Once, there was a book. Its pages were blank.
The Author wrote their name, it read "Time".
So, Time told a tale, and with it; The book wrote a story.
The pages dressed themselves with ink and a fable. When one ended, Time would tear the pages out and feed it to a hungry serpent.
And then, Time would start again. Creating another fable, just as profound and unbelievable as the last.
Eventually, there was Humanity in one of these fables. It was small, feeble and quite frankly, it was stupid. It shouldn't have existed.
And yet it did.
Humanity persevered through the stories regardless of the outrageous horrors that had been thrown at it.
Page after page, things continued.
Bridges stretched, leading humanity to new land, expanding their influence.
Towers rose, letting humanity reach to the skies. A place they weren't supposed to touch.
Tools advanced, letting humanity redo all of their accomplishments in more efficient ways. Each unique, making Time perk out of its flow for moments that really stood out.
Time couldn't bring this Fable to an end.
The serpent hungered. Drool spilling over the pages in pools.
Until...
Humanity did it themselves...
At some point, Humanity had begun to separate themselves into groups. Like a butterfly effect, it grew worse and worse. Segregating any who was different, in belief and appearance.
Some groups began fighting with anyone who didn't share desirable resources. Others fighting with themselves, collapsing from the inside.
They carved out their world for resources to build impossible structures of little meaning to account for their ever-growing numbers.
And then, they waged war against themselves. Destroying everything. Killing everything.
Using their weapons, their tools, to carve more out of the world. This time, targeting the structures raised by themselves.
The unexplainable horrors created were beyond what Time had even pitted them against.
And so, once again, the pages tore away, finding their way into the serpent's starved maw, its fangs piercing through the especially tender and delicious tale.
However, Time had saved some of the pages from this fable. It's countless eyes waning in on humanity in glee.
What a wonderful little thing.
What a scary little thing.
Taking a moment to craft a new image, Time's lips parted. And then, there was another story.
This round, Humanity would exist from the start of it all. Seemingly having always existed.
Like a continuation of the last story.
Time told a story of Humanity; different factions spread across a vast world. Some secret, some not.
Time spoke of hierarchies, assorted classes to separate humans into different groups of the same settlements.
This tale was different though. Time had suddenly experienced a first. It had begun to favour the story of one little human.
But quickly, that human passed.
And then, it favored another.
And another.
And another...
Eventually time had grown tired of the short-lived tales. It needed something new. Something different. Something... Enthralling.
Taking the remaining of the papers it had saved, and whatever it could find as material, it created a human soul itself. And threw the soul into the tale, letting it find a vessel that it fit best.
Leaving the soul to wander; Time watched.
Time smiled.
And the serpent grew hungry once again.