Stars in the Darkness

Meanwhile, Helel sighed and closed his eyes, his brow twitching slightly.

"The gods never entered our realms. Instead, they sealed them with curses: water turned to poison, and the wind drove us into madness. Escape was impossible, so we chose the next best option—adapting to survive."

Nodding, Adam remembered their twisted, mutated bodies, finally understanding why they were each uglier than the last. He also remembered how his thoughts had darkened when he first arrived. But the phenomenon lessened with each passing day until it vanished after his fifth evolution.

"Why did you discard your bodies, then? I mean, you're not the real you, even if you kept your intelligence."