Chapter 2 – Lost

Following weeks of searching, Akai finally locates the cave. Enlightened, he is determined to preserve the revelations for his descendants to discover. The darkness of the cave is of no concern - the blue glow of his eyes leads him to previously undiscovered depths. He starts to chisel away the scenes racing through his mind.

He begins the first petroglyph: a group of lizards emerging from the Amazon. As the scene progresses, they are shown to evolve. Some change the color of their scaly skin while others develop monkey tails. Their frequent scars suggest an antagonistic predisposition. There is even evidence of necromancy...

Akai's vision spans the evolution across 1000 generations. His second carving depicts the humans, who quickly rose to the top of the food chain. They did not shy away from showing their dominance, using bones, teeth and even lion heads as jewelry and clothing. But what was the ultimate status symbol? Was it the skull mouthguard or the glorious mustache?

The images suggest that humans grew more and more curious about their ancestry, traveling the world and the universe in search of answers. Answers that grow more and more complex as remarkable events are about to unfold.

To be continued...

Chapter 3 – The Offering

As the sun began to rise, its golden glow illuminated the outside of Akai's cave. Inside, his carvings depicting the origins of the Descendants sat in darkness... All except one... For but a fleeting moment, through the cracks in the cave wall, streaks of light illuminated one particular petroglyph: a gathering of four Lost Descendants, each belonging to a different species. Curiously, they seem to be pointing in the direction of the wall fractures.

"How large must our offering be?" wondered the metahuman while stroking his chad beard. "The four of us must pool together our assets if the Ancestors are to reward our offering". They knew time was of the essence. The transdimensional passage leading to the darkness they inhabited would not remain open for long.

All around the Descendants banded together in factions of four, those lost and those who remain in their original habitats, hoping to make a successful offering.

Chapter 4 – The Skull Gathering

A week had passed since his evolutionary epiphany. With the tales of the past inscribed on the cave wall, Akai began his journey home. A journey that takes him through a myriad of landscapes, with terrain as diverse as the four species and their heritage that were presented to him in the vision.

As the sun began to set, he came across an ancient cemetery. The tombstones showed signs of neglect - overgrown and decrepit. Surprisingly, he hears a distant murmur. Despite his fatigue, curiosity takes the better of him and he approaches the site. Peering over the edge of a sand dune, he sees the outlines of seven figures gathered around a heap of bones and skulls. They seem too large to have belonged to humans.

Akai listens for a few minutes, and in doing so learns their names: Trytone, Kako, Kawatu, Muzark, Hoku, Idoku, Kaido. They possess extraordinary, God-like powers, which are on display during this evening's gathering.

The seven men talk of creating new life…

Chapter 5 – The Offering II

General Kaelan had finished assembling his squad. Representing each of the four species, so different in their skill and temperament, they now stood shoulder to shoulder staring into the interdimensional chasm.

On their minds was the prophecy of Zenon The Seer who, true to his name, had caught a glimpse of the cataclysmic future in the Lost Dimension. So traumatic was his vision that merely peering into that monochromatic land had sucked all vitality, vibrancy and colour from Zenon's existence. Only the blood seeping through his blindfold, reflecting the carnage in his vision, stood in contrast to this bleakness.

Having learned of Zenon's prophecy, the General and his crew were set to travel into the Lost Dimension and alert its inhabitants to the approaching calamity. They awaited a blessing from the Ancestor Gods. As the offerings continued to flow in from factions all around, echoing like prayers inside a cathedral, this blessing was near.

At last the General inched forward. Next to him Braxaka raised his sword as if to pry open the narrow passage. They marched forward into the Lost Dimension, the reality around them shattering with every step.