March from Darkness | ✓ (to be edited)

THIRTY-FOUR

DARAYA

I could feel nothing.

I knew nothing.

I knew that I was as I was, but I was also nothing.

What was nothing? Was it this, this... thing I found myself in?

What even was my self?

I had to have a self, right? I wouldn't have been able to ask questions without it. But what was it?

The place I was in was... I'm not sure, but it hurt to take in; unfortunately, I also couldn't not take it in. There were other, different things inside of it, quite like it, although some parts didn't hurt as much when I noticed them.

I didn't understand any of this, and maybe I wasn't supposed to. How was I to explain something to myself that I couldn't put words to?

I felt something then, something painful that hurt just as much as the place I was in, but I didn't know what it was. I didn't know how else to put it.

The place I was in was suddenly gone, then it reappeared. It was as if some of the things that were in the place had taken it over for a short period of time before the original retook its place.

It happened several more times before I felt something brushing against something else as it did so. What was going on?

It happened one final time, and then I felt everything. Pain, mostly, but it was underlined with pleasure, fear, and understanding all at once. I was in the Centre, the birthing place of my brothers and sisters, and myself. The lights that swirled around me were no longer painful to look at, and the dark spots were lesser now, replaced instead with royal purples and blues. Dark red mixed with pinks and yellows, oranges with greens and bright reds, white surrounding everything else.

I was floating, the feeling of my body being formed around me incredibly painful. Everything around me felt too extreme, the colds chilling and the hots broiling; I ran a wet slimy thing in my mouth over some solid things and flinched when it felt that they cut into the thing. Everything smelled too potent, the scent I could only describe as sweet was sickening, mixing with a warm smell that burned my nostrils.

Why does everything hurt?

It won't be that way for long. You have been here with Me for a long time. Something spoke to me, words that I could understand but made no real sense to me. The voice was deep, soothing, calming the painful feelings in my body. I wanted to see this voice, wanted to thank them for relieving me of my pain, but I didn't know how to voice as they did. This is the Creation of your Vessel, my Child. You are to be a Creator, a manifestation of all of the power in the Universe. You are to be a compliment to your brother, Marana, bringer of Death and Peace. As his opposite, you are the bringer of Love and Life, the only of your kind. You are to follow your duties, make Creations feel the everlasting that they desire. Do not give up on it, my Child, for everyone can be saved.

But who am I?

You are Daraya, Son of the Universe and a Twin of Life. You have a destiny to fulfil, my Child. One that only you can come to accomplish. You will be loved, and you will love in return. Times will come to pass, ones that will test your ways, but do not let them falter you. Do not waste your talents and your powers. Be strong, young Daraya.

It felt like an eternity before I felt something warm wrap around me. I looked down and saw paleness wrap around red muscle, thick, curling lines of black searing into my limbs and torso.

The pain ended abruptly, the warmth enveloping me in such a way that I closed my new eyes, letting the darkness surround me peacefully.

Upon opening my eyes once again, I immediately shut them, grimacing as the light burned painfully into my eyes, creating an ache in my head. From my brief glimpse, the splotches of swirling colours had vanished, leaving behind only a powerful and quiet lavender. But why did the light hurt so much?