I am being watched by countless enormous eyes scattered above me like stars in the sky. Each eye is different in shape and size, yet they all share the same pupil—a swirling galaxy. Millions, perhaps even billions of eyes, all staring at me. Their gaze is terrifying, as if they are judging me.
"We finally meet, Divinor," the words echoed in my mind.
"I am the universe itself, the creator of millions of different planets. And you, who have passed all the tests I have given, shall become the god of one of my created planet. The final test you have just completed before meeting me face to face has earned you the position of god over planet 538682."
My body is still paralyzed with fear. 'What test? Who is speaking in my mind?'
"Upon leaving the room, every Divinor is given a final test, and only by completing it does a Divinor earn the chance to meet me—the universe."
'The universe is speaking in my mind? What is a Divinor?'
"Yes, I am communicating with you through your thoughts," it answered in my mind.
"S-so you can not only transmit your thoughts to me telepathically but also read my mind?" The first words escaped my lips.
"Yes. At this moment, I can only communicate telepathically."
"A-are all these eyes… you?" I asked.
"Yes. I am everything. I am the beginning of all—your life and every world I have created," it responded.
Regardless of the millions of eyes watching only me, its answers don't sound troubling. I closed my eyes, trying to calm myself while attempting to understand the situation I was in. That being—the universe—mentioned a final test, but throughout the entire journey leading up to these eyes, I never encountered any test.
"What was the final test?" I asked.
"Each Divinor was given an individual test designed to assess their personal limits and ability to govern a world—in other words, to become a god."
"B-but I didn't have a test on the way here. Was the entire journey through the deadly darkness the test?"
"If that is true… Understood. Complete this test, and the planet assigned to you will be yours."
"What?! Wait, I still have questions! What is a Divinor? What am I supposed to do with this planet?"
The eyes began to move away from me at great speed. Due to the darkness, I couldn't tell whether they were rising or if I was falling away from them. The voice in my head went silent, and, unfortunately, I never received answers to my final questions. The eyes had distanced themselves so far that they simply vanished. Only darkness remained.
'Wait! Where did Emily and that boy go?'
While communicating with that universe, I hadn't even noticed that, upon reaching the eyes, I had been left alone.
"Where did they go?" I whispered to myself quietly and slowly fall asleep.
…
A deep breath awakened me. A faint light began to blind my eyes. After a long time in darkness, my eyes had become sensitive even to the smallest amount of light.
Slowly, I tried to open my eyes while using my hands to feel and recognize my surroundings. I was sitting, leaning against cold tiles. 'Where am I?'
I finally opened my eyes, and the first thing I saw was the iron bars separating this small chamber from a corridor dimly lit by torches.
"Am I… in a prison?" I murmured.