By Name Only

Prologue

    Darkness. The beginning, middle and end of everything. The brightest lights are born from darkness. They shine through the darkness and touch everything within reach. And when they die, they will be swallowed by the darkness.
   
    Pain. A constant companion throughout your entire life. It is present for your birth, and while it may not be your own, it is still there. Pain is inevitable. Nothing good comes without a price. Some form of pain must manifest for joy to exist. And even then, that joy is only temporary. And the day you gasp your last on your deathbed, pain will be there, holding your hand.
   
    Why then, do we bother to hope? Why do we fight pain when we will always have to face it eventually? Why do we look for the light, when we cannot escape the darkness? Why do we seek to be remembered when we are all forgettable? Why do we hate when we are taught to love?
   
    Why indeed.
   
    We hope, because we see weakness in despair. We fight pain because it sweetens the victory. We look for the light because we fear the darkness. We seek remembrance because we are mortal. As long as people tell stories, the characters are immortal. We hate that which we do not understand, because we are closed minded and have no desire to understand.
   
    Humanity as a species is rebellious by nature. Everything about us defies natural law. Civilizations rise and fall. Cities contain buildings that touch the sky. Diseases that have previously decimated countries are curable with simple medicines. And yet...
   
    And yet.
   
    We still have our primitive instincts. We still fear the darkness. We still attempt to escape pain. We still hate that which is different from ourselves. We still seek to be remembered.
   
    Darkness and pain. The two most feared entities in the universe. The universe trembles when these two meet. All it takes is someone in the right place at the right time...