The Demon King was engulfed in pure light. Spiritual light like he had never seen nor sensed ever before. It completely covered his entire body, purifying all of his being. However, as he was a being of pure Miasma, his existence was fading away. The agony of death made him groan louder than ever before, to struggle as much as he possibly could, and to fight as much as he could muster.
But it was for naught, as Planta's entire being evolved, her body grew to an absolutely immense size, branches and roots covered his entire body, piercing through his soul. The essence of his very being was absorbed by her branches.
"Stop…! Agh! Don't…!"
Planta's consciousness remained within this powerful light, reaching the Demon King's soul. Her hand, resembling a ray of light, took ahold of his soul, the deepest parts of his very being, which he had closed for eons ago.
"W-What are you doing?!"
Her hand kept going further and further, as she grasped the memories of the Demon King themselves. Floating as fragments of a past he didn't wanted to remember anymore. The agony of having his secrets being revealed not only brought him pain but great shame.
"Don't… Don't look at them! Don't you dare…!"
However, Planta's light embraced him, her mind traveled across the fragments of memories, as they quickly assembled together.
FLAAASH!
As Planta evolved, she found herself within a completely white space.
.
.
.
The color white covered my entire vision. Wherever I directed my sight, there was only more white. It wasn't a strange white, but one of purity, as if there was nothing within this space. Nothingness is the color white?
However, nothingness stopped being white as a black dot emerged. And atop that black dot, I saw colors flowing like gases. Red, Yellow, Blue, Orange, many colors… All these colors converged together into this black dot, granting it power.
FLAAASH!
The black dot slowly started to grow bigger, while beating like some kind of heart. It expanded continuously, small little legs appeared, and then, a single red eye, glancing at the nothingness. However, as it glanced at the nothingness, it saw other beings.
They were tall, made of elements of nature, Fire, Darkness, Plants, Earth, Light… They all observed him develop, moving and interacting. Its composition was different than all other gods, it left behind a black mud wherever it walked, and it seemed to constantly enshroud its surroundings with darkness.
"What a peculiar being."
"Our elements have converged within the small creation, but there's only sludge?"
"This is the sludge of chaos, Miasma."
"It is… a dangerous power."
"We must dispose of it before it becomes too uncontrollable."
The little sludge felt afraid, his own creators wanted to dispose of him the moment he was born. So curious about the world around him, and so many endless possibilities… Yet it was as if they wanted to throw him away, no, even worse, to just kill him.
However, a gentle voice spoke amidst the crowd.
"All life is beautiful, this little one might have a dangerous power… But I see an innocent and honest heart within its beady red eye…" A beautiful woman made of nature itself. Her gentle eyes glanced at the small sludge, meeting his own.
The sludge slowly crawled towards her, his eye seemed enchanted by her beauty… but only by the beauty of life and nature, but also by her motherliness.
She extended her hand at the sludge, as the creature touched her.
Darkness began to corrupt and make her finger decay, she gritted her teeth, yet she caressed the creature, giving it comfort even amidst her pain.
"I won't let my child be disposed of."
The other beings looked at her in awe, although some remained in silence. At the end, the tallest figure behind the rest, made of pure light, seemed to understand her words.
"Its powers are too dangerous, Gaia. It was merely an experiment. Are you sure you want to raise this creature? I cannot allow you… It might threaten all of us one day."
The woman, Gaia, sighed.
"My lord… Let me prove to you that I can raise him to do good."
The other figures glanced at her, narrowing their eyes.
However, the tallest of them all nodded.
"Very well, you'll have some time to show me, as we build the world and fill it with your life, you must prove to us that this being can do good."
"I will…"
She had faith on the little being. Despite being so obvious that it was a destructive being. I can understand such desires… I can understand such a feeling because I am also a mother.
"So Gaia raised you, Demon King?"
I asked him, but his consciousness remained in silence.
But I could hear within his soul.
He was crying…
The visions continued to move rapidly, Gaia and the other beings, which I assumed were also Gods, created the world with their elements, shaping it slowly, piece by piece, like an enormous puzzle.
It took them eons to complete such a beautiful world. And through those years, Gaia raised the small Sludge. She taught him how to control his powers, and how to be obedient.
She taught him how to speak, and how to interact. She taught him how to eat and how to transform. She taught him how to use magic and manipulate mana…
"Your name from now on shall be Erebus, because your body is black like the very darkness."
"My name…"
Gaia showed him the whole world as it developed, his little red eye glanced at the beauty of creation… Yet each time he saw how his body hurt his own mother each time she touched him, he felt fear of his own existence.
"Mama… Am I a monster?"
His words one day came out of his own mouth, filled with fear of his own existence.
"A monster?"
"Every time I touch you, your beautiful leaves dry out… Your bark tears down… and your life fades away…"
"…"
