The Dark Age and the Violet Dawn

The tiny blue plants were no larger than ants, their leaves shaped like delicate lace. Floating serenely on the ocean's surface, they survived without direct sunlight, photosynthesizing the pale glow of the moon.

In mere seconds, they sprouted, matured, and withered—an entire lifecycle played in fast-forward.

It was like watching time-lapse footage of evolution, compressed into a heartbeat.

After surviving the first extinction event, the plants began to evolve at breakneck speed. Desperate to adapt to the eternal night, they darkened to a deep navy hue, and their shapes transformed—rhomboids, discs, wide and flat like seaweeds. They spread hungrily across the ocean's surface, competing for every droplet of moonlight falling into the sandbox.

Survival of the fittest.

Another hour passed.

As the sole marine species in Xu Zhi's microcosmic ocean, the aquatic plant he dubbed Blue Moongrass flourished without rivals. Unchallenged, it blanketed the water in vibrant hues. Under the moonlight, the entire sea glowed a haunting, ethereal blue.

Another hour. Tens of thousands of generations.

New branches emerged: slender tendrils, wide leaves, deep-sea creepers, and sunlit floaters. Then, a great divergence.

One half pursued photosynthesis, evolving ever more efficient ways to capture the moon's glow. The other turned to darker paths—carnivory. These hybrids used their stored light to emit a soft, hypnotic glow, luring in unsuspecting kin before consuming them whole.

Xu Zhi watched in awe.

"After surviving the first extinction, they've diversified into predators and prey..." he murmured. "What a tenacious, wondrous form of life."

He sat silently for a moment, then took out a notebook and pencil, scribbling with quiet excitement.

"I'll use Earth's geological timescale as a reference," he said. "If the Cambrian Explosion was the origin of life, then this period after should be my own era of darkness."

He gave a tired, satisfied smile.

"This is fun... No, this is amazing."

Turning to the first page of his black notebook, he began to write:

"During the Dark Age, the world was plunged into five thousand years of moonlit night. This sudden shift wiped out 99% of all marine life. The Blue Moongrass, capable of photosynthesizing moonlight, became the last survivor. It flourished across the dark ocean, rising as the undisputed ruler of its time."

Despite his frail body and the late hour, Xu Zhi felt more alive than ever.

"As on Earth, life begins in the ocean," he whispered. "After plants, next comes animal life. What kind of creature will evolve from the Tyranis spores?"

He gazed at the simulated sea, hopeful.

Dawn approached.

The seventh day began.

But no creatures emerged from the depths.

Instead, a new horror arrived:

The sun rose.

With the first harsh rays of sunlight, the vibrant Blue Moongrass began to die. The very adaptation that let them thrive in darkness—hyper-efficient light absorption—now became their curse. They burned instantly, their delicate structures collapsing under the solar glare.

The ocean turned gray.

Xu Zhi stared, stunned.

"The second extinction event… it's here."

All across the surface, the lush blue carpet shriveled into drifting corpses. Within minutes, the ocean that had once pulsed with alien life became a watery grave.

Such is death.

In the endless march of evolution, extinction is the price of progress. Entire species rise and fall, their stories lost to time. Xu Zhi had witnessed such a tale—compressed into a single night.

By afternoon, something miraculous occurred.

A single patch of blue stirred among the lifeless sea.

One survivor.

A mutant strain had endured the searing light. A pentagram-shaped Blue Moongrass, evolved to resist the sun's fury. It began to reproduce rapidly, giving birth to generation after generation in mere moments. Its color deepened from azure to violet—a dark, regal hue.

The leaves were mesmerizing. Symmetrical, star-shaped, and uniquely mobile.

At night, they unfurled flat on the ocean to drink moonlight. By day, they folded into protective buds, shielding their core from the brutal sun—like the Earth's touch-me-not plant.

Destruction had birthed innovation.

With no rivals, this resilient species spread freely across the ocean, claiming the new era for itself.

Xu Zhi leaned forward, his eyes shining.

"You survived five thousand years of darkness... and five thousand years of burning sunlight."

"The sun and moon have passed, and you're the only one left standing. You've endured both the cold and the blaze. You're a true champion..."

He smiled and opened his notebook to a new page.

"I name you... Violet Herograss."

He began writing again, his fingers trembling with excitement.

"With the dawn of the Radiant Age, the sun rose and the moon set. The sudden shift brought about the second great extinction. The Blue Moongrass that once ruled the Dark Age perished, leaving behind only a single survivor. This offshoot adapted, evolved, and rose to dominance—ushering in a new era. Thus was born the Violet Herograss, sovereign of a world bathed in sunlight."