Tangen chuckled, the deep sound echoing through the room. "Okay, this next part needs a bit of a visual aid. It's better if you see it rather than just hear it."
With that, he extended his right hand.
Maxi's eyes widened as the purple bandages wrapped around his forearm were revealed, mirroring the red ones on his left. Then, as if responding to some silent command, a thousand tiny, red stars flickered into existence above his palm, swirling in mesmerizing patterns.
Maxi instinctively leaned back in his chair, heart pounding.
Tangen smirked, clearly enjoying the reaction. "Don't worry. You'll learn about this power soon enough in our next lesson. But for now, let's continue."
He flicked his fingers, and the stars shifted, arranging themselves into the shapes of three giant stick figures.
"After the Three Realms were created, the Earthly Gods were thrilled—but something was missing. Their domains were vast and beautiful, yet empty. There was nothing living, nothing that could interact with their worlds the way they could."
The tiny stars began moving again, surrounding the stick figures like a halo.
"The Earthly Gods voiced their desire to create life—beings who could explore, struggle, and thrive in their worlds. They wanted to guide them, protect them, and see them grow."
Tangen shrugged. "The Outer Gods and Eldritch Gods didn't really care at first, but so far, every request the Earthly Gods made had turned out interesting, so they supported the idea."
The stars shifted once more, forming the outline of a massive, shining red throne at the center of the three figures. The air around it seemed heavier, more powerful.
"The Three Gods went to their father, The King of Kings, and asked for permission to give thier children the Eldritch Gods,Outer gods and especially the Earthly Gods the power to create life."
Tangen's smirk deepened. "And he agreed—but under two this time conditions."
Maxi leaned in slightly, drawn into the tale.
"First, every domain had to be connected—there had to be a way for gods to travel between them freely, to ensure none of them became isolated."
The stars twisted again, forming three interwoven paths linking the stick figures together.
"Second, everything they created had to eventually die. And once they died, the gods had to decide what would happen to them."
Maxi felt a strange chill. The inevitability of death… even in a world shaped by gods, it was a law that could not be escaped.
"The Three agreed, and The King of Kings granted them permission."
The stars flared, as if mimicking divine approval.
Tangen leaned forward, resting his elbow on his knee. "But there was a problem. What would actually happen to the creations they made after death?"
He gestured, and the stars rearranged themselves again.
"The Three Oldest Gods gave the Outer Gods, Eldritch Gods, and Earthly Gods the power to create life. But the second condition—the rule of death—remained unanswered, the older gods already knew the answer for the first conditionand and when the other gods asked, the oldest gods smiled and said the had a plan that they would tell them after which the other gods agreed to."
Tangen smirked. "That's when the gods started getting… creative like because now now it's basically in their nature now well it was becoming thier nature at the very least because gods love to create and you got to be creative to create."
The stick figures split apart, forming three new realms.
"The Eldritch Gods were the first to suggest a solution. They proposed a world that would test souls after death—a brutal, ever-changing place designed to push them to their absolute limits."
Maxi hears Tangen mutter " sadistic pricks"
he hits his chest, clearing his throat
The stars spiraled violently, twisting into a chaotic, unstable mass.
"Then, the Outer Gods spoke. They suggested that once a soul had endured enough trials in that world, they should be given a choice—to ascend and become one with either the Eldritch, Outer, or Earthly Gods, transforming into something entirely new."
A calm, glowing sphere formed beside the chaotic mass, symbolizing transformation.
"Finally, the Earthly Gods made their own addition. What if souls had one last option—a place where they could exist forever, peacefully, without further trials or transformation? A world where they could simply rest and admire their sleeping grandfather, their creations true great king thier great grandfather The King of Kings?"
Tangen's stars solidified into three distinct shapes.
"And so, three final realms were created."
He raised a hand, pointing to each one in turn.
"The Eldritch Gods built the first realm—The Thousand Spiraling Hells. A chaotic, ever-changing labyrinth of trials meant to break and rebuild every soul that passed through it."
Maxi shuddered at the name alone.
"The Outer Gods built the second realm—The Grave. A place where souls, after surviving the trials, would make their final choice—ascend, transform, or move on."
And finally, Tangen's hand rested on the last realm.
"The Earthly Gods built the third realm—Heaven. A peaceful, eternal sanctuary, where souls could simply exist."
For a moment, the room was silent.
Then, with a flick of his wrist, Tangen clenched his hand, making all the floating stars disappear all at once.
"That's all I'm teaching you for now." He stretched, yawning slightly. "There's a lot more, but I don't feel like explaining everything in one go."
Maxi remained still, still lost in the weight of the story he had just heard.
Finally, he cleared his throat. "I have a question."
Tangen grinned. "Figures. Go ahead."
"How did you find all of this out?"
At that, Tangen chuckled, shaking his head.
"I was given a vision of it—directly from my gods' perspective. But most people? They learn it from."
Tangen paused for a second, then finally said
"The Library of Sofia and Savia."