cosmic chaos ➣ a zodiac story

xii - the sudden attack

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DARKNESS ONLY EXISTS because of light. It is common sense. Once something exists, there's an opposite factor that also does. Every action has an equal opposite reaction. Where there's a shadow, there's also a light. A negative harbours a positive, spinning into the existence of what we call life.

Mokurai and Kahikari perfectly represented that. They were the real yin and yang of Yosono. They represented what heaven and hell look like. The dark, damp caves in the depths and the bright, soft clouds of Yosono were polar opposites that seemed almost dreamlike. As if the Gods wanted to make the differences uncanny themselves.

Everyone knew of the undeniable rivalry between the deity realm and demon caves. They were literally light and shadow trying to drown each other out. But to everyone, just the names were obviously telling who the "good" side of the rivalry was.

The deity realm were the "good" guys. They had angel wings, angelic auras, and the brightest eyes. They lived on heavenly clouds! It was screaming "we're the saviors!" to everyone else.

The caves of darkness were judged solely for their appearances. Just because they were demons, did it mean they were spawns of the devil below? Did it mean they wanted to ruin lives and kill for entertainment? Were their horns representations of spiritual wrongs?

No. They weren't bad at heart. They were a nation with some good and bad people, some problems and some entertainment. They were like any other nation.

Yet they were feared. They were spat upon as if they were an abomination. Demons were the race of evil. Demons were hated.

Itsuo learned that at a young age.

He learned that appearances were everything to everyone. And no matter what he did, he was a cold-blooded demon whose mother and brother both died because of their own appearances.

Itsuo knew that Deities were the real enemies. He saw how cunningly deceiving they were.

He saw how his mother died during the invasion of Eikonoha from Ikarino (which was right after Akihiro's birth that solved the Leiko succession crisis) trying to persuade her distant cousin, Empress Azami, to stop the battle. The Fire Empress and Demon Queen were both from the ancient Hi family, a dying and sacred lineage. Azami turned her cheek and Kahikarin spies (who were protecting the Empress while the Ikarinonian soldiers were attacking) assassinated Isorin Mizuki for apparently trying to attack Empress Azami.

He saw how his brother never returned home after the first battle of the Third Great War. Ozuru was another pacifist, just like his mother Isorin. He never wanted to fight, but as a prodigy and for his nation, he walked into battle young, never returning. His fellow soldiers said he went down honourably, taking the hit for another soldier.

After that, no one looked Itsuo in the eyes. Not one demon could bear the sight of him. Because he had the same ruby-red eyes with a gentle glint that Isorin had, and he was nearly identical to Ozuru.

It hurt him. It hurt him a lot, knowing that his appearance -- which was originally misjudged by others -- was now haunting others through the resemblances he had with his late mother and brother. He was angry that others let their eyes decide for them.

Yet, Itsuo couldn't stay angry. He wanted to see the world as something else rather than the hell he seemed to be living in. He wanted to let the darkness he had in his heart have another meaning.