Long ago, there lived a race of beings known as the Ezex. These beings were fragile and short-lived, like most species evolution played a major factor in this.
But for their lack of vitality and strength, they gained intelligence like none other. In their ten-year life spans, they reach peak brain development in just a year, something they use greatly to their benefit.
Starting off by banding in small tribes and villages, their ability to think and communicate effectively made them expert survivors.
As years turned by, their intelligence grew ever greater. By the time their population reached 100 thousand, the first city was formed, called Eden.
This city served as the nexus of the Ezex population, it's where knowledge and ideas were stored and shared, culture was formed and developed, and where the Ezex people went from surviving to thriving.
The population skyrocketed as advancements in technology and science became increasingly advanced. The Ezex first solved their life span problem, then moved to fix other problems that pester them.
As time continued to pass the Ezex population soon soared into the millions. They began to spread from Eden, exploring and documenting the world they inhabited. As their populations swelled to the billions, the first journeys into the stars began.
First starting with the twin moons Kal and Lora, then the next planet over, and finally the solar system. At this point, technology had advanced to the point of becoming what humans today consider magic.
As the Ezex population soared to the hundreds of billions, the first colony ships were built to explore and colonize new solar systems. Ships the size of entire cities flying in fleets across the vast cosmos.
As the population soared to one trillion, the Ezex went from a single city on a planet in the middle of nowhere to an empire that spanned entire solar systems.
Unfortunately, this is where the Ezex meteoric growth stopped dead in its tracks, by something… wicked and malevolent.
A darkness like no other, it was a singular entity that called itself Gellonion.
Gellonion was the creation of an ancient civilization that has long since fallen to ruin. It was a weapon, a destroyer of all things and cultures, and it could not be reasoned with.
Gellonion in all its sinister glory, attacked one of the Ezex colonies. Destroying everything and everyone in its wake. Billions were wiped from existence, but before their light was snuffed out, a message was sent out, warning of Gellonion and its destruction.
Fear and confusion ensued when the message was received, a patrol was sent to investigate, to find the what had happened, to understand it.
But when the Ezex came across the world that had been ravaged by Gllonion, they were truly disturbed by what they saw.
Cities were wiped from existence, entire continents burned, and billions of Ezex had been turned into something… vile and wicked.
They had been turned into mindless monsters for Gellonion's delight and use.
When the reports got back to Edan and the empire as a whole, fear had turned into panic. How were the Ezex to fight back against something so… egregious?
They had never fought a war in their entire existence, let alone build armies or weapons to fight back. How were they to retaliate when the very concept of war itself was never fully understood by the Ezex as a whole?
In the halls of the highest building in Eden, the greatest minds convened to devise a strategy. Those from all walks of life debated on what should be done and how.
It was always how things were done, every major problem to the empire was debated until a favorable solution for all parties came into place.
But as the empire debated on what should be done, its planets and people were being annihilated. As the reports continued to flood in, the true urgency of their situation became apparent.
Time was not a luxury they could afford.
Realizing their conventional ways were futile, the Ezex decided to combine their greatest strengths and create something that could help solve their problem.
Utilizing their intellect, the Ezex decided that a collective consciousness could better serve their desperate situation. Rather than debating like usual, a shared consciousness could work and strategize far more efficiently.
They began developing the most holy being of all, Medina.
The process was expensive, on both resources and people. It involved the process of fusing countless minds into a singular entity, a being with the combined wisdom of an entire civilization.
Medina's birth was a marvel to behold, a construct that was the size of an entire city. She was shaped into an octahedron that floated above Eden like a beacon of hope.
When Medina first awakened, the Ezex begged her for salvation and guidance.
Medina, in her vast knowledge, vowed to stop Gellonion and his needless destruction. She ordered vast fleets to be created, alongside weapons that could destroy moons and crack planets. She armed the once peaceful Ezex society, into one of war.
Battles spilled out over the vast cosmos, leading to what is believed to be the first galactic war in over 500 million years. Medina spearheaded the development of thousands of weapons and technologies, eventually creating something called Ether.
Yes, the very ether you humans use to fight with.
With the creation of ether, Medina created the first Disciples. Beings of pure ether, who could be both used as weapons as well as carry her will.
But even with these disciples fighting valiantly against Gellionion, it was an adversary that was simply too much for Medina or the Ezex as a whole to handle.
And so an effort to preserve what little they could, the Ezex decided to send Medina far from the conflict. They hoped that by Medina surviving, life as a whole would as well, and thus began Medina's vast journey across the galaxy.
After several thousand years of traveling aimlessly, Medina and her disciples can across a planet with not just life, but intelligent life!
It was the year 1896 for humanity, but for Medina, it had been eons. She along with her disciples decided to settle just out of reach from humanity.
But of course, Medina thought wise and far beyond comprehension. Was being she was curious as she was ancient and thus began her subtle influences over humanity.
— — —
Marcus couldn't believe his ears, here he had been told that not only was humanity not alone in the universe, but that they had been influenced for a little over a century.
And If Medina was the creator of ether, then surely that meant the anomalies as a whole were her creation as well.
But if that was the case, then… didn't that mean everything, everything the organization had told him was a lie?
"Everything, everything I've done was for nothing?" Marcus asked as he shook his head. "The deaths, the destruction, it was all because to glorified cluster fuck of people decided humans were interesting?!?!" Marcus asked, his rage being to seep.
Luna's eyes widened. She had expected Marcus to be happy in knowing that Medina saw fit to stay with humanity. That he would feel honored by such a revelation.
"Everything!" Marcus shouted in frustration, "Everything was a damn lie?!?" He then pointed a finger at Luna as his eyes narrowed. "Kenji's brother, Kael, and everyone else who died as a result of anomalies was because of your so-called god!" Marcus shouted.
Luna took a hesitant step back as she raised her hands. "Marcus, listen very carefully." She said calmly. "I haven't explained why she's done it yet."
Marcus' expression turned blank before he eventually began to laugh. "Oh, let me guess, because she was curious right?!" He then laughed harder. "Let me just kill thousands of people out of curiosity!"
Luna frowned, the sight of Marcus mocking Medina enraged her. Yet her love for him kept her calm enough to keep a level head. "No Marcus, if you paid attention, for FIVE fucking seconds you'd remember that there's a being known for destroying entire civilizations wandering the stars, and Medina is preparing your pathetic race for her eventual reveal while simultaneously creating human spokespersons like yourself and other officers of the organization!"
Luna then stomped her foot on the ground. "But you, you criticize Medina for deaths caused by your race and their pathetic behavior! War, poverty, and sickness are all a thousand times worse than what Medina has ever done!"
There was a heavy silence that fell in Kinsley's room.
Luna huffed a heavy breath. "I understand it's overwhelming to learn so much in an instant." She approached Marcus slowly, "But you asked to know, you continue to ask for this knowledge, yet get angry when you receive it, why?!" Luna asked with a finger jab to Marcus. "Why are you like this?" Luna asked desperately. "What's wrong with you?"
Marcus stayed silent, balling his fist in frustration.
Luna's expression then softened as she stood before Marcus. She looked up at him, her eyes filled with an unknown emotion. "I… I'm sorry Marcus." Luna said softly. "I'm a bad… thing." She said softly, grabbing at Marcus' sides, and hugging him. "I love you so much Marcus. Second to Medina, you're all I care for."
Marcus looked down at the silver anomaly tightly hugging him. He no longer saw Luna, no what he saw was something akin to an angel, an angel that served a man-made god. "Get the fuck off me." Marcus hissed angrily, gripping Luna's hand as he pried her small frame from his body. Luna cried as she tried to hold on, squeezing Marcus as silver tears streamed down her cheeks.
Marcus's entire existence had been a lie.
Marcus fought back tears, he didn't know who he was anymore. So much had come at him, so much had happened, yet in the end, nothing he did, did, or would do, would matter.
"Marcus please." Luna cried desperately as she tried to grab onto him again. "I… you promised!" Luna shouted desperately, "You promised me that you would stay by my side." Luna cried as she fought to grab Marcus. "You promised, and you don't break those, right!?!"
Marcus froze for a moment, thinking back to the promise he made with Luna.
He remembered what she asked. "You have to promise me that you'll stay by my side, through everything Marcus, and this isn't a joke, I'm serious. If you can't agree to that then….."
And he remembered his answer. "…I promise I will always be by your side, no one is higher on my priority list besides my family, and that's what I consider you, my family, so trust me when I say that nothing, nothing can ever make me betray you or your trust, ok?"
Marcus then dropped to his knees as tears streamed down his cheeks. Luna rushed to hug him, her grip tight and unrelenting. Though Luna had questioned Marcus' strange relationship with keeping promises, she couldn't be more relieved he held himself to that standard now.
Marcus' mind was a whirlwind of emotions. The revelation that everything was a fabrication for some high power was not easy on his mind. Everything he had done, and everything he had struggled for, felt meaningless.
"W-what am I supposed to do now?" Marcus asked softly. "My entire existence is a lie."
Luna cried softly as she held Marcus tighter. "That's not true, just because you know of Medina, it doesn't change anything," Luna explained. "Medina hasn't interfered with you personally in any major way."
Luna then pulled back from Marcus slightly. "The most, and I mean absolute most she has ever done for you, was to send me to you." Luna forced a smile as she gently ran a hand through Marcus' hair, "Everything else, has been nothing but you."
Marcus sighed as he closed his eyes. "So what happens now?" He asked softly.
"You keep doing what you've always done," Luna answered. "Nothing changes, at least for now…"
Marcus sighed as he hesitantly returned Luna's embrace. "You expect me to just move past the fact that everything is a lie?" He asked.
Luna nodded hesitantly. "I… that would be best."