Beyond the reaches of time and space, and perhaps even further, lay the Elder.

The Elder as a whole were both horrifying and enigmatic entities that could wield an incomprehensible amount of power while predating every known thing in existence. Their presence alone was enough to tear apart and upend multiple realities.

These beings occupied a place they referred to as The Endless, an infinite expanse that encapsulated countless microcosms. Entire universes that, for as large as they would seem, were nothing to the Elder. Most of these nigh-omnipotent beings sought very little and many of them sealed themselves within a perpetual sleep, seeking nothing else.

It was the Sleepless Elder that caused an incalculable amount of destruction without sparing a single thought and why would they? With a single blink they could snuff out worlds and create more. The Sleepless Elder all shared one goal and that was standing above all other Elder. It was an impossible feat for even them to accomplish. Whether they were driven by the desire to find an unending distraction from the solitude of their own existence, the actual belief they could obtain an even stronger state of continuance, or something else, they pursued that single goal wholeheartedly.

So, the Sleepless Elder waged a war on each other that they knew would never see an end or a conclusion.

…

“Yes, it was to be an endless war…” A beautiful violet-eyed woman with long white hair spoke very slowly as she surveyed her barren surroundings.

It was a dying world and as such, there were no notable landmarks. The ground beneath her feet groaned and split apart, creating chasms in the blink of an eye. Magma bubbled up from the surface as if the planet was heaving out one last pained breath.

“Until you came...” She turned her attention to the only other living being.

A handsome young man with long jet black hair and glowing eyes that held a golden yellow color. He wore a simple pair of black robes that wrapped around his body, but a closer look would reveal that they seemed to emanate a faint black mist.

“Ir’rah,” The woman whispered his name with an air of affection. It did nothing to soften the hostility coming from him or the narrowed focus of his gaze that remained on her.

“Ira,” He said, correcting her.

She ignored him and continued on, “After all of our battles, you’ve still failed to realize our importance, Ir’rah. Can’t you see that you and I could be the end and beginning of everything?”

“You know what I can see, Khaos?” Ira asked, turning his eyes to the collapsing horizon for the first time. “I see a world fading before my eyes… The Elder destroy everything they touch and I want no part of it.”

“Oh? And how exactly did you get here, Ir’rah? Did you become the inheritor of the void through happenstance?” Khaos asked, her voice laced with contempt. “How many lives did you take in order to stand where you are. Why is it only now that you suddenly choose to value the lives of those insignificant things?”

“... None of you would understand my reasons.”

“Then make me understand, Ir’rah!” Khaos shouted as her face warped into a venomous scowl.

In an instant, mountains of upturned earth rose up as far as the eye could see, but Ira remained unflinching.

His countenance, which seemed battle-ready only moments before, suddenly relaxed as a soft grin spread over his face.

“I wasn’t born as an Elder and you weren’t born as a mortal. We will never see eye to eye, Khaos.”

“... Is it your kin? Is that the reason you ignore all that you could become? Is that why you wear a shell of fragile flesh and restrict yourself to such a pitiful state? Why do you care so much for them when creating life is a menial task for us?!” Khaos' voice rose higher.

She waved her hand and clumps of dirt gathered together before taking shape. Within a single second, hundreds of identical humans stood next to her.

“Those things you just made mean absolutely nothing to you... Maybe that’s the reason you could never understand me.”

Ira’s grin grew even wider while Khaos clenched her fist. Her simple action turned the humans she created back into dust as if they hadn't existed in first place.

“Fine!” She flicked her hand and a torrent of violent energy ripped past Ira, taking off one his arms. Ira didn’t even show the slightest reaction as a new limb immediately grew in the place of the one he lost.

“I accept that I may never be able to understand you, Ir’rah… but I will make you understand me.” A primordial growl rang out, shaking the entire world.

Khaos erupted into a burst of light before disappearing, leaving Ira behind with only those words. Ira didn’t carelessly disregard what seemed to be a threat from an Elder Being but didn’t linger on the words of Khaos for too long. He gave one last look at the planet that crumbled around him before he too departed, leaving the lifeless rock to its own fate.