Again, I was invited to be taken into a deeper state.
This time, I watched as a modern man explored the jungle with scant supplies and alone. He disappeared in the brush. When I went after him, what I saw was not modern.
It was an almost city, then it was a bustling city. A city of people with bronze skin and dark hair. They were not modern-looking at all. Their clothing was much older. Their buildings stacked upon each other in a pyramid-esque style.
The people there were happy. They were well-provided for. The people from the stars came and provided for them, in a way. The relationship was mutually beneficial, I was told. It wasn't often, it felt like once a year or so.
Yet, for some reason, (part of my mind became that of the people there), the people from the stars stopped coming. Then disease and famine became widespread.
They did not know what was happening. They thought the people from the stars had shown disdain for them. They did not know that there were others from different, darker places that not only distracted these people's benefactors with an ongoing war, but also created the famine and disease these native people suffered through.
As the people suffered and searched for answers, these entities infiltrated their religious sect and, at the height of their desperation, their religious leaders came out with a solution:
They declared that the beings from the stars were gods and they were angry for not being properly honored. The people were confused. Never before had these beings ever actually asked them of anything than to care for one another. Still, knowing how much these beings had done for them, they reasoned there were might be some truth to it.
It started with gold.
It quickly became human sacrifice.
The first I saw was a very young girl. A pretty girl with long, black hair and bright green eyes. Her name meant "sunrise" because she was her mother's Light. She was chosen by the corrupt religious leaders of that place because of her name. Symbolic.
They were going to eat the Sunrise and bring about an age of darkness.
The people stood in abject horror as they held the screaming child down, defiled her, then ate her. She was still sobbing when they tore out her heart.
But the people still stood. They might not have watched, but there was nothing to hide the terrible sounds.
Sunrise was first, but she was not the last. After the child was sacrificed, the evil beings cured the diseases and stopped the famine. They claimed they had pleased the gods with their sacrifice and now. In reality, they 'solved' the problem they intentionally started.
But the results were not ignored. The streets ran with blood.