Lili woke and saw the fish. She did not understand why she was on the beach next to the fire, nor why any of it was happening. But hunger was unforgiving, so she took the fish—there were about ten of them. It was a great deal of food, but she did not stop; she ate until her stomach ached. Exhausted, she fell unconscious once more.
As night fell and the moon illuminated her beautiful hair, a dark hand caressed her face, emitting an aura that resembled black smoke. Because of that presence, no animal dared to draw near. While the night passed, she wept in her dreams; the sadness and the abandonment by her male counterpart had left a deep wound in her heart.
The dark being dried her tears with tenderness. He caressed her skin and took her into his arms to protect her. She did not wake, and as the night went on wrapped in that embrace, not even the cold could touch her. They remained this way until the sun appeared and the dark being retreated into the shadows.
Lili woke with renewed energy; her wounds were healed. She did not comprehend what was occurring, but she knew she had to begin her journey. Near her, she found some skins to cover herself; she did not know where they had come from, but there they were. Beside the skins, she also found a weapon—an improvised knife—and a leather satchel. Inside the satchel was a fire starter and supplies for healing.
All of it had appeared out of nowhere. She did not know why, but she understood something fundamental: in those wild worlds, questions kill.
Opposing Paths
While Lili traveled along the seashore, on the other side of the continent in the northeast, Loel and Avia lay in a bed of love. Loel did not want a woman to dominate him, but Avia held his life in her hands. The proud male hunter had become extinct; Loel was now like a lapdog, while Avia did as she pleased with him.
Far from there, Lili continued her journey along the western coasts until she reached a strip of land that extended into the ocean: it was a peninsula. She was confused, thinking her path should lead south, but she took that entrance of land heading west, venturing into an unknown region of the continent.
As she walked and the days passed, the beach seemed to provide her with fresh fish constantly, and the wild animals stayed away, as if an invisible border protected her. Meanwhile, in the north, Loel and Avia consummated their union.
The Encounter in the Mountain
Lili traveled along the northern side of the peninsula, following the shoreline. She moved slowly, always alert and worried about any predator that might pursue her, but strangely, nothing attacked her.
Months passed, and although she had no formal knowledge of time, she felt that nearly a year had gone by since the day she fled from her male counterpart's home. One day, while walking exhausted, she found an enormous cave. The entrance was about six meters high and extended into secret passages that ran through the entire mountain, near which a towering volcano stood. There, she decided to hide to protect herself from the beasts, and overcome by fatigue, she fell into a deep sleep.
Upon waking, she found herself surrounded by a multitude of children. Based on their height, they appeared to be eight or nine years old, but their skin was made of pure light and their eyes glowed with different colors. One of them, the one with golden eyes, approached with a stick in his hand and questioned her firmly: —"Who are you, intruder? Why do you enter our home?" —"I was only seeking refuge,"— she replied with fear. —"Please, do not hurt me."
Then, number one thousand and one, the only girl in the group, approached and stopped them: —"Hey, leave her alone! Don't you see she's scared? Everyone, go away." —"Fine,"— the golden-eyed boy conceded, —"but we will keep watching you, strange woman."
Everyone left, leaving the girl alone with Lili. —"Who are you?"— Lili asked, astonished. —"Why do you shine with that light?" —"We are steps,"— the little girl replied. —"Steps?"— Lili repeated, confused. —"Yes. We were born when the Creator stepped upon this planet." Lili stared at her. —"Then, are you the children of God?" —"No, we are only His steps. On the other hand, you are also His daughter, right?" —"I don't know if I am His daughter,"— Lili confessed sadly. —"He told me to be with my male counterpart, but he was starving me, so I left."
The girl watched her with understanding. —"Sometimes our male counterparts are mean,"— the little girl said, —"but I have a thousand brothers, and they all protect me. But I also have an older brother," the girl continued, "although he is not made of light; he is made of darkness." Lili, with fear, asked if this older brother would be angry at her presence there, but the little girl reassured her, claiming that he was good and that he protected them from the dragons. To Lili's surprise, the girl explained that the dragons lived on another continent and came to attack them, along with panthers, wolves, foxes, and beings that cast magic and looked like her. According to what her older brother had told her, those beings lived in what was called "Continent Three." Lili, remembering the severe gaze of the golden-eyed boy, asked about him, and the little girl explained that he was the leader of all the younger brothers. She confessed that he always fought with her older brother because the golden-eyed one claimed to be stronger, while the older brother only called him "tadpole" or "insect" without giving it any importance. The girl admitted that she loved him very much and then asked Lili why she was so alone, to which she replied that it was because she had decided to survive. With a gesture of tenderness, the little girl told her that she could stay there with her and that, if she wanted, they could be friends.
Lili was exhausted, and as the girl spoke to her, she fainted. The young ones and the girl carried her to the heart of the cave, where there was a large pit connecting multiple galleries where they slept; there, they cared for and protected her. However, the golden-eyed leader was not satisfied and said to his brothers: "I do not think this woman should be here. We are attacked all the time and our older brother spends his life fighting everyone. We must expel her." The other nine hundred and ninety-nine brothers nodded, but the girl stood firm: "No! She needs help. Until my older brother comes, we will not expel her." "Listen, you are only one and we are many," the leader replied. "You have no vote here." "I do have a vote; I am also a step of the Creator and I will not let you throw her out for an animal to devour. I will take care of her; you will not have to deal with her." The golden-eyed one looked at her with severity and finally yielded: "Fine, you will care for her. But as soon as she brings us trouble, I will expel her. Let's go."
While the children withdrew, on the third continent, in the Empire of the Dragon Emperor, an angel descended before the throne. "To what do I owe this pleasant visit, Gabriel?" asked the Emperor. "I have come by order of the Creator. A creation has escaped from where it was placed." "Are you referring to a human woman?" the Dragon Emperor said with disdain. "We already have those humans you put on the first continent over here on the second; they are the same, except these use magic." "No," Gabriel declared. "These humans use nothing; they are born with abilities. But the woman who escaped is a danger." "Why? Some beast will eat her." "That woman has the capacity to reproduce with any species; she is not normal. The second woman we gave to man was configured to only reproduce with humans, but the first woman is made of clay, of earth and water. She is unique, and the Creator commands you to return her." The Dragon Emperor was reluctant, claiming it was the angels' problem for losing her, but Gabriel threatened him: "You and all the other races enjoy this planet by divine concession. If that human reproduces with the beast of darkness that inhabits this world, their child will be the end of everything. Capture her before that happens. I will not repeat myself: if you fail, you will lose everything." Gabriel vanished into the air, leaving the Emperor in a state of deep concern. He knew that Gabriel's sword enforced the word of God and that they would raze every continent if Lili became pregnant by the dark being that dominated the first continent.
Lili woke when the sun had already risen. The girl was by her side; she took her by the hand and led her outside. "Do you see how beautiful the sun is? Our Lord made it," the little one said. Lili knelt and offered a prayer, giving thanks for still being alive. At that moment, the thousand children of light approached; their footsteps made the sand burn beneath their feet. The golden-eyed leader, upon seeing her, rebuked her harshly:
"Why is the human woman outside?" "I only wanted to come out and soak in the sun," Lili replied with humility. "Human woman, stay inside the cave. Do not come out; you do not have permission," the boy decreed.
However, the little girl stepped in to defend her: "Do not say anything to her; she is with me. Don't listen to him, Lili. Look, we will build you a house here. You fifty!" the girl ordered, pointing to a group of her brothers, "build a house for her."
The fifty children began to work immediately, which provoked the leader's anger. "Do you intend to override my authority?" the golden-eyed one asked. "I do not wish to override your authority," the girl replied calmly, "but the human needs help. If it were me who was in the world of humans, would you like them to let me die?"
The golden-eyed one remained silent, unable to answer. He turned around and marched away with the rest of the children while the fifty chosen ones continued the construction. Lili felt a deep fear toward that boy with the golden gaze, but she did not know that, far from there, atop the volcano where flames erupted from the lava, the Emperor of Darkness was watching her intently.