It was like stepping into a painting that had yet to receive its first brushstroke.
John's arrival brought color to this place.
Water lay beneath his feet, and clouds filled the sky.
John walked slowly forward. Ahead of him sat a figure with his legs crossed.
His body was like the universe itself. John saw stars and the Milky Way, as well as the magnificent Pillars of Creation.
John stopped, only a step away from the figure.
That towering body looked like Grawp sitting cross-legged.
And the figure before him was no longer motionless. He slowly lowered his head.
Within that body formed from the universe, a pair of eyes opened.
John had seen him before, among the statues outside.
"I am Eternity."
The boundless universe was merely a corner of his body.
That ancient voice marked the beginning of the trial.
John looked back. The path he had taken here was gone.
His lips moved as he said, "Eternity."
Eternity regarded John with eyes that could see through everything.
He looked at John and asked his first question. "Are you afraid?"
"No, I'm not afraid." John shook his head. "I have the right to win this contest, don't I?"
"The Celestials serve the universe," Eternity said. "They create light, allowing the universe to nurture life. Your arrival caused the death of a Celestial. Tens of thousands of planets will never again find salvation."
"You are guilty because of your selfishness." Eternity seemed able to see through everything. "For your own sake, you destroyed the possibility of countless lives coming into being."
"If life can be weighed, then selfishness is no crime either," John argued. "It isn't a matter of simple arithmetic."
He could feel Eternity's gaze fixed on him.
Compared with Thanos and Arishem, Eternity was far more powerful.