Somewhere deep in the forest, everything was dark. Then again, how could light possibly reach down here?
The world might be oblivious to the existence of this place, but it cannot stop life from flourishing even deep down here.
It was about some days ago that a violent storm shook the entire forest. Due to which an old tree faintly clinging to life for these many years finally fell to its death.
It may seem like a peaceful end for the old tree but for the eggs of a small creature that she laid into its cavity before sacrificing her own life for the future —didn't go that well.
Many tiny eggs broke at the moment of impact but some by a miracle remained unharmed. Slowly, layers of wet soil started gathering above the living eggs, providing the sufficient heat for incubation.
Finally, on a rainy night the egg hatched as a small creature protruding the wet soil, walked out of it awkwardly. Of course, he wasn't familiar with walking just yet.
A creature born in the first order of semi-sentient consciousness. Which means at this time he had awareness towards his only goal that is survival.
It was the first time he had seen what light really looked like. The living, colourful world felt like a dream.
The small creature had a spider-like appearance. His eight jointed legs felt fragile as the small thing tried to support itself.
Not so long after he realised, wasn't the only one who had managed to live.
He glanced at the world with his two paired eyes, watching his siblings devour each other.
Normally, the creatures would've consumed the remains of their dead mother but these weren't the normal circumstances at all. It was all due to that ill-fated incident of the stormy night responsible for the late hatching of eggs.
From there after, everything deviated from its path.
Needless to say, it was the world where strength and power reigned supreme.
The only truth was survival of the fittest..
The tiny creature dragged himself trying to get away from this carnage. Screams of the ones getting devoured were horrifying for him.
He knew if waited long, he would be the next one getting eaten by the stronger ones.
The rule of the jungle was cruel. At the exact moment one of his stronger siblings happens to be attracted towards him. The relatively bigger creature pinned him to the ground in an attempt to take his life swiftly.
The stronger creature was only bigger in size as compared to him, but in intellect they were both the same. First order conscious creatures of their species.
Which meant the role of predator and prey was clear to both.
However, by some miracle he dodged the pincer that was aimed at his neck.
Time was running short. There was not even a moment to think. Kill or get killed. Devour or get devoured.
It was his make or break moment.
He took the chance and lunged at his stronger sibling's throat— the only part of its body unprotected by the chitinous shell —with sharp pincer-like canines and tore through its flesh causing a fountain of purple blood to gush through.
Without wasting a second, he drank the blood.
And he felt good.
Like an elixir to his terminal disease.
His thirst was quenched and hunger slowly vanished.
Suddenly, a surge of power rushed into his body. He felt alive than his previous timid and frail self.
He wasn't that delicate creature anymore.
By consuming a stronger prey gave him a sudden boost, his perception changed. He had taken his first step into intellectual evolution.
Something that others were searching desperately for, came to him by itself. All the understanding of the essence, acquired by the creature he killed, now belonged to him.
Who was a prey just a moment ago, now saw the whole crowd of his cowardly siblings as nothing but his own prey. He glared at them, all of them. None of them tried to save him nor did they refuse this cannibalism and the most important part which made him stand out from the rest of them —not daring to challenge the stronger ones they were still feeding upon the weaker prey.
If not for the stronger one, they would've devoured him themselves. So there was no place for mercy.
He lunged at one with his tiny body, his prey just submitted, not daring to revolt.
The world was cruel to kind but gave equal chances for everyone to climb the ladder of power.
Only the ones brave enough to take the step would reach the top while the rest will become stepping stones only to get trampled on.
That is the absolute law. The world prefers boldness over perfection.
He killed another, then another, and another of his own kind. For days he consumed and the others were just standing there ready to sacrifice their lives because of fear.
If even one of these fodders had the courage to defy his tyranny, they would've gotten his role by now.
But these prey could never comprehend how their predator, a fellow member of the species, thinks.
Days of running rampant with the slaughter gave him the push he needed to evolve into second order.
Stepping into the second order of the semi sentient class, he naturally became an unstoppable force.
And he was a bearer of a greater power now. The second order means he was now a spirit creature.
The first order was the conscious creature —only self aware.
And the second was a spirit creature—allowing him to use natural essence up to a limit that is.
The evolution happens to be a quite rare sight as one in a thousand manages to pull that off actually. And the same thing is also true for humans.
While he had evolved —unlike humans he wasn't familiar with the concept of thinking. And the unfamiliar feel of emotion made his life a bit disoriented.
Not that he understood that fully yet. But if it was working then it's all good.
He killed not only to satiate his hunger but to prove to the harsh ecosystem of the forest that he wasn't the weak creature anymore.
The emotions like spite and anger gave him the push towards his ultimate goal.
And the ultimate goal for an evolved being is just as same as getting the first dose of an addictive substance— he only needs more.
Jump to the higher order. Another class. Another evolution.
Therefore he could not afford to be irrational anymore —leaving some of his kind alive on purpose so that they could serve as foot soldiers in his vast army.
He fed them, terrified them upto the limit so none
could dare form a thought against him and evolve their sentience— therefore he remained as their unchallenged leader.
With his army of obeying puppets, he ravaged the homes of another species making them another stepping stone in his path of evolution.
However, the path was narrow and bound to conflicts. And if he wasn't careful another being of higher intelligence could wipe him out easily.
Therefore he was always wary of the part of forest where humans live, they were sentient beings by birth. He was only a semi sentient, that too a lower order.
Human intelligence far surpassed his.
The exact higher life form he should be keeping his distance from.
However, one evening everything changed. He received a strange call from the human settlement. As if something was demanding his attention.
It was the same feeling he had while killing his first opponent.
Humans were a threat alright but opportunities often came with dangers.
But what was it calling him from there?
As if someone ominous had finally awakened from its eternal slumber.
Whatever it was, it seemed like a perfect day to consume human flesh and develop his consciousness to the third order— which would make him evolve from the spirit to the soul creature.
Not to mention he always wondered how higher beings might see the world. Could it be the same as him or did their world have more …colour?
Perhaps he had just asked them if given the chance.
It was a shame that the world forced him to obey its rules.
Only the ones brave enough to take the step will ascend and the rest will get trampled on.
This was another make or break moment.
His decision, whether to face the humans or not, will simultaneously decide if he wants to become more powerful or will he also become a stepping stone some day?
Needless to say, a creature who has tasted the drug of intelligence will only demand more.
It might be his chance, the only chance to evolve into the third order.
Then maybe someday he would ascend to a higher class and become a sentient being himself.
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