Chapter 1 APEX OF GODS

In the beginning there was none but the void, a raw representation of creation and destruction. From this pure chaos, emerged entities of all shapes and forms; gods. Each was different from their kin, some stronger than others. The age of forging had begun, as these entities took to every corner of the void, birthing life. After the great seeding, each kin saw fit to divide and rule. Loah, the very first, took hold a large portion of the light and all things that basked in it. Whiro the second, tasted darkness and settled for nothing less.

Soon after the division was complete, each deity retreated to their respective domains, promising no crossing of worldly borders, each with their own creation, to do as they saw fit.

Eons stretched, civilisations rose and fell under the watchful eyes of their many creators. The cycle of life and death in the cosmos was repetitive, this displeased a number of deities who saw creation as merely a means of sustenance. The division of power changed much, time had also changed things as well. Mankind, the very last of all creation becoming a source of conflict as gods fought for their prayers. Loah, man's creator knows what is to come, it can not be stopped and as he watches all from the clouded heavens, he starts to prepare.

Midst the dark regions of the abyss, Whiro swallows a planet whole as he curses the light, his dark hunger growing ever still. These lost worlds won't satisfy him for much long, he tells himself. He sees the world beyond his, the potential for greater sustenance and the thought of having those souls excites him. "My brethren die, the end of our kin is nigh, great change comes....you see it don't you?" Whiro's voice beacons, piercing through the thick dark as it travels far towards the heavens. Loah listens, his gaze now fixed towards the abyss, towards his brother. Both know what comes next.

Visions of the future come to pass, even gods can not defy fate. Mankind turned away from their gods as the years progressed. The end had come, just as the visions foretold and the gods were unprepared. One by one they fell, uncountable numbers lessened, beings once deemed immortal, the very forgers of our reality were dying.

Whiro watches from the dark, greed-filled eyes fixed toward Earth.

"I feel your strength fading brother. I shall come for you and your creation, soon all shall return to the void and only i will remain." Whiro's voice beacons once again, this time much loud as his laughter shakes the heavens. Loah knows what must be done, the survival of both gods and man depends on it.

It is here, the day his visions foreshadowed. Dark clouds loam over heavens city, Whiro has come and with him an army of fallen gods.

"Brother! Brother! How long has it been since our last meeting? rasped Whiro, a smile formed on his pale face.

"Step no further if you do no wish to anger your kin" said Loah. "we are not enemies"

Behind him, the remaining gods stood, refusing their second eldest passage. Whiro pauses for a moment and laughs, this battle was his to be won.

"What do hope to achieve my brethren? Why refuse fate, why protect these creatures who clearly do not know their place? Look at you lot, you used to be feared, worshipped. It can be so again, turn from this fool and bask in glorious darkness with me."

There was no response, he knew their minds were made and held no regrets for what came next. Whiro turned to his army, giving the order to kill all in sight. Screams from all angles filled the air as both sides rushed each other. The heavens demurred, as showers of blood rained down on Earth and somehow people knew, the gods were at war. The carnage went on for days, each side suffering tremendous losses. At the top of the mountain that reached the stars, the two brothers stood. Loah was just about spent as Whiro held him near, eager to take his brother's life.

"Why do you still fight brother? you knew from the beginning, you knew this was the fate of our kind.....i dare ask you in these dying hours, why did you not prevent this?" asked Whiro, a stream of tears running down his pale ghostly face.

"Ours was a destiny of greatness, the apex of all things sentient, but like all living things.....we too are subject to change. gods too must die brother, it simply can't be altered.

Whiro looks at his brother, confused. He does not understand.

"Then what was the point to all this then.....tell me!" Whiro demands, shifting his blade deep into Loah's flesh.

"We are planters Whiro, bringing life into this dark space and seeing that life become something greater than even ourselves.....that is why gods exist."

Whiro gazes upon his brother for the final time as the life leaves him, he looks upon the battlefield, he looks upon the dead and cries bitterly. He had won, but this victory is bitter sweet. Whiro looks down on his deceased brother's face once more as he crumbles to ash and asks. "Why am i here then? if gods are suppose to die then why am i still here?

The last god Whiro lays next to his brother's ashes and sobs, the darkness eats away the remaining corpses, until all that's left is him. The dark god is alone, he is the last one.

Chapter 2 MAN

In the beginning, before all things, there existed only darkness in the void. Then suddenly, as if a gift from the Gods, there was light. The light was just a flicker, no more than a candle flame. It pulsed like a beating heartbeat. For a millennium, the flame burned bright, keeping the darkness at bay, and all was well. Tranquility could not last forever, for there must be balance. The darkness fought back with a deafening silence. A cataclysmic event between the light and dark forces changed everything.

BOOM!

The peaceful transcendence exploded into a supernova. The massive energy force expanded inward and then outward with a wave that spread across the surrounding darkness. This wave gave birth to what we call the universe. It created all life, planets, and mysteries yet to be discovered.

For billions of years, the wave continued to expand. Near the end of its journey, what little remained of that little flicker of light was no more the size of a small rock. It fell to a nearby planet that would later be called Earth.

From this dying light, The Bright Ones were born.

These mystical beings were Aspiration, Ambition, Confidence, Faith, Consolation, Compassion, Fear, Wisdom, Serenity, and Hope. They cannot be seen by the naked eye and remain an omniscient force of nature. From the beginning of our time, the Bright Ones have steadily forced our evolution. With their gifts fulfilled to mankind, the Bright Ones fell into a deep slumber...

Centuries have past giving mankind yet another gift - free will. Slowly, humans succumbed to temptation and greed. Evil found a new home in the black hearts of men and women. Common decency became a novelty. Friendships grew into transactional begrudgery, and love was just a passing phrase.

The universe shuddered, and the Earth rumbled.

The Bright Ones have awoken from their eternal slumber.

The beings of light gathered into a circle of unity.

Serenity was the first to speak. "Why have we awakened?"

Looking at the others, Wisdom replied with a dash of caution, "Something is wrong...our light is fading."

Fear cut in, "I feel much fright in the souls of mankind, so very delicious!"

"Mind your tongue, fear! Something is amiss here!" snapped Confidence.

The others were silent in their confusion.

Hope floated into the center of the circle. "I think we need to observe what mankind has been up to, for there must be a reason for our awakening."

The Bright Ones looked at each other and nodded their translucent heads in a rare agreement. They decided to set off together as one on a journey of discovery. The world of man was ignorant, and the humans would not be able to see the Bright Ones or sense their presence. Wasting little time, the Bright Ones traveled at the speed of light and quickly arrived at their first location...

In South America, a mighty jaguar stared down a spider monkey swinging from limb to limb in the tall evergreen trees. The air was warm and humid as the jaguar licked its lips in anticipation for the meal to come. Prowling low, the jaguar waited for the right moment to pounce. Landing on the ground to eat some leafy greens, the spider monkey was utterly unaware of its impending doom.

Smoke filled the surrounding air as loud crackling noises echoed through the forest. Mankind arrived with their machines and mulled over the mighty evergreens. Fires raged out of control, leaving a wake of destruction behind them. Running away from the chaos, the spider monkey and jaguar ran for their lives. They soon caught up with the other animals huddled together against the backdrop of a misty mountain. There was no escape. United in their doom, the animals looked at each other while the flames crept ever closer...

"How far they have fallen!" shouted Compassion.

"Let us leave from this heinous act of evil. I cannot bear to watch," uttered Wisdom.

Serenity's everlasting light flickered, and the others began to understand.

A soft tear gently fell from Faith's glowing face. "Let us pray for those helpless animals."

"Enough!" fired Consolation, "we must go, quickly!"

"Yes, I agree. I am determined to shield my gaze from this horror," snapped Ambition.

In Africa, a tiny little girl lies in the dirt snuggled close to her mother. A thin blue blanket covered her body to keep the flies away. Her pale black skin is stretched tightly across her malnourished bones. Her mother wept in isolation because they had no food to eat. "Mama, I'm hungry...." Each year over three million children needlessly starve to death.

"What has happened here?" cried Compassion.

Aspiration grumbled, "Mankind has become selfish and only care for themselves!"

The others were forlorn as Wisdom's everlasting light started to flicker.

"Let us try somewhere else...quickly!" commanded Confidence.

In a flash of sparkling light, the Bright Ones arrived at their next location...

In Iraq, war-torn children lived in terror from thunderous booms that echoed around their villages. The men were forced to fight for a cause they did not believe in, and the women ran for freedom. Eighty-nine percent of civilian casualties were from the remnants of explosive devices. Human life was expendable here.

"My light grows dim. I can't watch this carnage anymore," Serenity cried.

Fear's everlasting light violently flashed. "Though I relish this divine trepidation, this terrifies me!"

Faith interjected and moaned, "This is an unholy act."

"We must be vigilant and carry on!" Consolation yelled.

Confidence's light grew dim. "We must be brave and continue our journey. There must be some good in this world!"

In America, killing was as easy as breathing. Gang wars flourished in urban neighborhoods. Domestic abuse was common practice, and bullies reigned supreme. Psychopathic killers hid in plain sight and the thought of murder was fun. Women found themselves in constant verbal assaults from desperate men hoping to score big. Children were preyed upon by sexual predators for sport, and endless lies echoed throughout every spoken statement. Indeed, unseen evil was abundant here.

"I think I now understand why we have awakened," Wisdom uttered.

"Our gifts to mankind have been squandered and washed away...."

Fear faded to black like a lost shadow in the sun. "There is nothing left for us to do. We must return to the void and sleep."

Consolation criticized, "We cannot give up on them."

"Yes, we can... Humans have lost their way!" shouted Serenity, who was now fading.

Hope floated forward and ranted, "While you have looked on with judgmental eyes, my brothers and sisters, you have failed to see what I have!"

Perplexed, Faith said, "What have you seen beyond this madness? Tell us, for even I am lost."

Hope smiled and explained, "While there is much evil to be seen, there is also good in this world. Iook deeper, you will see that the gift of life is always a joyous experience. A person who works hard to finally achieve their dreams is a success that should be shouted to the Heavens. Millions embrace their inner courage and rise from the ashes to overcome hardship. Underdogs who have nothing left somehow find the strength to keep carrying on. There are people who try to change this world with one act of kindness at a time. Soulmates who find each other and share a lifetime of love. I have seen it with my own eyes, and I will not give up on them!"

Wisdom spoke in a solemn voice, "While you bring up some good points, it is not enough for us to stay."

Faith floated over and patted Hope on the shoulder. "We have no choice but to return to the void. Wisdom is right in his ways."

"Mankind is now and forever on their own! We must abandon them." Fear shouted.

Consolation added, "Even I cannot repair the damage done here. Humans are lost to their own damnations."

"I agree! Time moves fast when they wonder, and nothing lasts forever...I, too, will leave," complained Serenity.

The Bright Ones gathered around Hope and spoke in unison:

How long can they keep falling?

How long can we keep falling?

We cannot save them. They are on their own now.

And with that, the Bright Ones returned to their eternal slumber. Their light faded to darkness as Hope remained. A lonely expectation of something humans could hold onto. His everlasting grace burned ever brighter and enveloped the world in a blanket of warmth. A slow and steady rain poured down washing away past sins allowing Earth to heal. As Hope stood in the deluge, he knew he made the right decision.

There is always Hope...In the beginning, before all things, there existed only darkness in the void. Then suddenly, as if a gift from the Gods, there was light. The light was just a flicker, no more than a candle flame. It pulsed like a beating heartbeat. For a millennium, the flame burned bright, keeping the darkness at bay, and all was well. Tranquility could not last forever, for there must be balance. The darkness fought back with a deafening silence. A cataclysmic event between the light and dark forces changed everything.