Emptiness. Silence. Suddenly space trembled as a whisper of motion overtook the fabric of space and time, and a crack began to form; seemingly as though the Universe itself was tearing at its seams, a rift slowly materialized, emanating an aura of timelessness. Then, with force just as powerfull as it was silent, an unassuming boulder was expelled from within. This wasn’t just any rock, no, for it hailed from a realm where time danced to a different rhythm, a place beyond the very boundaries of this Universe, a time before Time.

As the boulder settled into its new reality, the difference in the flow of time began to take its toll. The once solid rock quickly began to crumble into dust, each grain breaking down further into finer and finer particles until there was nothing left, vanishing into nothingness and leaving behind only a single spherical stone. Its surface was dull, resembling the color of rusted iron and giving off an ancient, almost indescribable aura.

Just a few moments after being freed from its encasing, this solitary relic began a dance of its own. Slowly at first, it spun, gaining momentum with each passing moment. As its speed increased, a mesmerizing display unfolded: the stone's color shifted, a rapid kaleidoscope of hues, growing brighter and more radiant. Very quickly, the speed of its rotation became almost blinding, and its once dull appearance now emanated an iridescent light so bright, it would appear white to any and all onlookers.

But the dance was not over. 

As the stone vibrated intensely, ripples began to spread, disturbing the very fabric of the Universe. And then, with a suddenness that was almost jarring, the stone cracked, coming to a dead stop. It transformed, its hue deepening into a rich gold, and then began to disintegrate just as the boulder had. Yet, this time, the shimmering particles remained. They seemed drawn, as if by a magnetic force, to a certain point in space within the Universe. And so they flowed, forming a river of radiant, liquid gold that wormed its way through the emptiness of the void-in-between. The river sought its caller - just like how water will always find its way onto the sea - and indeed soon enough, it had found it: the Khodex of Creation.

The moment the river of gold made contact with it, the particles within began to weave themselves into the fabric of the mysterious scroll. Text, deep gold in color and unintelligible in meaning, began to form onto divine parchment; clauses, laws, and edicts that would dictate the inner workings of the new Universe were being indelibly set. Decorations, flourishes, and mystical symbols adorned the newly formed section, and once the final particle was absorbed, the Universe shuddered, and the words [b][i]"Astral Realm"[/i][/b] appeared boldly above the mysterious text.

The Khodex quivered, the sheer potential of this addition causing it to phase in and out of existence for a split second before settling back into its previous, static position. Simultaneously, a new, parallel dimension came to being - not as a reflection, but a shadowy echo of reality. At that moment, it was equally as empty, however that would not be the case for much longer.