LUMINARY [bnha]

Prologue

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Once upon a time, there were three gods.

Alpha was the god of the sun, hot-headed and strong; his ferocity and courage was unmatched by anyone or anything else in existence.

Beta was the god of the stars, impartial and observant; their tranquil and calculating aura exuded a feeling of total control and quiet hope.

Omega was the goddess of the moon, cautious and kind; her bleeding heart and never-ending empathy created trust, warmth, and passion in her wake.

Together, the three gods ruled their little corner of the ever-expanding universe, indulging their every whim... except for one thing: they couldn't make more gods.

Their kingdom grew cold and lonely.

Because of this, the three gods tired of one another quickly and found themselves bored. What use was a kingdom with no comrades, no allies, no friends, no subjects? How could they rule without anyone to witness their might and strength?

Then, Omega had a beautiful idea: if they couldn't make more gods, then why not make something else? Why not make subjects instead, beings with which they could share their power but never relinquish it?

But creating something they had never seen before came with difficulties. Alpha wanted these beings to be strong and fierce, acting out the elaborate battles he imagined and capable of terrible things; Beta wished for these beings to know sympathy and empathy, to judge and think and feel while knowing all sides of a story; Omega hoped that these beings would take care of one another, to endlessly propagate and grow and flourish and love. But then came the arguing. Each god felt strongly about their goals, to the point that they were willing to fight. In the end, after much deliberation, Beta decided that all of their dreams would come to fruition, that balance and equal parts of each of them would create the perfect beings.

They decided to call these beings 'children'.

After creating the earth together—a playground where their children could thrive—the gods decided to make it beautiful; they wanted their masterpiece to reflect the heavens, for their children to be in awe of their mighty power. They wrote life into existence, painting every leaf on every tree, each blade of grass, and all of the snowflakes in the world. Alpha sculpted the mountains tall and the deserts vast; Beta smoothed out the rolling plains and blinding tundra; Omega carved out the ocean and the valleys. Their own blood flowed into the rivers, through the deltas, and into the sea. No seed had been forgotten, no pebble unperfected.

Then, they got to work.

Children were more difficult to make than they originally guessed. They took a long time to agree upon a design, but eventually they agreed upon a framework that made sense: a skeleton for strength, muscles for work, a filtration and absorption system for energy, and a brain to pilot each one. Beta decided the three gods should shoulder a third of the work apiece, so each set out to make children with their ideals in mind.

Alpha's children were independent and ferocious, determined and brutal.

Beta's children were calm and poised, understanding and practical.

Omega's children were creative and messy, kind and caring.

Before long, their children wanted companionship. The gods created animals next, knowing their children would learn what to do with them. Alpha's children killed the animals to stay alive, either to nourish or to defend themselves and their loved ones, or, rarely, for sport; Beta's children worked with the animals to complete tasks like plowing fields, herding sheep, and sending messages; Omega's children nursed the injured animals back to health, took the animals in out of the rain, and let them sleep in their beds, befriending any and all to their own detriment.

The wolves were a different story.

The gods weren't sure why, but once they created wolves, the humans loved them immediately. Wolves were fierce like Alpha, smart like Beta, and pack-minded like Omega. Humanity accepted them with open arms—hunting to make the wolves stronger, working to make the wolves more clever, loving them to make the wolves softer—and the wolves did the same—protecting, helping, and guiding the humans—creating a symbiotic relationship; after a while, the wolves and the children relied on each other to survive.

Alpha, Beta, and Omega—stunned by the new development—decided to reward their children. Overnight, the children gained the ability to share their bodies and minds with their wolf brethren.

With the power of their wolves, the children came together, blending the bloodlines and becoming more versatile, more balanced. The earth flourished. The gods were thrilled, as this is what they wanted: beings that were perfectly broken into thirds, perfectly symmetrical in every way, perfectly strong and smart and sweet.

But humans and gods would always differ in their mortality. Their children were reckless, fighting the inevitability of death, and all the gods could do was watch on in horror as their children created war and prejudice and strife, flailing for a few more precious moments of life. The bloodlines separated once more, rigidly organized by god and blood.

Alpha, Beta, and Omega despaired from their perch in the heavens. Their children were so flawed that they didn't know how to fix them, how to make things right once again... besides punishment. Omega cried as the gods siphoned some of their power from the earth, severing the bond between human and wolf. Beta knew they were doing the right thing by removing magic from the hands of their children, no longer allowing for the godly gift to be used for pain. Angry, Alpha vowed that his gift would never be squandered again, only given back when the humans learned of their stupidity.

Humanity wilted, withering to a husk of the former utopia it had been.

No magic, no wolves, no vibrancy. But, persistent as ever...

Hope remained.