The Solar Genesis Tree: The Tale of Naraka
In the twilight of the Beginning, when the universe was yet a blank canvas awaiting the divine touch, the Creator, the Magnificent and Indescribable, brought Naraka into existence.
Not from the fires of wrath, nor the chill of solitude, but from a pure desire to fashion beauty and weave harmony into the fabric of being.
Naraka, as it is chronicled in the Book of Solar Genesis, is likened unto a ripe fruit, ready for the plucking and habitation of souls, a jewel amongst the myriad stars scattered across the heavens.
The Creator, with hands of loving power, shaped the first eight spirits from cosmic matter and starlight. Akh, the eldest, was born as the embodiment of Will, a force that flowed through every vein of Naraka, the very pulse that moved all creation.
The other four siblings, Wetan, Boreas, Minami, and Al Gharb, were brought forth to stand guard at the four corners of the world, becoming pillars that upheld Naraka's cosmic balance. They were the initial guardians, appointed rulers to maintain the harmony of this newborn world.
Yet, the Creator perceived that a certain note was wanting in the symphony of His creation. So, He fashioned Laila and Yom, twins who divided the flow of time into the realms of day and night, sun and moon, two inseparable cosmic aspects.
Laila, with her golden radiance, represented life and growth, whilst Yom, with his gentle silvern light, represented mystery and peace.
With their coming, Naraka was made complete, a harmony of light and darkness, life and death, an eternal dance reflecting the great cycles of the cosmos.
The Creator, spoke to His children, His voice echoing throughout Naraka, "I have given unto you a perfect dwelling place, and ye shall hold dominion over all that lies within it. Guard this world with wisdom, and let My will be done through your hands."
Yet, even as a sweet fruit oft attracts destructive worms, so did arrogance and the lust for power creep into the heart of Akh.
He, who was meant to be the very embodiment of divine will, poisoned Naraka with his dark ambition, beguiling Laila and Yom to bring forth the Grand Aeons, false deities hungry for worship and unbridled power.
The deeds of Akh rent the very order of Naraka, turning a pure heaven into a hell filled with chaos and unending suffering.
Tulah, a fragment of Akh's sundered soul unleashed during the chaos, spread like a venomous blight, corrupting the very order of the world and the souls of the Grand Aeons. This ruinous force threatened to consume all that the Creator had so painstakingly wrought.
The Creator, His divine heart grieved to see His fair creation tainted by the folly of misdirected free will, punished Akh by casting him into the timeless prison of Asvethama Seddam, situated at the very edge of reality, where he would contemplate his errors for eternity.
Laila and Yom, who had become unwitting tools in Naraka's downfall, were cursed to forever orbit the world as sun and moon, bearing witness to the bitter fruits of their actions.
Yet, ere Laila was transformed into eternal light energy, she wept for forgiveness, her tears drenching Naraka for forty days and forty nights.
Those tears, containing the very essence of life, seeped into Naraka's soil, combating the influence of Tulah and creating a fragile balance.
Those tears also touched some of the Grand Aeons, instilling within their hearts remnants of kindness and remorse.
Naraka, bereft of the Creator's direct guidance, began to decay, plagued by an unending strife between the forces of light and darkness.
Yet, the Creator, in His boundless wisdom, did not abandon His world to utter despair. He brought forth Jagannath, the master of time, tasked with maintaining Naraka's balance and ensuring that the river of time continued its course, offering a chance for redemption and hope.
The Creator spoke sternly to Jagannath, saying, "Jagannath! See that thou dost not become like Akh, nor like Laila and Yom."
The Creator then led Jagannath to stand upon the very stream of reality and time, in the distant expanse of the fifth dimension. "Jagannath, now behold the world from an angle that Akh, Laila, and Yom, along with all their descendants, cannot perceive."
"I shall create a pair of humans, one male and one female. Protect them, guide them unto Me, so that we may return together to a new place I have fashioned."
"Together with thee, with thy seven siblings, and with humanity and its descendants."
Jagannath remained silent, as if the Creator's words had been deeply etched within his being.
"Be cautious. Never descend thither. Thy siblings could bring thee harm, and thou couldst perish."
"But thou hast seen the end of all this, Jagannath, thou already knowest it. Yet, here all thy trials shall be tested. And as part of the perfection of thy seven siblings, thou also clearly possessest free will."
"Father, is this not too heavy a burden for thy servant?" Jagannath trembled, knowing what awaited him at the very ends of reality and time.
"Jagannath, Jagannath… Art thou afraid, My son? Dost thou feel like reconsidering? What thou feelest is free will, even as Akh did. But I shall not leave thee alone."
"Laila once wept, begging for forgiveness, her tears drenching Naraka for forty days and forty nights. My daughter relinquished all her power in her tears, until they ran with blood."
"Thy sister, Laila, gave up her power before transforming into perfect life energy. I did chasten her by turning her into an energy that would illuminate Naraka, yet only a fragment of her true essence."
"So too did Yom. But he rebelled, unwilling to relinquish his power due to Akh's will, which was channelled directly into him in excess. I revoked his power and turned him into a giant stone called the Moon."
"It shall only shine if Laila is present, and imperfectly, for Laila shall give life later in Naraka."
Jagannath remained silent, all of the Creator's intentions entering his being clearly and absolutely. "Very well, Father, thy servant shall do all Thy will."
"Very well, Jagannath. I promise thee that thou shalt return unto Me, with thy brothers and sisters, and with all of humanity in Naraka in the ages to come."
The Creator then spoke to Naraka, the world He had fashioned beneath His feet. "Behold, thou who art called Man, I name thee Astaguna Rah's, a human without Astral Flux power, yet possessing wisdom and knowledge to survive."
That human was wrought from the very energy stored within the world of Naraka. Then the Creator fashioned a human just like Astaguna Rah's, a human called woman, named Hara Constantine.
Then the Creator spoke again. "'Live, and fill every corner of Naraka. Make Jagannath your God, make him your guide in daily life. Build for yourselves temples to worship him as an extension of My power."
"Jagannath, lead all the descendants of Astaguna and Hara. Guide them together towards Nirvana, where we shall all gather in time. And also guide them towards Asvethama Seddam, where Akh is confined."
"I shall grant him a chance to reflect upon his errors, so that we may return together at the end of all this."
"Record all that transpires here. Tell Astaguna and Hara, so that they may know the origin of all creation."
"Thy siblings shall I place in the fifth dimension to become the cosmic pillars of Naraka."
What the Creator declared was created and absolute. Thus, the Creator departed with His four remaining children, leaving Jagannath alone.
Jagannath began to lead the world of Naraka as the Creator commanded. However, even as he was about to begin, the power of Tulah entered Astaguna, and he was lured by Rivotra to join him.
Rivotra showed Astaguna great power and desire, making all things practical and readily available to him.
Thus, the human named Astaguna became spoiled, and he sought to persuade Hara to join him in worshipping Rivotra, who possessed a power greater than that of Jagannath, who only passed down the Book of knowledge and came but occasionally.
However, not all of the Grand Aeons possessed the nature of Tulah, for Laila had relinquished her power in every tear she shed upon Naraka before she was chastened.
A Grand Aeon named Ave forcefully took Hara away, enraging Rivotra for disrupting his designs. The Grand Aeons were thus divided into two Orders: those who followed the father were led by Rivotra.
Those who followed the mother, heeding Laila and her regret for disobeying the Creator's command, were led by Eve.
And so, a war broke out amongst the Grand Aeons, shattering the world of Naraka and scattering it into seven disparate continents.