Evan opened his eyes. There was no light, no darkness—only an existence so vast that it defied comprehension. He couldn't fully sense his body, as if his consciousness were floating within a gentle void, enveloped by an unfamiliar yet oddly familiar warmth.
This place… was more than just an empty space. It was the origin of everything.
He had no idea how he had ended up here. Yet somehow, it felt akin to the most primitive moments of human existence—like being inside a mother's womb, embraced by a tranquility untouched by time or being. There was no fear, no pain, only a silence so serene that it felt like the world before the first sound was ever made.
But that peace did not last long.
A call echoed from the distance, seeping into his mind as if it came from beyond the boundaries of the world. Soft, yet impossible to ignore.
"Awaken."
Evan was jolted from his thoughts. He did not wake up in a physical sense, as his body itself felt ambiguous, like a shadow without a source, a concept yet to be realized.
He gazed into the distance.
Or rather, toward something that lay far beyond the very idea of distance.
Here, space and time did not function as they should. His eyes perceived something indescribable in human language, as if he were witnessing something from outside reality itself. Its distance was immeasurable, as if no dimension could define it. Yet somehow, he knew… he was seeing something.
An existence.
A consciousness standing on the opposite side of him.
If the place where Evan stood was the beginning of everything, then the figure he saw in the distance was the end of everything.
The Void.
It had no form, yet Evan knew it was looking at him. It had no voice, yet he could hear it speaking. It did not move, yet it was drawing closer.
"We are outside of dimension."
The voice was not a voice in the conventional sense. The words were not spoken but embedded directly into his mind.
"In this place, nothing has been given meaning."
Evan realized something—this place did not fit into any category that human perception could comprehend. It was not emptiness, nor was it nothingness. It was something beyond both.
This was the place where all things ended and began.
He stood upon the Right Hand.
And The Void stood upon the Left Hand.
They existed in absolute equilibrium, at the boundary between existence and nothingness, between birth and death, between reality and something beyond the grasp of reality itself.
Evan stared at the entity. The Void had no form, yet its presence dominated everything. It was as if the very fabric of reality around it was being drawn in and folded into an infinite abyss.
This place…
If he was here, did that mean he had become part of something far greater?
The Void was still watching him—or perhaps, more accurately, assessing him.
It remained silent for a while, or maybe time in this place did not flow as it should. Evan had no way of knowing how long the silence lasted. It felt like both an eternity and a single breath.
Then, the voice echoed in his mind once more.
"Because I wish to form a contract lawfully, in the presence of the creator of all that exists and does not."
Evan furrowed his brows. Those words carried a strange weight, more than just a mere statement. It was as if, by uttering them, some cosmic law had been set into motion—watching, judging, waiting.
The Void continued.
"And because I have no intention of committing any deception in the contract we make."
Deception?
Evan gazed deeper into the entity before him. He knew The Void was no ordinary being. It was not something that could be understood through human logic. This entity was not merely powerful—it was something that should never be controlled, something that should not even be capable of speaking in human concepts.
Evan gazed deeper into the entity before him. He knew that The Void was no ordinary being—something beyond human comprehension, beyond logic. It wasn't just powerful; it was something that should never be controlled, something that shouldn't even be able to communicate in the concept of human language.
With its power, couldn't it just take over my body? No, it wouldn't even need to. It could force an imbalanced contract upon me, one where I would be bound to it forever—perhaps even as nothing more than a mere slave.
And what was even more terrifying...
Why did he feel like The Void was truly serious about this?
Evan wanted to ask, but he knew it was pointless. The Void did not speak to negotiate. It spoke to declare what was about to happen.
Yet, there was one thing he realized—this place was more than just an empty space.
If The Void claimed they were standing before the creator of all that exists and does not exist, then that meant something was here. Something even greater than The Void itself.
Evan turned his gaze around. There was nothing—only a dimension that expanded and contracted in an unpredictable rhythm.
Or perhaps... something was waiting.
The Void, despite standing at the peak of existence, still followed rules. It wanted this contract to be legitimate—without loopholes, without deception.
That meant this was more than just an ordinary agreement.
Evan swallowed hard.
Sensing his seriousness, The Void spoke once more.
"I can kill you, manipulate you, or even forcefully impose a contract upon you."
Evan shuddered.
"You must have understood, to some extent, where you stand. This is the Right Hand."
He immediately recalled the Right Hand.
This... is strange. Why am I standing before It?
"Do not worry. Your memories of the Right Hand will gradually be erased permanently. So once you're back in the Tangible Realm, you won't suffer from Corruption."
The Void's voice was calm, almost indifferent.
"Corrup— oh, what kind of contract are we making?"
The Void grinned. Its 'hand' formed a fragment of ancient parchment and tossed it toward Evan.
He caught it and began to read. The letters, initially incomprehensible, shifted and rearranged themselves into familiar alphabetic symbols before his eyes.
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Absolute Existential Contract
Witnessed by Right Hand and Left Hand
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Article 1: Contracting Parties
- First Party (Name: Evan Mayer) – A mortal being who binds himself to this agreement.
- Second Party (Name: Lloyd the Void) – An existential entity representing the void and the end of all things.
- This contract is formed outside the dimensional plane, in the presence of Right Hand and Left Hand, the keepers of balance between existence and nihilism.
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Article 2: Purpose of the Agreement
- This agreement establishes an existential relationship between the First Party and the Second Party under the terms and limitations set forth in this contract.
- This contract is absolute, irrevocable, and unalterable without the consent of both parties and the approval of Right Hand and Left Hand.
- This contract ensures that no party may engage in deception, manipulation, or alteration of its terms and meanings.
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Article 3: Rights and Obligations
Rights and Obligations of the First Party (Evan):
Rights:
- The power of the Second Party.
- The protection of the Second Party.
Obligations:
- To kill The Heaven.
Rights and Obligations of the Second Party (Lloyd the Void):
Rights:
- …
- …
Obligations:
- To grant the First Party the means or power to kill The Heaven.
- To protect the First Party from tangible existential threats until he can stand as an equal among Existential beings.
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Article 4: Terms and Limitations of the Contract
- This contract is bound by the laws of existence and void, meaning any violation of the agreement will result in unavoidable existential consequences.
- Every word and clause in this contract is absolute and shall be executed without exception.
- Any modification to the contract may only be made with the mutual agreement of both parties and must be acknowledged by Right Hand and Left Hand.
- This contract is non-transferable, non-inheritable, and non-nullifiable unless specific predetermined conditions outlined within the agreement are met.
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Article 5: Sanctions and Consequences
- Should either party violate the agreement, punishment shall be delivered by Right Hand and Left Hand in accordance with the laws of existential balance.
- No party may evade consequences without paying an equivalent price.
- In case of disputes regarding contract interpretation, the judgment of Right Hand and Left Hand shall be final and irrevocable.
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Article 6: Contract Termination
- This contract shall conclude once all stipulated terms and conditions have been fulfilled.
- If either party wishes to terminate the contract prematurely, they must pay the predetermined price as agreed upon in this contract.
- If either party ceases to exist before the contract is fulfilled, this agreement shall persist in the form determined by Right Hand and Left Hand.
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Article 7: Contract Witnessing and Validation
- By signing this contract, the First Party and the Second Party bind themselves to an irrevocable existential agreement.
- This contract is formed and ratified in the presence of Right Hand and Left Hand, who bear witness to this covenant.
Signed:
First Party (Evan): [Existential Signature]
Second Party (The Void): [Signature of Nihil]
Witnessed by:
Right Hand: [Mark]
Left Hand: [Mark]
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"This..."
I need to negotiate.
"Phrase: Power of the Second Party."
There is ambiguity in the definition of "power."
The problem lies in Article 3: Rights and Obligations, where it states that The Void will grant me "power." However, the definition of that power is too broad. He could give me power that doesn't align with my expectations or even power that I can't control. What I need is something immediate and strong, but such power might come with a great price before I can use it effectively.
Another issue is that the contract does not define the type or scale of the power granted. The Void could grant me something far beyond my control or something that comes with hidden costs after use.
"Phrase: To protect the First Party from tangible existential threats until he can stand as an equal among Existential beings."
What exactly defines a "tangible existential threat"?
The Void could interpret a "threat" as only those that directly lead to my death. That means if an Existential chooses to torture me instead of outright killing me, The Void could opt not to intervene.
If the threat is indirect—such as being trapped by humans or factions using an Existential as a tool—The Void could argue that the danger did not originate from the Existential itself, thus exempting him from protecting me in that scenario.
Existential beings, those of the same category as The Void, would do anything to eliminate threats or even those who simply disturb them. It is entirely possible that an Existential could pretend to be a tool of humanity, kill me before I rise to their level, and get away with it.
Then, how do we determine when I have "stand as an equal among Existential level"?
If the contract does not provide a metric or conditions to establish when I am considered an equal, The Void could claim that I have already reached that status earlier than I actually have. That would allow him to cease his protection long before I am truly capable of standing on my own.
There is also a loophole in the phrase "Kill The Heaven" as my obligation.
The contract does not specify a time limit, meaning The Void could leave me trapped in uncertainty or design a scenario where I must keep trying to kill The Heaven indefinitely, never truly reaching a conclusion.
If The Heaven turns out to be stronger than expected and cannot be killed through conventional means, I might be bound to this contract with no way out.
What if killing The Heaven requires a sacrifice too great to bear? Suppose it demands the destruction of the entire world or the sacrifice of the people I care about—The Void could still force me to comply, regardless of my own wishes.
There is also a loophole in The Void's obligation: "Grant the Means or Power."
"Phrase: To grant the First Party the means or power to kill The Heaven."
The Void could argue that he has already provided the means or power, but that does not necessarily mean I can use it effectively.
He could grant me something too complex to wield, too unstable, or something that requires a long process or extreme consequences before I can safely use it.
The Void could even provide power in the form of a "key" that I must decipher before accessing it—shifting the responsibility for its usability onto me rather than himself.
This contract appears fair, but if I am not absolutely meticulous in reading it, there are countless ways for it to be manipulated.