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The Red Snowman
In seven days, I allow you to walk

In seven days, I allow you to walk

On the first day of waiting, the Red Snowman gazed at the pure undiluted white. It liked the warmth of the light and its pureness. The latter felt familiar, but the snowman did not understand why. Why the sense of purity was important? It felt, as If the snowman once had a duty to be pure, and bring pureness to the world... but these times, were lost and gone.

The Red Snowman, was now, just a snowman. A single soul in what felt like a vast sea of brightness. It was calm and felt like the snowman was one with what surrounded it.

A half day passed, and the snowman began to notice tiny spheres of light, forming out of the milky aether. They were as lost as him and wandered around without a goal or purpose, but a few gathered around the snowman, floating up and down, or wobbling to the sides – trying to get the gist of, what the weird soul was. Once they understood, they circled merrily and danced around the snowman's red torso, bathing it in their dazzling lights.

Then, came a twilight. Sudden darkness devoured their world from all sides like it was an unrelenting adversary, who would not give in to the newfound life. It wrapped itself around the light, pushing it into a tight, smaller, and smaller ball. Searching for safety, the sprites gathered around the snowman, who trembled in fear of having to return back to infinite, cold blackness.

The snowman prayed for a miracle to come, and then, moments before their bubble was reduced to a small point in space, the cramped sprites began to push back and it was like the light felt their intention, and started to fight against the darkness. It overwhelmed the black abyss, and the power of nether was stopped halfway through the space that surrounded the snowman.

Thus, on the dawn of a new, second day. Aether sea was separated from the nether sky, locked in eternal struggle on their boundaries, where a pandemonium of forces seemed to tear apart the reality itself, forming new structures and wonders, only to later shatter them with tidal forces.

...and that's where the snowman had landed, its fate would be determined by new chaos and order that ensued from the clash of two titans. Storms and deathly vortexes, rushing rivers, and infinite wells. The sprites traveled down the turbulent waters with the snowman, but many were separated, forever disappearing in what was like a network of caves with nether walls and flooded by light.

On the third day, the snowman was carried far away from the ocean of light. To a place where boundaries were established, giving birth to solid forms, such as earth. The snowman could see tall columns of primordial stone, reaching high towards the sky. He could see floating rocks and isles, curved formations that arched over its head, rings of asteroids, and falling meteorites.

The sprites that accompanied the snowman wandered around the unfamiliar, mysterious wasteland, full of wonder and desire to make this place their home. As they floated over the soil, soaked in their light, it started to grow into other, smaller but more complex formations, that seemed to be nurtured by the warmth. The closer a sprite would come, the more flowers and leaves would bloom... and when sprites departed, it was as If the new flora desperately wanted to feel the last rays of light, giving birth to taller and larger structures, such as trees... but their greed was not without a cost, since the aether waters had to spread across their body and they, in the end, lost their vibrant, otherworldly colors and nourishing juices.

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The day passed and all sprites finally abandoned the snowman, each going its own way. Yet, their light was still visible in the sky, even when far away, and appeared like thousands upon thousands of primordial stars.

The sky sparkled in inconceivable beauty. The lights would gather together, dancing in joy, celebrating the gift of life itself, forming galaxies and nebulae. In this wild dance, some stars would crash into each other, and radiant explosions would illuminate the entire sky. Then, the fragments of stars would fall into the primordial waters, crash into the earth or burn in the skies.

On the fifth day, shells of the fallen stars would start to crack open, giving birth to shapeless, weak forms. They had no strength to live on their own and had to satiate their hunger for energy by feasting on plants. As the forms hungrily devoured the abundant flora, they grew larger or more sophisticated. There were large floating jellyfishes, escaping the turmoil on the ground. There were giant whales and serpents, guarding aether waters. There were large toads and turtles, guarding the coasts. In the forest, small and cunning fox-like creatures hunted together in packs, a gargantuan white snake guarded the largest tree, a boar and bear fought for the territory, and a calm, slumbering beetle rested in the meadow of flowers.

Each had their role, and each would learn their responsibilities soon because as the sixth day came, a black creature arrived from the darkness. As it walked down the overgrown paths, the flowers would wilt and trees would die. Its presence corrupted the animals, giving birth to violent abominations. It made their cradle its home and observed silently as its domain grew.

None who dared to enter the muddy swamps would leave unscathed. Plague and sickness fell upon the world, parasitic fungal outgrowths would invade animals, draining their powers and reducing them to mere, mindless beasts.

It couldn't continue, so the remaining animals banded together and devised a plan to lure out the black creature. The largest of them, the snake, snuck into the swamps and killed its guards, one after other. The yelps and screams alerted the black presence and it chased after the snake, falling right into the trap. Other animals would brutally maul the intruder, tear its robes and break bones. When they thought that the forbidden presence is no longer breathing, they separated.

Only the snake remained, it noticed that presence was still alive, begging for mercy, to let it leave. Yet, the reptile's mind was corrupted by the taste of blood. It extended its fangs, ready to devour its victim, who with the last ounce of strength – drew a wand and cursed the creature. Snake's eyes were festered by black tar, blinding it... and in this short moment, the intruder just vanished.

On the seventh day, the animals celebrated, without realizing that the snake is gone. It would haunt them in the future since the beast had now to rely on its sense of smell and it only intensified its bloodthirsty desire. But for now, it had to rest and heal its wounds. The seventh day was marked as the day of victory, and animals devised a pact that would separate the lands, seas, and skies between them, to avoid further conflicts and maintain peace. Only on this, the seventh day, they would gather together, in memory of the events, and to peacefully discuss their states of affairs.

It was on the seventh day, that the Red Snowman was allowed to walk, and it walked the aether domains of gods and beasts, still empty from the pestilence and war, unaware of the events that took the place here. It walked across dense jungles and desolate forests, across the meadows and plains. It walked alone, for uncountable days, until it reached outer lands, where no guardians ruled.