I opened my eyes to a sky I didn't recognize.
It wasn't made of clouds or stars or space. It was deeper than any night, yet bright in ways my eyes didn't know how to describe. Like the inside of a dream—colors I didn't have names for, moving in patterns that made no sense and too much sense at once.
I sat up, slowly.
Structures rose in the distance—grand and shifting, like palaces halfway between thought and architecture. A thousand different styles woven into one skyline. Floating stairs. Collapsing towers. Gardens that rearranged themselves every time I blinked.
And everywhere I looked… there were beings.
Constellations.
Some looked human. Others didn't bother. A lion-headed monarch lounged on a floating throne, bored eyes tracking a projection of a battlefield somewhere. A woman made of stormclouds argued with a knight wreathed in wildfire. Another was laughing—literally laughing sparks—at a group of smaller stars gambling over what looked like a war unfolding on a tiny floating stage.
They were watching. Wagering. Whispering. Living their eternal lives while mortals fought below them for glory.
And now… I was one of them?
[System Notification]
[New Realm Entered: Celestial Assembly Grounds]
[Constellation Status: Confirmed]
[Personal Domain: Not Yet Claimed]
[Guidance Protocol Activated]
A soft chime echoed in my ears. I turned as a floating orb of light appeared beside me, pulsing like a heartbeat.
"Welcome," it said, voice neither male nor female. "You have arrived beyond the Spiral."
I blinked. I had so many questions, but the first one that came out was:
"…What the hell is this place?"
The orb pulsed again, faintly.
"You are in the Celestial Assembly Grounds. A convergence realm for Ascended Entities—more commonly known as Constellations."
Its voice was calm, mechanical, with just the barest hint of something… practiced.
"This realm exists outside mortal chronology. Here, Constellations observe, guide, and wager on the fates of countless lesser worlds. Your prior classification as 'mortal' has been voided. Welcome."
I looked around.
No one was paying attention.
Not really.
A few glanced my way. One or two paused, eyes flickering with brief curiosity. But most went back to whatever they were doing—arguing, laughing, watching mortals suffer or succeed on their floating projections.
I turned as two smaller Constellations—if that was the right word—began bickering over a mortal tournament's outcome. One tossed down a translucent token, which melted into a rotating wheel of odds. A third laughed and tossed in something shaped like a memory.
In the corner, a cloaked figure whispered into a pool of starlight, his words shaping storms in a world I didn't recognize.
It wasn't heaven.
It was… somewhere between pantheon and casino.
[System Notification]
[New Realm Entered: Celestial Assembly Grounds]
[Constellation Status: Confirmed]
[Personal Domain: Not Yet Claimed]
I stared at the swirling architecture, the floating markets, the theaters of war.
"…What now?" I muttered.
"You may claim a personal domain," the orb replied. "Or observe your chosen threads. Many new Constellations choose to rest before establishing a presence."
I exhaled. My body still ached from the fight. My soul hadn't caught up with what I'd lost—or gained.
"…Let's start with a domain," I said.
The orb brightened.
"Acknowledged. Beginning domain initialization…"
The light flared.
Then—nothing.
Just black.
A quiet, total absence of space, direction, or meaning. No floor. No sky. No gravity. Only the faint glow of the orb beside me, casting a small halo of warmth in an otherwise perfect void.
"This is your personal domain," it said. "Newly created. Untouched. Bound to your Constellation signature."
"…It's empty."
"All domains begin in their null state. You may customize it using the Constellation Interface."
The orb pulsed, and a window unfolded in front of me—flat, translucent, rimmed with silver script. It floated in the air like a pane of glass, displaying an array of categories, symbols, and numbers.
[Constellation Interface: OPEN]
Name: [The Bloom Beyond the Spiral]
Status: Newly Ascended
Domain Rank: 0
Celestial Credits: 1,000
"…Currency?"
"Celestial Credits," the orb confirmed. "Awarded upon ascension. You may gain more through wagers, contracts, or influence."
Of course. A divine afterlife running on its own kind of economy. Figures.
The orb floated ahead, pulsing softly.
[System Notification]
[Personal Domain Established: Blank State]
› Current Dimensions: 100m x 100m
› Terrain: None
› Atmospheric Stability: Low
› Lighting: Absent
[Recommendation: Install Light Source]
"…Right. I can't build anything if I can't see."
The orb chimed.
"You may select a Celestial Light Source to define the base illumination of your domain. Would you like to proceed?"
"Go ahead."
A glowing menu opened in front of me—projected right into the air.
[Lighting Options]
• Celestial Core — A warm, sun-like light source. Mimics natural cycles.
• Ethereal Radiance — Soft, shadowless illumination. Dreamlike atmosphere.
• Stellar Canopy — Starfield sky with diffuse glow. Rotates gently over time.
• Twin Moons — Dual light orbs with dynamic tint. Subtle tides and ambient drift.
• Voidflare Lanterns — Floating adjustable lights. Precise placement.
[Selected: Celestial Core]
[Cost: 20 CC]
[Confirm?]
"Great. Let's not blow it all on aesthetic."
Still, a sun was kind of a necessity.
[Confirming Installation…]
Above me, something clicked into place. A golden light broke through the void, distant but warm—rising like a new dawn in a place that had never seen one.
I exhaled slowly.
"…That's better."
The orb pulsed in agreement.
[Lighting Installed: Celestial Core]
› Ambient temperature stabilized
› Visual clarity normalized
› Domain status: Habitable
"Let's start small," I muttered.
I selected Solid Ground, placing a single wide platform beneath my feet. The nothingness gave way—crystallizing into a circular plane of pale stone, large enough to stand on without feeling like I might fall off the edge of existence.
Next, Grass—soft, green, rippling faintly as it took root across the stone. The transition was seamless. Patches sprouted, blended. A breeze stirred, though I hadn't added wind.
Finally, I placed a few trees around the edges. Simple ones. Tall, branchy, vibrant green. They swayed gently, casting real shadows.
It wasn't much.
But it was mine.
I exhaled and sank to the grassy floor, fingers brushing the new reality.
The orb hovered beside me, dimming to a restful glow.
"You may continue customizing at your leisure," it said. "For now, you are alone. Until you decide otherwise."
Alone. For the first time in what felt like years.
I let my eyes close.
Just for a moment.