Chapter 2: New Roles
As the white light faded into nothingness, it fragmented into eight distinct parts. Michael watched in awe as two of these fragments shot off into the swirling vortex of Stories, where they shattered into countless pieces, spreading like seeds into the endless tapestry of narratives around them. The remaining six fragments, however, hovered in place, slowly taking form.
From the light, six figures emerged—four boys and two girls. The boys were each distinct, their hair shimmering in different hues: one blonde, one silver, another black, and the last a striking blue. The girls, too, had vibrant shades, their hair colored blue and deep purple. They drifted forward, moving almost soundlessly through the void, until they stopped a few feet from Michael and the white-haired girl.
Michael stared at them, curiosity and confusion warring on his face. "Who... who are you?" he asked, but his question was met with silence. The newcomers simply observed him with unreadable expressions, their eyes seeming both ancient and newborn, as if they were seeing the world for the first time.
Frowning, Michael tried again. "Okay, then... what are your names?"
This time, the blonde-haired boy stepped forward. His expression was blank, almost innocent. "Names?" he repeated, tilting his head slightly, as if the concept was foreign to him. "We... don't have one."
Michael blinked in disbelief. "No names? Well, that's easy to fix. Why not just give yourselves one?"
The boy's eyes, a pale gold like the sun at dawn, blinked slowly. "I... don't know how to do that," he admitted, his tone utterly serious.
Michael sighed, rubbing the back of his neck in thought. "Alright, if you're that lost, I'll give you an example," he offered. He paused, scratching his chin as he considered. Finally, he nodded to himself and pointed at the blonde boy. "You... you look like an Adam."
The moment he said it, golden letters and numbers erupted around the boy, swirling like a sudden gust of wind. The symbols converged, coalescing into a single shining word: Adam. As the name settled into place, a subtle shift occurred. Adam's eyes, which had previously seemed distant and unfocused, suddenly cleared, as if he had gained an understanding of himself that was missing before.
He looked at Michael, a new light in his gaze, and then turned to the others, a spark of recognition now flickering within him.
A confident grin spread across Adam's face as he turned to the rest of the group. "Alright then," he said with a newfound enthusiasm. "I've thought of names for all of you."
The others, still processing the concept of names, looked at him with curiosity. Without missing a beat, Adam pointed to the blue-haired boy. "You'll be called Enryu." The name resonated in the void, and once again, glowing letters and numbers surrounded the boy, condensing into the word ENRYU. A faint blue light radiated from him, matching the hue of his hair.
Next, Adam gestured toward the blonde girl. "And you... Oneiro." The golden letters formed around her, and she was enveloped in a warm, radiant light.
Turning to the purple-haired girl, Adam said, "You're Macaria." Violet symbols danced around her, coalescing into her new name.
He moved to the black-haired boy next. "Kosha," Adam declared with confidence, and dark letters swirled into place around the boy, solidifying into his identity.
Finally, he faced the silver-haired boy. "And you shall be Anu." As soon as the name was spoken, silvery light erupted around the boy, forming the letters into his name.
One by one, each of the newly named figures was surrounded by the same ethereal symbols, their names glowing in colors that matched their hair. The moment their names were solidified, their eyes sharpened, and they exchanged glances with one another as if truly seeing each other for the first time.
Michael, watching all of this unfold, felt a wave of bewilderment wash over him. "What... what just happened?" he stammered, his eyes wide as he turned back to Adam.
Adam approached him with a steady, grateful gaze. "Thank you," he said, his voice now filled with a warmth that hadn't been there before. "You've given us identities—a place to start. For that, we are truly grateful."
The others nodded in agreement.
"Allow us to introduce ourselves again."
The newly named figures stood before Michael, now brimming with a sense of purpose that filled the once-empty void around them.
Adam stepped forward first, a confident light in his eyes. "I am Adam," he declared, his voice steady and sure. "I shall be the one who brings forth names—the one who defines, gives meaning, and shapes identities."
Enryu was next, his blue aura flickering like a flame. "I shall weave the principles that govern all things," he said, his tone serious. "I will shape the boundaries, the rules that will guide and bind the world."
Oneiro, the blonde girl, smiled softly as if lost in a dream. "I will craft a realm beyond what is real," she whispered. "A place where imaginations are free to roam, untethered by the chains of the waking world."
Macaria stepped forward with a solemn gaze, her purple light casting shadows that danced around her. "My role is to be the end," she said quietly. "To bring closure to all things, for nothing should endure without limit."
Kosha followed, his dark presence an opposing force to Macaria's. "Where she ends," he spoke with a quiet resolve, "I begin again. All that ceases shall find new beginnings within me, for I am the keeper of rebirth."
Finally, Anu came forward, his silver aura shimmering faintly. He paused, considering his words carefully. "I will instill a sense of progression," he said slowly, his voice carrying a weight of responsibility. "A flow that will move the world forward, giving structure to the endless moments."
As the air hummed with the resonance of their declarations, a sudden pause settled among the group. Kosha, his dark eyes gleaming with an unspoken thought, broke the silence. "Wait," he said, his voice soft but insistent. "We are forgetting someone."
All eyes turned toward the white-haired girl, who stood apart, her expression blank yet serene. She had been there since the beginning, a silent observer of everything that had unfolded, yet no one had acknowledged her presence. It was as if she were the echo of something long forgotten.
"Oh, right," Adam said, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. "I completely forgot to give her a name." He opened his mouth, ready to speak the words that would define her, but Kosha raised a hand, stopping him.
"No," Kosha insisted. "Let me do it."
Adam hesitated for a moment, then nodded and stepped back, allowing Kosha to take his place. The dark-haired boy turned to the girl, his gaze steady and full of understanding. "You shall be called... Ashura."
As soon as the name left his lips, brilliant white letters burst forth, swirling around her in a cascade of light. The symbols danced and condensed, forming her name with an intensity that outshone even the others. The entire void seemed to tremble as the name settled into her being, solidifying her identity.
Ashura bowed her head, a serene smile gracing her lips as she looked at the others. "I am Ashura," she said, her voice soft. "I am the source, the beginning of all tales. Through me, stories take form, and through stories, existence finds its meaning."
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