How was the world created?
That question had once crossed my mind.
“Well…”
When I asked my mom, she answered like this:
“It must’ve been the Almighty Savior Who Is One and All who made it.”
Yeah. That sounded right.
All of this must have been created by the Savior Who Is One and All.
Which naturally led to another question.
What is the Savior Who Is One and All made of?
Is God organic? Inorganic?
If it’s something else entirely, then what should we consider that something to be made of?
Can we just vaguely assume it’s made of omnipotence?
That feels a bit like cheating.
Scientists once said the universe began as a single point. A speck floating in the void exploded, creating the universe. They called this the Big Bang. The universe is still expanding from that explosion, and all the remnants within it are products of that initial event.
Which raises an essential question we must answer to trace the origin of the universe:
If the explosion created the universe, what existed before the explosion?
I learned that scholars once obsessed over that question.
But after the Constellations revealed themselves, that pursuit lost its urgency.
Now that the divine entity once considered mere concept was proven real, the world stopped caring so much about exploring the universe.
Because God exists.
Because they said they created the world.
<That is so.>
A voice rang out.
A gentle man’s voice.
Familiar, somehow.
<That’s a question you need not seek an answer to.>
When I opened my eyes—
A man stood there.
Smiling gently, he looked at me. In an endless expanse of white, he stood alone.
I knew who he was.
<Ignorance is the grace I have given you.>
But the person I knew wouldn’t speak like this.
“Why…”
I spoke, as if in a trance.
“…Why do you look like my dad?”
As I asked, my head throbbed. I pressed a hand to my brow and tried to make sense of what was happening. I remembered Star reaching out to me…
And then—
<Since you understand me as the Father of All, I thought you’d be less startled if I took the form of your own father.>
Now I was here.
<But it seems to have had the opposite effect.>
The man chuckled softly, crossing his arms.
<I am the one who exists alone.>
With a benevolent smile, he spoke.
No—the Savior Who Is One and All spoke.
<Therefore, I can become anything. I am myself, and my mother, and my father—thus, I can be your mother and father as well.>
The Savior Who Is One and All began to chant, as if in a lullaby.
<I am the Alpha and the Omega.>
Behind him, countless universes rose into view.
<I am the beginning and the end.>
One of those universes zoomed in.
<I am He who was there at the first and will be there at the last.>
A tiny star shimmered within the vast galaxy.
<I am He who is, who was, and who is to come.>
Before I realized it, the Savior Who Is One and All had taken on my appearance.
“……”
Frozen in place, I stared at the deity. The situation was so far beyond comprehension that I didn’t even know what to think, let alone say.
“Um, am I…”
I forced the words out.
“…going to be punished?”
After all, I was the infamous Star’s contractor. And trying to stop Aiden was technically a violation of the Savior Who Is One and All’s divine plan.
So now I was here—dragged into a face-to-face with the beginning of all things.
<There is no need to fear, my child.>
The Savior Who Is One and All smiled kindly.
It was unsettling, seeing that expression on my own face.
<You humans often try to infer reward or punishment from my arrangements, but to tell the truth, I have never punished you. Nor have I ever rewarded you.>
He stepped closer.
<Your existence is simply too small for me. Just as you don’t notice the tiny skin flakes that fall off when you scratch your arm, I cannot perceive your individual presence.>
It made sense. More so than the gospels full of flowery stories about how dearly the Savior Who Is One and All loved humanity.
If an omnipotent creator exists, then surely humans must seem insignificant in their view. The more a god cares about mankind, the more their power feels limited—because it implies they’re capable of being moved by something like human achievement.
<So until now, I didn’t even know who you were.>
The Savior Who Is One and All turned around.
Behind him, my life came into view.
<I knew you were the one who made a contract with my son. But I didn’t know the kind of life you had lived, or what you desired.>
From childhood to now, images of me were scattered like snapshots along the margins of a great white canvas.
<May I apologize?>
The deity asked.
<For not recognizing you sooner.>
“No need to apologize.”
I scratched my neck.
“You’re probably busy. No reason to keep track of every person individually. People assume omnipotence means you see and understand everything, but…”
I shrugged.
“Honestly, just because you’re all-powerful doesn’t mean you have to use it all the time, right? Things like laziness, exhaustion, or apathy—those are also kinds of abilities.”
<Ha ha!>
The Savior Who Is One and All burst into hearty laughter.
Seriously—seeing my own face laugh like that felt too weird…
<To be clear, I am not omnipotent. That term is too abstract. Let’s just say that among everything visible to your eyes—and mine—I am the strongest. That’s more accurate.>
His gaze turned toward the void.
<There may be beings stronger than me outside my domain. To them, I might be no more than another creature. That’s all it is. My inability to understand every creature is simply a limitation of my power.>
“…Didn’t expect you to admit that so casually…”
Honestly, I never had a positive view of the Savior Who Is One and All.
But from the perspective of a created being, that’s what gods are: tools of convenience.
When we lack someone to thank, we turn to God. When we need someone to blame, we also turn to God.
In that sense, humans exploit the existence of the Savior Who Is One and All in a variety of ways.
<At any rate,>
The deity cleared his throat.
<This is the domain of the Constellations. In other words, Heaven.>
He glanced around.
<You stepped here briefly through my son Mikael. You probably didn’t expect to return so soon…>
That was true.
Even setting foot in Heaven was astounding. And now I was standing before the Savior Who Is One and All himself.<The reason I brought you here is simple: a procedural step.>
“…A step?”
<Yes. Even if only temporarily, you received a portion of my son Star’s power.>
Was that it…?
I looked down at myself, puzzled. Star had said he’d show me the power of a Constellation and reached out his hand. So that meant he was giving me a portion of his strength?
<In other words, you have momentarily acquired the authority of a Constellation.>
“Wait—becoming a Constellation is that easy…?”
I was stunned.
Star had just reached out his hand—and now I was a Constellation?
From what I’d heard from Star, becoming a Constellation involved a whole complicated process.
In fact, Aiden was trying to revive Jeong Hangyeol in order to become one.
While I was mulling over these thoughts, the Savior Who Is One and All narrowed his eyes.
<It was never meant to be that easy.>
Yeah, I figured.
<Your power amounts to that of a low-tier Constellation, at best. But it is still the power of a Constellation. You will now see what humans cannot, and wield what they should not. All of this was expedited only because your contractor is the sole Constellation who dared to challenge my throne.>
“…Is he really that strong?”
<I once thought he might be fit to inherit my seat.>
Inherit? That phrasing felt a little odd.
He chuckled softly.
<To be precise, I believed he could reach my domain. More than any other, he questioned my decisions. And to doubt what I have built is to possess the potential to surpass me. But…>
He shook his head.
<Even so, I could not forgive him for challenging me. That’s all there is to it.>
“Well… that’s a big family drama and all, but…”
I sighed.
“I do have a question.”
<Go on.>
“You could’ve just… fixed everything yourself, right?”
<Fixed what?>
“Everything. You could’ve set things right from the beginning.”
Like not letting my dad die that way.
Making sure Han Iro didn’t get those burn scars on his face.
Preventing Jeong Noeul from struggling with the truth of his soul.
Not letting Min Heejae’s childhood friend die so pointlessly.
And not letting Madojin have his life twisted by Enoch.
“You could’ve stopped everything Aiden is trying to do right now, too.”
Why didn’t you?
I asked the origin of all creation.
<Do not misunderstand me.>
With a voice overflowing with gentleness, wearing my own face, the Savior Who Is One and All said:
<I am not one who leads you to the right path. I am merely an observer. Like a scholar studying this world.>
So he permits my existence.
Even if I acquired Constellation power through improper means.
And he permits Star’s existence as well.
Even the son who raised a blade against him is simply left to linger in hell.
<So go. Fulfill what you desire.>
I realized then—
<Show me a better result.>
The figure before me, wearing my face—
<That is the only reason I created you.>
He was neither father nor mother nor anything else.
Just a scoring system. Nothing more.
Little Pink Starfish 
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