The Veil of Creation

… Remember me…

At the veil of creation, there was naught but a soul. The soul knew not whence it had come, nor for what purpose it dwelt in the vast and boundless void. It lingered in stillness, untouched by the march of time, for time itself had yet to be conceived.

Yet, in the fullness of an unknown moment, the soul began to stir. A yearning arose within it—a longing neither named nor understood. And lo, from this yearning was born the first of all emotions: Desire. By the power of Desire, the soul did reach into the nothingness and wrought from it something where once there was naught.

Into this something, the soul poured its boundless yearning, and thus was born the first child of the Soul. Though the Soul and Desire were of one essence, they were yet distinct. Desire, upon its awakening, knew not what it was. Yet, when it beheld the Soul, it understood its origin and purpose.

Together, the Soul and its firstborn wandered the vast emptiness. Yet there was naught to see, nor to touch, nor to hear. Desire, in its boundless nature, longed to commune with its father, yet knew not the way. Thus, did it create speech, that it might give voice to its unending longings.

Desire spake unto the Soul, saying: "O Father, I yearn to fill this void with many things, for such is my nature." And the Soul, moved by the pleas of its child, did consent. Together, they set forth to fill the void with wondrous creations, wrought from the essence of Desire and the will of the Soul.

The Soul, guided by its child's unceasing yearning, shaped the formless into form. First, it fashioned Light, that they might see. And the darkness that cloaked the void was pushed back.

Desire beheld the light and marveled, yet soon its yearning grew anew. "Father," spake Desire, "this light is wondrous, yet it is lonesome. Let us create more, that the void may sing with splendor."

Thus, the Soul and Desire labored together, and from their hands sprang stars, countless in number, each a beacon in the endless expanse. Around the stars they placed worlds, spinning in celestial harmony.

Upon one such world, they breathed life and named it humankind. Beholding their creation, the Soul felt something stir within, akin to its first yearning. It was a desire to see this creation flourish and grow. And from this longing was born the second emotion and the second child of the Soul: Hope.

Hope came into being and, like its elder sibling, knew at once how it had come to life. When Desire beheld Hope, a new feeling took root within it—a radiance within its being. From this feeling sprang Desire's own firstborn: Joy.

Now the four—Soul, Desire, Hope, and Joy—wandered together, creating and filling the void with countless wonders and life. Yet the Soul, in its musings, wondered when its first child had come into being, but there was no measure for such a thing. Thus, with the urging of Desire, it fashioned Time, that the moments of creation might be counted and the flow of existence marked.

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After countless ages, the creators turned their gaze upon their cherished work: humankind. They saw that the humans had flourished, and being the children of Soul and Desire, bore within them a spark of their creators. This spark, the humans called Wisdom.

Through Wisdom, humankind created wonders of their own and dwelt in harmony. The creators watched with wonder, and their fondness for their creation deepened. Among them, Hope felt the strongest attachment. This bond grew and transformed, becoming a yearning to nurture and cherish humankind.

From this yearning, Hope willed into existence its own firstborn: Love. Love came forth, radiant and warm, a force that bound creation together. With devotion unyielding, Love sought to protect humankind and to draw them closer to one another.

Thus, Love became the fifth to join the divine company, and its presence wove harmony into the great tapestry of creation.

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Assuming forms like unto humankind, the creators descended from their celestial heights to meet their creation.

The Soul, arrayed in a golden robe adorned with shimmering threads, bore upon its brow a crown of purest white. Thus, did it introduce itself, saying, "I am the All-Father, the source of all that is."

Desire, clad in a white robe with golden bracelets gracing its wrists, stood beside its father and spake, "I am the Firstborn of the All-Father, the wellspring of yearning and creation."

Likewise, did Hope, Joy, and Love reveal themselves in turn, each declaring their essence and purpose.

The creators dwelt among their creation, teaching the humans many things. They showed them how to wield the spark of Wisdom within, how to shape their thoughts and emotions, and how to embrace the essence of each divine progenitor.

Desire taught humanity the art of yearning—to strive, to create, to seek evermore. Hope imparted the strength to dream, to endure, and to aspire toward the unseen. Joy showed them the lightness of being, the ecstasy of existence. Love, most tender of all, spent countless days walking among the humans, teaching them what it meant to cherish one another, to bind their hearts in unity and devotion.

The humans, eager to preserve the sacred wisdom imparted unto them, recorded the tales of creation and the teachings of the divine in tomes, that the knowledge might endure for all time.