If you’ve made it this far, let me take a moment to thank you sincerely. I hope you’ve enjoyed the journey so far or, at the very least, found it intriguing.
Your continued trust and interest mean the world, and I’m excited to share what lies ahead.
Happy reading, and thank you for staying with the story.
Chapter 21 – Love and Hate
From their union, Moon and Tenebra gave life to two children.
Twins in origin but distinct in form and character, they were named Love and Hate.
Love possessed a delicate, almost ethereal beauty. Her skin was fair and smooth, as if made of porcelain gently warmed by the sun.
Her large, luminous eyes sparkled with a soft green hue, filled with an inexhaustible curiosity.
Her face, with slightly rosy cheeks and soft lips, conveyed a constant expression of wonder, as if the world were an unexplored place full of promise. Her long, silky hair cascaded in gentle golden waves down her back.
Love moved with natural grace, as if every step was a dance.
Her character was open and spontaneous, with a tendency to trust everything and everyone, always ready to explore and learn without prejudice.
She was an affable being, always seeking a connection with others, often unaware of her own magnetism.
Hate, on the other hand, was a robust boy with a commanding physical presence. He had a muscular build for his age, broad shoulders, and large hands that seemed made to seize the world and bend it to his will.
His skin, slightly darker than his sister's, had an earthy, almost raw quality that contrasted with his intense gray eyes, like stone smoothed by time. His face was sculpted, with high cheekbones and a strong jawline, giving him an aura of determination.
His unruly black hair fell over his forehead, framing an expression often marked by annoyance or defiance.
Hate was straightforward, impulsive, and stubborn, always ready to challenge anyone, whether through biting words or decisive actions. He had a restless nature, like a river in flood constantly searching for an outlet.
He disliked imposed rules and limits, often finding pleasure in provoking or breaking norms. Despite his turbulent nature, his sharp intelligence was evident, a cunning he used both for good and his own whims.
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Moon, once a beacon of inexhaustible power, began to feel an unknown fragility deep within his being, a crack running through the foundations of his essence. The strength that had dominated his body and guided his actions now seemed to wane, like a flame burning less intensely than before.
It was as if a part of his power, a fragment of his very soul, had been transferred to their children.
Tenebra, too, sensed a profound change. Her essence, which until then had defied time, began to yield to the marks of becoming. She was no longer the eternal and incorruptible being she had always believed herself to be. Now, within her, dwelled a different energy, a new awareness marked by time and change.
The creation of Love and Hate had not been an act without consequences.
Moon and Tenebra realized that giving life to new beings had required a sacrifice they had not foreseen. The price had been high: their immortality, which had always made them untouchable, was broken.
The understanding that their time was now limited, that an end might one day reach them, infused them with a mix of fear and melancholy.
They had become mortal, and this awareness brought a sense of humanity they had never known.
Stolen story; please report.
This change not only profoundly altered Moon and Tenebra’s perception of themselves but also redefined their relationship with their children.
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Love and Hate, unaware of the sacrifice that had made their existence possible, became for their parents much more than a mere continuation of their essence.
They were the tangible symbol of a new state of being, a living reminder that life, in its finiteness, gained unparalleled value precisely because it was destined to vanish.
Moon, seized by a sense of restless introspection, silently withdrew. He retreated far from Tenebra and their children, immersed in a vortex of thoughts leading him ever deeper into understanding their new reality.
Immortality, a certainty he had accepted without ever questioning, now seemed a distant, almost unreal dream.
For the first time, time, which until then had been only an abstract concept, became concrete. He felt it in the weight of his actions, the awareness of every step, even in the measured rhythm of his heartbeat.
An invisible yet palpable presence, marking each moment with its relentless constancy.
And yet, despite the inner turmoil, Moon could not feel regret. He watched Love and Hate as they played, their laughter light, unaware of the sacrifice and burden they had inherited.
In them, Moon saw not only the fragility of their condition but also a beauty that surpassed any conception of the eternal.
The loss of immortality had been an unimaginable price, a renunciation that tore at the foundations of his very existence.
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Time passed, and more and more questions arose in Moon.
> Moon: (in a low voice, almost a whisper, as he watches Love and Hate play in the distance) "You know, Tenebra, for the first time, I understand the value of what we have created. Watching them, I realize our existence was not in vain. And yet, I wonder… was it truly worth it?"
> Tenebra: (with a faint smile, her voice firm yet tinged with maternal affection) "Moon, there is no doubt. You look at them as if they were a mystery, but to me, they are an answer. They are proof that even in darkness, something greater than ourselves can be born. Isn’t that the essence of creation?"
> Moon: (slightly shaking his head, pensive) "We gave up eternity to grant them a life they don’t even fully understand. Every time I hear them laugh, I feel the weight of what we sacrificed. Being mortal… means that one day, we will lose them. I can’t decide if this awareness makes each moment more precious or more painful."
> Tenebra: (looking at him with deep eyes, her voice warm yet with a note of gravity) "Perhaps both, Moon. That is the paradox of life. Its beauty is intertwined with its pain. But think about it: if we had remained eternal, would we have ever understood what it truly means to love? Love and Hate are not just our children; they are symbols of what we can be, of what we can leave behind."
> Moon: (his gaze drifting to the starry sky) "You say we gained life. And yet, life feels so fragile compared to eternity. Every step they take, every word they speak, seems both a miracle and a curse. How can we guide them in a world we are only just beginning to comprehend?"
> Tenebra: (approaching him, placing a hand on his shoulder, her voice serene yet resolute) "We don’t have to guide them, Moon. We just have to let them be. They already carry the best of us within them: your capacity for reflection, my determination. Even if they fall, they will rise again. We created them not to control them but to give them the freedom to write their own story."
> Moon: (with a melancholic smile, lowering his gaze to the ground) "And if their story is chaos? If our creation, instead of bringing harmony, only sows conflict?"
> Tenebra: (looking at him gently but with unyielding strength in her voice) "Chaos is not always destruction, Moon. Sometimes it is transformation. And if they break, it’s because they are growing, learning to be whole. Life is not understood in an instant; it requires trials, errors, pain, and hope. Let them find their balance. We can only watch and hope."
> Moon: (turning to her, his face relaxed but still marked by quiet melancholy) "You’re right, as always. Our time is limited, but what we’ve done is not. We’ve given them the chance to go beyond us, to leave a mark that will endure even when we are star dust. Perhaps… perhaps that is the meaning of mortality."
> Tenebra: (smiling softly, her tone embodying both strength and tenderness) "Not perhaps, Moon. That is exactly it. And while our time shortens, theirs begins to extend. It’s a cycle, a legacy. And in seeing their first steps in this universe, I know it was worth it."
> Moon: (looking at their children laughing in the distance, he exhales a sigh, then speaks with a calm yet resolute tone) "It was worth it, yes. And if our purpose was only to ignite this spark, then I can accept any sacrifice. We will watch them, Tenebra, and find peace in the knowledge that, through them, we will continue to exist."
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The sun that once illuminated Elysium had gone out.
The inhabitants, demigods, and creatures shaped by the will of the titans had sensed the absence of light long before darkness completely enveloped them.
Moon, guardian and now betrayer of the light, knew he could no longer hide. The light he had sacrificed to give life to Tenebra was not merely a personal loss; his act had redrawn the entire balance of Elysium.
Every face turned toward the darkened sky was a silent act of accusation.
The weight of his decision was no longer his burden alone. He had given life to Tenebra, but at what cost? It was no longer just about his lost immortality or the bond that connected them.
He knew he would have to provide explanations.
Thank You for Reading!
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Until next time,
Teo