Opie Nirmala
Silence. Emptiness. Nothingness. It was impossible to tell the truth from lies. I looked at my hands but saw nothing. I looked at my legs, and again—nothing.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Three knocks echoed from every corner of the void.
I closed my eyes; darkness struck. I opened them, but the void didn't vanish. I tried to breathe—no air. I tried to smell—no scent. I tried to touch—but felt nothing.
I was drowning.
I could hear my heartbeat. Thump… thump… thump… I walked forward, fear wrapping around me, yet I kept going. I was alone. I was poor. My knees gave away and I fell.
And then—I felt.
I saw the ground beneath me, and ahead, a straight purple path leading toward the light. A strange relief washed over me. Step by step, I followed it. I didn't know where it led, but I pressed on. With every step, the air that wasn't there seemed to grow heavier, but it didn't matter. I was still alive.
Tap. Tap. Tap.The three knocks came again—the only sound in the absolute silence. I kept going.
At the end of the path stood an ordinary wooden door. I tried to open it but failed.
Then... Tap. Tap. Tap. Three sets of three knocks. A code. A way to open the door.
I smiled. My heartbeat slowed.
One by one, I knocked. Tap, tap, tap. Nothing happened. Again—tap, tap, tap. Still nothing.One last time—tap, tap, tap.
The door began to open on its own.
Beyond it was the same void… except this time, someone stood there.
Me.
The other me looked around in fear. But that wasn't why I was afraid. No… what terrified me was what she had—what was on her.
A pair of eyes.
They stared at me through the door. Two enormous eyes that felt like they were piercing my soul.
I tried to step back, but I couldn't. It wouldn't let me. I swallowed hard.
I reached for the doorknob to shut it, but it was gone. I didn't want to step through, yet it left me no choice.
One step forward… I made it. A second… still moving.I kept walking, but no matter how many steps I took, I could never cross the door.
Despair crushed me, and I fell to my knees. Darkness began to creep over my body, slowly swallowing me whole.
I let it.
It reached my face. I accepted it. I was no longer myself—just darkness, a part of the void.
I felt happy. But it was a lie.
I wanted to escape… but I couldn't. I had done this to myself.
And yet, despite everything, I could still see the eyes. They seemed to look at me with love.
Me, and the eyes.
I screamed for their help. They had no ears, yet they listened. Purple particles swirled around them, then drifted towards me.
Thousands of them wrapped around my body.
Then—nothing.
For a long time, I just waited. Only the void stood before me… but with each passing second, it began to fill.
Exactly six billion, twenty-two million, and thirty-two.
The world's exact population. But the particles rose and fell every second—people were being born, and others were dying.
In time, I became one of those particles myself.
And I opened my eyes.
Grey Nirmala
Sunny and I glared at each other, both of us annoyed. When had he even found a girl to talk to? This kid was unbelievable. Somehow, he always managed to pull something out of nowhere. The girl beside Sunny seemed familiar, but I couldn't place her. I stepped closer and stood right in front of Sunny.
"Hey whats up?"
There was no teasing in his voice, only emptiness, like when I saved him at the overpass. Ignoring his question, I pushed him aside and fixed my eyes on the blonde girl. She was wearing my black and purple patterned school uniform and looked about my age.
"Grey?"
The voice made me step back, trying to locate where it came from. At first, I looked at Sunny, but the tone was shy and soft so I turned back to the girl. A small smile appeared on her face.
"Seeing you here… is surprising."
"Uh… who are you?"
The tiny smile vanished instantly, replaced by a more somber expression. She looked at the ground.
"Alora…"
"Alora?" She was really familiar.
"We sit next to each other."
Her words hit me. We had sat next to each other for a whole year, and I hadn't noticed? I was a complete idiot. I laughed awkwardly, realizing even a baby could understand how foolish this was.
"Hehe, right! Of course, Alora…"
Sunny must have noticed my forced tone, because he smirked from behind me. I sighed and tried to soften myself a little.
"So… shall we head to school, Alora? We're already late enough."
Alora smiled again, bigger and warmer this time. She said nothing, only nodded. I had already missed enough classes, and I didn't want to get in trouble for being even later. Still, it struck me as odd that she had arrived two classes late. Sunny and I were like this because of the aether, but Alora had probably just overslept.
I turned and saw Sunny sitting on the ground, trying to sort through the aether particles around him. I wasn't surprised that he could see aether anymore. After Klein, nothing shocked me. But I was sure Sunny had gained this perspective from communicating with me, there wasn't any another possibility. When he noticed me looking at him, he immediately stood and cleared his throat a few times.
"See you later, I guess?"
I chuckled. "Wait in front of the school gate after classes. I need to talk to you."
Sunny smiled, warm as always, though I could see a deep sadness behind his eyes. He chuckled softly.
"From behind, you look like a really pretty girl, you know that, right?"
I frowned and let the thought drift. Pause. I wanted to release the rune. I stoped, maybe giving the runes in my palms cooler, more impressive names would be a good idea. I thought about what each could do—one was death, the other life. No, that was too basic. I could do better. A bright smile spread across my face. Destruction and Creation.
"Perfect!"
Sunny and Alora watched me curiously, but I had no intention of explaining. They wouldn't understand anyway. I focused on the two cool names I had found. Destruction and Creation. They were perfect.
I motioned for Alora to follow me with my hand, and she slowly did. Sunny sat back down, continuing to sort the floating ether particles. Alora didn't speak a single word the whole way. Her eyes stayed on the floor, her hair covering her face. It was obvious why I hadn't remembered her before. No one would remember someone so insecure and timid. Her silence made me uncomfortable.
Looking at Alora, I realized more clearly why I had fallen for Raya. She was confident, smart, kind, and lovable. Even if I wasn't all that lovable myself, I could bet I was better than Alora.
We reached the school gate, and this was where things would get tricky. What lie could I tell security to get inside without trouble? I frowned and tapped on the glass where the lazy guard was asleep. He jumped up from his chair, but seeing that, I immediately had a better idea. I nudged Alora slightly. She wobbled and fell onto her hip. I had only a few seconds to prevent her from realizing what was happening. It was enough.
I aimed the Destruction rune, still charged with aether, at the guard, releasing only a small amount. The aether struck him without damaging the glass, and he collapsed back into his chair, unconscious. I grinned and turned to Alora. She was still sitting on the ground, eyes fixed on the floor. I sighed. She was really frustrating.
I held out my hand to her, waiting for her to accept. After a few seconds of hesitation, she took it, and I helped her up. She looked at me for just a second before averting her eyes. I glanced at her briefly. Her hair was messy, her clothes dirtier than Sunny's even, and her eyes were empty. She glanced at the small security booth, then entered the school without a word.
Watching her from behind, I reflected on my life. Rain and Alora were complete opposites, yet somehow, they were each other's best friends. I followed Alora. Our destination was the same, so I wanted to observe her more closely. The corridor was crowded with students. This must have been for the "Sun is Health" conference. If I wasn't mistaken, there was still two more classes.
At the end of the hall, Nico sat in a corner, looking down at his hands, sad. What could even made him this upse? He's not the type to seek attention by looking depressed as fuck. Alora passed in front of him, and I followed out of obligation, but as I stepped by, Nico grabbed me.
"Grey…" Nico's voice was weak, chirpy, like a pitiful little chick.
"Please… wait."
I just stared at poor Nico, expressionless and devoid of empathy.
"I know…" His eyes fell. "I probably don't deserve this, but…"
He drew a deep breath, trying to compose himself.
"I'm sorry… Grey."
"What?"
Even if I fell for forty years, I never expected him to apologize. But why now? Someone who had bullied me for the past two years was suddenly apologizing? I sighed.
"Why?"
Nico's eyes met mine. Now I could see the pain and regret behind them clearly. I smiled, though it wasn't warm.
"Why, Nico? Why are you apologizing to me?"
My smile widened, and so did the fear behind Nico's eyes.
"I think…" He took a deep breath and tried to steady himself. "I think you change when the girl you like puts you down."
My smile grew even bigger.
"It's a shame that heartbreak can turn you into an even bigger loser than you already are."
My voice was calm but cold. Nico lowered his eyes again and let go of my arm. My smile vanished as I left him there. Nico wasn't even a problem for me, not in the slightest. This wasn't some high school love drama, and he wasn't important either.
Alora stopped at the classroom entrance and looked at me. I didn't glance back but nudged her in so she entered. The classroom was nearly empty, as usual. Lulu and Maki, Nya and her friends, were chatting amongst themselves. Alora sat in the empty seat next to mine. Seeing her sit there made me question myself again. Either I was too blind to see her, or she was invisible enough to be unnoticed.
I went to Lulu and Maki, but Raya wasn't with them. I frowned.
"Where's Raya?"
Lulu and Maki stopped talking to each other and, as if synchronized, glared at me and pouted at the same time.
"How would we know?"
They asked the same absurd question simultaneously. I sighed. Sometimes I think they should have been born as twins.
"Aren't you both her friends?"
Lulu seemed surprised and answered immediately.
"Aren't you her boyfriend?"
"Huh?"
Her voice was so mocking I almost didn't take her seriously. But her blood-red hair and serious brown eyes made me take her seriously, even though normally, I wouldn't care about Raya's two friends.
They thought I was Raya's boyfriend? I liked the idea of looking that way from the outside. I felt honored. Without a word, I walked away, but I could still feel Lulu and Maki's irritating stares. Trying to find Raya was starting to frustrate me. How could a fourteen-year-old girl get lost so much at school? Then again, it made sense because it was Raya.
I went to the courtyard but saw only unfamiliar students, so I immediately went to the opposite corridor. The classes must have been suspended due to the conference, so I was confident there'd be no problem with a teacher. A little farther on, I saw Rain, but I didn't approach her. I didn't want to talk to a girl mourning her dead sibling.
There was still a little aether left in the Destruction rune, so I released the remaining aether, hoping it would guide me. The aether particles floated up and back. I waited a moment before following them, making sure they were truly leading me. The particles went into what was probably an empty classroom at the end of the corridor. I sighed and walked toward the classroom they had entered.
As I walked, I noticed aether particles that I hadn't released, natural aetheric particles. Without wasting time, I absorbed all of them with the Creation rune. I felt my body grow stronger, even my mind sharpening. It was an amazing feeling.
I pushed a male student out of the way. Before he could even react I already have entered the empty classroom. İnside Raya was standing there, looking at the floor, unmoving. The aether particles mirrored her, unmoving. I waited for her to do something, but when nothing happened, I furrowed my brows and lightly nudged her. She regained her balance as I nudged her. Raya turned, frowning at me, but then I grabbed my bag from my back and tossed it to her. She caught it effortlessly and raised her brow at me.
Raya Marin
Damn it! I might have sent Grey hundreds of messages, but still no reply. Had something happened to him? No, that was impossible. Grey was careful and responsible enough not to get into trouble, I thought. I walked, maybe even searched the entire school multiple times, but I never found him. I had been so worried about Grey that I almost forgot the event I had experienced in the void.
I threw myself into an empty classroom and sat on the desk next to the door, closing it with my foot. I wanted to dance, but there was no time. I buried my head in the chair, but a few coughs from the back of the empty class made me lift it. Nico was there, trying to hide a cigarette pack in his hands. I scowled.
"Hey… hi, Raya."
Nico coughed a few more times. His voice sounded innocent, but equally forced.
"What are you doing here?"
I didn't answer. I didn't want to talk to someone who had constantly bullied Grey. Nico smiled, but his smile reminded me of a whining baby.
"Wow… you really caught me off guard."
I turned my head away. I didn't want to waste time looking at him; I just wanted Grey.
"What? Come on… why are you giving me attitude?"
Nico's voice trembled, and for a moment, it made me feel a little pity for him. I looked back at him, but my frown didn't fade. A small smile appeared on Nico's face.
"I mean… just being alone with you really excites me."
His words were ridiculous enough to make his face turn red, but I didn't care. This was the best I could expect from him anyway. Grey was at least sweet. Nico was neither sweet nor appealing.
"But, don't get me wrong. It's not excitement or anything like that."
Nico took a deep breath and, blushing, bowed his head.
"Raya… I really like you."
I had already guessed he would say something like that. But did I care?
"So… will you go out with me?"
I smiled, then burst into laughter. A mocking laugh.
"Huh? W-Why are you laughing?"
I couldn't help it. It was just too ridiculous.
"Sorry, Nico, but…"
I trailed off, laughing too hard to compose myself. After a few seconds, I calmed down, and with a more serious expression, looked at Nico, whose heart was probably broken.
"Sorry, Nico, but if you want me to like you, first you need to get yourself together."
My voice was harsh, and Nico looked like he might cry, but I didn't stop.
"You can't make me like you by bullying the people around you."
Nico straightened up and leaned against the wall behind him, torn and heartbroken.
"I understand…"
He looked down, clearly upset. But he had been someone who poked his nose into everyone's business and looked down on them. Falling for someone like that was impossible in any universe. Nico pushed off the wall a little and walked toward the classroom door, keeping his eyes down. I didn't feel sorry for him, but I pitied him. Maybe this way, he could become a better person.
For two seconds, an aether particle appeared behind Nico, but it vanished just as quickly. Strange… Nico left the classroom, walking further and further. I sighed, pushed myself off the desk, and stood up. There was nothing unusual in the classroom; there were still two classes left for the "Sun is Health" conference. I wandered around the room. I wondered: why could only certain people see aether? Why just a handful of children? What would happen if a country's president could see it? These were questions that needed asking, yet had no answers.
I frowned and moved to the center of the empty classroom. I raised both arms and took a deep breath. I closed my eyes, trying to feel the aether, the void… Instead of dancing the usual steps, I started performing only certain movements. I stepped my right foot forward, clasped my arms with my left, and finally, instead of lowering my head, I lifted it. I could feel the aether swirling around me. I smiled. I pulled my right foot back and thrust my left as far forward as I could. Even with my eyes closed, I could barely see the aether around me. To see aether, you didn't need your eyes; you needed something else. I wanted to discover at least a little of what that something was.
I bent my right knee, lifted my left leg like a kick, extended both arms forward, and leaned back slightly. Balance was the only important thing. If I could control my balance, I could stand on one foot, anyone could. I breathed and slowly began guiding the aether particles that danced around me. They changed with each movement. I wasn't doing anything specific with them, but I was curious.
I slowly opened my eyes and looked around. I wanted to understand how my eyes perceived time. But nothing seemed different. I completed the final movement of the dance and stopped. I first looked at the ceiling, then the floor. My perception of reality had completely shattered.
Destruction… the monster had told me so. Destruction… I frowned. Why did we have to find more questions and riddles instead of answers? It was all meaningless. Aether was meaningless. Klein and Grey both wanted to change the world with aether. But what did I want? Without this pointless aether, would I have just lived and died as a normal person? But why did aether exist? What was its purpose in this infinite universe? Why had it chosen us? These questions needed to be asked, but Grey and Klein didn't care—they only wanted to know how to use aether.
I sighed, but when someone lightly pushed me, I quickly composed myself and turned. Grey stood there, frowning and scowling at me, as always. I glared, ready to scold him, when he grabbed his bag from his back and threw it at me. I caught it effortlessly, but Grey's action was completely unnecessary. I looked at the bag, confused, and raised an eyebrow at him.
"Why did you do that?"
Grey smirked.
"This bag caused me so much trouble this morning."
I chuckled a little.
"Yeah… really? What could a bag possibly do to you?"
Grey sighed and raised both hands to head height.
"I gave names to these two little guests."
Pride filled his voice, but I stayed silent and listened.
"I named the Star rune 'Creation' and the Vortex rune 'Destruction.'"
The moment Grey said "Destruction," I took a step back. The terrifying creature I had seen in the void flashed in my mind. I swallowed. It had also called it Destruction. Why was Destruction so important?
"Raya?""Ah!"
I didn't look at Grey, ashamed of myself for yelling. Blushing, I sat on one of the desks next to me and took a deep breath.
"Sorry… I was lost in thought."
Grey said nothing. I focused on the yellow patterns on his bag and smiled.
"You really like the color yellow."
Grey still didn't speak. Instead, he pulled the chair at the desk immediately to my right and sat down. I smiled at him. I reached to open the bag, but as my hand touched the zipper, black flames erupted from it. Fearfully, I threw the bag to the floor. It landed a little away from me. Grey quickly stood and ran to the bag, crouching beside it. He didn't touch the bag, but the flames didn't go out either. They only vanished after the bag was completely burned away. Where Grey's bag had been, now only the Eye of the Void and the small pink plush rabbit, Bosque, remained.
Grey blinked several times, trying to comprehend what had just happened. I crouched beside him and placed my hand on his hair, gently stroking it. Grey reached for Bosque and held it with both hands. I looked at the Eye of the Void. The dark book lay open. The first page—the "Rules" page—was wide open.
Grey's cold eyes were fixed on the open page, specifically the first rule.
Rule One: When the book is bestowed upon you, you must not share it with anyone.