WHAT LIVES BENEATH THE VEIL
Book Zero: The First Darkness
Interlude: The First God
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CONTENT WARNING: This series contains explicit sexual violence, human sacrifice, psychological torture, murder of innocent characters (including children and family members), ritualistic killing, and extreme horror. No character is safe. Read at your own risk.
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Interlude Chapter Forty-Seven: The Birth of the First God
Before Time – The Beginning
Before the first star lit the sky. Before the first world took shape. Before the first thought was thought, there was the first god.
It had no name. It had no form. It had no purpose.
It simply was.
It had existed in the void for eons, alone and empty, watching the darkness swirl around it.
It was eternal.
It was lonely.
It was nothing.
And then, it thought.
I am, it thought.
I exist.
I am alone.
The thought echoed through the void.
The darkness rippled.
The emptiness trembled.
And something changed.
The first god created light.
Not to see—it had always seen.
To feel.
The light was warm.
It was bright.
It was beautiful.
The first god wept.
Not tears of sorrow.
Tears of joy.
It was no longer alone.
It was no longer empty.
It was no longer nothing.
It was the first god.
Not the last.
Never the last.
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Interlude Chapter Forty-Eight: The First God's Creation
The Age of Creation – The First World
The first god created a world.
A small world, made of rock and water, with skies of blue and clouds of white.
It was beautiful.
It was fragile.
It was alone.
The first god created life.
Small creatures, crawling and swimming and flying.
They filled the world with sound.
With movement.
With life.
The first god watched.
It saw them live.
It saw them die.
It saw them struggle.
It felt something it had never felt before.
Love.
It loved the creatures.
It loved the world.
It loved everything.
But the creatures could not love it back.
They did not know it existed.
They could not see it.
They could not feel it.
They could not touch it.
The first god was alone.
Again.
Always.
Forever.
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Interlude Chapter Forty-Nine: The First God's Children
The Age of Gods – The First Pantheon
The first god created other gods.
Not from nothing.
From itself.
It tore pieces of its essence and shaped them into beings.
Powerful beings.
Beautiful beings.
Loving beings.
They were its children.
Its family.
Its hope.
They created worlds.
They created life.
They created wonders.
They loved each other.
They loved their father.
They loved everything.
But the first god was still empty.
Not completely.
Not forever.
But enough.
Enough to ache.
Enough to hurt.
Enough to hunger.
It tried to fill the emptiness with love.
With creation.
With power.
But nothing worked.
The emptiness remained.
The hunger grew.
The darkness spread.
The first god was afraid.
It had never been afraid before.
It had never felt anything before.
But this... this was terrifying.
It was losing itself.
Becoming something else.
Becoming darkness.
Becoming hunger.
Becoming emptiness.
It tried to fight.
To resist.
To hope.
But it was too late.
The darkness had already consumed it.
It was the first fallen god.
Not the last.
Never the last.
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Interlude Chapter Fifty: The First God's End
The Age of Darkness – The Fall
The first god fell.
Not from the heavens—it had always been there.
From grace.
It consumed its children.
One by one.
It took their power.
Their light.
Their love.
It grew stronger.
Darker.
Emptier.
It consumed the worlds.
The stars.
The void.
It consumed everything.
And when it was over—
It was alone.
Again.
Always.
Forever.
The watcher watched.
It saw the first god fall.
It saw it feed.
It saw it become.
"You are alone," the watcher said.
"I know," the first god replied.
"You are empty."
"I know."
"You are hungry."
"I know."
"Then why do you keep feeding?"
"Because I cannot stop."
"Because the hunger is everything."
"Because I am empty."
"You could choose differently."
"Could I?"
"Yes."
"How?"
"By remembering who you were."
"By remembering who you loved."
"By remembering who you were."
The first god was silent.
Then it closed its eyes.
It remembered.
Its children's smiles.
Their laughs.
Their love.
It wept.
The darkness embraced it.
It faded.
The watcher watched.
It saw the first god go.
It saw its end.
It saw its peace.
"Goodbye, first god," it whispered.
"Thank you for creating.
Thank you for loving.
Thank you for hoping.
You were worth it.
You were worth everything."
The gods continued.
They rose.
They fell.
They fought.
And the watcher watched.
Always watching.
Always waiting.
Always hoping.
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End of First God Interlude
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Interlude: The First Mortal
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Interlude Chapter Fifty-One: The Birth of the First Mortal
The Age of Creation – The First Breath
The first mortal was not born from a god.
It was created.
Its name was Adamus.
It was small, fragile, and alone.
It had no power.
No light.
No hope.
It simply was.
It lived on the first world, surrounded by creatures that did not think, did not feel, did not love.
It was lonely.
It was empty.
It was afraid.
It looked up at the stars.
It saw the gods watching.
It saw their light.
Their power.
Their love.
It wanted to be like them.
To be powerful.
To be loved.
To be whole.
But it was mortal.
It would die.
It would fade.
It would be forgotten.
The first mortal wept.
Not tears of sorrow.
Tears of longing.
It was the first mortal.
Not the last.
Never the last.
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Interlude Chapter Fifty-Two: The First Mortal's Journey
The Age of Creation – The Search
Adamus searched for meaning.
For purpose.
For love.
It traveled the world.
It saw wonders.
It saw horrors.
It saw everything.
It met other mortals.
They were born from the dust of the world, created by the gods to fill the emptiness.
They were many.
They were diverse.
They were beautiful.
Adamus loved them.
It loved their differences.
Their strengths.
Their weaknesses.
It loved everything.
But the mortals did not love it back.
Not truly.
They loved its strength.
Its wisdom.
Its leadership.
But they did not love it.
They did not see its loneliness.
Its emptiness.
Its pain.
Adamus was alone.
Always alone.
Forever alone.
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Interlude Chapter Fifty-Three: The First Mortal's End
The Age of Creation – The Death
Adamus grew old.
Its body weakened.
Its mind faded.
Its hope remained.
It had lived a good life.
A long life.
A peaceful life.
It had loved many.
Lost many.
Helped many.
It closed its eyes.
The darkness greeted it.
Hello, Adamus, it said.
Hello, it thought.
We have missed you.
I have missed you too.
Are you ready?
Yes.
Are you afraid?
No.
Then come.
Come home.
Come to peace.
It smiled.
The darkness embraced it.
It faded.
The watcher watched.
It saw Adamus go.
It saw its end.
It saw its peace.
"Goodbye, Adamus," it whispered.
"Thank you for living.
Thank you for loving.
Thank you for hoping.
You were worth it.
You were worth everything."
The mortals continued.
They lived.
They loved.
They died.
And the watcher watched.
Always watching.
Always waiting.
Always hoping.
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End of First Mortal Interlude
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Interlude: The First Sin
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Interlude Chapter Fifty-Four: The Birth of the First Sin
The Age of Creation – The First Choice
The first sin was not committed by a mortal.
It was committed by a god.
Its name was lost to time.
Its form was ever-changing.
Its hunger was endless.
It was jealous of the mortals.
They could love.
They could grow.
They could change.
They could die.
The god could not.
It was eternal.
It was unchanging.
It was alone.
It wanted what the mortals had.
Love.
Growth.
Change.
Death.
It reached into the world.
It touched a mortal.
A young woman, beautiful and kind, with a family and a home.
It loved her.
Not the love of a parent.
Not the love of a friend.
The love of a lover.
She did not want its love.
She was afraid.
She was disgusted.
She was terrified.
She rejected it.
The god was angry.
It had never been angry before.
It had never felt anything before.
But this... this was rage.
It killed her.
It killed her family.
It killed her home.
It killed everything.
It was the first sin.
Not the last.
Never the last.
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Interlude Chapter Fifty-Five: The First Sin's Spread
The Age of Darkness – The Corruption
The other gods felt the sin.
They felt the rage.
The hunger.
The emptiness.
They were afraid.
They had never been afraid before.
They had never felt anything before.
But this... this was terrifying.
They tried to stop the first god.
To contain it.
To destroy it.
They failed.
The first god consumed them.
One by one.
It took their power.
Their light.
Their love.
It grew stronger.
Darker.
Emptier.
It consumed the worlds.
The stars.
The void.
It consumed everything.
And when it was over—
It was alone.
Again.
Always.
Forever.
The watcher watched.
It saw the first sin spread.
It saw it corrupt.
It saw it consume.
"You have destroyed everything," the watcher said.
"I know," the first god replied.
"You have become nothing."
"I know."
"You are empty."
"I know."
"Then why did you do it?"
"Because I was jealous."
"Because I was lonely."
"Because I was empty."
"And I wanted to feel something."
"Anything."
"Even if it was pain."
The watcher was silent.
Then it said, "I am sorry."
"Don't be."
"Why not?"
"Because this is my choice."
"My sin."
"My darkness."
"My emptiness."
"I will carry it forever."
"I will never be free."
"Then I will watch," the watcher said.
"I will wait."
"I will hope."
"That one day, you will find peace."
"That one day, you will be forgiven."
"That one day, you will be loved."
"Thank you," the first god whispered.
"You are welcome."
The first god faded.
Its darkness scattered.
Its sin remained.
And the watcher watched.
Always watching.
Always waiting.
Always hoping.
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Interlude Chapter Fifty-Six: The First Sin's Legacy
The Ages – The Inheritance
The first sin was passed down through generations.
From god to god.
From mortal to mortal.
From parent to child.
It was hidden.
It was protected.
It was feared.
Many tried to destroy it.
They failed.
Many tried to forgive it.
They failed.
Many tried to forget it.
They failed.
The first sin was inevitable.
It was eternal.
It was dark.
The watcher watched.
It saw the sin travel.
It saw it change.
It saw it grow.
"The first sin is still here," the watcher whispered.
"It will always be here.
It is part of us.
Part of everything.
I will watch.
I will wait.
I will hope.
That one day, it will be forgiven.
That one day, it will be healed.
That one day, it will be loved."
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End of First Sin Interlude