"Mmm..."
The sound echoed through the white void.
A boy–or something like one floated in the air, lazily swiping at a holographic screen. His expression was unreadable—neither bored nor focused, just... waiting.
Lines of light twisted around him. Shapes formed—mountains, rivers, cities—and vanished again with each flick of his hand.
"This will do," he said finally, gazing at a particular design: five empires suspended in a fragile balance. A world bathed in mana. A place where power ruled and even greater ruin waited beneath.
---
A simple book hovered beside him. Its cover was blank. Its pages, few. But every one of them pulsed with silent authority.
He placed a hand on it.
"Let's choose this story as the start." He smirked.
Then, after a long moment:
"Let's choose more things… when the time comes."
He gripped the book gently. His feet touched ground that hadn't existed a second ago. He stretched, sighed like someone waking from a long nap…
…and with a swift movement, snapped his fingers.
The white void shattered like fragile glass, crumbling into nothingness.
---
The World Below
When Leo opened his eyes again—
—he *observed*.
The first breath was cold. The light was too bright. His body was soft. Small. *New*.
He flexed his fingers—tiny, fragile things—then took stock of his surroundings. Velvet against his skin. A cradle carved from dark wood. Gold-trimmed furniture, the flicker of candlelight. The murmur of voices just beyond the door.
*Reborn, then.*
A part of him wanted to laugh.
Then he remembered—babies were supposed to cry.
So he did.
A sharp, practiced wail tore from his throat—just in time for the door to swing open and a woman's voice to gasp, "Oh! He's awake!"
Leo kept crying.