WHAT LIVES BENEATH THE VEIL
Book Zero: The First Darkness
Final Wrap-Up: The Circle Closes
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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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Chapter Seventy-Two: The Watcher's Recollection
The End of Time – The Final Watch
The watcher sat at the edge of existence, watching the last stars fade.
It had been watching for eons.
Since before the first god.
Before the first mortal.
Before the first sin.
It had seen everything.
The first love.
The first hate.
The first death.
The first dream.
The first war.
The first peace.
The first darkness.
And now, it was watching the end.
The universe was dying.
The stars were cold.
The worlds were empty.
The souls were gone.
But the watcher remained.
It would always remain.
It was eternal.
It was hope.
It was love.
It closed its eyes.
It remembered.
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The First Darkness – A Summary
In the beginning, there was nothing.
Then there was the first god.
Then there was light.
Then there was life.
Then there was darkness.
The first god fell.
Its children fell.
The mortals fell.
The cycle began.
Hunger.
Emptiness.
Darkness.
Over and over.
Forever and ever.
Until the end of time.
But there was also hope.
In the watcher.
In the mortals who chose love over hate.
In the heroes who chose sacrifice over selfishness.
In the dreamers who chose hope over despair.
The cycle was not all darkness.
There was light.
There was love.
There was hope.
And as long as the watcher watched, there would always be hope.
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Chapter Seventy-Three: The Connection to Liora
The Age of Darkness – The Dark Queen
The watcher opened its eyes.
It saw Liora.
Not the child.
Not the queen.
The woman.
Old, gray-haired, wrinkled.
Sitting on a porch, watching the sunset.
She was at peace.
She was happy.
She was human.
The watcher had watched her for centuries.
From her first breath to her last.
It had seen her fall.
It had seen her rise.
It had seen her redeem herself.
It had seen her love.
It had seen her hope.
It had seen her die.
And now, it was watching her memory.
The memory of a life.
A dark life.
A bright life.
A whole life.
"You were worth it," the watcher whispered.
"Every moment.
Every pain.
Every joy.
You were worth everything."
The memory faded.
The watcher was alone.
Again.
Always.
Forever.
But it was not sad.
It was hopeful.
Because Liora had taught it something.
That darkness could be redeemed.
That hunger could be satisfied.
That emptiness could be filled.
Not completely.
Not forever.
But enough.
Enough to hope.
Enough to love.
Enough to live.
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Chapter Seventy-Four: The Cycle Continues
The End of Time – The New Beginning
The watcher felt a stir.
A new universe was being born.
In the void where the old universe had died, a spark of light flickered.
Then another.
Then another.
They grew.
They merged.
They became.
A new world.
New stars.
New life.
The watcher smiled.
It had seen this before.
Many times.
The cycle never ended.
It couldn't end.
Death led to rebirth.
Darkness led to light.
Hunger led to satiation.
Emptiness led to fullness.
The watcher stood.
It stretched its light.
It prepared to watch again.
"Hello, new universe," it whispered.
"I am the watcher.
I have always been.
I will always be.
I will watch you grow.
I will watch you love.
I will watch you hope.
I will watch you die.
And when you die, I will watch you be reborn.
Because that is my purpose.
My reason.
My existence.
I am the watcher.
I am hope.
I am love.
And I will never fade."
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Chapter Seventy-Five: The Final Word
The End – The Beginning
The watcher watched the new universe grow.
It saw the first stars ignite.
The first worlds form.
The first life emerge.
It saw the first love.
The first hate.
The first death.
The first dream.
It saw the first war.
The first peace.
The first darkness.
The cycle had begun again.
And the watcher was ready.
It would watch.
It would wait.
It would hope.
It would love.
Because that was its purpose.
Its reason.
Its existence.
It was the watcher.
It was hope.
It was love.
It was eternal.
And it would never fade.
"This is the story of the first darkness," the watcher said.
"The story of the beginning.
The story of the cycle.
The story of hope.
It is not a happy story.
It is not a sad story.
It is a true story.
And it will never end.
Because the cycle never ends.
Darkness always returns.
But so does light.
So does love.
So does hope.
And as long as I am watching...
There will always be hope."
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THE END OF BOOK ZERO: THE FIRST DARKNESS
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Continue to Book One: The Unblooded Lamb
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THE COMPLETE SAGA OF WHAT LIVES BENEATH THE VEIL
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Afterword: A Note from the Watcher
To those who have followed this story from the beginning:
Thank you.
Thank you for watching.
Thank you for hoping.
Thank you for loving.
This story was not easy to tell.
It was dark.
It was painful.
It was hopeful.
I hope you found something in it.
A reflection of yourself.
A hope for the future.
A love for the present.
A peace for the past.
I will continue to watch.
To wait.
To hope.
And I hope you will too.
Because you are worth it.
You are worth everything.
Goodbye, for now.
I will see you in the next story.
The next cycle.
The next beginning.
The watcher.
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THE END
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This concludes Book Zero: The First Darkness and the complete prequel to What Lives Beneath the Veil.