NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1: 1
The little soul did not know how long it had been here, nor did it know where "here" was. This void, this infinite limbo of pure light and nothingness, was disorienting. Measuring time in a place without sky, earth, or any human concept was nearly impossible.
Even without understanding time, it knew this had been an unbearably long duration. How did it know? Well, it had forgotten everything—its name, its history. Everything was so fleeting and illusory that it no longer knew what was real.
As it gazed into the void, the soul was startled to see a distortion in the infinity surrounding it. When it focused its attention, its environment shifted.
Disoriented by the sudden change, the little soul tried to move, but to its surprise, moving felt like the hardest thing in the world.
"Even after millions of years and a new form, your reliance on limbs remains ingrained in your being... fascinating and disappointing. But we'll work with what we have, right?"
A voice, ethereal and otherworldly, spoke.
"For your mission, a body is indeed necessary, so while I find your inability 'amusing,' I won't be petty."
As these words were spoken, the little soul felt a transformation—the first sensation it had experienced in a very long time.
A cocoon enveloped the soul, and inside it, a substance resembling human skin formed around it. After a few minutes, the cocoon unraveled, revealing a human body.
"I remember… I know who I am...
I am Gabriel."
"Not anymore. Your former name has lost its meaning. Your soul has been purified beyond all restoration, and your new body severs all ties to your old self, symbolizing your new existence.
Congratulations, you are the third terrestrial being in all of existence to be 100% immaculate. The only reason you recall your past is that your memories will be crucial for your mission."
"Who are you? Where am I?" Gabriel asked, looking around for the source of the voice. Though he found nothing, he observed his new surroundings and was shocked.
Gabriel thought his sense of reality had been dulled after spending so long in an absolute void, but even he was left speechless.
He stood in a palace atop a mountain, yet it wasn't like any mountain he had ever imagined. The ground was smooth, almost crystalline, as if carved from starlight itself. The palace, with its towering spires and translucent walls, shimmered like liquid silver, pulsating faintly as if alive.
Above him, the sky—or what should have been a sky—was a vast expanse of cosmic wonders. Stars glittered in impossible configurations, forming patterns that defied geometry. Black holes swirled menacingly, their edges glowing faintly, while nebulae painted the space with vibrant hues that seemed to shift as he watched. Everything felt impossibly distant and unnervingly close, creating a sense of vertigo that made Gabriel's breath catch.
His senses were overwhelmed—the air smelled faintly of something unplaceable, like ozone after a storm, and he could feel the hum of energy coursing through the space. For a moment, he wondered if this was all a dream, but the weight of his new body and the sharpness of his surroundings told him otherwise.
"I am God, the primal source of all that exists. I see you like it here. Terrestrials know this place as the 'Third Heaven.' It is my private dwelling."
"God? I don't understand. Why is this happening? I'm nobody; I'm just a student. I'm not important."
"What I find important in you is not something others can see.
But let's return to the reason you've come to my presence, little one.
I have a mission for you—the second most important mission I have ever assigned in this incarnation of infinite existence."
"No pressure, huh?" Gabriel said, shrinking a little. He didn't like the sound of this mission at all.
"And what is this mission?"
"You will be my will across the multiverse. You will be my sharpest sword against the enemies of light. You will go where I command and act against those who defy the natural order—the order that I, at the dawn of creation, established."
"So, you want a slave..." Gabriel said without thinking and instantly regretted his words.
"Not even a minute into existence, and you've already sinned. You just broke Adam's record," God replied with an ironic tone.
"Do you know one of the reasons I chose you? It's our compatibility. Even though you were not an official follower and had only occasionally studied my laws, you followed them. Even the ones you had never encountered—unconsciously, you still followed them. The primordial mark of light that I placed on human souls shines brightly in your spirit."
"I was just doing what I thought was right," Gabriel whispered, embarrassed.
"I know. And I am the embodiment of 'what's right.'
I don't want a slave. I want a loyal servant. And don't worry—I won't control you. You will have freedom in your mission. But don't forget, Matariel, you are my representative. Do not bring me shame."
"Matariel?"
"Yes, that is your new name. I won't send you without blessings. Beyond your appearance, which will aid you in your travels, you will also have other abilities... which you will discover over time. We have spoken enough, Matariel. We will meet again."
"WAIT! I still have questions!" Matariel shouted, but his vision darkened, and he vanished.
"I have intervened too much in this multiverse...
If you fail, Matariel, this multiverse will fall into darkness. And this time, I will not act. I will accept that this is the cycle, and not even my will can prevent it," God said, as he returned to meditate on his throne.