No Longer Trapped

THE BEGINNING... AGAIN

In the beginning, there was nothing but pure light. There was no rhyme or reason to the universe, and the beings that existed did nothing but party constantly. This was the way things had been since the beginning of time, but it was not how things were meant to be.

When the Brothers of Darkness created the Dark Realm, the very fabric of reality was changed. The Light Ones were suddenly facing a war against a force they had never experienced before, and they faced extinction. It was a time of chaos, of strife. It was a time of Darkness, even in the Light Realm.

From the chaos emerged a being who called himself Jonah, offering to lead the Light to victory against the Brothers of Darkness. He appointed himself as the Ruler of the Light, dividing the Light Ones into certain roles based on their personal strengths. Jonah was adored as a savior, for a time.

The first group he created was known as the Healers, and they were in charge of purging pain and darkness from the Light. The Healers learned the ways of medicine, curing any ailments that were brought before them.

Next came the Guardians, fierce warriors tasked with protecting humanity from Darkness and danger. Guardians were thought to have hearts of steel, wills of iron, and skills unmatched by any living beings. They were given permission to travel to and from the Realms as they saw fit.

The Guard was a branch of the Guardians tasked specifically with protecting the Light Realm from the Darkness. The life expectancy of the Guard was much shorter than any other, but it was seen as the highest honor to be invited.

Cupids were also brought forth, tasked with ensuring the survival of the human race through love. They worked tirelessly to bring certain humans together, in hopes that these humans would create offspring to aide their realm.

With the arrival of supernaturals, the universe began bonding souls before birth to strengthen each being. Cupids then were tasked with overseeing the meetings of each soulbound. Second-chances were the creation of the Cupids, though the universe kept them few and far between.

The final group of Light Ones to be sorted were the Prophets. The Prophets were tasked with going to Midworld and spreading falsities to humanity, to keep them from looking too deeply into the supernatural world. The Prophets created many religions, and many of them painted Jonah as some kind of god.

When Jonah's ego grew too big, he began to act carelessly. Liam, sensing a coming conflict with Jonah, came up with the idea of a Council comprising of equal Light and Dark. He thought that the Council would help keep balance between the four Realms, and this would ensure peace.

Jonah, however, felt that Liam was trying to take more of his power away. He began to grow paranoid, convinced everyone was out to overthrow him. He pressured his Guardians into attacking the Dark Realm, thought the Guardians refused to start a pointless war.

This did not help Jonah's suspicions, and he began to grow moody and withdrawn. His features began to warp, as the Brothers of Darkness had before him. His eyes turned rust-red, where they had once been baby blue. His skin paled, and acquired a waxy sheen. He grew thin and weak, as he had stopped eating. This concerned the Guardians further.

Then, the Light Ones revolted. They feared Jonah was leading them down a path of Darkness, which would throw the universe out of balance and destroy the lives they worked so hard to build. The leader of the Guardians, a Light One named Abraham, led a small mob into Jonah's home.

He was too weak and warped by the Darkness to fight back, and Abraham and his team defeated him with ease. Abraham, being a soul of pure Light, could not bring himself to punish his former friend. He gave Jonah to King Louis, as a peace offering, and helped to create the Council.

Louis then handed Jonah to his brother Liam, Lord of Death, and instructed him to kill the twisted ruler. Then, he returned to his kingdom and began the search for who he would send to represent the Dark Ones in the new Council.

Louis chose a former Reaper by the name of Heidi and a Warmonger by the name Jonatham. Heidi had been injured in the line of duty and was no longer able to speak, and Jonathan had been the one to lead Sumer into the first recorded war. Louis felt that these two would take their roles seriously and ensure that the Darkness was fairly represented.

Abraham, with the help of his people, chose to send a nymph (beings who protected the natural order of Midworld) named Zebediah and a Guardian named Calypso as his representatives. Zebediah would ensure the presence of Light in Midworld, and Calypso would be there should a war ever occur.

This was to be the end of the story, but as history has proven, it was just the beginning. Liam, Lord of Death, had grown weary of the power his brother Louis held. Each brother was given one affinity, and Liam felt that nothing was as strong as Death. Why should Louis be the one in charge?

When Louis brought the twisted and deformed Jonah to Liam, he commanded that Jonah be killed for his attempts at destroying the Dark Realm. Liam agreed, taking Jonah and locking him in a dungeon instead. He felt that Jonah would be a strong ally when he finally overthrew his brother and claimed the crown of Darkness for himself. First, he needed an army.

Over the next few millennia, Liam expanded his prison to include anyone he felt he could utilize later. He convinced the Elder Council that this prison was a way to hold dangers to the Realms, ensuring that any other possible allies were given to him.

The Stone City became known as the worst punishment for offenders, a tale of caution to young paranormals who disobeyed their parents and a final punishment for dangerous criminals. The Stone City was where souls were sent to be broken, they said. No one ever escaped.

No one except Jane McIntosh.