Goddesses.

I don't know how much time passed.

Seconds, minutes, hours maybe even days. Time had no meaning in the abyss. It felt like I was both falling forever and not falling at all, suspended in a void that refused to acknowledge the existence of anything else not even me.

But then, something changed.

The weightlessness faded, replaced by the subtle sensation of ground beneath me. It wasn't harsh or unforgiving like the cracked earth near the river. No, it was soft… comforting.

I opened my eyes.

A clear, boundless sky stretched above me, painted in shades of brilliant blue. Beneath me, an endless expanse of green grass swayed gently with the breeze, its blades dancing to a rhythm only nature could hear. The wind was cool and soothing, carrying with it the faint scent of wildflowers.

For a brief, fleeting moment, I felt at peace.

Am I… dead? Is this heaven? I questioned myself.

Then I just chuckled dryly, the sound feeling strange in such a serene place. "Well, that won't be possible. I don't think I'll be going to heaven after all my deeds throughout my life."

The universe definitely wasn't that forgiving.

I sat up, taking in the surreal landscape. There was nothing but endless grassland stretching out in every direction—except for a small wooden hut nestled not too far from where I'd landed. It looked simple, almost out of place in this vast, untouched beauty. No roads, no fences, just… there.

With nothing better to do and because standing still made me feel vulnerable. I started walking toward it.

As I got closer, I heard voices. Soft, melodic, like whispers carried by the wind, but unmistakably clear. Two women were sitting outside the hut, engaged in conversation.

I squinted, trying to make out their features, but… I couldn't.

It wasn't that they were blurry or hidden. It was like my mind simply refused to process what they looked like. Yet, somehow, I knew with absolute certainty that they were beautiful. Not just ordinary, head-turning beautiful, but the kind of beauty that transcended human understanding. The kind that would make you fall to your knees, not out of lust or admiration, but sheer, overwhelming reverence.

Their voices were soft but filled with an ancient weight, carrying knowledge older than time itself. I didn't even need to eavesdrop—they weren't trying to hide their words.

"…it's collapsing," one of them said, her tone laced with quiet sadness. "No matter how many cycles I've tried to correct, the outcome remains the same. That world is doomed to destroyed."

The other woman sighed softly. "You were always too attached to your creations. Sometimes, destruction is necessary for new beginnings."

'What…?' I froze, their words sinking in. A world collapsing? Cycles?

They weren't talking about something trivial. No, this was bigger, much bigger. Yet they were talking as if it wasn't something to fret upon.

That's when it hit me.

They're not ordinary people.

No, they couldn't be. Not with talk like that. Not in a place like this.

'They were… creators.'

Not just of a world, but worlds. A multiverse, maybe. From their casual conversation, it was clear they weren't concerned with things like time, death, or existence the way humans were. They made those things.

And here I was some random soul who'd jumped into the abyss, standing like an idiot, listening to their gossip about dying worlds.

I should've been terrified. But instead, I felt… curious.

I stepped closer, the soft grass muffling my footsteps.

Neither of them acknowledged me at first, as if my presence was insignificant. Which, to beings like them, I probably was. Just another lost soul who somehow ended up where he wasn't supposed to be.

But as I crossed some invisible boundary, they both turned to look at me.

Or rather, faced me. I still couldn't see their faces, but their attention was undeniable. It felt like standing under the weight of an entire universe. My chest tightened, my knees nearly buckled, and for a split second, I thought I might just cease to exist under their gaze.

But I didn't.

One of them spoke, her voice gentle yet carrying the force of reality itself.

"Well, that's unexpected."

The other tilted her head slightly. "A soul from the abyss… walking here where even the gods are Forbidden? Interesting."

I swallowed hard, trying to find my voice. "Uh… hi."

Brilliant, Jacob. Truly inspiring.

They chuckled softly, the sound like a breeze through crystal chimes. Not mocking, just… amused.

The first one stood, her movements fluid, like the very concept of grace embodied. "You shouldn't be here, little soul. No one climbs out of the abyss."

I shrugged, trying to mask the lingering fear. "Guess I didn't get the memo."

Another soft laugh. "How curious. Most who fall there are devoured or lost forever. But you… you survived and most surprisingly are even sane."

Survived? That wasn't exactly how I'd describe it. More like fell through everything until I landed here.

The second woman finally rose, her presence slightly different warmer, but still overwhelmingly powerful. "Perhaps it's fate… or maybe just a mistake in the grand design." She tilted her head again, as if examining something beyond my physical form. "Your soul… it's flawed. But stubborn."

Flawed. Yeah, that sounded about right.

"Where am I?" I finally asked, my voice steadier than I felt.

"This," the first one said, gesturing to the endless grasslands, "is the space between. A place where existence and non-existence blur."

"The space between what?" I asked.

"Between everything," the second woman replied simply. "Life, death, time, reality. It's my dwelling, This is where only creators or you can say Celestials who created the universe lives."

I processed that for a moment and doubtfully asked "Umm....So what happens to me now?" Pointing towards myself.

They exchanged a glance or at least, I felt like they did.

"That depends," the first one said, her tone thoughtful. "You're not supposed to be here. Well to be exact no one is supposed to be here except Celestials like us.

"I know I shouldn't ask this, but just curious. What were you talking about? I actually heard some destruction of world or something like that."

*************

After some silence finally, the first one- The warmer of the two sighed softly. "A world is dying. One of my creations," she admitted, her voice carrying a strange mix of sorrow and resignation.

It was cursed by another creator because I lost a bet with him.

The first woman, the calmer of the two, shook her head slightly as she sighed. "It is not the first, and it will not be the last. Everything has its end, Jacob."

I flinched.

They knew my name.

I shouldn't have been surprised. Whatever they were, they clearly weren't bound by the same limitations as mortals. If they were gods, then knowing a mere human's name was probably as easy as breathing.

Still, hearing my name from beings who spoke of creating and destroying worlds? That sent a chill down my spine.