The question of what initiated the universe's existence has puzzled many people. How did this universe truly come into being?
What was the beginning? What existed before everything? Was it darkness or light? Was it dust or something else? Well, nobody knows the answer to that.
In ancient legend, it is said that deep in the very center of the universe, there was an ocean, and it all began from that very ocean. This place, also known as the heart of the universe, was surrounded by an ocean. Above it, an empire known as the Eternal Empire could be seen, so vast that it was above for human minds to comprehend, to put it into perspective, the Milky Way would look one hundred times smaller or maybe even less than that.
This place, known as the Eternal Empire, with its inhabitants known as the Eternal Beings, where gods above gods resided, appeared grand and beautiful wherever one looked. The design of the Empire became grander the closer one looked toward the center. The houses resembled medieval castles, yet the technology seemed far more advanced, leaving one speechless with its sheer technological brilliance, shining so brilliantly that even the kingdom of the High Heavens would be envious.
Somewhere in this empire, within one of the three Heavenly Clans, a clan as powerful as heaven itself, a youth stood in front of a lake and said to himself, "Tomorrow, I have an appointment to visit His Majesty's palace. I wonder if Grandpa could come with me." If one were to describe the youth, his eyes were deep and mesmerizing, reflecting the vast of knowledge, filled with wisdom. The youth's hair, white as snow reached his shoulder, gracefully fell around. his smile as smile filling the hearts of others with warmth and joy. "I should ask him," the youth said to himself and vanished.
As the youth reached a large door, he asked, "Grandpa, I wish for an audience." "Come in," a voice echoed in his head. Entering the room, the youth saw his grandpa and thought to himself, "No matter how many times I look at my grandpa, he always exudes an aura of strength and resilience that belies his years." His grandpa's face bore gentle but weathered lines, revealing the wisdom and experiences etched into his very being. With a commanding presence, he carried himself with authority and dignity that commanded respect from those around him. As the youth looked at their grandpa, their eyes, deep and piercing, reflected a lifetime of stories and lessons learned. They radiated a spark of unwavering confidence. In their presence, one couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and reverence. Rishi heard a voice. Looking to the side, he bowed ninety degrees and said, "Rishi greets the Li Sovereign, Ancestor of the Li Clan."
"What brings you here, Rishi?" the old man asked. "Oh, Grandpa," Rishi said. "Tomorrow, I have to register myself in His Majesty's palace for that expedition, and I thought I'd ask you. Who knows, I might get to see His Majesty the Emperor if you come with me," Rishi continued.
"You can drop the idea of getting to meet His Majesty, let alone you, us Sovereigns. We aren't able to meet him if he doesn't want to. It's been a few decades now since His Majesty stopped making any appearances," the old man remarked.
"It's fine, Grandpa. Even if I don't get to see His Majesty, you need to come with me. Remember the favor you gave me that time for winning the competition?" Rishi said.
"Fine, I will come with you. Either way, I've been bored for some time now. I guess I'll use this opportunity to fight with that Wang bastard. It's been a while since I beat his ass. But before we go, ask Ridhi if she also wants to come," the old man said.
For a moment, Rishi seemed baffled by how easily his grandpa cursed the Wang Clan Sovereign. "Well, it is to be expected. If it had been anyone else, they would have died at that very moment," Rishi thought to himself but said, "Okay, I accept. I'll ask her if she wants to come."
"Okay, then go inform her, and remember to meet me on time," the old man said.
"Okay, sure," Rishi said. "Well, let's see where she is, my little sister."
As Rishi started to make his way to their little sister's room, in the corridor, some of the maids and servants bowed, pausing their work as they waited for Rishi to pass by. Rishi ignored them. After a few more moments, he reached his little sister's room and asked, "Sister, can I come in?"
A beautiful voice responded from behind the door, "What now?"
Hearing her without even opening the door of the room, Rishi replied in an annoyed tone, "Hey, at least invite me in first before you ask. You are the one who has worked for me, not the other way around. So say it or get lost, little brother."
"You little... I am bigger than you. Well, whatever, I will not argue with a kid. It's Grandpa who sent me to ask you," Rishi said.
As soon as Rishi's words left their mouth and they mentioned Grandpa, the door opened.
The lady who emerged could only be described as absolute beauty, with no flaws to be found on her face and body. She possessed a rare and captivating beauty that defied worldly standards. If one where compare her to earthly beings they would pale in comparison. Her delicate features were flawlessly as if god took his time to make her as beautiful as possible.
Her hair same as youth hair white hair, flowed till her back with white shine as if touched by sun. With one look of Her skin one could sense just how soft her skin would be to touch, a canvas of porcelain perfection, flawlessly smooth and radiant. She wore a long gown, gracefully draping around her figure. She was known as Ridhi, Rishi's sister, the patriarch's only daughter, and his favorite. As she stepped out of the room, Rishi said, "Oh, so you finally opened the door. How generous of you, little sister.
"That's enough, brother. Tell me, what did Grandpa say?" Ridhi asked.
"Oh well, we're going to His Majesty's palace because of my work, and I thought, why not take Grandpa too? So I asked him, and he said sure, but to ask you too if you want to join us," Rishi explained.
"Of course, stupid brother. I've never seen His Majesty in person. I always wanted to, but I never got the chance to meet him face-to-face. Who knows, maybe this time it'll be a lucky charm," Ridhi said.
"When are we leaving?" Ridhi asked.
"Well, tomorrow," Rishi answered.
"Okay, I'll be ready on time," Ridhi said.
Rishi nodded and turned back to make preparations.
Ridhi's POV.
As I entered my grandpa's room, I saw my brother and grandpa sitting on a couch and talking about the emperor's palace. To be honest, I had always wanted to see the emperor in person. Most of our generation hadn't seen him, as he had stopped making public appearances.
While pondering these thoughts, my brother mentioned, "Grandpa, let's go. She's here now." As my grandpa's gaze shifted towards me, I bowed slightly and said, "Little Ridhi greets the ancestor." It felt as if the atmosphere changed at that moment. My grandpa replied, "Oh, my little Ri is here. So if I'm not mistaken, this is your third time going to the emperor's palace, isn't it?" "Yes, Grandpa," I confirmed. My grandpa continued, "We will leave in a moment. Let me inform your father that we are leaving before we depart." As I looked at my grandpa, he commanded Seera to inform my father about the situation. "Come on now, we are ready to leave. Come closer," my grandpa said. Both my brother and I approached him, and in the blink of an eye, we were outside of my clan's palace...