Only through a destined end can ephemeral entities be bestowed Meaning.
According to the ancient wall paintings and heiroglyphs found within the caves of the central parts of Mount Tron, depicting the fall of the Celestial Dynasty and the rise of the new children of Light under the lead of the Gods and Goddesses, there was always a prominent song carved deep under the main verses of the Song of the begining of Death, and the essence of temporality, which is a common lore much familiar in myths and legends throughout human history.
So, what is Death?
Simply put, it is a big snake, in this context, of the legend of Starbreakers and Demons.
[https://img.wattpad.com/c394004ef8129489032546d74501e15cc97795f7/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f68496b4b666a6a4e6a58654a76673d3d2d313330393338323836322e313733646338386632316566366131303931353634303338363830302e6a7067]
( Above: the first ever drawing of Archdemon Death on the back of an exam sheet at around 2013. It was always designed to be a big snake with spikes. Don't ask why, I don't know either.)
Why is it Death, then? You may ask.
Alright, listen up, for we are about to deal with spoilers here...in a way that doesn't sound like a spoiler, so-
-In the finality of the legend of Stars, the Light Souls captured by the Celestial tyrant were freed by Goddess of Snow and Light Yuidis after defeating Bradinn the Elden God of earth, and Goddess Yuidis was about to bring all Light Souls into the embrace of the Blessed Realm of Eternity - Herunis Carna, right when the Archdemon Serpent struck at the final moment, stealing all the Light and snatching all souls, swallowing the Herunis Carna and all the Light souls altogether, depriving all souls the power of eternal life, thus 'death'. But by devouring Light and the Herunis Carna, Archdemon Death too dispersed and brought the Blessed Realm away to the deep to the center of the planet, saving dying Earth, by bringing Eternal Life away from all. Thereafter, Kingdeniom folk would believe that whenever someone perishes, their Souls of Light no longer sustain, but descend into the Blessed Realm somewhere in our planet where the Herunis Carna now resides.
Too hard to catch up? I think so too, so here's a brief Youtube title to make simple of things above: Archdemon eats Herunis Carna, dies to regret it---I mean, dies so no one could live forever, that's much it.
[https://img.wattpad.com/2fa8ef0e648ff41bd1e2bac6446c536c6b3705b3/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f7a565770582d513979566c7368513d3d2d313330393338323836322e313733646361363436343832643563643834313731373931313339382e6a7067]
(Above: Drawn 2022/12/02, the first and failed attempt to draw Archdemon Death for the thumbnail of its theme music.)
Late 2022, during the making of Before Light and Before Light Remastered, there was an idea to make music scores for each and every character for the novel, and Archdemon Death is one of them. So, aside from the music which was made in days' time, the second thing needed for a decent Youtuber video---is a thumbnail and a cool drawing. Thus the Archdemon drawing project begun.
[https://img.wattpad.com/359425d92131bdb0698f66b1a1ccb8f5fb71d5f9/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f63624976485452677a6b4c7330773d3d2d313330393338323836322e313733646361633734303436326637653636363832343537393739302e6a7067]
Above: Drawn on Krita software, revisioned from the first ever design and imaginations in Jumbo Wong's chaotic mind, comes the second attempt to draw a big flying snake made of rock and spikes. As one with observiant eyes could see, each and every part of the serpent was a vector layer, each segment seperated to mainly the upper layer, side two layers, and bottom layer, with addition with the spikes on top, and sides, that makes as much as seven parts, seven layers just in one segement. And this big snake has 17 segements shown, not counting the ones blocked the middle portion. Drawn for a week or more days, I suppose. I forgor.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
But thankfully, it all came together.
[https://img.wattpad.com/225ac84f6423ddbf967236f68dda9c5a60fb3744/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f746d4936555058425a52583655413d3d2d313330393338323836322e313733646362333661343936623062633931343730393431373636332e6a7067]
(Above: the teaser used to herald the coming of the finished project one day before Youtube release.)
As a means to promote Before Light Remastered, the music score and drawings came together and was uploaded onto Youtube, for the first time in three attempts.
[https://img.wattpad.com/773d29081142b501efed8506492abf378943f1d7/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f47674d59384753597755586265513d3d2d313330393338323836322e313733646362353838393562616634393938353133393532363837362e6a7067]
[https://img.wattpad.com/e0502764a2cf17a04592e16954f706f9cc2469c9/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f694f5530696574674774616d74673d3d2d313330393338323836322e31373364636235616336333665313832363836333639383436382e6a7067]
Like all Demons, Archdemon Death comes from the unrelenting souls of Mankind fused with Nano Scourge, but the amount of souls in agony are more in numbers and deeper in hatred, so as to give rise to this ArchdemonSerpent. Yet, unlike other Archdemons (Which we may discuss in the far away future), Archdemon Death and the souls within its hide seeks only one thing alone---to rest. To be relieved from the eternal torture and wrath.
So, maybe perishing after devouring the Herunis Carna is all it ever wanted, perhaps?
And Eternity is not meant for any being, if there should be meaning in life.
Here, enjoy some decent music. (Link:https://youtu.be/vCjoG9fPY9U )
But wait, that's not all.
[https://img.wattpad.com/88b620e5cf4f66876076bb64db5af99ec6dcb9d4/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f365336356863654d524263594b513d3d2d313330393338323836322e313733646363303762626538646436633332313034363439343333342e6a7067]
Miniature Archdemon was drawn, for the sole purpose of pairing with the smol version of Yuri at first, but then Christmas time came along...
[https://img.wattpad.com/8062d96ac0bc615f4946a56980a97300016083b9/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f4d644343344a45554553446c68773d3d2d313330393338323836322e313733646363313966383639373561633931343330373235353331302e6a7067]
And to pump the Christmas atmosphere on my Youtube channel (mostly for popularity, which sadly doesn't work, ha ha...), a music orchestra score was made, with smol Yuri, mini Archdemon Death, and many other assets drawn.
So not only did the most fearsome Archdemon was born on the year 2022, it has become literally, a mascot in the Jumbo Wong studio.
( Christmas Special Youtube Project Links here:
Animation version1: https://youtu.be/rImm1PXR0_Y
Animation version2: https://youtu.be/MI8odW1SJLo
Purely music version: https://youtu.be/ErH_yUSsrZc
Enjoy!)
And last but not least, Archdemon Death has one more skill aside from being ferocious or cute.
[https://img.wattpad.com/d4e649c41d241b359d6cedcc4dea31c69122cca9/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f54446158744852756e4d565841513d3d2d313330393338323836322e313733646363383530663532363566373830363931383137343931382e6a7067]
That is to become a meme.
[https://img.wattpad.com/f05c5931feb9d0d53898a8cda939510dbb755628/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f393342466f7a615f725f494966773d3d2d313330393338323836322e313733646363613237376439656532333531303937363434343032342e6a7067]
( Above: the Japanese version, both uploaded on Pixiv in 2022/12/22)
Yep, that's all for today, folks. I know, Before Light Remastered ep16 is late and having some productions issues, but still, thanks for coming to my TED talk. Jumbo Wong here, see you guys next time in the near future. Peace.
( All works above can be seen here, on my Pixiv account, feel free to have a good watch: https://www.pixiv.net/users/28886714 )
[.........to be continued]