Within The Hopeful Darkness…

Part I. The cycle began with a small hum, a hum that was felt across the cosmos. As 'Death' looked on, they saw themselves at the end of all things.

Part II. Before they became Death, they were just a simple angel known as Mors. Intrigued by the cosmos, they aimlessly wandered until they reached the edge of their universe. There, just outside, stood a tall and mysterious being, and Mors called out, “Who are you, friend?”

“I am the master of swords. How may I help you?"

"I come looking for a purpose. I once saw it in a dream, but I do not know where to go," replied Mors.

"Then you have come to the right place. Why don’t you step over here?"

Mors walked over, and the space around them changed, no longer feeling their Universe around them.

"In my realm, I can see your true self in your reflection," said the Sword Master. "I will give you a purpose, for I am in search of a certain soul. Take this great blade; it will collect the souls of those departing your Universe. It will do this until the one soul I am in search of is found. You will know when it is found because a faint humming will engulf the cosmos around you."

The Sword Master handed the sword to Mors, hereby known as the angel of death, or just ‘Death’. The Sword Master had bestowed upon them his greatest blade, for Mors was the one he was in search of, whose soul he wanted to remain unclaimed. The hum would signify the final soul collected, and at that moment, the blade would break, souls scattered farther and wider than in cycles before it, and silence would fill the Universe, with only one soul, Death, remaining. Yet, without their great blade, to which they had become accustomed, Death would become weak and slowly fade away, to nothing more than a thought.

Part III. After the hum, silence enveloped the realms of time and place. Then, a thought emerged—a speck, or perhaps a soul? Lost in the vast emptiness of space, the soul was uncertain of its direction, so it slumbered once more. In its sleep, it dreamt, observing itself, vast and great. Then, a spark ignited. This spark became an angel, and its journey had begun.