Once long ago night never existed, it was always day. Because the sun was always high in the sky crops grew faster which helped the people of the world sell their goods for pieces of gold and they were able to have crops left over for them-selves. Children studied more and played to their hearts content and peoples hearts and spirits were always filled with happiness.
Up high in the heavens, Zeus saw the joy in his people’s eyes. With that he shone the sun even brighter and with his power he thrust sunrays in the sky. He felt so proud that he had given the world and people happiness.
One day Zeus was looking down and filling the blue sky with light when the spirit of darkness snuck up behind Zeus catching him by surprise.
The Spirit of Darkness was once a man and more then that he was a prince. He was the only son that his mother and father had. They loved him so much that they spoiled him with gold and silk and other beautiful riches. Because his parents indulged him with so many things, he became greedy and slowly his heart turned black. After years of taking and never giving, he forgot about it entirely. His parents loved him so even though they saw that they had ruined him. They tried everything in their power to turn him back into a righteous being, but it was to late so in private they wept and begged the gods for forgiveness.
One day the Prince was riding with his subjects, trying to soak in the beautiful sunlight that warmed the earth and sky, when he came in contact with something beautiful.
He had been riding all day and decided to take a rest so he dropped from his horse and traveled through the trees, commanding that he walk alone in order to regain silence in his mind. He had been walking for a few minutes with his thoughts when he heard the throb of a heartbeat of a running brook. He fallowed the beautiful noise and soon came to a clearing that was lined with trees and carpeted with soft grass and wild flowers. The flowers on the ground were not the only ones he was in awe with; a beautiful girl sat by the riverbank, her feet creating waves as she kicked back and forth. Her chocolate locks glowed with beauty as they hung down her slender back. Even though the Prince had forgotten that he contained a core he reached up to his neck and felt for a hard pulse to let him know that this was real. She turned around and smiled at him as if she had been waiting for him her whole life. He came to her and sat by her side looking at only her while he moved his arms to his boots, undoing the laces, while he removed his leather boots and dipped his feet in the water. While he was entranced by her presence she seemed to be spell bound by the diamond sparkles in the river. Few minutes passed tell he gingerly reached for her hand then rubbed his oil-bathed fingers over her cool ones. For the first time, the Prince asked her a question.
“What is your name?
Without turning around she replied, “Rose”.

The Prince took his beautiful Rose to his kingdom and showered her with the most beautiful riches; silk gowns from across the world, fresh squeezed perfume that smelled of roses and far off ancient places. He was, for the first time, happy and for once he gave his people gifts and food. Even though the Prince was happy, Rose felt her self slowly loosing the person she had been. She felt like her soul was being ripped from her center. She feared so much for when the time came that the Prince would ask her hand and how when that day would arrive, she would say no. It wasn’t until a few weeks after her arrival to the Kingdom she decided that in the night she would flee to the dark forest. She had nothing that she desired to take with her so all she had to do was wait for the Prince to be asleep.
After hours of waiting, she finally snuck out of the bed. She had only taken a few steps when a hand gripped her wrist, hard. She cried out and turned looking at her Princes eyes.
“Let me go”. She demanded. He only gripped harder as he pulled her forward right in front of his face that seemed to steam with anger.
“Does our love mean nothing to you?” His question was harsh and anger was pulsing through it.
“Our love means my world, Prince, I just cannot stay here. I long for my feet to be upon warm soft grass; I desire only my freedom. Ever since arriving here, I have felt like a caged bird without even the courtesy of having my wings; I am trapped and I need to leave. Please, I am begging you, grant me my freedom?” Instead of answering he reached under his pillow and removed the hidden golden blade that glinted in the candlelight. He looked into her eyes and smiled and with all his strength, sank the blade into her chest. She fell, breathing heavily but that didn’t seem to satisfy him. He got on top of her and sunk the blade in her chest again and again and again. As he ripped Rose into pieces with his dagger he laughed a horrible laugh that rang with a chilling pleasure.

The Princes mother and father found him in the morning clutching the remains of Rose’s body, stroking her hair while whispering, “You are mine, my beautiful Rose. Nothing can touch you; your thorns can prick no one any longer. Because of me your petals will never whither and die. Because of me, I have fulfilled your only desire, you are now free”.
As all people grow old so do they die but the Prince didn’t. Instead of dying, he contorted into darkness as punishment that the gods saw fit. No longer was he called Prince but spirit of Darkness and thus he roamed the earth unable to eat or breathe, touch and smell and unable to love. The gods did allow one thing that Darkness could consume and that was hatred.


The Spirit of Darkness found his chance to get revenge on Zeus by sneaking up on him and enclosing the gods and the rest of the world in darkness. Chaos broke loose all around. Thieves stole from all the markets. Women and children were taken, in order, to be converted into slaves. Zeus and the other gods did everything in their power to regain the light but nothing seemed to work. Pandemonium lasted for thirteen straight days before the gods had made any process on peeling away the darkness. The only thing they were able to do was dig small holes through the sheet of black. They were shocked to see so much destruction below. Not wanting to risk the ruin of humanity, Zeus confronted The Spirit of Darkness begging him for a deal. The Spirit said that the only thing that would make him happy is if darkness ruled over the world for half the day and light roam the other. Zeus agreed and before they drifted apart, The Spirit turned around and said, “I lied. The only thing that could bring me some sort of satisfaction is a red rose, this time, one that will never leave me”.
Zeus agreed and they departed. When darkness did fall, Zeus and the other gods spied through the holes in the sky, making sure that The Spirit of Darkness wasn’t up to trouble and that order was still occurring below. Every night after, the gods look down on us through the holes in the sky. They are called another name today, stars. Though the gods look down on us every night, The Spirit of Darkness breathes out his poison to isolated souls and every once and a while some are immune to his venom but most inhale it without thought. Crime still does exist but under the watchful eyes of the gods, they shall be punished.
As for the Spirit of Darkness, he can be seen today by the river where he met his love and you can hear him chanting, “You are mine, my beautiful Rose. Nothing can ever touch you. Your thorns can prick no one any longer. Because of me your petals will never whiter and die. Because of me, I have fulfilled your only desire, you are now free.” As he murmurs he strokes his immortal rose.