Idris was sitting on top of the hill that surrounded his village. He watched the village bathe in the golden rays of brilliance emitted by the sun. The village stood on a cliff with the sea beneath it and green hills surrounding it. It was the perfect place to build a fortress, as it prevented any outsiders from attacking. They say that, in the whole realm, this village had the best sunset view. The hill on which Idris sat was parallel to the village and had a large, unique tree at its top.
They say that long ago, when people first found this village, they were given this tree by the Celestials. Since its inception, the villagers had cared for this gift, and to this day, they still do. Idris had fond memories of coming to this tree with his father to water it every week. He remembered his father saying that their ancestors were granted protection from the plague because of this tree, so it became customary for their family to water it regularly.
Idris still hadn't been able to cope with his father leaving him. He knew there was a chance his father might never come back. More than regretting his father's departure, Idris was sad that he didn't get to join him in fighting the plague. He had asked, but his father shrugged it off, saying Idris needed to be older to fight. Idris grew angry at this and trained even harder to impress his father, hoping he'd let him join the squad. But it was to no avail; his father denied the request. Idris felt sad that he couldn't join him. He clearly remembered his father stating it wasn't time for him to go into battle.
When Idris had calmed down a bit, he understood that he had to take care of his mother until his father returned. So, he stopped arguing, though a hint of regret still lingered in his young heart.
Back in the present, Idris watched the seagulls returning to their nests with food for their young. The sea breeze caressed his hair, and the golden sun shone in his scarlet eyes. He lay back and closed his eyes, enjoying the warm sunlight and the cool sea breeze. He always felt more relaxed when he was near this tree.
A familiar voice called out, "I knew you'd be here." Idris opened his eyes to see his mother greeting him with a gentle smile. Idris sat up and said, "He always used to take me here on weekends to water the tree." Carmilla saw the sad expression on his face and sat beside him, embracing him. "Your father is on a mission to protect us from the bad guys. Don't worry, he'll be back soon."
Idris asked, "Who are the bad guys?" Carmilla sighed and then said, "This is going to be a long story. But, we have all the time in the world, so it doesn't matter."
"It's all related to particles, you know?" Carmilla began. Idris asked, confused, "Particles?"
"Yes, particles make up everything in this world."
"How do you know all that stuff?"
"Don't underestimate your mother! I was top of my class at university, you know!" Carmilla replied with a smug look.
Idris was amazed. "Wow, so tell me more, Mom. How did this world come into being?"
Carmilla then began to tell the tale of the beginning of the world.
Long ago, the world was made of nothing. It consisted of nothing but nothing particles. There was no concept of time, existence, or anything. The nothing particles sat still, and no reactions occurred between them. Then, some of the nothing particles started moving and colliding with each other. Each collision caused other nothing particles to react, and so on. Eventually, the constant collisions between the nothing particles triggered a giant gamma-ray burst (GRB). This GRB caused many of the nothing particles to convert into a massive body of light. The light mass consisted of highly excited nothing particles that kept reacting until another GRB occurred.
This GRB caused many nothing particles to vaporize, and the vaporized particles combined with the light mass. Due to this reaction, a giant light mass and light particles were formed. This light mass had formed a sort of consciousness. The light mass tore off part of its consciousness and allowed it to absorb more nothing particles. Then the light mass split into twelve parts. The nothing particles, unstable from these reactions, began reacting with the light particles, turning them back into nothing particles.
"Oh, I know this! This is how the Void came into being!" Idris exclaimed.
Carmilla smiled mischievously, patting his head. "Look at my smart boy!" she teased.
Idris pouted; he didn't like being treated like a child. "Yes, that's basically how the Void came into being," Carmilla continued. The volatile nothing particles reacted with the light particles, turning them back into nothing particles, while the light particles reacted with the stable nothing particles, transforming them into light particles. Each time a reaction occurred, a GRB took place, leading to the creation of galaxies, planets, and star systems. The volatile nothing particles eventually joined together to form a black mass, which also developed consciousness. This black mass came to be known as the Void.
"So, the Void gave rise to the plague?" Idris asked.
"Yes, the plague is also composed of volatile nothing particles, which can morph through various reactions. But the plague was created later, after the realms were formed."
The consciousness of the light mass, which had absorbed many nothing particles, turned them into light particles and was absorbed by one of the twelve light masses. The conscious light mass used light particles to grant the other eleven light masses consciousness. Then, the twelve light masses used the light particles to stabilize the volatile nothing particles and freeze them in one place. "The twelve light masses are what we call the Celestials. The Mother Goddess was the first to gain consciousness, and she gave the other Celestials consciousness. The Mother Goddess then created the seven realms and the beings that inhabit them," Carmilla explained.
"So, if the Void was frozen in time, how did it create the plague?" Idris asked.
"It happened due to a massive tragedy that nearly ended the world, all because of a Celestial consumed by hate," Carmilla said, looking a bit sad. Idris wanted to ask more, but then she said, "Alright, let's go home. The sun is setting, and it's almost time for dinner."
Mother and son got up and started walking back to the village, suggesting different dishes for dinner as they went. The sun was setting as they made their way home. Meanwhile, at the plains of Vasmier, the army of Drij prepared itself for battle as the plague closed in on them. Their commander stood at the front, his scarlet eyes fixed on the enemy, his sword ready to unleash flames.