The Creator

"I wish I had the power to create a better world." 

Haruki laid there in his clawfoot bathtub, whispering this wish over and over again to himself. It's not as if anyone would hear him, and even if they could, what would it matter? There was only one thing left to be done while he waited for the inevitable chill to set in. He closed his eyes, and soon sleep found him there, lying still, sharing an intimate moment with the chill alabaster porcelain. 

"Wa.. u.."

"Co.. o.."

"Ple.. yo.. must.. wake.. up.."

A faint voice clawed at him through the comfort. His body felt wrong, like he was lying in an unfamiliar position. He couldn't feel the familiar coolness of the bathtub he has called bed for so long. Where there was once solid hard texture, there was now fluff and fiber beneath him. Grass, it almost felt like, but there was no way that was possible. He would never go outside. Whatever the feeling was, it didn't matter, there was no way he should be conscious right now, so he turned over and tried to drift back to sleep.

"WAKE UP RIGHT NOW!!!" a high-pitched scream shot Haruki from his in-between state. He sat up and was instantly blinded by the largest sun he had ever seen, it hung in a brown twilight sky, illuminating all before it and casting shadows over the landscape before him. 

"Whats... going on? Where am I?" Haruki asked out loud staring in awe at the unknown world that revealed itself to him. 

"You are in Nest. A world you created." The source of the scream revealed itself finally.

It can’t be.. I know her.. But.. I don’t.. Her name? Her name what was it? It was..

“Solaire?” Haruki muttered with uncertainty. He watched as the woman's face went from frustrated to smiling tearfully. She grabbed her forearm and looked away from him like she was contemplating what to say in response.

“So you know my name?” She asked. “My name is.. Solaire?”

“To be completely honest, I'm not sure. It just kind of came to me. I think I know you from somewhere but I can’t fully place it. I actually can’t remember much of anything.  Not sure why your name stood out. Was I right?” Haruki rubbed his temples, as if trying to dislodge something misplaced. 

"I don't know. I have never known my name. When you brought me here 5 years ago I hoped that it would reveal itself in time or that you would give me one. It seems you have done just that."  The woman held out an ornate gloved hand to help him up and smiled. Haruki grasped it and she helped him to his feet with ease. She had a strong grip with almost uncomfortably warm hands. Her smile seemed unwavering as she patted his shirt and pants clean. As if she knew this would happen just the way she thought.

"I'm sorry. I think you have the wrong person. I didn't bring you anywhere, I don't even know where 'here' is. I don't even know who you are." Haruki tried to reason with her and make further sense of his situation.

"Well, I suppose introductions are in order, aren't they. We're going to be a team after all, so let's get the formalities out of the way." The woman let out a small giggle and held out a hand to be shaken. "I'm Solaire, nice to meet you, Creator. Do you have an actual name?"

Haruki squinted with uncertainty and reluctantly shook Solaire's hand in agreement, but just as he did a sharp pain shot through his head, he fell to his knees and the world went black.

"I'm Solaire, nice to meet you!!" an unknown voice rung in Haruki's head, it was young and playful but had a child-like seriousness to it. "ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION, HARU?! I AM TRYING TO DO HER OPENING LINE RIGHT!! ARE YOU WATCHING ME?!?"

"Yes, I'm watching, don't worry. " Haruki giggled his reply but the voice was gone, and only Solaire stood before him as the color came back to his vision. She wore a concerned, confused look on her face.

"Ar-are you alright?" she said, placing her hand on his shoulder and crouching down to his level.

"I-I think so. I don't know what that was. Did you hear that voice too? It said it was Solaire, but it was different from you." Haruki replied, looking into Solaire's burning orange eyes. 

"No, I didn't hear anything except you. Are you sure you are okay though? There are tears flowing down your cheeks." She wiped his face and helped him back to his feet. "It's totally alright to cry, sometimes I cry because of nothing at all." 

Haruki nodded, took a deep breath and nodded again. He looked at Solaire like he was trying to figure something out,  like a thought that is just out of his grasp and taunting him. But he gave up and looked away. "Thank you. I appreciate the pick-me-up. My name is Haruki. Haruki Omori." He held his hand out this time for a more solidified handshake. Solaire grasped it without skipping a beat and smiled at him. He realized that he completely forgot to touch upon something she mentioned.

"Nice to meet you, Haruki. Don't be shocked if nobody calls you that though. Everyone here knows you as The Creator. That's probably what they will continue to call you. No offense. They just take their beliefs super seriously." Solaire let out a huff and looked off into the distance.

"Okay, whatever but why do you and whoever else believe I am this Creator dude? I am nothing, absolutely no one. I can barely create a bowl of cereal let alone an entire world. I think I would remember that." Haruki said trying to reason with Solaire, though she showed no surprise at his denial.

"It's not my job to explain everything to you, and to be completely honest, I am not sure I understand everything myself. I only know two things for certain, we are a team and I have to deliver you to the Mycans. After that I have to help you journey through Nest and you have to help me figure out exactly who I am and what my purpose is. I am quite educated on the former but I only know a small bit about the latter. I have spent the last 5 years exploring as much of Nest as I could, all in preparation for your arrival. Come on, we can walk and talk." Solaire beckoned him to follow her, as she left the grass and took foot onto a worn dirt road. Haruki followed looking more puzzled than he had before.

"So you don't know why you are calling me The Creator or why others will as well? I find that hard to believe." Haruki retorted trying to keep up with Solaire who walked very quickly. "Can you slow down a bit?"

"Alright then, I guess, I know three things. The last being that you created this world from nothing. We refer to you as The Creator because.. well, you are. That much is irrefutable." Solaire slowed her pace and elaborated further, though it didn't make much sense at all to him. "Sorry, I am just eager to have you meet everyone. We are almost there."

"Almost wher-" Just as Haruki went to finish his sentence, Solaire broke into a full sprint and he had no choice but to follow as best as he could. While chasing her, he could hear what sounded like screams coming from nearby. The pair ran to the top of a hill and before them lay a village being attack by large pitch-black monsters with too many legs and incredibly large mandibles.  

"I hope you are a God who knows how to fight. Scavengers are vicious creatures, they will devour you whole or crowd around you, working together to rip pieces of you apart. Save any further questions, now there is only time for actions." Solaire took a step forward, taking a deep breathe. She clapped her hands together to create a spark between her gloves. Fire shot out from inside her gloves, completely engulfing her body and wrapping her in a cocoon of flame. When the flames calmed, a new version of Solaire stood before Haruki. A being who seemed to be the embodiment of a phoenix, a flaming goddess of protection. She looked back at him and winked. "This is nothing compared to what you can do, Creator. Your power is absolute in this world. You need only use the tools at your disposal." She leapt into the air and descended upon the village.

"WHAT TOOLS?! I have nothing!!" He yelled to her but she was too far, he then began running toward the village.

What could she possibly mean by that? I have no tools, I have no memory. How can I possibly fight these monsters?!? I am nothing like her. I am weak and pathetic. Useless, worthless and a waste of space.

When Haruki arrived, he could see that it was much worse than it seemed from afar. The Scavengers were attacking without thought or care. Man, woman and child were all fair game to be feasted on. People being ripped apart, pieces of them scattered here and there. The smell... the smell brought sickness to Haruki's throat. Stomach acid burned his throat as it exited his mouth onto a small child's doll. He reached down and tried to clean it up but it was useless. Screams roared all around him, pleas for help and begging for lives to be spared. A small girl screeched as her mother was ripped from her arms and dragged off by one of the monsters. 

Haruki's feet moved without him thinking, as he ran toward the child, picking her up into his arms. She choked out wet sobs that saturated his shirt, and all he could think to do was pat her back and give her light shushes of comfort. Behind him though, he could feel its presence... a Scavenger had caught sight of him. He froze. He couldn't move. Not to protect himself or this little girl. It scurried towards him with impressive speed, maw open to receive its next meal, and all Haruki could do was close his eyes and accept.

Please help please... not like this.. I can't.. I don't want to do die. I want to live.

Haruki opened his eyes once more and where the Scavenger once was, was now a pile of ash. He could hear Solaire fighting them off but every time he thought he could see her, she shifted to a new target. So strong, so fast, fearless. Everything he wanted to be. 

Solaire had finished off all of them except one. Haruki had found her fighting it in the village square. This Scavenger was bigger than the others but Solaire gave it no quarter. She dashed beneath it, and launched it into the air with a high kick. It flew upward with ease, and she flew toward it. She looked like a superhero. As she met the monster in the air, clapped her hands together once more, letting out a fiery explosion and reducing the monster to ash. Its remains flurried to the ground like snow. 

She landed in front of Haruki and the girl he was still holding, and gave him another wink. 

"Welcome to Curdia."