Prologue

Malikai's POV:

"Do you know the meaning of life?"

I was sitting on the balcony, taking in the smell of freshly spilled blood, the intense sounds of battle echoing throughout the halls and grounds of the palace, and temperate summer night breeze that often graced the Daybreak Continent at that time of year when I heard my twin sister's voice, her body draped across my lap and her head cradled in my arms.

I turned my head in her direction and contemplated her question as blood dripped down slowly from my recently vacated eye sockets.

As I did, she reached up and once more wiped away the blood with the sleeve of her now battle torn robe.

When the fabric graced the surface of my skin, I could feel through said fabric how much colder than usual her body had grown.

And as a result, instead of answering her question I simply stated, "You're about to die."

"I am." She responded, a gentle smile gracing her young, yet refined features.

"Then this is goodbye?" I questioned.

Her now ice cold palm cradled my cheek and I could feel her nod in affirmation as she said, "For now."

We then both sunk into a momentary silence before she spoke once more, "You never answered my question."

"About the meaning of life?"

"Yep."

"I never really thought about it in the broader sense of it all. In regards to myself, I had always been under the assumption that my purpose in life was to always be there for you."

She once more smiled as she spoke, "I was under a similar impression. But a few moments ago, standing here on the verge of death bearing witness to a scene as tragic as the one taking place now, I can't help but think of all the stories we've been told since we were born 9 years ago. The stories about the Transcendental truths, about the so called "Gods", the stories past Heroes that brought about brilliant Eras, the stories about the countless Civilizations that existed the past, the stories of Him."

She paused briefly taking my hand and her's before she continued, "And I came to the conclusion that he's real. That he Exists. That in fact our own Existence is proof of his. And that the reason he created us, is so that beauty that is embodied in the concept of true Mortality as well as the beauty embodied in the seeming unpredictability of world shaped through free choice can be realized."

"That sounds more than reasonable, it sounds logical, it sounds true." I responded, a jumbled up mix of emotions present in my voice.

"I know it does, your not the only deep thinker between the two of us…" Her voice began to fade partway way through and her grasp of me hand weakened, the slow beat of her once powerful heart permanently tapering off.

Knowing what this meant I spoke softly as her consciousness-no, her very soul , faded from this world and into the next, "Goodbye."

After her soul had completely faded away my twin sister's (my literal other-half) body decomposed into particles of multicolored light that flowed into my body; endowing me with all of the power that she had cultivated since arriving in this world, as well as the potential she never got to tap into.

As this happened another bout of silence descended, this one full of a palpable since of grief, as tears mixed with the blood dripping from beneath my eye lids.

***

My Name is Malikai Daybreak and the following events are as transcribed by the Record Keeper Assigned to Pangea during the World's Conception.

These events can at the very least be described as complex; and when given the chance later on, the others might tell you that this a tale about love and hate, life and death, revenge, familial bonds, character growth, morality, or any other host of things (In relation to them that is).

But I approach the tale in a broader sense, appreciating everything that happened before it begins and everything that is destined to be brought about due to its conclusion. And in doing so have come to the conclusion that this tale is one of many that come together in order to tell a single larger-story that has yet to reach its conclusion.

One that began with the conception of the three Planes of Existence and has no known end.

A story about the creation of Valhalla.