Bleach: Crysanthemum

The Unknown. It is a simple term and yet everyone is afraid of the unknown. Not to know what may happen nor if dangers lurk.

And the current location is such a place. Darkness envelopes this place and the sun is never present.

It is like a shroud that keeps this place safe from the warmth of the sun.

And yet the ground is filled with black ashlike sand that only can be a sign for the hottest climate to be present.

Charred ground as dark as everything else.

But it is only cold and bears no comfort. In this darkness, hope vanishes like a wisp of flame in the wind.

And the same appears to be happening to the current creature that one could distinguish even in the darkest of nights.

Its hideous face as white as chalk and as bony as bones can be. The teeth it had were gigantic and fearsome. A spikey crown was put around its neck and yet it was not using either.

It was crying out loud for help. But no one would come and help. There was no one to help.

And why it cried?

Yes, a mirror image. Something that looked like itself was tearing it apart with its white hands.

But what was most bizarre was the more the monster ate, the more its white shroud was tainted black.

It is as if it devoured its original self and took its place.

The being stopped after it ate everything to the last bit.

Now the mantle it wore was already as dark as the environment it was in. Just its face, hands and feet remained white. The body that was beneath the shroud of dark cloth.

It remained still as if time stood still for it. But suddenly more of them appeared. Those beings all started to fight each other once again.

Ripping apart chunks of flesh from their bodies and munching on it. From time to time there was even a glimpse of beauty in that slaughter.

Beams of colorful lights shot out from the monsters, each hitting another or colliding and showcasing an explosion.

This bloodshed went on until the quiet came again. And only the very same monster stood victorious.

Why would someone ȧssume it is the same? Because its mantle had a few white patches now. Different than its brethren that were clad in only black.

Did it regret the accumulation of darkness it gathered? Who knows.

Its gaze was still as shallow as the others. Two red wisps of light glowing in the sockets of its face. Normally one would expect eyes to be there but there was only a hollow glare.

The unknown was really frightening...

This spectacle did not occur once but continued on and repeated itself like a broken record.

But one day, it stopped and our new won friend cried out madly in a deafening shriek. It shrank from its huge 35-meter tall body down to a maybe 5 meters tall hunched something.

It growled and like a beast.

And the form it took was true enough. It was that of a beast. So it fit its growl.

It had four long and strong legs that supported its body. The underside was now colored white and presumably, that was also its body's true color.

Indeed, it resembled a beast now.

One that even had a spikey bushy needle-tail at its behind to demonstrate its race.

Its head now was rather angular and sharp. The face that looked like a mask previously became warped and became like a decorative mask in front of its true face underneath.

The mask even enclosed and formed its two pointy ears.

If one had to guess what animal that was, everyone would say a dog.

And the very first thing this dog did was growl loudly into the vicinity and sniffing for food. After that done it started to sprint somewhere.

Later one could find it ripping apart its former brethren and not only that but also what looked like other monsters that seemed to have gone through the same evolution as itself.

Sometimes those other beings even tried to reason with him. They were capable of speech.

"You! Please, don't!"

"You smell tasty! Graah! Become my strength! Be my stepping stone!"

And those that were arrogant were shown even less mercy. They were devoured instantly.

Soon it ate hundreds and thousands of these monsters.

The unknown that was black like ink slowly brightened and changed to a greyish mix. But the more it became so, the harsher the battles became.

Every day was, as always, a day for survival. Only the fittest may live.

Our dog soon grew larger and larger through his gluttony. Only to burst open and lose control of everything it ate.

For one time it even became the large monster it was previously

But that only happened once and after that, it started to devour everything from his enemies. Not even the last slither of their souls remained after it finished.

It learned from its mistake and after it was done, it ended up becoming smaller and smaller until it stopped at being 2.5 meters tall on all four legs.

Now it started to resemble a certain animal more instead of just a dog.

"Get lost before I rip you apart. This is my territory. You have nothing to do here." Its prideful deep voice resounded at its enemies that dared to challenge it.

It learned speech after some time. Not only not.

Its presence alone became noble and its gaze was as prideful as its speech. That was to be expected of a wolf, no?

Yes, it looked more and more like a giant dire wolf.

It became stronger the more it fought and devoured. But even if it didn't fight, its hunger was still as large as the desert forest it hunted in.

A perfect hunting place for a wolf. The ashen colored dead trees were humongous and were home to many preys.

One day, it found small prey. Too small for itself and rather young for its taste. In a sense of honor, it let it alone. A rare change in its behavior for sure.

But that only proved something to the wolf. There is always something else that wants to devour.

Some way or another those monsters that he spared started to follow him around and obeyed his commands.

It was very likely because of his power and dominance.

They hunted together and lived together. The monsters became his comrades. His pack.

And he was the alpha. He made sure of that.

But no matter what, this place would hunt your hopes. Even when you only find a glimpse of it, it will be devoured whole.

Despair is the only thing that may remain.

And as commanded by instincts, the pack became complacent. Wanting to kill and devour the wolf.

Not having any of that it soon knew what to do. The only right and just thing it knows.

Eating. Putting them out of their misery.

And with that, it became a lone wolf again.

It had to devour them like he devoured everything else that came across him.

Show no mercy, no compassion...

There is no pack...

That is what this place teaches you. Eternal hunger and the treachery of trust.

...The darkness is a lonesome place...