Lexine Meiriona as Alinix, The Fantasy Writer

Back To Day One

In a world where different versions of the Beginning existed, no one knew what the truth was. One was free to choose which appealed to him as the most convincing version of the beginning of the world. Whichever this might be, one remained true—Man knew a certain truth. There was that Supreme being, the creator of the cosmos, who had been overseeing the world since eons before.

The Omnipotent, whoever you might conceive Him to be, created the world and creatures living on it in roughly 6 days, including plants, trees, bodies of water, mountains and other landforms, and lightness and darkness known as day and night.

After the human prototypes, Aro and Ora, were exiled from the Garden of Delight, the Tree of Life, symbolizing immortality and salvation, was given a new mission. Life would spread outside the garden, the population would grow, technology would be ominous, and in the years to come, everything would change. The face of the Earth, from its solemn and sacred form, would transform into a noisy, smoky and dangerous place.

The Tree of Life, Tirys, would travel across lands and oceans, touching trees, giving them life beyond their roots, and they were tasked to think not only for themselves, but for their entire population. For millennia, they prepared for what ought to happen, for the change the world would see. For thousands of years, trees touched by Tirys, became the guardians of the forests.

Meanwhile, as soon as Tirys left to bring protection to the earth, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil – Gadhyayfel – which fruit caused Aro and Ora's banishment from the Garden of Delight, roamed about the same. Gadhyayfel, however, could not function properly for it was corrupted by the creeping creature which deceived the human prototypes.

Just when the pacing of imparting knowledge to men drastically became uncontrollable, the Omnipotent took action. He planted Gadhyayfel firm to the ground. Within a 250-mile radius, it stood on the ground, the only life on the dry, barren land. It would live for ages with nothing, but itself. The power of Tirys could not encompass the 250-mile restriction placed by the Omnipotent, and the Tree of Life was not aware of this until the latter informed of it.

Tirys went back to highest garden where mankind had never set foot again. From there, it managed to oversee the whole world through the guardians it treated as its offsprings.

Civilizations rose from the forests it brought life to, and one by one its guardians died. Life was sucked out from the once lovely greeneries and was turned into stone houses and skyscrapers. Roads covered the muds and dirt, and piles of blocks and stones were erected from the spot trees once stood.

Gadhyayfel, cursed and alone as it was, spread knowledge in ways unknown to Tirys. Whether or not Gadhyayfel was conscious of imparting knowledge to mankind, no one knew. It had helped humans grow as a nation, as the dreamed civilization, but it went further than what it ought to become. Because knowledge was instilled in the minds of these humans, everyone wanted to be heard; everybody wanted to rule the rest. Endless wars were given birth; bloodshed became the norm.

Then Tirys went to the Omnipotent. "Father, my offsprings are being killed one by one. Men became monstrous now. My children are suffering. Is there anything that I can do to prevent them from dying?" Tears always flowed down from Tirys' face, and those were absorbed by the clouds, making them heavier than the usual. Its heart always throbbed hard, causing the Earth to tremble. It was connected to the world. Tirys was its Guardian.

"Tirys, your heart is as pure as the tears flowing down from your eyes, and your heart can give more than love to your kind. The power I have given you is to create, not to prevent. No one can ever prevent a living from dying." The profound answer from the Omnipotent never clarified anything to Tirys, but it believed that all things happened in accordance to His will.

As time passed, Tirys grew tired watching over the whole world alone. It was the only guardian left to watch over the trees and forests, not to mention its once ally, Gadhyayfel, made the death of the former's offsprings even quicker for it gave humans intelligence, and they loved building and building structures.

Tirys' power degenerated. It could neither revive life by one touch, nor create new ones, anymore. Each time a mass of smoke reached her paradise, she felt sleepy. She tried hard not to sleep because she knew she couldn't deter any mishap from happening when she fell asleep.

War of 1812, Tirys watched over the people of United States and of the British Empire as they took all their efforts to defeat each other. Carrying a wide range of armories, ships sailed towards the American coasts. Sixteen American warships to fight over a hundred British warships seemed to be an exciting combat for human beings, yet for Tirys, it was a fight against herself.

Trees were cut down by the American government to create more warships. The Tree of Life's heart bled hearing the screams of pain from each tree, uprooted and chopped by chainsaws and axes. It begged the Omnipotent to stop the war, yet He could only look at it with sympathy.

Pollution continued to surface the earth. Remaining trees were suffocated by the toxic gases that filled the world. The once green leaves slowly turned pale and lifeless. A river of Tirys' tears made the clouds so condensed the water poured with its feelings to the Earth's soil. The water ran through the Earth's core as she fell into a deep stupor.

As her tired soul traveled into a deep slumber, the Earth's surface experienced the violent tremors of an earthquake. The terrible sound of thunder reverberated as if it hit several hundred times the surface. Humans and animals, and every other living being, screamed and howled. A shriek of agony over the pitiful fear of the sound of death echoed through the Earth's core. There were shock after shock, darkness ruled, and the seas surged through every direction of the wind. Vapors of sulfur billowed the air, making oxygen thinner. Earth was torn into pieces.

While Tirys lay asleep, Gadhyayfel, however, became even more uncontrollable two centuries later. More knowledge was imparted to men. This meant more buildings, less trees; more technological innovations, more neglect to the traditional inventions that started it all.

But it would end today. It had to be stopped. The Omnipotent saw it recurring. Men played like Him. Mutations were rampant. Too much knowledge was dangerous to all living things. It was time to banish men again, the Omnipotent thought. It was time again to cleanse the tainted dignity of Man.

"From dust you were created; to dust you shall return."

The Omnipotent awakened the Guardian of all the living, and told it what to do. Tirys followed.

Tirys set foot on Earth again. For the last time in this generation of species, it did its function as the Tree of Life. It journeyed the land on a winter season, bringing to life every dormant and inactive vents that laid still during most of the events of the world history. In time, every molten rock from the Earth's core would fill the surface. The Earth would look like a ball of fire. What was beneath would surface, and what was in the surface would be buried beneath.

No one was expected to survive. The world needed to start anew. When the world was fertile with the dried lava, Tirys planted itself, and with all its might, brought life to the world. Light once again dominated the dark. The greenest of greens were seen in the vast field. The corrupted Gadhyayfel was resurrected back to the Tree it once was.

When the Omnipotent saw that everything was good, He grabbed hold a handful of dust, and breathed on it. The second form of humans was born. This time, the new humans knew the truth about good and evil. But they lived in harmony. All were equal. There was no one to dictate what the rules were. Everything was perfect, and they called the new world, Shangri-La.

The Omnipotent was finally content of His creation. He was fond of watching over His children. And on the seventh day since the birth of Shangri-La, He rested with serenity and smile on His face.