Sheut met her gaze, a subtle understanding passing between them. He could sense that her question held more weight than just a casual curiosity. He took a moment to formulate his response, the soft hum of the carriage filling the silence.
"That may be a little complicated to explain, My Queen, but the distinction is a matter of origin and intent," he began, his voice taking on a professorial tone. " A shadow is a dark area on a surface where light from a light source is blocked by an object. The darkness of a shadow is not simply a general dimming of light. It's a specific area where light is blocked by an object, creating a defined boundary between the illuminated area and the shadow. Both shadow and darkness are the absence of light," he explained, a wry smile on his face, "So shadow is...well, darkness."
Seeing that he received several questioning looks, Sheut sighed. "I know what I just said. However, allow me to finish. "More precisely, a shadow is darkness isolated in a particular region. In order to create a shadow, you need three things. Light (life and creation), darkness (death and destruction), and an object for these fundamental principles to be enacted upon. Light and darkness are typically portrayed as opposing forces, with creatures or entities embodying each. These entities can be direct enemies, with light-based beings fighting against those who thrive in darkness. Light and darkness as two essential forces that need each other to maintain balance."
Exchanging glances, understanding dawned upon the Queen and Big John's faces. Sheut was referring to a popular creation theory. In many creation stories, light and darkness are among the first things created, often representing fundamental forces or concepts. Both emphasize a transition from a state of primordial darkness or non-existence to the emergence of existence itself. Was primordial darkness the chaos Sheut was referring to? Explorations into the ruins of the great war referenced it as a state that precedes all distinctions, encompassing a lack of form and light, darkness hidden by darkness. In other words, darkness hidden by chaos. They both had the same thought, "More resources and effort needed to be put into the research about the truths about the Great War."
Queen Nandi's gaze, which had been fixed on Sheut with an intense, analytical focus, softened slightly as she processed his words. She looked over at Big John, who returned her glance with a subtle nod, confirming they were on the same mental track. The popular creation theory was something they had both studied extensively, and Sheut's words had just given it a terrifying new layer of context.
"So, the Chaos that corrupts the demons we know," she said, her voice now a thoughtful murmur, "is a kind of primordial darkness. A primal, unfiltered force that existed before creation itself." Pausing for a moment, the Queen, "John and I have investigated ruins to further research creation theories and the mysteries behind the Great War. We were able to find bits and pieces of theories that hint at what you just explained. However, it seems like someone deliberately erased or removed all knowledge from that point on... Not just the history of your people is missing, but everything before the war."
Letting out a soft chuckle, Sheut corrected the Queen about what he was explaining. "My Queen, I'm not talking about the creation of man." Feeling the questioning gazes, Sheut continued. "I'm talking about the creation of the soul."
The carriage went completely quiet; not even the hum of the mana crystals could be heard. The Queen, Big John, Adah, and even General Kar, who was able to listen because of his enhanced hearing, were all gobsmacked by what they just heard. What did Sheut mean by the creation of the soul? Souls were thought to have always existed as energy. It was widely known that energy can neither be created nor destroyed. Was he saying that what they had come to understand was wrong or a lie this whole time?
Adah was the first to respond, her voice a little shaky as she tried to process this new information. "Sweetie, could you please go in-depth about what you meant? You see, from our understanding, energy cannot be created nor destroyed." She paused, collecting her thoughts. "From what I can ascertain from everything you've said up until now. Is that creation isn't as simple as creating a god for the creation of life. Also, everything that exists, including the light, was born from chaos. And finally, it is more like a vessel than pure energy... Is my understanding on track so far?"
Sheut listened to Adah's summary, a gentle, almost proud smile on his face. He nodded slowly, confirming her line of thinking
"You're very close, my love," Sheut said, his gaze warm and proud. "You've grasped the core of it perfectly. Creation isn't just about a single deity or even multiple deities snapping their fingers and willing something into existence. It's a far more complex dance between two fundamental opposing forces, merging and changing."
He then posed a rhetorical question, his eyes twinkling. "Have you ever heard the age-old question: 'Which came first, the chicken or the egg?'" Seeing the nods from the Queen and Adah, Sheut continued. "Well, most people ask this question to illustrate that some things have no clear beginning or end. But what if we answered that question philosophically? The egg obviously came first, carrying the DNA for the chicken. However, that egg was birthed by a creature that wasn't quite a chicken, leading to the circular logic of the question. Everything changes given time and manipulation."
He looked at Adah with the intense, focused gaze of a hungry predator ready to pounce, though his expression was one of profound affection. "You were spot on about the soul, my love. Energy cannot be created or destroyed. But souls are not merely energy in the way most understand it. The soul is indeed a vessel for energy, a unique pattern that holds and directs it. The creation of a soul is not the forging of new energy from nothingness, but rather the act of shaping raw, primordial energy into that unique pattern. This uniqueness makes you, you. Like fingerprints, no two mana signatures are the same. While some would argue that identical twins or clones have the exact same signature, that would be false. You just need to know where to look for it."
He then addressed her point about chaos, his expression growing more serious. "And you are once again correct about everything that exists being born of chaos. Think of chaos not as a monstrous evil, but as a primordial, formless state of being. A canvas, if you will. Light emerged as the brush, and life and existence were the first strokes of that brush. But without the canvas, there would be nothing to create upon."
A thoughtful silence fell over the carriage as Queen Nandi and Big John processed this. Adah's hand, still intertwined with Sheut's, tightened slightly as the weight of his words settled upon her. The very foundations of her understanding of the world were being reshaped in this small, enclosed space.
"So," Big John finally said, his voice soft with contemplation. "The Great War moat likely wasn't just a battle over land or power. It was a schism over the very nature of existence itself. A war between those who embraced the chaos of the canvas and those who sought to master the light of the brush?"
Sheut nodded slowly, his gaze turning to the window as if he could see the echoes of that ancient conflict playing out in the world outside. "Precisely the conclusion I came up with. And my people… we were the artists who sought to balance both the canvas and the brush. We were the guardians of that delicate, fleeting balance. And that is why we are targeted."