Act I: The Empyreal Children

Before time began, immortal children sat at the precipice of something greater. They each had their own special gifts, but strife had torn them apart life after life. Each cycle, they would be reborn, but the memories drifted in and out of their minds as they slept. With these realities sifting through their heads, they chose names based on what they thought they were meant to become.

One of the children, The Warden, had no interest in the life that had unfolded before her, knowing in another life she had power. She could see all of the lives of all of her siblings and devised a plan to reset reality once more. The result had always been the same: The Destroyer would bring forth an end. A sacrifice had to be made so The Empyreal Children could be reborn.

The Warden (Sagittarius) spread a prophecy, fooling The Doomed (Cancer) into believing she would save The Destroyer (Aries) from death by taking his place. The Messengers (Gemini and Virgo) spoke what they had heard and believed to be the truth. Both The Doomed and The Destroyer heard the mumblings and an end began. Little did they know they had just become a pawn to set a new cycle in motion.
Word spread to most of the children, and many of them had planned to see what would come at the end.

The Realist (Capricorn) saw no reason to intervene. At best, she thought the moment could only be delayed not diverted. After all, the bargain of life comes at the price of death.

The Discoverer (Aquarius) had been distracted by the allure of treasure and adventure. Nobody knows exactly what guided The Discoverer to The Great Secret. Some say it was the Messengers. Others say The Discoverer just knew where to look. If only it would speak of the truths it carries. The weight makes each step heavy and slow.

Some spoke of The Forgotten (Ophiuchus) as myth. Others remember before he disappeared into miasma. At times of great silence, those who listen can hear his graceful steps somewhere near. He heard of his brother's impending doom but couldn't find him before the end.

The Idealist (Pisces) fell when word of the end times spread to the clouds. She had a plan and knew the place where time would soon begin. She could not help but mettle with destiny's plan, though had no way to make a difference in what happened.

The Cultists (Taurus and Libra) worshiped two opposite states of being, one of death and the other of creation. From an outside eye, this would seem to be only black or white. Such mindsets cannot comprehend what it means to know an end can also be a beginning.

Whatever happens to be destroyed can surely be rebuilt in time. But, who's to say The Rebuilder (Scorpio) isn't the cause of the destruction? In taking the name, his siblings stared him down, assuming he would lead to The Destroyer's death. He had only known it would come, and though he would mourn him, he knew it couldn't end there.

The Creator (Leo) stared down at its works and one day planned to return to rule again. One would assume there must be love in her eyes as it watches. But, if so, why did it abandon what its hands formed, what its mouth breathed? When news of the end reached her, she wanted nothing more than to be with her brother before his end.

The Damned didn't have a reason to sit on the precipice of darkness. Nobody ever does. How easy it is for someone to walk behind and push. She had second thoughts but knew she had to jump.

The Destroyer knew the sky would soon turn from black to white and to black again. Little pieces of each formed stars at the edges of matter and antimatter. He could see the past and the future cross paths where time would begin. He could hear the voices of The Doomed, the Damned, and The Found sending him here. When he got to the edge, he watched The Damned fall. But, it was not from a push. It was a jump. He wanted to follow. He couldn't speak but he could scream.

When the others arrived, they saw him lift out her body and set it on a stone. He stood over her in silence and waited for the end to come.

The Warden arrived, knowing the rage that waited inside the destroyer. After all, these days had been lived before. Again and again. Fooling with destiny always brings consequences, however. The Warden assumed The Destroyer's rage would bring an end, but it had instead instilled a desire for togetherness with the children that remained. He wouldn't take action. This angered The Warden.

The Destroyer shook, still in shock at what had happened. The Warden did not have the strength The Destroyer had, but he knew there was a rift between time itself. The Warden lifted The Doomed's body and threw her inside when it opened. In a panic, The Destroyer followed.

The other children watched as the stars were born and the rift closed. They all felt the weight of what they had done but could only point fingers at one another. Two of the children were gone, and they were all to blame. It had become something of an end.