The Origins of Day and Night

By Mac Lee

In the realm of gods, Swain, the youthful and sole offspring of Zeus, harbored a fervent desire: to bring warmth and illumination to the frigid lands below. Earth lay ensconced in perpetual chill, its skies bereft of the sun’s radiance, shrouded instead by the dominion of Selene, the frosty moon goddess. Lux, the captive sun deity, toiled tirelessly to liberate her fiery domain, yearning to revive life on the desolate planet. But Selene, with her icy heart, adamantly opposed Lux’s endeavors, eventually imprisoning her within the moon’s austere confines.

Undeterred by the perilous journey ahead, Swain embarked on a quest to the moon temple, situated above the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean. Presented with two routes—a treacherous ascent up celestial stairs or a passage through the underworld—Swain opted for the former. Along the way, he encountered formidable guardians such as Yetis and voracious penguins, their menacing presence a testament to the challenges that lay ahead.

Upon reaching the moon temple’s entrance, Swain was confounded by the absence of the expected guardian. Despite this anomaly, he proceeded cautiously, ascending the temple’s towering steps. Yet halfway through his ascent, the decrepit stairs faltered underfoot, testing Swain’s resolve. Tempted to abandon his quest, he pondered a life amid the comforts of Olympus. But the thought of the profound impact his success could have on humanity spurred him onward.

Resolute in his purpose, Swain chose to brave the perils of the underworld. Evading the ferocious guardian Cerberus with cunning and resourcefulness, he pressed onward into the realm of Hades. There, he presented his plea to the god of the underworld, bargaining for passage to the moon temple in exchange for a compromise: daylight for only half of the day, ensuring a balance between life and death.

With Hades’s begrudging consent secured, Swain voyaged to the moon temple, where he confronted Selene herself. Through earnest dialogue, Swain endeavored to impart the significance of sunlight to both humans and gods alike. Moved by his sincerity and the sacrifices he had made, Selene’s icy demeanor thawed, paving the way for a momentous accord.

In a gesture of reconciliation, Selene agreed to release Lux and share dominion over the skies, allowing for alternating periods of sunlight and moonlight. As Lux kindled the sun’s fiery radiance each day, Swain, hailed as a hero among gods and mortals alike, found love and purpose in his union with the sun goddess. Their union bore fruit in the form of Apollo, destined to inherit his mother’s mantle as the sun god, while Swain himself ascended to the esteemed title of god of bravery.

Thus, through courage and compassion, Swain’s odyssey transcended the bounds of myth, leaving an indelible mark on the cosmos and securing his legacy as a beacon of hope and valor.

Mac Lee is a junior at Virginia Episcopal School in Lynchburg, VA. He enjoys learning about computer science, playing sports, and writing short stories.