Absolute Being: I Am Nothing-Chapter 95: Parallel Earth 2

Adam materialized on the rooftop where he’d left Merlin, the transition from divine realm to mortal world as seamless as stepping through a door. The afternoon sun hung at the same angle—time moved differently in his father’s domain.

Merlin sat cross-legged on the rooftop’s edge, completely absorbed in a small rectangular device in his hands. His thumbs moved across its surface with the practiced ease of someone who’d spent years doing exactly this.

"So," Merlin said without looking up, "your father created this world."

Adam blinked. "What?"

Merlin gestured vaguely with the phone. "I’m on the internet. Reading history. The founding myths, the origin stories, the religious texts." He finally looked up, a strange expression on his face. "They all point to one creator. One being who shaped everything. And I can feel it—his energy is woven into the fabric of this reality. It’s subtle, but it’s there." He paused. "It’s your dad."

Adam was quiet for a moment. Then he nodded slowly. "Yeah. Alex made him a god, gave him a world to rule. I guess he picked this one."

"Your brother created my entire reality."

"I mean, technically, yes. But Alex doesn’t micromanage. He sets things in motion and lets them play out. Your world developed naturally from whatever foundation Dad built."

Merlin looked back at his phone, then at the city below, then back at Adam. A slow chuckle escaped him.

"If your brother hadn’t made your father a god," Merlin said, "I wouldn’t exist. None of this would exist. My parents, my world, my life—all of it stems from that one decision."

Adam raised an eyebrow. "Now that you mention it... yeah. That’s true."

"I owe Alex for existing."

"Pretty much." Adam shrugged. "But that’s kind of what he does. He’s Existence. Making things exist is his whole deal. You’re just one of an infinite number of things that exist because of him."

Merlin considered this. "That’s both profound and deeply unsettling."

"Welcome to cosmic awareness. It’s all downhill from here."

Merlin laughed, genuine and warm. "You’re impossible."

"I’ve been told." Adam walked to the edge of the rooftop, looking out at the city below. It was different from his Earth—similar enough to be recognizable, different enough to be alien. The buildings were arranged differently. The street signs used a slightly altered script. The cars moved with a different rhythm.

"Let’s forget about the existential implications for now," Adam said. "I want to see what Dad did with this place. The changes he made. How his influence shaped things."

Merlin pocketed his phone and stood, joining Adam at the edge. "Where do we start?"

Adam closed his eyes for a moment, reaching out with senses that normal beings didn’t possess. He felt the energy of the world, the subtle currents of divine influence that flowed through everything. His father’s touch was everywhere—gentle, loving, never controlling.

"Everywhere," Adam said, opening his eyes. "But let’s start small. Show me a normal neighborhood. A school. A park. I want to see how people live here."

Merlin nodded, creating a portal with a casual gesture. "After you."

Adam stepped through.

Adam stepped through the portal and found himself in a quiet residential neighborhood. The street was lined with trees, their leaves shifting through shades of gold and amber in the afternoon light. Houses sat back from the road, each one unique—different colors, different styles, different gardens. Children’s toys dotted some yards. A bicycle lay on its side in one driveway. Somewhere nearby, a dog barked lazily.

Merlin emerged beside him, pocketing his phone. "This is where I grew up. Well, not this exact street—different city, different life. But the vibe is the same." He gestured at the houses. "Normal people. Normal lives. Normal problems."

Adam walked slowly down the sidewalk, taking it all in. A woman in gardening gloves looked up from her flower bed and waved. He waved back. She returned to her plants without a second glance.

"They’re not afraid," Adam observed. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"Should they be?"

"No, that’s not what I mean." Adam paused, watching a group of children run past, laughing. "On my Earth, people are always a little afraid. Of each other. Of the future. Of things they don’t understand. It’s woven into the culture, into the way people interact. But here..." He shook his head. "There’s a peace. A trust. It’s subtle, but it’s everywhere."

Merlin considered this. "You think that’s your father’s influence?"

"I think it’s exactly my father’s influence." Adam resumed walking. "He was like that. Trusting. Open. He believed the best in people until they proved him wrong. And even then, he’d give them another chance." He smiled faintly. "I guess when you build a world, some of that leaks into the foundation."

They passed a small park where families gathered. Parents pushed children on swings. Teenagers sat on benches, absorbed in their phones. An elderly couple walked hand in hand along a paved path.

"Look at them," Adam said softly. "They’re not worried about gods or prophecies or cosmic threats. They’re just... living. Enjoying the afternoon. Being together."

Merlin nodded. "That’s most people, most of the time. The big stuff only touches them occasionally. The rest is just day-to-day existence."

"Sounds nice."

"It has its moments."

They walked in silence for a while, passing through the park and into a commercial district. Small shops lined the street—a bakery, a bookstore, a cafe with outdoor seating. People moved at a relaxed pace, stopping to chat with neighbors, browsing storefronts without urgency.

Adam stopped outside the bookstore. Through the window, he could see shelves packed with colorful covers, a reading nook with comfortable chairs, a small child sitting on the floor completely absorbed in a picture book.

"He would have loved this," Adam said quietly.

Merlin glanced at him. "Your dad?"

"Yeah. He was a reader. Always had a book in his hand. Fiction, mostly—he said reality was complicated enough, he wanted stories that took him somewhere else." Adam’s eyes were distant. "After he died, I kept some of his books. They still smell like him."

Merlin said nothing. There was nothing to say.

They moved on, past the shops, past a small school where children played in a yard, past a community center with a sign advertising evening classes. The sun began its slow descent, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink.

Adam stopped at a small church.

It wasn’t grand or imposing—just a simple building with a modest steeple and a wooden cross above the door. The lawn was well-kept. A sign out front announced service times and welcomed all.

"Can we go in?" Adam asked.

Merlin nodded, pushing open the door.

Inside, the church was quiet and peaceful. Rows of wooden pews faced a simple altar. Stained glass windows depicted scenes Adam didn’t recognize—not the traditional biblical stories he’d grown up with, but something different. A man helping another who had fallen. A family sharing a meal. People of all backgrounds standing together.

Adam sat in a pew near the back. Merlin sat beside him.

"This is different from the churches I knew," Adam said quietly. "No hellfire. No judgment. Just... kindness."

"The dominant religion here is based on compassion," Merlin explained. "The core teaching is that we’re all connected, all responsible for each other. The divine isn’t something to fear—it’s something to emulate."

Adam smiled. "That sounds like Dad."

They sat in silence for a long moment, the quiet of the church wrapping around them like a blanket.

"He did good," Adam finally said. "With this world. With these people. He made something worth protecting."

Merlin nodded. "He did."

Adam stood, looking at the altar one last time. "Alright. I’ve seen enough."

They left the church, stepping back into the twilight. The streetlights had begun to flicker on, casting warm pools of light along the sidewalk.

"Thank you," Adam said quietly.

"For what?"

"For showing me this. For letting me see what he built." Adam looked at Merlin. "I’ve spent so long dealing with threats, with battles, with the end of everything. It’s easy to forget that there’s also this—quiet moments, ordinary lives, people just trying to be happy."

Merlin nodded slowly. "That’s what we’re fighting for, isn’t it? So this can keep happening."

"Yeah." Adam smiled. "That’s exactly what we’re fighting for."

They stood together in the gathering dark, watching the lights come on in homes and shops and apartments, watching ordinary people live ordinary lives.

Somewhere far away, a god was waking.

But tonight, in this small neighborhood on a peaceful world, there was only quiet and connection and the simple joy of being alive.