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"I would call him The Designer"

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AFTER A DEAFENING silence he continued.

"In my Origin story, these pieces fit. Some will not, as you are still young and have much to learn, and better still, it is because you still believe in the word 'normal' even if you, yourselves are standing on the very ground that is fathomed as 'abnormal.' A mystical Island that cannot be located by any technology, one that shifts with the seasons."

He was talking about Kingsland. Mystical?

He continued, phasing into another more serious note.

"If I was to begin an Origin story, tell me, would I begin with a Big Bang?" He asked, his gaze moving across each of our faces.

He had a way of speaking that felt like he was talking to you directly, "that something as delicate as the earth should begin in Chaos? Science and some religions will tell us that and yes, it has its validations but other religions, other minds would differ, especially particular ones that come to mind."

He paused, his eyebrows furrowing, selecting each word with the utmost care.

"If I was to begin a story, as a man who holds 'belief' in high esteem and Creation more than a mere accident, I would like to believe there was a greater force that shaped all that is around us. All that has existed, even if we cease to remember. Something like an imagination that whipped the stars into being. A greater god, a greater force than ever imaginable."

His gaze shifted to the left side of the room.

"And in this Origin story, marveling at all that was made, I would call him The Designer. " He skimmed over each of us, "Do not think of him as a god, no, god is a name humans give to beings that were designed differently, whose laws are not governed like there are in this world. Those are gods."

I noticed how he threw the word around like it was nothing.

"Picture him as everything, picture him as ultimate, picture him as something incomprehensible, and picture you, yourselves as nothing."

His eyes glazed around the room, as mine did for a moment, realizing everyone was listening so attentively that if a pin dropped, it would be embarrassed at its noise.

"Picture the earth as his first masterpiece, like a painter in his prime. Like an iron wielder wielding his first creation. Picture the earth as a beauty before beauty was tainted," He trailed off.

"Sometimes a creation does not stay in its prime perfection. Sometimes as the years dwindle it seeks for something more, and the more it seeks, the more it imagines, imagines more. Imagination is an antique power; it isn't to be taken lightly. In my origin story, these..." he trailed off swerving his hand in the air.

"Wants from Earth's creation conceived a shadow, a shadow so small it was barely unrecognizable, but it grew like a child, oh it grew until it was enormous," he breathed out still seemingly entrapped in the tale, his eyes darkening, "and younglings, you must know that there is nothing more dangerous than when evil desires perfection, and it desired... replication."

He moved slightly forward adjusting his arms, "I call this darkness, 'The Deceiver.' A replicator of all things perfect. It wants what The Designer has, the ability to create as he creates, and in my origin story, it wanted the Earth."

"The Deceiver creates too, but unlike the designer, who creates out of mere imagination, it first must have an emblem of it, that is why anything created by The Deceiver is called a 'deception'. This is because it is never a 'perfection', only a replication evolved out of the imagination of what The Designers have already created. He does not have the ultimate power.... only a replication, a dupe. Species changed by the darkness that was spread to deceive perfection."

"These dark entities that dwell on greed, pride, lust..." he trailed off swallowing a little, "those that were once good fell from perfection as well, deceived into darkness, molded into something powerful yes, but perfect? No. We call these powers, the Ancients, or the Fallen.

Guardians were once placed by The Designer to guard his perfections but they fell into darkness and deceived his perfections. The Deceiver, feasted on their folly until the earth was nothing as it used to be. In your various origin stories, depending on which you believe, you may know these as Titans, as demons, as evil spirits, or simply as darkness. They exist, they have existed, and will continue to do so."

He grabbed his crutch moving toward the board his voice sad.

"A creator that sees his creation ruined suffers a loss and one as great as him must have suffered more. Like a painter whose canvas was ruined, he tried to make the best of it until the Creation simply refused to be perfected anymore."

He turned around glancing at each one of us.

"What does a painter do when his painting is done?"

There was a silence but Mr. Ogustus answered his question,

"He paints another one," he replied writing something on the board.

"Criptus, the second earth." He marveled at his penmanship turning around slightly, "Created in another universe a whole different system, remarkable still but different. Home of the beloved race."

He turned to look at us.

"In my origin story, there is another perfection. This one however a million times more beautiful than the first earth. Do not take offense of this younglings, earth is still beautiful," he turned as we all chuckled.

"Everything was better than the first, stronger, and faster, lasted longer, built-in solid pairs..." he trailed off but I caught a whisper of sadness in his tone, "with something so beautiful," he began slowly, "darkness would never stay away. Deception lurks in every corner of the various universes, it hunts for perfection and deceives," he paused.

"They came from the stars." He suddenly stated, "landed right in the dried sands of Africa."

Someone raised their hand, this time an African girl. I would know those Ghanaian colors from anywhere thanks to my Tutor. The girl wore a flagged shirt of her home country proudly, "who came from the stars?"

"An ancient race originating from a better place," Mr. Ogustus repeated.

"Criptus," he added and we chuckled, "they called themselves, Dilectus," he paused twirling the piece of chalk between his fingers, " This is your origin story as it is mine, Listen." He stated and everything dropped back into silence.

"They were perfection, better, stronger, more powerful. Earth was not built to last in their presence and so its elements bowed before them as did time and space and the universe that harbored it did. " He stood up moving toward the board, "So mankind named them gods."

He jotted the terms gods down on the board before his hands came behind him again.

"In Africa, among the Yoruba, they were called Orisha's, the firsts, they began there and as time moved, they ventured to other lands, to the Romans and Greeks," he jotted these names as he spoke, "You would know them as Greek gods, different to Titans as they were good, they were not yet touched by deception, and they ruled on Mt Olympus."

He chuckled as if it was a joke, before trailing off.

"But you know the battle Darkness has with Light. It seeks to consume it. Therefore, before long, the otherworldly perfections that were named gods were corrupted. Lust, greed..." he trailed off, "Destroyed many, and of course, there were also the little problems of the Ancients that weren't exactly happy about being forgotten and so, there was a battle-"

"DING!"

A bell rang and all of us looked up, I'm pretty sure angry at it for ruining our Origins Class. Mr. Ogustus grinned.

"I was wondering when it would go off, I was about to fall asleep, weren't you?" he asked taking his crutch.

We all booed and laughed at the same time begging him to continue but he shook his head with a chuckle.

"You have me for the whole week. Go ahead take a break, I'll see you after lunch," He hummed hobbling out of the classroom.

The classroom was silent as we looked at each other, oblivious to the fact, two hours had passed without us noticing. It was only a minute later when we all stood up, option for a much-needed break.

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I hope you enjoyed the update! Leave a comment on your thoughts on the chapter, vote to boost the book if you're enjoying it! Feel free to leave me a comment or a question on my discord channel, (link in bio)

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