Marci tried so hard to comprehend what she was witnessing — creation itself. Life blooming in a way she'd never imagined possible.
The night split open with the crack of thunder. Father disappeared from beside the fireplace and reappeared high above the vast Predatory Army. The air grew charged with static. Lightning cracked across the sky, followed by his voice:
"Halt."
The word rolled like thunder over the army. Chills ran through every creature present — the tone was unlike anything they'd ever heard from the Father.
Lightning crashed, and the static in the air made every creature's skin crawl. The usually reserved Father sounded like a storm given form.
King Komodo stepped forward in golden armor that flashed with each bolt. "Father, we have come to remove you and Mother from this land!"
Father waved his hand in irritation. The earth groaned beneath them; lightning arced through the ranks, scattering beasts and men alike.
"Consider that your one and only warning, Great King Komodo," Father's voice rolled like thunder.
"Take your leave now, and I promise you and your daughter will be reunited in paradise. I will not save her mortal life—but her spirit shall be spared from damnation. Defy me, and both of you will suffer for eternity."
"Consider that your one and only warning. Great King Komodo — take your leave, return to your home, and I will promise this: your daughter's spirit shall not fall into damnation. I cannot restore her mortal life, but I will keep her soul safe in purgatory until your passing. Lead a righteous life, and you both will find paradise. But continue this folly…"
His voice rose until it shook the heavens.
"…and you will both suffer in eternal damnation!"
Lightning flared behind Father, his shadow stretching over the ranks like death itself.
King Komodo laughed — the harsh, unhinged sound of arrogance. He hurled his spear at Father. It vanished midair and reappeared buried in the chest of a lion soldier beside him.
Thus began the Great War.
---
The battles were brutal. Even with all the gifts The Blessed possessed, the Predators would not yield. Just the sight of those radiant beings fed the Komodo King's hatred. He poisoned his followers' hearts, convincing them that The Blessed were a replacement — a mockery of their creation. And so they fought on.
After one grueling day, losses mounting on both sides, the Lion King approached Komodo with a plan so vile it twisted even the lizard's heart. Komodo agreed — and quietly decided the lion would die once victory was his.
That night, under cover of darkness, the Predators retreated from the Mountain Palace. Mother saw this and believed the war had ended. Father, however, knew better.
At dawn, they gazed out across the horizon — and saw the horror unfold. The Predatory Army had not surrendered. They had turned their wrath upon the peaceful Kingdoms — slaughtering every creature, burning every forest, staining the earth with innocence.
The Blessed came to Mother, pleading for guidance. There were not enough of them to defend both Creation and the divine palace. They had to choose.
Mother and Father knew the choice they must make. Together, they raised their hands to the heavens.
And they ended the world.
---
A blinding wave of magic split the land. Mountains cracked, oceans boiled, and the great continent of Pangea shattered into seven. Fire poured from the peaks; trees twisted to ash; the air itself screamed.
The sky turned black — not dark, but utterly lightless. Lightning hunted across the clouds, striking down animal and Blessed alike.
Mountains split. Rivers boiled. Pangea tore itself apart.
The oceans rose up in wrath, and flames licked the heavens. Forests became executioners, their branches piercing the guilty.
Komodo watched the world die from his earthen castle. His daughter's corpse rotted in her bed — a monument to his obsession. He swore, with his final breath of arrogance, that he would one day bring an end to Mother and Father.
When the earth stilled, Mother and Father gathered the surviving kings and queens before their mountain palace.
---
"Father and I gave you a world," said Mother, her voice trembling with sorrow. "We filled it with all you could ever need and asked for nothing in return but kindness. This is how you repay us."
Father's shadow loomed beside her. His silence was judgment enough.
Mother raised her hands. "So now we take back what we have given."
Before their eyes, the royals began to scream as their bodies twisted. Feathers, scales, fur — all receding beneath new, fragile skin. Golden and crimson eyes dulled to blue, brown, and green. Fangs shrank. Tails fell. The transformation dragged on for days. Mother wanted them to suffer.
"Your subjects are spared," she declared at last. "They will forget who they once were — I will remove all of they free will. They will return to simple creatures guided by their instincts and needs. However you shall not. You will remember enough to fear the dark. You will fear the unknown for the rest of your days."
With those words, Mother and Father banished the new mankind to the far corners of the world.
---
Their magic spent, the divine pair looked weary. Mother had aged decades in the space of hours.
Father summoned The Blessed to the palace. His voice echoed with fading power.
"Be defenders, healers, and storytellers. Go forth. Watch over mankind. Prevent the next Great War."
The Blessed bowed and spread out across the world, becoming guardians unseen.
Neither Mother nor Father realized that a few drops of divine blood still flowed in King Komodo's veins — enough to keep his memories alive.
When he awoke in his new, frail body, his vow remained unbroken.
He would find them.
He would end them.
---
✨ End of Chapter 15 ✨