The births of Dream, Destruction-and-Creation, Destiny, and Death echoed through the ether like distant thunder. Even far from the universe's glow, the ether-born felt the shift felt reality deepen, settle, strengthen. But with that depth came something else: ambition. Unease. Hope. And fear.
The golden ether was the first to step forward.
His glow, warm and bright as a newborn star, had once flickered with admiration for what I had created. Now it pulsed with sharper edges. Around him, those who followed him drew closer, their light brighter, their silhouettes more definite, as though they wished to be seen. Together they stood like a rising flame before me.
"First," the golden ether said, his tone respectful but laden with intent, "you shaped all that exists. The ether from which we are born. The universe. The powers now at work within it. Yet you stand outside it." His eyes narrowed, not in defiance, but in expectation. "Why do you not rule it? Why do you not take your place as its god? And why do you allow the universe to act without you, when it is yours by right?"
A low murmur rose from his faction not hostile, but impatient, eager, hungry for direction. Some of them glanced at the universe with longing. Others looked at me with something near frustration.
The golden ether lifted his chin. "If you will not shape every star, guide every breath, judge every creation then let us. Let us bring order to the ether. Let us command the new gods before they rise beyond us. Let us govern the universe in your stead."
There was nothing subtle about his desire. He wanted dominion. Crown. Rule. And those behind him shared that rising conviction.
But the silver ether stepped forward then, quiet as moonlight sliding across still water. Her glow was softer, gentler, a steady pulse rather than a blaze. Those who followed her gathered at her back calmer beings, their forms faint and cool, shaped more by contemplation than ambition.
Her voice, when she spoke, held no hunger. Only yearning.
"First… the universe calls to us." She lifted a hand, and faint waves of mist curled around her fingers like affectionate spirits. "We look upon its worlds and feel not the desire to rule them, but to walk among them. To nurture what may grow. To heal what may break. To be part of its story." Her gaze drifted toward a distant star cluster where Dream wandered like drifting fog. "We were born of the ether but the universe feels like home, too."
The golden ether scoffed, unable to fully hide his disdain. "You would kneel before the universe instead of mastering it."
"I would join it," she replied simply.
And in that moment, the divide between them became clear. One faction sought dominion; the other sought belonging.
They both turned to me, waiting for my judgment. The ether around us fell silent.
I rose from where I sat at the boundary of all things. Mist curled obediently around my feet, but it did not rise higher. Even the ether held its breath.
"You ask why I do not rule," I said, looking at the golden ether. "And you ask why you cannot enter," I said, turning to the silver. "The answer is the same."
Their glows flickered in confusion.
I extended a hand toward the universe a canvas of infinite light and shadow stretching across existence. Its galaxies pulsed softly, like a sleeping giant breathing in slow, steady rhythms.
"All of this is new," I said. "Every star is an infant. Every world is learning the weight of its own gravity. Every force is discovering its purpose. Night and Time wander through it, but even they do not yet understand what they are."
I lowered my hand, letting the ether settle again.
"If I stand over every star, then creation will never grow. If I command every god, they will never become more than echoes of my will. If I walk among mortals, they will never find strength within themselves. Creation must learn to rise without its maker's shadow."
The golden ether stepped forward, its glow burning hotter. "Then allow us to rule the ether. If not the universe, then the place of our birth should be shaped by our hands."
I looked at him, and even his light dimmed slightly.
"You misunderstand," I said. "The ether is not yet finished."
The entire plane shivered at those words.
"You were born from the ether but the ether itself has not taken its shape. It is still raw. Still becoming. If you grasp for dominion over it now, you may crush what it is meant to become."
The silver ether stepped closer, her glow trembling like a heartbeat. "Then… if we cannot rule… and we cannot join the universe… what is our place?"
"Here," I said softly. "At the beginning. For now."
The golden ether's glow flared in frustration. "You would confine us. Limit us."
"No," I said. "I would protect you."
They fell silent, completely still.
"There are forces in the universe that do not yet know themselves. One breath of Destruction could tear apart the ether. One trace of Dream could drown it in illusion. One whisper from Death could quiet it forever. If you enter the universe now, even in kindness, you will reshape it before it is strong enough to withstand you. And if the golden faction enters…" I looked him directly in the eyes. "…your desire for dominion would spark a war before the first civilisations ever rise."
He inhaled sharply, as though struck.
I stepped forward, and the mist parted for me with reverence.
"You are not denied," I said. "You are waiting. The universe must grow before you step into it not as conquerors, not as caretakers, but as beings who understand what they are."
The golden ether looked away, jaw tight with unspoken ambition. The silver ether bowed her head, accepting but aching.
I continued, my voice rolling through the ether like a quiet law.
"When the universe is ready… You will know. And you will walk within it not as gods trying to rule it, but as beings learning their purpose beside it."
Both factions watched me, silent.
"And until then," I said, "stand with me. At the beginning. And witness what your universe becomes."
The golden ether's glow flickered with restrained fire. The silver ether's shimmer deepened with quiet hope.
Neither had the answer they wanted. But both had the truth they needed.