's face as he struggled with the decision. The gods' demands were impossible, yet the promise of seeing his parents again tugged at his heart. The room fell silent, the air thick with tension as Hiro's fate hung in the balance.
Suddenly, a mechanical voice resounded through the endless space. "Descension will now be cancelled in 60 seconds."
"It seems time is up," Akasha noted as she gave Hiro a red egg. "This is from the fragment of Agni inside the Divine Wolf – Fenrir and its child. Hatch it and it will become your guide in finding the other fragments."
"Oh, one more thing: We've teleported your body to the surface, and someone has already found your unconscious body, so don't worry," she added. "Also, here's another gift."
A spherical light appeared on the Goddess of Creation's hand. It floats toward Hiro and suddenly it entered Hiro's astral body, embeding to his soul.
"This will help you too. Farewell," she said as she and her sisters waved their goodbyes to Hiro. "We'll be watching you," they said.
"Wait," Hiro called out, but the goddesses disappeared, their forms dissolving into wisps of light that vanished into the void.
He reached out, fingers grasping at empty air, but it was too late. The ethereal glow that once surrounded him began to flicker and wane, unable to sustain itself without their presence.
The space around Hiro couldn't maintain its structure any longer and shattered in an instant. Fractures spread like spiderwebs through the very fabric of reality, each crack releasing bursts of radiant energy.
The ground beneath him dissolved, and the sky above fractured into countless shards that fell like broken glass.