A War of a Thousand Years

In a time that is now unknown to most people, the skies were engaged in a battle with evil. For a millennium, powerful wars were carried between the former Demon Lord, who was a being of great power and tyranny, and the Heavenly Realm's armies. There was usually the sound of fighting heard up in the sky, and the ground shook as if the war was being waged down below. The territories that were once free of war became the battlegrounds of the fight, as both sides were quite matched in terms of power and will.

The Demon Lord was an evil ruler of the so-called 'Underworld' who strived to take control over the three worlds: Heaven, Earth, and the Netherworld. He commanded his legions of deformities that arose from the abyss of abomination, and they proved invincible to all forms of attacks. The forces of light fought bravely, but with each passing century, it became clear that they were slowly being overwhelmed. The heavens began to dim, their radiance fading under the shadow of despair.

The celestial warriors, the supreme god amongst the lot, fought the demon intensely but realized that they were slowly being overpowered. The lands turned into deserts and the rivers into streams of death, and the war continued to suck the lives of its victims. Hope was a small flame which is barely alive, fearing the wrath of the Demon Lord blowing over the world.

But it looked as though all was lost when, unexpectedly, an occurrence that can only be termed a miracle happened—a star appeared in the sky. Unlike any other, it glowed with a sort of ethereal light that brought the darkness to a battlefield of a divine flame. Its light did not simply illuminate; it cleansed. Every shadow it touched was banished, and every trace of corruption was erased, as if the star was purifying the world with its mere presence.

The star began to plunge into the land in human form. And not just a shining star, but the entity, which was something beyond anyone's imagination—a creature born from space. It touched the ground and with its feet, every soil it came across became smooth with twinkling lights, like dust. The air around the star vibrated with energy, and the winds sang praises to its glory.

A newborn star, who was later called the Radiant One, went straight to meet the enemy, the Demon Lord and his forces. The confrontation of the two was like none other that had been seen in realms. The clouds of the sky rolled and covered the sun; the craters of the ground opened and trembled from the force of both warriors. It was as if the very night itself wept away the war between Radiant One and Demon Lord—both fought with strong force and agility that was beyond human imagination.

Even the Demon Lord, who was powerful and wicked, was no match to the star. It was not just the light of creation but it was a force, which could not be put out by the darkness. The Demon Lord felt weakened and overwhelmed by a new type of enemy. Finally, the Radiant One banished the Demon Lord into a realm where he could never escape for all the days of eternity.

Demons were defeated and after the death of the Demon Lord, the war was quite literally finished. The realms were at last free of war, and the star had risen to the throne of heavens to become the new Heavenly Lord. The light that shines from him extends itself to the three realms, healing the scars of war and bringing life back to the lands that had been destroyed. The rivers flowed again, the trees bloomed, and the sky regained its lost brilliance.

The Heavenly Lord had been leading the realms to the age of supreme prosperity for the last 10,000 years. During his reign, the celestial cities shine as a beacon, and the human world is also living peacefully. The Netherworld, too, found peace, as the forces of darkness were held at bay by the power of the Heavenly Lord. War once again was not a threat to the realms, and they were embraced instead with the warmth of peace.

The Heavenly Lord was known as the wise and righteous ruler, who governed the world with kindness and power. Everyone went to seek an audience with him—from the common man to the gods themselves. Under his guidance, the realms flourished like never before. The arts flourished alongside the sciences as well as magic, and all the inhabitants of the celestial, mortal, and nether realms were happy.

They were grateful to the Heavenly Lord and thanked him for showing them the path to righteousness and saving them from the darkness. Temples were built for him, and songs describing his achievements were recited in all territories of the kingdoms. His name turned into a symbol of hope and salvation, and his reign was the time of the golden age of all existence.

Time is relative and even in the heavenly realm, it continues to progress, and the Heavenly Lord had ruled the heavenly realm for thousands of years, he felt that it was time to change. He had intended to rule the realms to the best of his abilities and capabilities, but now he thought it properly to step down. He had served the realms with all his heart, and now, he believed it was time to pass the power to another. The Heavenly Lord chose one of his closest aides, a deity with great wisdom and strength, to take his place on the throne.

This ceremony was grand, and all the gods, celestials, and, mortals were all present. The Heavenly Lord now, the Supreme Heavenly Lord, steps down the throne with dignity and honor and then places the crown upon the head of the successor. The new Heavenly Lord, honored and dedicated to living up to the legacy of his predecessor, vowed to continue the work of peace and prosperity. Although the Supreme Heavenly Lord no longer ruled directly, his presence was still felt. He choose to guide the new Heavenly Lord from the shadows, offering counsel and support whenever needed. 

Under the guidance of the Supreme Heavenly Lord and the new Heavenly Lord, the realms continued to thrive. It remained so, and life went on continuously; normal, happy, without strife. The anecdote of the Radiant One becoming the Supreme Heavenly Lord for the generations was the moral story of the constant fight of light against darkness.

Finally, even though, the Supreme Heavenly Lord reminisced that he wanted to be remembered for the things that brought world peace. The fact that he agreed to step down voluntarily, and give the crown to someone else, and still stayed and helped from behind the shadows. Proved beyond doubt that leadership is not about authority, but service to people. His story finally proved that no matter how disastrous evil could be, there is still a ray of light.

Thus, the realms were content and happy and the Supreme Heavenly Lord was observing them from the shadows, enjoying the fact that the peace he had fought for was regained and would long remain unshattered.