Unraveling Darkness

It started with silence, but then there was a heartbeat. Matter had been combined, forged within the darkest depths of space to create a little being; an heir to an ancient power. The warm essence of the eternal darkness cradled the baby, growing her far beyond the reach of any celestial body. It was here, under the endless night, where the Goddess took her first breath.

Like a flower waiting to bloom, the darkness cultivated her. The shadows nourished the infant with raw energy, slowly urging her petals to unfold. With time and a great deal of patience, the little thing tucked away within the womb of the eternal darkness began to grow. What started out as a baby, slowly became a child, one who was lovingly called Dark Flower. And within the depths of her nursery, she blossomed and flourished.

As time went on, whispers began to echo through the black void, teaching the child of the expanse outside of her birthplace. It taught her about the history of who she was, where she came from. The little Dark Flower belonged to a race of beings called The Divine, who lived within the original cradle of space. They were once mortals, with short lives and little power. But as eons passed, what started as something small grew into something larger. The Divine began to live longer, their strength becoming limitless.

After an eternity of prosperity on their home planet of Aciter, The Divine were forced to leave. The sun at the center of their system was becoming unstable, threatening to become a black hole at any moment. At the time, no one had the power to stop it or reverse the damage to their sun, so the planet fell into anarchy and disarray.

Around this time, a group of Divine came together, forming what is now known as Pantheon. Amid devastation and chaos, they helped to create order and a sense of hope by locating a new planet. In a nearby Celestial System, they found a lush world, full of life and potential. It took a while, but those who could traverse the emptiness of space, relocated to their new home, later named Olvatis.

Unfortunately, time was not on their side. The sun, Dephus, began to glow brighter, burning hotter with each passing day. Those who remained on Aciter were blinded by the light before eventually vaporizing when the star finally imploded. The shock wave was felt all across the cradle, causing panic for those on Olvatis. Members of Pantheon gathered to assess the threat on their new world, finding out very quickly that even their time was limited. The black hole that had formed where Dephus once sat would grow quickly, expanding throughout the corners of the cradle, destroying everything within its path.

The Divine that had escaped to Olvatis had powers, but none had the ability to control a black hole. Its shadows and darkness were an element not yet mastered by anyone from Aciter. Yet there was hope, for out in the furthest depths of space was the eternal darkness. At its core sat the purest essence of shadows, of chaos and terror. The light had never pierced its shroud, nor would it ever. And it was there, at its untouched core, that hope remained. Should one Divine go in, and absorb even a sliver of power, they would be able to stop the cataclysm that rapidly approached their new home.

Or so they thought.

Divine after Divine went into the eternal darkness, but none ever returned. Where they went, no one knew. Had the core absorbed them? Or were they wandering aimlessly in the darkness until they succumbed to death? With each failed attempt, fewer and fewer people volunteered to venture into the abyss, until a young boy stepped forward. His name was Etov, and he was one of the first Divine born on Olvatis. He was not a particularly powerful being, but there was something that called to him, something from within the endless night.

With no other options, Pantheon allowed the child to enter the darkness. For years, he traveled through the desolate abyss, searching for what beckoned to him. Many thought Etov, too, had succumbed to the darkness, as many before him had. But after half a century, he emerged, no longer a child but a man—a God of the darkness. The void of space had granted him the gift to control the depths of oblivion, the power to manipulate the very fabric of space.

With this newfound ability, Etov was able to put a barrier around Dephus, preventing the black hole from expanding any further. Within this invisible bubble, everything stood frozen in time. Light and matter were now suspended, hovering for eternity around the gigantic dark sphere. It would stand as a reminder of the past, of the history of The Divine. And to a few others, it stood as proof to the powers of the darkness.

With the crisis averted, life resumed on Olvatis, but soon, The Divine ran into a new problem: population levels. The majority of their people perished on Aciter, leaving the race of powerful beings on the verge of extinction. In an effort to grow their numbers, some of The Divine began to create a new race of mortals. Like the first Divine, these mortals were useless, but over time, they would evolve, slowly gaining powers and abilities.

In time, the population of Divine grew, spreading out over the vast expanse of space. With the growth and creation of new races, those with powers became known as Gods. From there, the title was further divided into four groups: Ancient, Greater, Lesser, and Quasi-deities. Only the oldest Divine, those who lived longer than seven million years, were given the title of Ancient Gods. Along with the title, the oldest Gods were also given a seat in Pantheon, their experience and wisdom proving useful for ruling. Greater Gods were some of the strongest, their abilities surpassing many of their peers. Lesser Gods were weaker, and typically served as disciples to the Greater Gods. Lastly, Quasi-deities were the weakest of the group, commonly becoming servants to the others.

It took years to teach the Dark Flower the history of what lay beyond her womb. There were so many names, places, and titles, not to mention the wars, battles, and the struggle to be the dominant force over the Gods and space. But in the end, Pantheon always won. If there was one moral that the void consistently taught the child, it was that Pantheon would always reign supreme. Their rule was always absolute. And yet, that did not mean they were correct. The Ancient Gods wanted control over the entirety of space, but they struggled with the darkness. Etov refused to bend the knee to them, and his powers were too great to be forced. It was the same for Etov's son, Uddum. The Gods of darkness were always on good terms with Pantheon, but unlike the other elements of space, they retained their autonomy. But the Ancient Gods were patient beings, willing to wait for a crack to form within the eternal darkness.

Years after her creation, the Dark Flower opened her eyes for the first time. The air around her stilled, as if the eternal darkness held its breath. This was a critical moment in her life, the first step to becoming a Goddess. Though it was dark, shapes began to form within her vision. The world around her was becoming real, becoming something tangible.

As the child took her first hesitant steps, she could make out a figure in the distance. Even within the darkness, she could see the shadows that pulsated around this person, similar to a heartbeat. The cloak that was draped over the skeletal exterior was as dark as oblivion. And from his body, smoke flowed out, filling the air with a frigid chill. But of all the man's features, the one thing that amazed the Dark Flower was his polished onyx eyes. It seemed as if they reflected the dead stars of the past and all the worlds that had yet to come.

"Do you know who I am?" The man questioned in a soft voice that echoed across the expanse of the eternal darkness.

"You are Uddum, the God of Darkness and Chaos, Bearer of Souls," the little girl answered confidently.

"Good, you have learned well," Uddum replied, his bony face giving a small smile. He held out his hand, offering it to the child. "But you may call me father, my Dark Flower."

"Father," she repeated the word slowly, feeling it as it rolled off her tongue. It felt odd to speak, as if the movement of her mouth was foreign. After repeating the word a second time, she finally reached out, taking Uddum's large, shadowed hand in hers. Though he felt cold to the touch, it did not bother the child.

As the two of them walked through the void, the girl looked around at the desolate plane around them. The darkness appeared empty, but it felt as though eyes were upon her. Frightened by the unknown, she gripped tighter onto the man's hand. He looked down at the child, curious about the emotions that were haunting her. As they approached a wall made of mist, he stopped.

"Fear is only natural when faced with new things," Uddum stated calmly. "But take heart in the fact that there is nothing to ever fear in the darkness. Everything within it bends to your will and bows to your strength. Between the two of us, we hold both its past and its future. Does that make sense, Dark Flower?"

"Yes, Father," she answered softly. His words comforted the girl and relaxed her heart. Once she was calm, Uddum led her through the barrier that separated the abyss from the rest of space.

Exiting from the misty door, the little girl covered her eyes, wincing in pain. The world beyond the shroud of the eternal darkness was bright, even though there was no light where she stood. Uddum waited, silently watching as the child before him whimpered in pain. He did not offer her comfort or reassurances but rather let her adjust to the new existence around her. This was an unfortunate side effect of the eternal darkness being her womb. And even though they stood in his darkened throne room, deep within his windowless temple, there was light outside of these walls. The darkness here was not pure, unlike the darkness behind the misty door.

As the child began to calm down, her eyes adjusting to the distant light beyond, Uddum took a moment to study her. This girl, his Dark Flower, had skin so black and shiny that it looked like she was made from obsidian. And then her hair, the dark coils that cascaded over her shoulders, resembled twisted black vines.

"You are as beautiful in the light as you were in the dark," Uddum proudly stated as he ran a finger through a curl. He had expected it to be coarse, but instead, it was soft and silky.

"Why did I leave the darkness, Father?" The Dark Flower questioned as she buried her face into his black cloak, attempting to ease the discomfort in her eyes.

"You were ready," he chuckled, the sound radiating through the room like a rumble.

"Ready for what?"

"To go meet with Pantheon," he answered as he reached down, lifting her head so her gaze could meet his. "I shall proclaim you as my heir."

"What am I to do?" The girl was curious, and her questions were never-ending. But Uddum was not bothered by this; rather, he enjoyed her natural inquisitive nature.

"For now, grow and learn. Though you shall not take my throne over the darkness for a long, long time, it is a hard path to follow. Being a Goddess to the darkness and all that lies within is not easy." He explained before clapping his hands, summoning something from within the deepest shadows.

After a few seconds, a small figure scuttled toward them. It was made up of a dark, flowing shadow that seemed to dance like fire. On top of its head were two horns, and its purple eyes shined brightly against the darkness. As it neared them, it came to a stop, resting on its hind legs. The little girl gasped at the sight of the new creature, unsure what to make of its sudden appearance.

"This is an Ichex. Do not fear them, for they are simple beings with only one goal on their mind: to serve the darkness," Uddum stated as he urged the girl forward. "Take Nyx to her room. She shall need a bath and food. Once done, return her to me."

"Nyx?" The girl questioned as the Ichex reached out, enveloping her hand in its shadows.

"That is your name, my Dark Flower. It means night in Ancient Divinian. Do you like it?"

"I do," she replied with a smile that brightened her face. Nyx. The name felt like a warm embrace to the girl, and yet it felt heavy at the same time. With this name, the weight of the darkness was placed upon her shoulders. But even with the trepidations that danced through her heart, Nyx could not hold back the joyful tears that flowed down her cheeks. In her short life, this was the first thing that was gifted to her: a name, a meaning, a purpose in life.