The magnificent hall was pure white. Every trace of carving, every flowing line, radiated a soft, lustrous glow.
Yet this vast space contained only the white-bearded old man and Adam. It should have felt somewhat too empty, but neither of them was ordinary.
As the World Master, the white-bearded old man's presence naturally blended with the entire hall. Adam, though he showed no hostility, also naturally let the realm of Primordial Unity surrounding him spread outward.
Having constructed a complete inner world within himself, he was himself a World Master who carried a world wherever he went.
"Please, sit."
There had originally been only one throne in the hall, fused with the entire structure. But under the white-bearded old man's control, another throne rose from the ground.
By every measure, the man before him deserved such courtesy.
"It seems we have not introduced ourselves yet."
The white-bearded old man sat upon his throne.
"I was the first life born in this world, and I am also the creator of Eä. My children call me Eru, but I still prefer the name I gave myself: Ilúvatar."
Adam was somewhat surprised.
When he had first heard Eä, he had only vaguely felt that such a concept existed somewhere in his memories. But after hearing Ilúvatar, the keyword became instantly recognizable.
Eru Ilúvatar, the One God, the omnipotent Creator... Of course, those titles were limited to this world.
And the world created and governed by Ilúvatar had another name Adam knew far better—the world of The Lord of the Rings!
Of course, as the Creator, Ilúvatar was practically just background scenery in the plot of The Lord of the Rings. Yet his influence over the entire world was profound and all-encompassing.
Before creating the material world—Eä, as Ilúvatar called it—he had first created