At the core surface of Berhert, there was a carefully constructed illusion of an "Earth town."
The artificial sunlight bore the hue of dusk, the grass was lush and green, and one could even smell the distinctive fragrance of plants.
Ego introduced himself to the group.
As it turned out, he was one of the Celestials.
His original form had been a consciousness resembling a brain.
After several centuries, he had learned to control the tiny particles around him.
Gradually becoming smarter and stronger, he began building himself layer by layer.
Over the long years, he had eventually evolved into the planet beneath their feet.
But he had not been satisfied.
He had created a human form from his imagination and gone searching for life in other parts of the universe.
During that time, he had met Quill's mother on Earth.
In the exquisite garden, Quill and Ego stood surrounded by verdant pines.
Arguments rang out from time to time:
"Mom died right in front of me!
And everyone thought she was crazy...
They said the hallucinations caused by her brain tumor made her think she'd fallen in love with a visitor from space!"
Quill vented the emotions he had bottled up for years.
Maintaining his fatherly human avatar, Ego stood beneath a statue of a tall woman.
On closer inspection, the statue bore a striking resemblance to Quill's mother.
"Give me a chance. I have so much to teach you about this planet...
And the light within it—it's all a part of you, Peter."
After their brief argument.
Ego gradually soothed Quill's resentment toward the father who had abandoned his mother.
"Come, give me your hand... Close your eyes and focus.
Concentrate your mind on the very center of the planet..."
"Bang!"
Less than three seconds after Quill did