Sitting on a small chair surrounded by books, a silver-haired woman wearing a beautiful robe closed the book she was holding.
"And so ends the first act," she said.
Standing up, she stretched and placed the book back on the shelf before taking out a new one.
It was a blank book.
The number of pages could hardly be determined, but she was sure it could hold a new and enticing adventure.
"Asmodeus will sadly not fall, but I managed to obtain enough of his divinity to send him into slumber," she muttered quietly while admiring the blank book, wondering what kind of new adventure would be written on its pages.
As she walked, the world seemed to change around her. She found herself no longer in her library but in a vast world where the sun and the moon shone in the sky like beautiful jewels or the eyes of a god.
In front of her stood a young man, bound to a throne, fast asleep.
"My poor boy. How long until you can walk again?" she asked.
Seemingly waking up, the young man gazed at Eve with his golden eyes filled with stars.
"Leave," he commanded, his voice filled with killing intent, though his expression remained unchanged. Even though she wasn't physically present in his castle, Eve knew that distance held no meaning once those eyes landed on her.
If he truly desired her death, she would die.
That's why she felt no fear. After all, how could her cute kid wish for the death of his own mother?
"Ah, is this another rebellious phase? Or was killing your brother not enough? Do you also desire to add matricide to your sins?" Eve taunted.
Cain closed his eyes, refusing to speak further for he knew that nothing he would say would chase her away until she finished what she came for.
"I met my grandson. His story is very interesting, one that even the Akasha Library cannot anticipate," she said, jokingly. Behind her, on the shelves, hundreds of books appeared and vanished in seconds, as if in a constant cycle of creation and destruction.
"He is different from his other siblings," she continued.
Having met all the primogenitors before Adam, she knew that each of them lacked something important. Something that Adam possessed and this was not just because of the book of Genesis.
But how?
Cain's gaze remained cold, but it briefly shifted to her throat, as if contemplating whether to slit it or not.
"Well, I understand why you don't want to speak. But you know, don't you? Don't break the limit placed upon you," she said with a serious tone while ignoring the threat in his gaze. Unlike most immortals, she did not fear death, even more so when the one threatening was her son.
"And what about Adam?"
Though Cain remained silent, it seemed as if a silent discussion was taking place, with Eve decrypting all his actions.
"Don't worry. He is my grandson, a very cute one at that. I will take special care of him.." she assured then added as an afterthought, "Though his name is really not cute."
With those words, she began to walk away, until she reached the edge of the two dimensions.
"I don't really know what your ultimate goal is in this game of chess, Cain, but let me be clear..."
She pushed away the aura of death that had filled the air, causing the sun and the moon to dim under her powerful presence.
At that moment, even though she still inhabited the body of a young woman, a cosmic entity that defied description emerged behind her.
"Be it you, Lucifer, or anyone else, If you take action to bring the apocalypse sooner than it should be, I will make sure to spank you," she said, as the intense energy dissipated, showing him her tongue before departing.
Now alone in his mindscape, Cain looked down at himself. Even within the world of his mind, he remained locked.
Closing his eyes, though he knew he couldn't sleep, his mind delved into the past, showing him the last few moments of happiness he had experienced in recent years.
A smile formed on his face as he reminisced, remembering a black-haired woman as cold as ice and as fast as lightning, wielding the power to face divinity.
She was most likely dead.
He wondered which was more saddening: her death or the fact that his skills prevented his emotions from exceeding a certain level. At least not enough to mourn for her
Truly, he was a prisoner. In mind and body.
But soon, he would regain his freedom.
And what would he do with it?
"I am hungry," he said.
Not having eaten anything in 20 years had been rough. Even though his body no longer required food or water to survive, he still felt hunger, which had tormented him all this time.
But this was nothing.
"I want some meat."
His brother had been a very good farmer.
He wondered if he would ever be able to taste something with the same flavor.
With those thoughts, Cain, the first murderer, returned to slumber once again.
As for Eve, back in her own prison, she looked at the previously blank book that was now starting to fill itself.
A smile formed on her face as a new story was about to begin.
She didn't know how it would end, but she could only follow the events as they unfolded.
And wasn't that what made reading beautiful?
With those thoughts, Eve sat back in her chair and waited.
Waiting was all she could do.
Thankfully, she had enough time to wait. Eternity was very long, after all.
--- END OF BOOK 1 ---
(AN: Holy shit, guys. We made it. We started on December 4th, and now here in 28th June, we have finally reached the end of the first book. There will be one or two more interludes for Shuri, as well as perhaps some adventures of Cecilia as a young kid. The second one is optional and not yet decided. It will depend on whether people are interested.
Anyways, honestly, guys, I didn't think I would make it. I've said many times that I considered giving up on this book. But I held on, and I am proud of the results. The story obviously has many flaws, but I am really happy to have you guys continue to support me because, without you, this story wouldn't exist.
Since it's the end of Book 1, I would be really happy if you told me:
- What did you like the most in the book?
- What did you hate the most in the book?
- Your favorite character
- Your most hated character.
One of the points I have received many times in the past is that:
- My pace is sometimes too slow
- My "philosophy" and Adam's doubts and hesitation.
Regarding the first point, I think I am working well on it. It's not easy, but I'm doing my best. As for the second point, I will be honest. I like philosophy, and I enjoy debating. Even though I may not be the most knowledgeable philosopher, I try to act smart. I am writing for money, and I am honest. But I cannot write about something that doesn't make me happy to write. I cannot publish 3-4 chapters every day while stifling myself. Even then, I understand that it isn't to everyone's taste, so I will do my best to reduce the amount of philosophy in the story.
As for Adam, I have seen many complaints about him. But I just want to say one thing: Adam is, for all intents and purposes, a young adult, and he is not perfect. He can make dumb mistakes like anyone else, and he hesitates like anyone else. This happens because I am dumb myself, and I cannot write a perfect MC who can satisfy everyone. Even then, I hope you guys will stay with me until the end of this story.
Well, this was longer than I intended, but I am eagerly waiting for all your feedback. I know I cannot satisfy everyone, and an author should never try to satisfy all readers, but I am still a young author with only a few years of experience. Don't hesitate to tell me what you think (though some compliments would be appreciated, haha).
Finally, I want to thank my proofreader/beta reader, AzuNoira, and my editor, Paradox. Without them, this story might have never existed.
See you tomorrow for the start of Book 2.)
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