Between the Heavens and the Embers

Chapter XV

Once upon a time, the universe came to be.

No one agrees on how, exactly, everything happened. Was it done by the hand of a god, or was it a little fireball that exploded, creating the world as we know it today? We don't know, won't ever know, but one thing's for sure; In the middle of it all, the most beautiful spectacle happened.

A star exploded, triggering a phenomenon unlike any witnessed before and since. And from its death, two beings came to life.

The supernova happened in a brilliant burst of light. It outshined the galaxy and burned like a million suns. Amidst the wonderful chaos, something was born, forged from matter, energy, stardust, and perhaps an inkling of magic. This powerful entity, bathed in the remnants of the supernova's brilliance, became known as the Kwami of Creation.

But the laws of the universe have always been clear; everything works in total balance. It all exists with its equals and opposites.

Deep within the heart of a galaxy, a colossal supermassive black hole held sway over the surrounding space. Its immense gravitational pull devoured everything—stars, gas clouds, even light itself. It consumed everything in its path, including the immense energies used to create the first kwami. Moments later, the black hole gave birth to a being of incomprehensible power and from the darkness emerged the Kwami of Destruction.

For a moment, the two small gods simply stared at each other as they took their new reality in. And then, without words, they took each other's hand, silently promising to never let go. They flew together to Earth and there, welcomed one by one new kwamis into their ever-growing family. Together, they created and destroyed, fought and laughed, enjoyed life and discovered the endless possibilities of their powers.

Everything started to unravel with the very first humans.

In the beginning, the kwamis were praised for their powers. They were esteemed as deities, watching over the world in peace. They granted mankind everything they could ever want, transforming dreams into realities. But it apparently wasn't enough. The human heart, ever unsatisfied, craved the absolute power the kwamis held, convincing themselves they were entitled to it.

Blinded by trust, the kwamis never foresaw the betrayal. They never would've thought that the species they had nurtured and empowered would one day turn against them. But one by one, each kwami started disappearing, until only Destruction and Creation remained.

"I know where your friends are," the village's sorcerer told them one night. "You shall come with me to save them."

Placing faith in his words, they entered a beautiful cave, one of Creation's own making. But just before they could ask the sorcerer where the others were, they were sucked into the abyss, the world around them swallowed by darkness. Amidst the void, the voices of their lost friends echoed, time stretching into eternity as they cried out for their freedom.

It took five years until they were allowed back into the light. The sorcerer had imprisoned their essence within magical stones that he adorned around his neck. For years, they were condemned to servitude, forced to grant the desires of men driven by greed, power, and chaos.

Two decades and seven years later, two sisters walked into the house of the sorcerer. The man was old, sick and weak, and didn't put up a fight when they stole the stones. For good measure, the oldest slashed his throat as the youngest fled with the kwamis.

Despite their efforts over the years, the two sisters couldn't figure out how to break the bonds between the stones and the kwamis without rendering the kwamis' powers useless. But the sisters promised to their new friends that from now on, the stones would only be used for good. They transformed them into beautiful pieces of jewelry and studied the extent of the powers. They rapidly discovered that Creation and Destruction were not only the most powerful, but they were also linked in a way no others were. Their power not only complimented each other, but they could also sense each other, no matter where the other was.