In the beginning there was nothing, no sky, no stars. Only emptiness…
From that emptiness formed two forces: Light and Dark. They opposed each other.
When they met they clashed. They fought without end. Their struggle was fierce. But from their battle Heaven was born.
Heaven looked upon their fight and the empty world below. Seeing the chaos it intervened. It took hold of the blazing Light and gave it a purpose to bring warmth and day. It calmed the restless Dark and gave it a duty to bring coolness and night.
Heaven guided their powers weaving Light and Dark into balance. From their breath the world began to form. Mountains rose. Rivers flowed. Life stirred for the first time.
When their work was done Light and Dark became part of the world itself hidden within every flame and every shadow.
But Heaven remained. It spread across the sky to watch over all. It became the judge of every soul promising warmth and growth to those who followed the light and casting the greedy and cruel into the cold dark.
The old man's voice filled the wooden hall. Children sat close to the fire, their cheeks red from the heat. Their eyes were wide and eager as they leaned forward listening to the tale.
Outside a boy stood on a barrel pressing his hands to the window. He wondered if the story was true.
The old man glanced at the window and smiled.
The boy froze. The barrel tipped beneath him. He fell into the snow. Getting up quickly he ran into the alley.
His name was Shen.
He was an orphan. To survive he did odd jobs like polishing shoes, carrying things, and fetching goods. On days when there was no work he begged. Sometimes he was given bread or something to eat. Most times he was given nothing.
Shen walked the icy streets in torn shoes and a thin coat.
He looked around him wondering if Heaven was punishing him with cold and dark while giving others the warmth of light.
He saw children playing in the snow laughing. He saw men standing outside warm shops. He saw women carrying baskets filled with steaming food. He pulled his coat tighter but the freezing air slipped through as if the cloth barely existed at all.
His stomach growled with hunger.
Years passed...
One morning the air grew heavy. Birds froze mid-flight. Dogs fell silent. Everyone stopped and looked at the sky.
It slowly began to change. Light spread over one half brighter than the sun. Darkness stretched across the other deeper than night. They swallowed the sky until the world above was split into two: light and dark.
A mother clutched her child close. Some knelt and prayed as if judgment was coming. Others whispered of miracles. Most only stared too stunned to speak.
"Mom," a boy whispered, pointing upward, "Something's falling."
From the sky a shape fell downward. As it neared it formed into a tower half white and half black. It crashed into the earth with a roar.
BOOM!
The ground shook, houses cracked and snow burst into the air.
The impact sent out a wave felt by every living being. Dogs stopped howling. Birds fell silent. People fell to their knees.
From the tower poured countless light particles. Some glowed white like stars. Others shimmered black like ash. They floated slowly drifting like snowflakes through the air.
People reached for them. Many light particles ignored the touch and drifted away. Some white light stopped in front of certain people then sank into their bodies. The darker ones vanished without a trace.
In the snow Shen pushed himself up. One eye was swollen. Dried blood stained his lip from an earlier beating. His thin body trembled weak and bruised.
He lifted his gaze to the split sky.
The white half glowed brighter than anything he had ever seen. Warmer than any touch he had ever felt. Something stirred inside him, fragile, painful but alive. Hope.
He reached his hand toward the white sky, fingers shaking. It felt as if it could pull him away from hunger, from loneliness, from the endless cold…
A single white light drifted before him. It hummed softly and lingered around him for a while then in the next moment rushed into his chest.
Shen disappeared.
Everyone touched by the falling lights vanished from the world.
When Shen opened his eyes he was no longer on the dusty ground.
He stood on smooth stone white and cold like polished marble. Before him stretched a white stairway that seemed endless.
At the start of the stairway stood a man. His robe was pure white. His long black hair moved gently though there was no breeze. His face was flawless as jade but his eyes held the depth of mountains and seas. His presence was calm yet heavy pressing down like the weight of the sky.
Shen stared in silence wondering if this man was a god and if he was dead.
"Welcome young man. You have been chosen for the trial of the Stairway of Heaven."
The air around them shifted. A vision appeared showing creatures turning into monster forests burning cities drowning in dark smoke. People screamed as they vanished into the shadows.
"Light and Dark's balance is broken" the man said "Their clash is devouring the universe. The Stairway of Heaven is the path given to resist it. Each floor is a test. Each test holds a reward hidden within its own world. If you fail you can claim the reward of the floor you reached but cannot climb higher or go backward. Only those who continue may face what lies at the end."
His gaze deepened, seeming to pierce Shen's very soul.
"There are one hundred floors. At the end awaits the final truth."
The man's figure began to fade, dissolving into golden light and shadow until only his voice remained.
"Do your best. This is a chance from Heaven to help the living one last time."
Shen looked at the stairway. Golden light traced its edges glowing faintly. His hand lifted as he stared up at the top.
Thump Thump Thump
His heartbeat echoed in his ears…
His throat was dry and he swallowed hard. Remembering the man's words Shen gathered his courage and took his first step.
As Shen took his first step the world around him blurred with golden light and shadows. When the light faded he found himself in front of a tall mountain. Its peak disappeared into thick clouds.
A stairway spiraled endlessly upward disappearing into the clouds.
The air was cold and fresh. A cold wind blew softly through the rocky cliffs. Somewhere in the distance a bird cried out.