Prologue

Eons ago, there was a time when humans lived a lot like animals. It was a time where they lived in the coldest and barest of caves, survived by eating nothing but fruits and raw meat and, sadly, words for communication were something that didn't even pass their greatest dreams.

High above the heavens, the angels took pity over the humans. Humans and angels were both likened from the same image. They felt that the humans should be something more and thought that their demise would be inevitable if this continues.

The angels then approached God and proposed that they go down to Earth and teach the humans the basics of living a decent life.

God, sitting on his golden chair, smiled for a moment. He already made it clear to the angels that he had plans for everything so he thought that it was amusing how the angels proposed something to him.

"It is nice that you show... enthusiasm to help the humans," he praised in a low and calming voice.

The angels became excited by the thought that God already agreed. "So, can we go now?" one angel asked with a wide grin on his face. "I think now is a good time. We really want things to be don−"

God raised his right hand slightly. The angels noticed this and became quiet. "−But you, my dear angels, cannot."

Puzzled looks ran through the angels' faces while God, on the other hand, wore his usual sure face. "The humans need time to grow by themselves. They won't be able to appreciate the things they didn't learn themselves."

God loved the humans more than anything. He created the humans, therefore, he knew very well their potential and believed in what their hearts could achieve. That is why he didn't want the angels to interfere. He had prepared everything necessary before giving the first people his breath of life so there was no need for worries. He knew that in time, the humans will thrive by themselves.

The angels weren't satisfied with God's answer. They believed that this time, for the first time in eternity, God was wrong. They decided that they should teach the humans only the basics of knowledge to help them realize their potential and ultimately− to progress.

Setting aside God's order, the angels hurriedly went down to earth and taught the humans many things. They taught them how to communicate with words, create fire and cook, tame animals, plant and harvest, and they even went as far as teaching them how to read the stars and predict the changing of seasons and positions of landscapes and many more.

Soon, the humans started to thrive. They established small groups that became villages which turned into cities that what later grew into huge and prosperous civilizations.

Hundreds of years passed since the angels came down to earth and now, the humans have everything they needed and much more, however, they developed something the angels weren't expecting− an insatiable hunger for power. They loathed the immortal beings known as angels that can use magic. They believed that as beings favored by God himself, they have every right to learn magic as well.

They approached the angels and asked to teach them how to use magic but as expected, their request was denied.

An angel said, "Teaching you how to harness forces that can break reality is not part of our task."

"We already taught you everything you need. You now have towering infrastructures made of stones, hanging gardens that house plants and animals that shouldn't even exist in the same place! You live in cities that can withstand the extremes of temperatures. You need not learn anything more," another angel said.

The humans knew the angels were right. They already have everything but, still, deep inside, they were thirsty for more. They developed an endless pit of greed that couldn't be filled.

Throughout the years, the humans became smarter, more decisive and cunning. With these traits, they managed to turn the tables of their losing plea to the angels. One human stepped forward and said, "You've said that you would teach us the basics of knowledge. Isn't magic considered basic?"

"Yes, you are right. Magic is basic for us angels. We are born with it." an angel agreed. "But humans aren't born to harness these kinds of forces. You need not know of such a thing."

"You tell us that we don't need it or is it that you just don't want to teach us because of fear that you'll lose your place in God's side?"

"Know your place human!" another angel demanded.

"Then prove it!" the human challenged.

The debate lasted for more than a day and in the end, the humans won. The angels taught them magic and soon, the world entered a grand age of magic.

All was well and the angels who were skeptic on teaching the humans with magic started to realize that they were wrong in depriving them with the art and that their fears were groundless. But peace didn't last long. The humans still wanted more power; however, there wasn't anything to get a hold of anymore aside from taking things, in any form, from each other.

The humans turned to themselves. They started wars in order to satisfy their greed.

The angels, realizing their mistake of teaching the humans magic, decided to go back to heaven to seek guidance from God. But before they could leave, a dreaded rumor spread across the world. It was a rumor that will end everything. The rumor, more so, proved how magic turned out to be the forbidden fruit− something so congenial and delectable but was also something that would later conceive humans' first sin− greed.

The rumor spoke of a way on how to get the ultimate magic− the magic of wishes. With this magic, the humans could achieve things that were intangible or impossible through their magic alone.

The price of one wish was something really heavy. To gain control of the ultimate magic, they needed an angel's heart and wings.

The wings of an angel was said to be a vessel that could house an eternity of memories for the immortal angels. Memories were the source of an angel's power and the longer an angel had lived, the more powerful it becomes. On the other hand, an angel's heart is the source of their immortality; one of God's greatest gifts. To put it simply, it was ONE LIFE for ONE... WISH.

The humans knew that the angels would die if they took away their hearts and wings but they didn't care. Greed clouded their conscience. They soon stormed the dwelling place of the angels.

The angels couldn't fight back. They cannot stand the thought of hurting the humans. They tried to restrain them using magic and talk to the humans but it was to no avail. The humans already grew very accustomed to using magic that they developed something that could dispell the angels'.

The humans weilded swords, threw spears and arrows and summoned balls of fire, lighting bolts and pelting hail. With overwhelming numbers and a new magic that was unknown to angels, they were succeeding. They tore the angels' wings and gorged out their chest and skewered hearts out of the defeated angels.

The angels started dying one by one and, one by one, the humans started having what they wished for. Every knowledge the angels thought to the humans were now being used to annihilate them. It was the price they had to pay for disobeying God and soon, the humans too will suffer because of their sins.

The humans rejoiced. After making their wishes, the humans lost their ability to use magic but it was worth it for they already have what their hearts trully desire, something their magic could not give. People wished to be kings, some wished for their enemies to die and others wanted the hearts of the ones they loved.

God, disappointed on how his creation turned out, demanded, "STOP THIS FOOLISHNESS!"

The command echoed through the whole world like roaring thunder.

The humans heard God's voice but they were too intoxicated with the magic of wishes to listen and instead conceived the most sinister wish possible; they wanted to turn God into a human and replace him.

The humans who still had their harvested angel's hearts and wings started wishing but nothing happened. Their wish was outside the capabilities of the magic of wishes and as the law of the greatest magic states, they lost their magic after wishing even though they did not have anything in return.

God grew angrier at the humans. Tears started to come out of his eyes. He concluded that it was time the humans be taught a lesson. A lesson that will be remembered throughout history.

God announced, "Those of you who has not succumbed to the greatest of greed. Build a mighty ship as big as you can and ride it for I will now cleanse this world." God was pertaining to the people who did not take part in the extermination of the angels and still had their powers.

God gathered his tears and turned them into dark clouds. The dark clouds covered the earth and it started raining. The rain brought forth storms, hurricanes, tsunamis and tornadoes.

The humans tried to dispel God's magic but their efforts were futile. God was simply out of their league.

Only one human didn't try to fight God. He followed his order and built a huge ship out of one of their hanging gardens that contained a pair of every living plants and animals of the world. He, his family and a few others who were sorry for their sins rode the ship as God commanded.

Water started to rise and soon, it covered the whole world.

It rained for forty days and forty nights... And the world was born anew.