Embracing Otherworlds: Shioka's Quest for Balance

A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...

Within the Great Temple of the Seven Stars in the center of the capital city of Ruo An, a young woman stood on a stage.

In the audience were court officials and nobles from all over the country. They had been invited to witness what they thought was an important ritual. The new temple had been built just ten years ago by the emperor, who was hailed as one of the greatest emperors in history.

The solar system behind her head glittered with its seven stars, so perfect that it looked like a painting. The light made her pale face glow and her blue hair shine like sapphires.

She held a small box before her chest with both hands and started to sing:

"May I carry your soul within me?

May I carry your body within me?

May I carry your soul within me?

May I carry your body within me?"

Her voice echoed through the halls, so beautiful that even those who weren't well-versed in musicality knew this was extraordinary. Some thought it must have been amplified by magic, but none could deny that it gave them goosebumps.

When she finished singing after quite some time, she opened the box and a black mist spilled out into the hall. It spread across the floor rapidly, until it covered half of it. The court officials were frightened now; they didn't know what was going on. Even those sitting closest to her couldn't see her anymore now that she was almost hidden by the mist.

It seemed liked some kind of trickery. But why would she do such a thing? She had been their guest for weeks now and everyone loved her..

There was commotion in the audience now and someone shouted: "It's witchcraft! Burn her!" But when they tried to get up and leave their seats, they found themselves unable to move; they were paralyzed. They stared at each other in fear; they tried to scream but no sound escaped their throats... Until they couldn't even move their eyes anymore either. Their vision went black as well and they could only hear their own heartbeats echoing through their minds... And then suddenly everything stopped. No heartbeat anymore, no breathing either. Everything was black and silent now. There were only two beings left in this space: One that couldn't be seen or heard - because she was vaporized by all kinds of magical fire - and one that couldn't be felt - because he didn't exist anymore... A man who died from fright before his body could die from being burned alive... His disembodied spirit lingered on for a while before leaving as well... Back to whatever place spirits go to when they don't have bodies anymore... Back to nothingness...

Nothingness waited patiently for something else to come along... Something would surely come eventually; it always did ... sooner or later there would be something again... Or rather someone... For not even nothingness could exist without things existing first... It needed other things first to be nothingness ... After all nothingness is just another kind of somethingness after all isn