"What in the...?" Sai muttered, his voice tinged with confusion as he stared at his reflection in the mirror.
His youthful face stared back at him—skin unlined, eyes sharp, brimming with the vitality of youth. "Why am I in this state? Is this part of the punishment?" he thought, a frown deepening on his brow.
"This is my 18-year-old body," he said aloud, his voice quiet yet firm. "But I'm still powerless, just like back then."
Sai sat on his bed, crossing his legs into a lotus position, his mind racing. He closed his eyes and attempted to cultivate energy, reaching inward for the strength he once wielded.
"Hmmm," he murmured to himself, sensing the faint energies of the world around him. "Earth's Existence Essence is so minuscule. But... I can't complain. A second chance at life is still a gift, even if it's part of the punishment."
Slowly, he allowed his mind to drift, slipping into a meditative trance.
Within moments, Sai entered the endless state of his inner mind—a boundless expanse of thought and will. In this ethereal realm, he conjured four clones of himself, each identical in appearance but unique in focus. He named them simply: One, Two, Three, and Four.
Turning to his first clone, Sai asked, "God has punished us. How do we escape His gaze?"
Before One could respond, a voice, low and amused, echoed from the shadowy corners of the endless state.
"You can't," it said.
Sai and his clones froze, their eyes darting toward the voice. "Time? How?" all five Sai said in unison, their disbelief palpable.
From the darkness, the figure of Time emerged, its aura regal yet unsettling. Its voice was laced with both amusement and authority. "You think you can escape the gaze of the omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent God? Are you dumb?"
Sai dismissed his clones with a wave of his hand, narrowing his eyes at Time. "There might be a way... but how did you even get here?"
Time's form shifted subtly, its presence growing more imposing. "Do you not understand? Time exists everywhere. It is an essential fabric of existence itself. I am nigh-omnipresent."
"Nigh-omnipresent?" Sai repeated, raising an eyebrow. "What do you mean by 'nigh'? Shouldn't you be fully omnipresent?"
Time sighed, exuding an air of exasperation. "Human, let me educate you on the hierarchy of power in the multiverse. Pay attention."
Time began, its voice resonating like a teacher addressing a student:
"At the top, we have God: omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent. Below God are the Concepts, such as myself—beings who are nigh omnipresent, nigh omniscient, and nigh omnipotent. We are immensely powerful but fall short of God's absolutes.
"Beneath the Concepts are the Pagan Gods and Eldritch Beings. Pagan gods derive their power from the Concepts, while eldritch monstrosities are entities of chaos and terror.
"Now, below the divine, we have mortals and their progression of power:
Mortal: Ordinary beings with the power simply 'to live.'
Awakened Mortal: Enhanced longevity, strength, speed, intelligence, and other basic attributes.
Transcendent: A step above awakened mortals, with weaker versions of divine powers.
Demigod: A bridge between mortals and divinity, possessing partial divine essence.
Immortal: Beings with true immortality and minor divine senses.
Pagan God: Fully divine beings gifted power by the Concepts."
Time paused, letting the weight of the hierarchy sink in. "When you were punished, Sai, you were merely an Awakened Mortal—not even close to the level of divinity. No wonder Lucifer found your actions impressive."
Sai remained silent, processing the wealth of information Time had just shared. His thoughts raced as he pieced together what this all meant, his mind slowly zeroing in on a potential solution.
Finally, he broke the silence, a small, confident smirk playing on his lips. "That's it," he muttered to himself, the beginnings of a plan forming in his mind.