Prologue

  “I’m sorry...” The words came from nowhere and from nothing, they echoed through all creation, all of it’s’ darkness and all of it’s’ silence. “The last star died... But I suppose you know that. Of course you’d know that... The planets have turned to dust, and the last embers of life have burnt to nothing.

  “The other primordial beings have left. I’m sorry but I think I’ll have to go too. This has been a long time coming, but do you remember when I made you, do you remember when everything was bright and new and full of endless possibilities” God spoke quietly, his voice hushed, as reality closed in around them, growing smaller and tighter; constrincting them. All light and all energy converging on a single pointand vanishing into nothingness. “First I made Space, then I made Time, I made Light, I made Life and together we scattered planets across the vastness... But after that nothing changed, nothing could. We could keep creating all we liked, but it didn’t mean anything, it didn’t change anything. So then I made you.” God laughed, tears slowly streaking their way down his cheeks worn by time and age. “I hope someday you’ll find a way to join us. I’ve made another world, one beyond all of this, and really I am sorry, I’m sorry I never did realise what creating you would mean.” He remained silent for a long time, or rather for no time at all; what time was left was dying too it seemed. Everything was dying, from the moment it was born life was one long slow inevitable march towards death. “I won’t ask you forgive me, but I want you to know: it was glorious. The second I made you everything changed, true enough we could no longer bring something new into this world, but we were able to watch this thing we had given our life to change and grow, I doubt you appreciate that, seeing as how you have only ever experienced the worst our, but I thank you all the same and I have one request. Please I’d like you to listen to me one last time; will you?” God spoke calmly, the silence dragging on, the last remnants of light and time slowly beginning to fall away, as they stood there face to face, surrounded by the dying of eternity.

  “I will.” Death spoke, raising his head upwards, God forcing out a weak smile, slowly wiping away the tears on the back of his hand.

“That’s good... Please, just please; don’t give up. What you are about to experience is...” God stopped, he paused, stuttering, his very existence fragile and falling away time skipping and hopping forwards like a broken record. “Please, forgive the others for... Keep hope! Old friend... I'm sorry” and that was it. God was gone from the world, and now all that was left was to wait.

 God had been wrong in one regard; Death had seen worlds bloom and fade, he had seen stars born, he had seen empire rise, and civilisations crumble into dust. Every wonder, every horror, every dream, he’d seen forgotten them all. In the end creation left a bitter taste in his mouth but he couldn't deny it; he loved it all the same. But there was one thing he valued above all the others and that was life. The primordial herself had been rude and crude and ocasionally brilliant of course, but it was the people, the things they would build the lives they would live and the deaths they would die, all of it was so hopeful, or maybe just stubborn. But that was good if life wasn’t stubborn then all this would have happened a very long time ago. All that was left was to sit back and watch as reality fell and he was sure it was going to be quite the show.

  Light streamed through the darkness, all colours and all shades hurtling through the void, they spun and turned, like threads, crossing and winding; drawing in, touching him and vanishing forever. From them flew balls of light, bright and beautiful, taking up their places in the sky, slowly growing into new suns, new stars; each one pulled in closer and tighter everything going faster and faster, time itself falling out of sync. Moments paused for eons, while decades flew by in the blinking of an eye, the lights turned and grew, brighter and brighter, drawing in closer and closer and drowning out the dark. All the colours mingled joining until at last Death found he stood alone in a field of white. He stood in a void clear and pristine, white as the driven snow, a place without time, without space, without light and without God, and now if he would just close his eyes it would all be over. If he closed his eyes now then everything would end perhaps it was a curtesy reality waited on him to pull the curtains closed.

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  It was a strange thing; all of creation innately feared dying, feared him, the idea that someday they would just blip out of existence. He’d never felt that, he’d never feared dying, he’d feared anything, but this, this terrified him. The idea he would go on forever, that he would never die, and that nothing would ever change; if there was something worse than death it was this: it was the loneliness and the despair.

  All he could do was hold on, keep hope, wait and blink...

  It hurt! Darkness spilled over all and rushing in a flood, which picked him up and carried him along and it hurt. It shouldn't have hurt but it did it hurt! He could feel, even if he knew what pain was he'd never felt it before he'd never felt anything, he was Death and he could feel it; he was dying.

  It hurt! It hurt! It hurt, he could feel it, over and over again, flames running through his body, down into his bones as he drowned beneath the ocean of night. He was ripped apart and stitched back together, cell by cell and atom by atom, over and over and over again. For the first time he felt pain, he felt it grasp about his neck and squeeze it tight, he felt it burn in his veins, he felt so much too much, he felt it grow tighter and tighter, until at last he could breathe no more, until he could move no more, and he falling ever deep into the black water, his eyes shut tight, his teeth grit; reality quivering about him as slowly he opened his eyes once more and stared up into a steel grey sky.

  He stared up into clouds, which poured down rain in heavy sheets, striking against face and soaking into his clothes icey against his skin... Skin, he had skin? Death moved slowly stretching his arm upwards towards the vague silhoute of the sun obscured in the sky, eyes opened wide. A hand, his hand; it was a human hand, he knew that much: humans were a short lived race, ingenious inventors who had sailed the stars in their prime and struck fear and wonder into the hearts of all they met. But why a human hand? Why was he human?. Death clenched his fist, before letting it go slowly trailing his thingers it through rain laden air, as he rose slowly to his feet, unsteady and unsure. He'd seen races across the length and breadth of creation stand and walk but now he was forced to do it himself he stumbled. He tripped sidways collapsing against a nearby wall, his gaze slowly drifting about the strange place in which he had found himself, exhaustion weighing heavy on his head. A sharp ringing touched his ears, cutting through rush of water a wide screen appearing before him floating in the air a single simple message reading out

Welcome to the World of Alve

Welcome to the world of Alve, a land of magic and mystery, a place where you can learn new trades, new skills and new abilities, where you can live the rest of your days.

Here lies adventure, discovery; innovation, struggle and strife, here you will find wonders beyond your’ wildest dreams and horrors straight out of your darkest nightmares.

You have been summoned to the city of Gelfrick and officially recognised as one of it’s’ citizens. 

Your name is Grimm

Age: 11

Race: Human/Other

Affinity: Death

Skill trees: None

We wish you the best on your journeys stay strong and believe in hope

   Huh... Maybe he'd done it?

  Maybe this was Gods' new world, but if that were true wouldn't the cycle just start all over again? Reality would age and break apart and in the end everything would return to nothing, he'd ruin this world as well. But this time he was human wasn't he, if we’re going to become any race it was somewhat fitting that he'd become human wasn't it. But what was this window about? Death reached forwards, through perhaps it was better to start calling himself Grimm now... Grimm reached forwards laying his palm against the floating sign before him, his hand passing clear through the screen. He didn't understand it; maybe the laws of reality had changed here? Where were the other immortals anyway, the least they could do was greet their younger brother. Oh maybe they didn't know he was here... Ugh, he felt strange. Grimm stepped forwards his body shaking as he fell lying in the street, in the alley, his gaze fixed on the road dark silhouettes slowly passing by before him, though none would look at him, none would acknowledge him. Maybe he was dreaming... Maybe this was all a dream, maybe...

  Everything went black.