Part 1: Sunrise, Sunset
On the ground he lay, lifeless and unborn. He was like a story that had never been written. A leaf that never had a branch. His skin was pale and hollow. His eyes shut to the world around. His hair was messy and dull. Alone he lay on the ground from which he came. Lifeless as he lay a single eyelid opened. He was now lively and born.
At first, he did not know what to make of this strange place he was in. The overgrowth around him surely did not help. The boy sat up and pondered where he was, this new world that lay upon him. The smell of the unknown was pleasant to him and somehow familiar. He stepped towards a portion of the brush that was illuminated by an unknown source. Pushing at the branches and thorns the boy shifted himself to look on at the unknown ahead.
Through the small opening, he saw a bright tinge of green and a bight luminescence from above it. The boy pushed more at the brush to see more. Eventually, the branches gave way and the boy crumbled onto the grassy ground. A strange familiar warmth radiated above him. The boy, in his curiosity, stared up.
There she floated in her charming old essence, smiling at the boy with a truthful love. The boy stood for the sun, admiring the loving familiar glow. As the boy stared his heart began to pulse and burn. It did not decay; however, but instead, it ignited into an eternal flame. The boy was alive.
The sun gently wondered her gaze elsewhere, leading the boy with it. Her gaze landing on a steep and tall mountain. A thick fog encircled it like a snake. The boy stared in awe and filled with his naivety moved toward the mountain. The boy slashed at the tall grass which seamed to get taller the closer to the mountain he got. This did not stop him though and in no time at all, he arrived at the beginning of the climb.
The mountain at first was an easy uphill walk with small little pebbles here and there. The boy would often wave at the fauna and flora. That did not last; however, as in the boy's way a steep cliff had arisen. The boy could not recall seeing this while walking. The boy began to grab at the jutting rocks and climb.
The rocks were silent, only slightly scratching at the boy’s skin. After a long time of fighting with the rocks and inevitably having to align to their will, the boy was exhausted, but every time the boy would rest the rocks would crumble and tear at the boy. Every fallen rock would leave a mark on the boy, but anytime a tear would show the rocks would begin to erode and crack. So the boy just kept going, ignoring the abuse and occasionally getting hope from the sun.
The more the boy climbed, he started to realize the trek had begun to become easier, even having some parts where he could even walk. While the boy was resting on such paths something peculiar had begun to happen. Everything began to become darker.
A hollow and powerful wind stroked at the boy pushing him to the ground. With his arms covering his face he looked upon the sky as to see what was going on. Loud screams and chilling breezes purged across the mountain. The boy in fear looked to the sky for hope, but instead, he saw a different sight. The sun was an orange hue and was slowly falling to the horizon. Large streaks cut through the sky and blood-colored the horizon.
The boy swiftly got to his feet and began to trek the mountain and as he did the rocks would chip and stab at his hands. Fighting the rocks he climbed as fast as he could. He could see the top. The rocks shot out at the boy. Dodging the impulsions he was determined. As he grabbed at a rock it chipped sending him falling.
Fortunately, the boy latched himself to a loose branch. Peering abovehim, he saw a ton of rocks falling towards him. Gripping at the branch he leaped into the air and onto the cliff edge, just barely avoiding the landslide. The boy had made it to the top. His cheer was fleeting, though, as he stared out at the horizon where the sun sat, battered and changed, slowly fading away. As the sun faded, so did the flame in the boy’s heart, until both were put out. Darkness shrouded everything.
Lying on the ground, the boy shredded up and crumbled on his own weight. While he lay, hopelessly and silently weeping the loss of the sun a strange new presence emerged from behind him. The boy turned to a strange new presence. Another child like him stood there, except they were made of a new warmth, a blue and chill warmth. Soon many of them were falling from the stars to the boy. The star children played and laughed with the boy, distracting him from the dark surroundings.
Though the boy had many star children to play with, one, in particular, intrigued the boy. Unlike the rest, their composure was messy and static streaks ran through them. The boy approached and began to play with the static child. The static child played for a small bit, but then abruptly stopped and stared at something in the distance. A cave inside the mountain peered at them. The static child stared back at the boy and began to point. The static child had chosen him.
