"Are you sure about it, my lord?" Lord Rood asked the Precursors before him.
Ignoring Rood's question, Jo'Han gazed down upon Earth, his eyes filled with a mixture of awe and sadness. Humans had been progressing faster than he had anticipated, yet he knew their progress would mean nothing if they failed to stop what was said to be inevitable.
Jo'Han continued to observe Earth, a planet teeming with life and beauty. His voice, resonant and powerful, carried a joy as he said, "Look at it, Rood. Is it not wonderful? A canvas painted with the vibrant hues of life.
Yet it saddens me to see the looming threat cast by my own brother upon this creation."
"Be as it may, my Lord, we'll stop him as soon as you say the word."
Jo'Han allowed himself the rare pleasure to smile and painfully tore his gaze away from the blue planet. As the sun shone upon him, Rood saw countless deep scars on his body, but the cause of the scar remained unknown.
As far as Rood knew, Precursors were the only ones to exist in the universe until they turned to creating all the known life forms. Also, the Precursors had never fought amongst themselves.
Due to all these reasons, Rood had always wondered how lord Jo'Han's body got covered in scars. But whenever he had tried asking him about it, Jo'Han would either dodge the question or change the topic.
After spending more than five centuries trying to pry an answer out of him, Rood had given up and made his peace that he would never get to know about the scars or the Precursor's past life.
"I don't doubt you will," Jo'Han smiled, staring into the endless space. "But I hope it doesn't come to that..."
Even though Kro'Han was Jo'Han, he still hoped that Kro'Han would see the light of day and return to the right path. But it didn't seem like his wish would come true.
"The One Above All has never been wrong before... It is unlikely he'll be wrong this time either."
Jo'Han mumbled, remembering the self-proclaimed overlord of their universe and also the one who saved his life from the injuries that scarred his body.
He remembered that day millions of years ago when a battle of cosmic proportions unfolded. Jo'Han, surrounded by his fellow Precursors, faced an entity that defied the very nature of their understanding—a force that threatened not just their existence but the entirety of the universe.
The creature, a dark and malevolent force, proved impervious to the advanced technology and formidable weapons wielded by the Precursors. It slaughtered them with merciless efficiency, leaving devastation in its wake.
Even Kro'Han, the strongest Precursor to have ever lived, was consumed by grief as his beloved sacrificed herself to protect her beloved and fell before the overwhelming power of the dark force.
Jo'Han tried his best to rally the troops for a final confrontation, but in front of the mysterious creature, once a towering figure of celestial might, found themselves on the brink of defeat.
In the face of the dark cosmic horror, all hope seemed lost. The creature stood tall, poised to snuff out the remnants of the once-mighty Precursors.
"Another universe will fall, and I'll become one of the twelve guardians," the creature snarled before setting his gaze on the bruised and broken Jo'Han, struggling to get back on his feet.
The creature laughed before gently tapping its finger on Jo'Han's head. It was supposed to be a gentle tap, but for Jo'Han, it felt like his entire body was being torn apart from the inside.
Watching their leader scream in agony shattered what little courage the Precursors had, and they realised it was time to meet their maker.
However, in the eleventh hour, a glimmer of salvation emerged. A portal opened behind Jo'Han, and from it shot a golden Trident, guided by an unseen hand.
Jo'Han saw a glimpse of the weapon but knew there was nothing anyone could do that would hurt the creature. But to his surprise, when the trident collided with the creature, it severed its arm—a feat none of the Precursors' weapons had achieved.
"Fucking cockroaches, wasting my time," a voice came from the other side of the portal. "I swear Nina would divorce me one of these days."
Amidst the pandemonium, a figure emerged from the portal—a being of radiant energy and cosmic authority, dressed in an all-black outfit, not even armour.
As his eyes met Jo'Han, his saviour was suddenly taken aback before acknowledging the Precursor's presence with a soothing smile.
"You did well. Now let me deal with this weakling."
That was Jo'Han's first encounter with the being who called himself [The One Above All].
"No..." the creature shrieked. "You are not supposed to be here!"
"Ah,?I should have asked for your permission, right?" the man rolled his eyes. "Now, stay still, and it'll be over before you know it."
"NO!!!"
The creature, sensing a force beyond its comprehension, attempted to flee. However, [The One Above All] shrugged his shoulder before sighing.
The man extended an ethereal hand, capturing the fleeing entity with an invisible force. The creature struggled against the grip, its dark essence churning in defiance, but the struggles were in vain.
"Really? Running? That's your escape plan?" he mumbled. "Let me show you what happens when you waste my time."
In a spectacular display of power, The One Above All toyed with the creature. With a mere gesture, he dragged it back, tossing the malevolent force around like a ragdoll.
The creature, realising the futility of resistance, attempted to warp away. Yet, The One Above All's power was absolute, and he yanked the creature back into their realm.
What ensued was a spectacle beyond the comprehension of the Precursors. The One Above All singlehandedly dismantled the creature, tearing it out of existence.
"Well, that was anticlimactic," he said.
Even though a lot of time had passed, Jo'Han, the memories of that ancient battle still vivid in his mind, smiled with gratitude and humility.
Rood stood there, watching Jo'Han as he got lost in his thoughts. While he had been part of countless meetings with Jo'Han, the lord seemed lost this time, making Rood wonder why he was even called to a desolate moon of a shielded planet.
"There is something I need you to do for me," After what felt like an eternity, Jo'Han snapped back into reality. "There'll be a time when you will meet my child. You must tell him what I'm about to reveal..."