Lucien created a world far from the inhabited regions of his inner universe.
It began as a barren sphere suspended beneath a young star, and for several hours he remained above it, shaping only what he considered necessary.
This time, he was unusually careful.
Creating mountains or filling oceans required almost no effort anymore. What took time was making sure the world would continue functioning after he stopped touching it.
Lucien adjusted its distance from the star until the temperature stabilized. He gave it an atmosphere, raised continents from the oceans, and allowed rivers to find their own paths through the terrain. Weather gradually formed from the conditions he established, and before long clouds were moving without his direction.
He continued until the world could sustain itself.
Then he populated it with life.
Forests spread across suitable regions, grasslands filled the spaces between them, and simple animals entered the oceans and continents.
