There are places where distance has no meaning. And then there are places where distance itself becomes overwhelming. This palace was one of them.
Its end could not be seen and Its walls could not be found. It felt as if a structure had been built inside space itself and yet, it was far larger than space.
The air inside was heavy. Not with pressure, not with lack of oxygen but with time. It felt as though countless eras had passed here and collapsed into silence.
Inside the palace stood an ancient hall. It resembled a royal assembly, except nothing here was normal.
Endless rows of old thrones stretched across the hall. And on each throne sat a being that should not have existed.
Some looked like grotesque fusions of whale and human. Some were made entirely of stone, as if mountains had been carved into sentience. Others resembled octopuses, skeletons, reptiles and some took forms that could not be described by any known language.
Despite their differences, they shared one thing. Presence. None of them were weak. And yet, none of them spoke.
It was as if this place did not belong to them. At the very front of the palace stood a single throne vast beyond reason.
The distance between it and the rest of the hall was so great that if someone began walking toward it from the far end, years would pass before they arrived assuming the destination itself did not change.
Seated upon that throne was a being that seemed to be made of space and dark matter. Galaxies appeared stretched within its body. Its surface looked as though it had been woven from the void itself.
It did not move but it simply existed. And at this moment, that being was playing shogi. Across the board sat another figure. Unlike the others, he appeared almost… ordinary.
Human in shape and he was calm and silent.
As though this impossible palace was not foreign to him at all. He spoke first,"Make your move, God and tell me about your plan."
A faint stir rippled through the hall. Some of the beings lifted their gaze. Others shifted slightly on their thrones.
God laughed. His sounded like the quiet laughter of someone recalling an old memory. He moved a pawn forward.
"I created the Hourons," God said casually,
"One of them will go on to create Nature and the Multiverse."
His voice carried no pride but only certainty.
"After that," he continued,"within Nature, he will meet someone. And together… they will have a child."
Silence fell upon the board. Without lifting his gaze, God added,"Your turn, Ayoto."
The name echoed softly through the palace
"Ayoto"
Ayoto lifted his pawn. There was no hesitation in his movement. As though he already knew how this game would end and still chose to play. He moved his piece forward.
"That child will be named Kumar," Ayoto said. "And he will possess my powers."
Several beings glanced at one another. The name was simple. But the weight behind it was not. Ayoto paused just for a moment.
"When he creates life," Ayoto continued, "he will also create death. And within that death, Sora's powers will exist."
The atmosphere of the palace grew heavier. Ayoto looked directly at God.
"Your move," Ayoto said.
The shogi pieces continued to move.
And with every move, a future was being locked into place. From among the ancient thrones, a watcher spoke in a low, exhausted voice.
"God… Ayoto… how long do you intend to keep playing this game?"
God laughed again.
"When there is nothing left to do," he replied,
"a friend becomes quite useful."
Ayoto said nothing. Between the two of them, there was no victory and defeat. God adjusted one of the pieces.
"Come on," he said, "Again."
Ayoto touched a pawn.
"Again"
The game resumed. Everything appeared unchanged yet something had shifted. The end was still distant. But its weight had already entered the room.
God made another move. Then, without lifting his gaze, he asked softly,"Why haven't you told me the one thing you should have told me long ago?"
Ayoto's hand froze just for a second.
"What are you talking about?" he replied casually.
God let out a quiet chuckle.
"This," he said, "What happens when everyone wakes up from the dream."
Ayoto's gaze remained fixed on the board. His voice sharpened.
"When they wake," Ayoto said, "they will realize how weak they truly were. The powers they believed they possessed… were never real."
The palace fell silent. And for the first time,
a thought surfaced among those seated on the thrones "If all of this is a dream then who is about to wake up?"