Divine Void

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**The Divine Void** (informally called the Void) is a realm. It is the afterlife for Simulians, but also the residence for most deities. Its main inhabitants are Natures and Industrials. It is described as a "peaceful, dreamlike place" where souls find peace, thus giving them the name peaceful souls. Shunned souls also reside in the Divine Void. The Divine Void was created by Vocitus on an unknown date, most likely just after their creation from The Nothing.

The Divine Void is an endless dimension located directly above Simul over the atmosphere. It is essentially located on clouds. The only opening to the Divine Void is a golden gate that always remains open. Never in history has it closed. This golden gate is powered by the Simulon, as well as the fires of Flaemir.

## Details

The Divine Void is a very open place, devoid of the binaries of Natura and Metallum. This means Natures and Industrials are united in the Divine Void and some even partner. For example, Nassiah Demyx, a Diamond Industrial, and Sywing Clover, a Nature, were unable to partner in life, but are currently partnered in the Divine Void. Many sites in the Divine Void are similar to cities in Metallum or landscapes in Natura, which help the ease for newly deceased Simulians to settle in to the unfamiliar void.

Souls are always opaque in the Divine Void. They can move and interact with their surroundings, as well as their fellow souls. The Divine Void is in an eternal state of not being day or night. This enforces the realization on the souls that their time spent in the Divine Void is simply an endless day.

Items found in Simul can be found in the Divine Void. Souls can sit in regular-furnished oak chairs inside constructed iron buildings. None of these buildings or chairs are made out of the bona fide materials, only the illusion-filled energy of the void. However, these items provide a comfort to souls of their life.

Living Simulians themselves do not know the extend of the Divine Void. They know of its existence, as a place where one reunites with their loved ones. But the knowledge of descending on their birthday and/or deathday is not knowledge they know. Also the knowledge of what the Divine Void exactly looks like is unknown to living Simulians.

## Shifting

Souls residing in the Divine Void have the ability to 'shift' meaning they enter a mediative state and relive their happiest memories, or any memories from their life they choose. A soul will usually lay back-flat on a flat surface, place their hands on their chest, close their eyes, and lay still. After a calming stillness, they will shift to wherever time or memory they please. Only peaceful souls have the ability do this. It is considered extremely rude to disrupt a shifting soul. Souls will usually stay shifting for up to eight hours. After, they will 'return' to their soulful state in the Divine Void. Wandering and banished souls also cannot do this, since they do not reside in the Divine Void. This is due to the Divine Void having many powerful forces that carry shifting out.

## Ascending to the Divine Void

Almost immediately after a Simulian dies, no matter what soul category they are apart of, they have an uncontrollable urge to ascend to the Divine Void, as this was where they were always destined to go after their death. Souls automatically know the location of the Divine Void that they did not know in life.

## Descending from the Divine Void

Souls residing in the Divine Void have the unique ability to leave through the open gate on their birthday and/or their deathday. They can descend from the Divine Void to visit Simul. Normally, souls are unable to pass through the open gate from their side of the Divine Void, only on these designated days. However, the souls that leave on their birthday/deathday must return to the Divine Void by the sunrise of the next day. Otherwise else, they are stuck as wandering souls in Simul until their next birthday and/or deathday returns.

## Children, Infants, and Unborns in the Divine Void

### Children

Children in the Divine Void between the ages of 02-12 have privileges their adult counterparts do not. They can leave or enter the Divine Void whenever they please. This is because their energy is not so large that it blocks them from passing through the gate.

However, children are also faced with a choice that could impact them for the rest of eternity. They can make the decision to grow up into what their appearance would have been as an adult had they not died. This decision does come with a large downside. This means the child would be considered as an adult, meaning they would not be able to leave and enter the Divine Void whenever they please. Once a child makes the decision to grow up, they can never reverse this. A child **always** can make this decision. This means a child who has resided in the Divine Void for hundreds of years may suddenly choose to grow up. The choice never leaves.

There are a few reasons a child would not choose to grow up. Some may be that they are comforted by their current appearance, reminding them of life. A child may be overridden with body and age dysmorphia when transitioning into an adult as a soul. Others may want to stay as children due to the privilege of leaving and entering the Divine Void whenever they please. The reason varies from child-to-child.

### Infants

Infants in the Divine Void between the ages of 0-01 do not have the autonomy to make the choice to grow up. They stay in an infantile stage for eternity, which is not truly a devastation for them. It is not uncommon to see infants crawling and roaming by themselves, since there are no safety hazards due to them already being dead. But usually, infants are carried around by a guardian or other soul.

### Unborns

Life is considered to start after the first breath. This gives the Simulian their soul and the connection to the Divine Void. This means unborn (whether miscarried or aborted) and stillborn children do not ascend to the Divine Void. This can especially be a devastation to parents of miscarriages and stillborns, as at least parents of deceased infants and children have the comfort of reuniting with them after death.

## Disabilities

If a Simulian sustains permanent injuries or disfigurements in life, whether physical or mental, they may choose to repair them in the Divine Void. Some are accepting of their own ailments, while others are not. For example: Hephorus Khrom sustained permanent facial and bodily injuries in a factory accident when he was nine. He chose not to repair these injuries once ascending to the void and accepted them. In life, Ferronah Banut sustained a number of mental illnesses, some being post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), severe anxiety, and paranoia, from the murders and betrayment of Glorinn Banut, the deaths of her parents, the abuse from Corann Taeryana, and her irrational fear of infirmaries. Since ascending to the Divine Void, she has ridded her mental disabilities, as she was unable to accept them.

However, if a Simulian is born with a physical and/or mental disability, or multiple disabilities, they cannot be changed in the Divine Void, as these ailments are simply a part of who they are, seen neither bad or good. The Simulian is already at peace with any disability they may have once ascending to the void. An example is Leonah Demyx, who was born with numerous mental illnesses, such as borderline personality disorder (BPD), bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder. In the Divine Void, she has learned to manage her mental illnesses better. Being a peaceful soul also eases any major difficulties she formerly had involving her mental illnesses. Although he is not deceased, Hagan Yules' dwarfism would not be rid once ascending to the Divine Void, since the condition is a part of him.

## Trivia

* The Divine Void was originally called the Pure Void. The name was changed to involve it more with the deities.