Before there was Earth, before there was light, before there was God, before time had existed. Two beings sat alone in darkness. For one of them, the ever-darkness was a blessing and comfort. For the other, he dreamed of a grander view. One where they were not alone, where his boredom was quenched. Behind his brother's back, he gave birth to the gods. He sent them to the furthest corners of his reach and gave them free will. From this came light, water, planets, and most of all, life. By the time it had reached the brothers, it was too late to stop it. These worlds ever brimming with life and songs of living couldn't be halted.

The eldest brother's peace came to an end, and as time continued, his anger boiled, teetering on the edge of his mind until finally he snapped. A single flick of his wrist left each planet hit dark, and all that remained was a floating rock. A new hobby had struck his mind. His younger brother watched in horror. His labour, his hard work, his joy. All being swept away before his very eyes. In an attempt to save life, he sacrificed himself to seal his brother. But as long as there existed time, there existed weakness. The seal weakened with every orbit. Every day was edging closer to his release.

“What happens to us when he is unsealed?” the boy questioned his mother while in her ever-loving embrace. “That won't happen, my darling boy, it is said that the birth of the younger brother will come and stop him,” she responded with her tone quiet but loving. One hand on the child’s forehead and one hand on the emblem hanging around her neck. She kissed his forehead and laid him on the bed next to her. “Goodnight, my little hero,” she brushed his cheek. “Goodnight, mother,” he responded, his eyelids too heavy for him to hold open. She watched him until he had drifted off to sleep and blew out the oil lantern on the bedside table. A single tear slowly journeyed down her cheek. “I love you, Hans,” her eyes looked over the boy a final time. His auburn brown hair. His small hands. She will miss his green eyes that were brighter than the grassy meadows. “It’s time,” A sultry voice spoke from the darkness. She felt the ice-cold hand grab her arm and help her to her feet. Both figures had disappeared into the darkness. Never to be seen again.

The sun breached the house through the cracks in the wooden walls revealing a lonely boy sleeping ever so peacefully in a small hut, in a forest that stood by itself with no civilization to be found.