Paths of Creation

Akasha appeared in front of a world, gazing at it for a moment before a smile formed on his face. "It will be worth sealing myself again," he said before disappearing in a flash of light.

---

In a dense and lush forest, a soft hum resonated. With a ripple in space, a man appeared on the shores of a lake.

He wore a simple black tunic, and his white hair cascaded down his back. His androgynous features were complemented by deep, beautiful blue eyes.

Akasha looked around; there were only trees and a small lake. Nodding, he inspected his body. "Hmm, this should be enough to venture into this world," he said, his voice deep yet serene.

"City of Orario... I suppose that's where I should go," Akasha said to himself. Having made a clear decision, he began walking north to leave the forest.

Along the way, he encountered several annoying monsters that he had to eliminate, from goblins to wolves, all weak.

After two and a half hours of travel, he left the forest and noticed a caravan of merchants heading toward the walls of a city in the distance.

"So that's the entrance to Orario," he said, more interested in this city as he followed the caravan from a distance.

After another half hour of travel, he could better distinguish the city walls, though his appearance drew the attention of the people around.

Ignoring the stares, Akasha walked up to one of the lines to enter, behind a girl no older than 18.

"Good afternoon, young lady," Akasha greeted out of courtesy, though his voice sounded indifferent.

The girl in question was dressed simply, in a cream-colored dress with no silver accessories. She had beautiful chestnut hair that gave her a natural and approachable beauty.

The girl turned around and looked at Akasha, perplexed, pointing at herself with her finger. "Are you... talking to me?" she asked, stammering.

Akasha looked at her with an expressionless face and nodded without saying a word.

The girl raised an eyebrow at Akasha's behavior, stepping closer to him while scrutinizing him with critical eyes.

"Wow, are you a man or a woman? You're as beautiful as a goddess, or maybe handsome? But you also have prominent masculine features," the girl said evaluatively.

Akasha raised an eyebrow at the girl's assessment. 'A very indiscreet girl,' he thought as he searched for an answer to her question.

"I'm a man, young lady," Akasha said while watching the line move forward.

The girl nodded, surprised. "Wow... you're very beautiful for a man," she said with a hint of embarrassment in her voice. "By the way, my name is Yara, Yara Bellemere. And you?"

"Nice to meet you, Yara. You can call me Akasha," Akasha replied with a small smile on his face. He was somewhat interested in Yara.

"What a strange name. Don't you have a last name?" Yara asked as they moved closer to the city entrance.

"I don't have a last name, just Akasha," Akasha replied.

Yara nodded in agreement. "And what brings you to Orario? Are you planning to become an adventurer?" she asked with a smile.

Akasha thought about it. 'An adventurer... that must be interesting.' Looking at Yara, he nodded. "Yes, I might do that."

For the next hour, Akasha and Yara continued to get to know each other until it was their turn.

---

"Akasha," Akasha answered when the guard asked him.

The man looked at him for a few moments. Akasha assumed the name was stranger than he had predicted.

"Alright, tell me your reason for traveling and how long you plan to stay in Orario," the guard asked.

After answering the guard's questions and paying 500 valis for the toll, Akasha entered the city with Yara by his side.

Akasha turned to her and raised an eyebrow. "Will you take a different path, or are you going to follow me the whole time?" he asked.

Yara's face turned somewhat somber upon hearing Akasha's words. After hesitating for a moment, she spoke.

"I... don't have anywhere to stay. The entrance pass used up all the money I had," she said with a touch of shame as she lowered her head. Akasha said nothing as he stared at her intently.

Yara sighed. "I came with my parents to Orario, but... some bandits attacked us on the way," her voice broke little by little as she spoke.

"They protected me so I could escape. They told me they would come looking for me, but they never arrived... I only survived thanks to a caravan that passed by." She couldn't hold back any longer, and tears began to stream down her face.

Akasha looked at her, his indifferent eyes revealing nothing as he analyzed her. He walked over to her and, after a moment of hesitation, gave her a hug, causing her to tense up in his arms but quickly relax.

After several minutes of crying, she pulled away from him as Akasha offered her a handkerchief. Looking at the immaculate white cloth, Yara hesitated for a moment before taking it and beginning to wipe her face.

Yara looked at him with her red, tear-filled eyes and quickly handed him back the snot-filled handkerchief. "Thank you," she whispered softly.

Akasha grunted as he took the handkerchief and let it dissolve into golden particles before his eyes, then gestured for her to walk with him.

"How long has it been?" he asked after walking for a while.

"What?" she asked, confused. Akasha looked at her for a moment and kept walking. "How long ago did what happened to your parents occur?"

"A month ago, after leaving our village," Yara said, pausing to take a deep breath.

"I almost starved to death, but the caravan I came with picked me up and took care of me the whole way," she finished explaining as she wiped her tears.

Akasha nodded. "You're strong, little one. Most people couldn't fake a smile like you, much less act like everything was fine," he said as they arrived at the guild building.

Akasha stopped to look at her for a moment, her olive-green eyes clouded with sadness. Akasha couldn't help but pat her head and sigh as he did so.

"Just for that, you've earned my appreciation," he said with a smile and entered the building.

Yara stared at Akasha in astonishment, the words "you're strong" echoing in her mind.

She placed a hand on her head, where Akasha had patted her, and felt a warm sensation in her chest. A smile bloomed on her sad face as she caught up to Akasha.