In a cave the size of a football field, otherworldly glowing plants, spores, and insects can be seen flying around. At the heart of the cave is a radiant cocoon, emanating a combination of two colors, situated on what appears to be an altar. The light emitted from it was enough to illuminate the entire cave, providing illumination for all the creatures within.
"In a few hours, I will be born," a voice came from the light, scaring away the luminescent creatures that made their home near the altar.
Taking a closer look at the light, you will see a curled-up ape-like creature with two horns that have a wooden-like texture coming from both sides of its head and arms that look like they were molded from the most beautiful stones.
As I waited for the moment of my birth to come, I couldn't help but think about how I spent the last fifty years in this womb. I was your normal day-to-day student who had just graduated from high school and decided to take a break before applying for university.
During my time off from anything that had to do with school, I got myself a part-time job with good pay that was enough for me and still could help my dad with the bills.
Life was going well until I obtained my driving license and encountered my first significant vehicular crisis: a truck collided with my vehicle. Too bad I didn't survive the accident to learn something from it.
Just as I was reminiscing, I got an instinctive feeling that the time to break out from the womb had come, and with just a flexing of my will, the two colored lights surrounding me shattered and exploded throughout the cave.
The explosion caused quite a spectacle. The plants and trees in the vicinity began to sprout and grow rapidly, fueled by the newfound energy. They stretched their roots deep into the ground, absorbing nutrients and water.
Simultaneously, the creatures within the cave experienced accelerated evolution. Their forms shifted, adapting to the changing environment and harnessing the energy of the light. Perhaps they developed stronger limbs, heightened senses, or new abilities that suited their survival needs.
Walking down from the center of the altar, I surveyed my surroundings and took in every detail. I then discovered a small pond filled with clear water, controlling the water to form a mirror the same size as me so that I could see what I looked like in my new body.
As I gazed upon the reflection in the mirror I had created, a remarkable sight greeted my eyes. Standing before me was a colossal figure, towering at a staggering height of 16 feet, resembling a majestic King Kong. However, unlike the hulking form of my predecessor, my new manifestation exuded a sense of sleekness and agility.
Adorning the crown of my head were two magnificent horns, meticulously crafted from solid wood and adorned with delicate leaves. My arms, strong and sturdy, appeared as if hewn from ancient stone. My fur was shining and had a glow to it; another noticeable thing was the runic-like writings all over my body.
Looking at the peculiar inscriptions adorning my transformed body, I shook my head, recognizing them as curses rather than runes. The curses served as a reflection of my divine nature as Ikenga, the god entrusted with both the realms of nature and curses.
Now knowing what I looked like, I sent the water mirror back into the pool before taking a heavy step down from the altar. Looking at the cave that formed its own natural environment because I was born in it, I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride that rose up in me.
I call it a cave, but it is just a small pocket dimension that serves as the birthplace of a god, so this is a must-have for every born god. Taking a step out of the cave, a breathtaking sight unfolded before me. I found myself atop a towering mountain, reaching great heights, and the panoramic view that unfolded before me was nothing short of awe-inspiring.
The view before me can only be described as prehistoric. Large animals and creatures, bearing a striking resemblance to dinosaurs, roamed the land. Giant birds soared through the sky, while the towering trees, reaching half the height of the mountain I stood upon, created a lush canopy.
Mountains, valleys, and lush landscapes extended as far as the eye could see. The air was crisp and invigorating, carrying with it the scents of wildflowers, fresh earth, and the hint of distant seas.
Another striking feature that caught my attention was the two moons suspended in the sky. Their ethereal glow cast an otherworldly ambiance over the prehistoric landscape, adding a sense of mystique and wonder to the scene.
Taking a seat at the edge of the cave, the sight before me validated the words imparted through the inherited memories of Nana. Nana, the name bestowed upon this world that I am in. According to the memories I received, Nana awakened her consciousness 2000 years ago, making her a newly birthed world, so there hasn't been much development yet in this world.
Nana can be said to be my mother in this new world. She is a large planet that developed its own consciousness, and for the sake of its evolution and protection, she decided to give birth to gods that can help her with the development.
I am one of the said born gods; the information I received from her was nothing special. Every one of my siblings (gods) received the same information when they were in the womb. This information is some type of inherited memory.
I was a normal human before I was reborn in this new world, and staying in the womb conscious for fifty years changed something in me. First, there was the initial excitement of being reborn, followed by the growing annoyance of how long it was going to take before being born. As time passed, a wild and vivid imagination took hold, envisioning how I would conquer the world and be all-powerful. Yet, amidst these grand ambitions, a sense of loneliness began to settle in.
From loneliness sprouted anger, as I pondered why I had died and how I would endure this solitary state for fifty long years. The frustration grew as I realized that by the time I was finally born, my parents would have already passed away, and my younger siblings would have aged significantly. While they would be well into their lives, I would just be embarking on my new journey.
For fifty years, in silence and without anyone to communicate with, I traversed through every conceivable emotion. From the depths of despair to the heights of joy, I experienced them all. But as time wore on, a profound sense of calmness and indifference settled within me.
While it may appear as though I descended into madness, deep down, I recognize that the calmness and indifference stemmed from acceptance. I reached a point of acknowledging the undeniable truth—I had died and been reborn in a new world, and no amount of anger or resistance could alter that fact. I understood that embracing acceptance was the key. Any other path would only lead to despair, and I yearned for something more than that.
From the inheritance, this world is still in a primitive age, but it still has humans who naturally evolved by themselves, and the humans were here before Nana developed consciousness.
When Nana was born, she also received an inherited memory from the chaos, and the information she got was what led her to give birth to gods. From the inheritance, she was told that there were an uncountable number of worlds like hers that had developed a consciousness and that there were civilizations out there that target worlds like hers.
The Abyss is one of those that target worlds like hers, but the Abyss doesn't do that consciously; instead, it acts on instinct, which is to assimilate as many worlds as it can. Then comes the wizard civilization, which conquers worlds like hers for experiments, resources, or as a garbage dump for all their failed experiments. There are others, but these two are the main ones she should hope do not come across.
Knowing that there are other worlds out there that may harm or destroy her, she instinctively wants to protect herself. But even though she is a living huge planet, she can't do anything.
It's impossible for her to fight to protect herself because that is the law of the universe and one of the downsides of being a world consciousness. What she can do is create things that act as guardians for her.
We gods serve as those guardians, but that is not all we are needed for. We are to bring changes and give birth to magical life forms, as well as to protect and guide the humans on this planet.
These things don't necessarily need to be done by us gods, but sometimes ignorance is bliss. If Nana had no idea about how there were others out there who may hurt her, she would have let everything evolve naturally. But that evolution will take millions of years, and who is to guarantee that nothing unexpected won't happen in those years?