No Longer Free

THE BEGINNING?

In the beginning, there was only Light. That is, until five brothers armed with forbidden knowledge came together with the intent of gaining power. This first act of rebellion brought about the first Darkness. As the Darkness grew and spread, infecting the five brothers, they began to warp and change in both appearance and spirit.

The strongest of the brothers, Louis, decided these changes were signs of their growing power. The Light Ones who had not been corrupted, however, felt this was a sign of the end of times. They began to plead with the brothers, begging them to cease their studies and return to the way things were.

Louis realized he and his brothers would never be accepted by the Light Ones again and began to carve a home for them on the outskirts of the realm. This part of the realm became as dark and twisted as the souls that resided there. Where there was once pure sunlight running in the rivers, there was now a fire burning so hot it was untouchable.

The streets that had once been paved with gold were now made of brimstone, and the greenery had all shriveled and died.

Louis saw this as a sign that he and his brothers were on the right track, so he continued his studies into the forbidden magics of the universe. He found a spell that was said to divide the realm, separating the corrupted area and souls from the pure.

Louis, along with his brothers Liam, Lincoln, Logan, and Leon, cast the spell without consulting the Light Ones. The spell was successful, but only partially so. The spell was designed for the souls on the other side to seal the barrier on their side. Since no one did this, the barrier expanded further than it was supposed to. It expanded so far, it split through the realm and caused the corrupted section to break off entirely. Thus, the Dark Realm was born.

However, the realms were still very close in proximity and each had a raw, jagged edge that could not be closed. This edge was used as a doorway between the two realms for many years. Light and Dark Ones were encouraged to travel freely between them, in the hopes that cooperation would maintain a balance in the universe and prevent a great war.

When the first of the mortal offspring was born, Louis knew they would not survive in either realm. He decided to meet with the Father of all Light, a being called Jonah, and discuss his concerns.

Jonah, not being used to sharing the power and responsibilities that came with being the leader, dismissed Louis and his concerns without hearing him out. He felt Louis was trying to undermine him as a leader.

It did not take long for the first of the hybrid children to die, as their bodies were not meant to withstand the constant action of Light or the harsh conditions of Darkness. Louis again went to Jonah to suggest they perform the realm spell again, but this time from both sides so no mortal hybrids wandered into either realm.

Jonah again dismissed Louis and his ideas, again due to his insecurities. He felt Louis was after more of his domain, and this was all a plot to usurp him.

When another new species of being was born, Louis studied them as he had the others. This species, unlike their brethren, were strong and powerful. They had pointed features similar to the pointed rocks of the Dark Realm, but a radiance that spoke of the Light within. These beings were flawed as well, however; they were as morally grey as the mortals but had the power to cause some serious harm.

One last time Louis went to Jonah, showing him the blood and carnage the new hybrids had caused. They were murdering the mortals for fun, and neither Light nor Dark could stop them. Jonah still did not listen to Louis, and thousands more of the mortals died.

Many of the Light Ones begged Jonah to do something, anything at all. He refused, stating the only course of action would be to kill all of these hybrids and close the barrier between the Light and Dark realms for good.

Louis spoke up against Jonah, telling the Light Ones about the spell he had used and how it would work again. If they could break two more realms from their own, each species could have a place where they were meant to be.

A strong Light One by the name of Abraham demanded Jonah listen to the Dark King, but Jonah refused. He claimed there was not enough space in their realm as it is, and to break away enough of theirs would cost many Light Ones their homes.

Abraham, along with a team of fighters, attacked Jonah and forced him to step down as the leader of the Light Ones. They did not know of death, as that was a subject of Darkness they had never heard of. Without a way to properly imprison Jonah, Abraham gave him to Louis to deal with.

Louis had no interest in imprisoning the former ruler, so he presented him as a gift to his brother Liam. He told Liam that Death is his domain, and Death is what Jonah's people wanted for him.

Liam did not kill Jonah. He threw him into a cell in the deepest parts of his dungeons and forgot all about the bitter man.

Abraham was crowned as the King of Light by his people, and he and Louis came together to formulate a plan to best aid their hybrids and the realms they had been entrusted with. Their first decision was to create a council of strong and intelligent beings, two from each side. This way, no one side or one person would have the power that Jonah allowed to go to his head.

This council created a realm for the mortals from the Light Realm, which became known as Midworld. Midworld was viewed as beautiful to both sides, with its luscious nature and dangerous creatures roaming the surface. The mortals were given the tools necessary to survive, and they were then left to their own devices.

Another Realm was created for the stronger hybrids, known as the Fae. This one was made from Darkness, and the realm reflected this. Where Midworld had a beautiful yellow sun and vibrant green grass, the Fae Realm had a violet sun and midnight blue grass.

Midworld was home to many species, which the mortals separated into categories. They had creatures for food, creatures for companionship, and creatures they just left alone. Over time, these categories became less finite. Some mortals would consume meat from animals that were not viewed as food, and some refused to consume anything these animals provided.

The Fae Realm had creatures, too. However, their creatures were aggressive and not good for eating. The Fae learned to rely on the fruits and vegetables they could grow, surviving on a vegan diet.

The realms were all closed off from each other, though there were doorways between each that were hidden from the hybrids. The council was asked to stay together, overseeing all four realms to ensure peace and cooperation between them. Should the Council fall, there would be no one to uphold that standard.

Well, that's what they want you to think.