HOUSE OF GODS OF GODS.
A Year ago.
This was the chamber of the Gods of Gods… a chamber of the archaic energies where all cosmic deities congregated.
The walls were made from the remains of forgotten titans and it made for an echoing hum that felt like it had been going on for millennia.
There were shadows of enshrouded great men who appeared to sit on stony and golden chairs and they moved in the dim light of the torches that lit the chamber.
There in the middle of the room, stripped of all his powers and malicious to the core, stood Cronus, Titan of Time.
His black eyes shifted over the gods that confronted him. Zeus, his son, rebel, and conqueror, sat on a throne created from clouds of thunder; his expression was both watchful and focused.
To his right and left flanking him were Odin, the one-eyed counsel maker, and Ra, the sun deity with a crown of blazing fire.
The other gods, Chukwu, Amaterasu, Amun-Ra, and more, watched in silence; their expressions were unreadable.
Cronus held an ancient, tattered scroll in his hand, its parchment marked with prophetic words. His deep, resonant voice echoed through the chamber as he began to read.
"When darkness starts to fall and the last twinkle of the sky vanishes, twelve will be picked to be the defenders of the night.
Twelve deities of different origins and beliefs will join to fight against the forces of the darkness to save the world from destruction. These are the Twelve to fight the evils of the night and the darkness that threatens the inhabitants of the world."
He took a moment but ensured that he allowed the words to sink in. The tension in the chamber rose high when the gods glanced at one another.
"In their hands lies the power to overcome the darkness, to lock away the old sin that resides in the bowels of the earth, and to set right the universe.
Every single one of the Twelve possesses a piece of the world's salvation inside them, a flame that has been lit from the divine spark and cannot be put out. Combined, they are the wall against darkness, the weapon against the approaching storm."
Zeus scowled and sat for a while in deep consideration of the prophecy, with Odin sitting and scratching his beard. However, as Cronus went on, there was a different tone to his voice, a sneer, an anger that was quite venomous.
"However, the journey will not be easy: the dark forces are wily, timeless, and are not to be beaten with minimal casualties. One must learn to combat not only outer darkness, but also inner darkness when doubt, fear, and treachery are as real as threats within the Twelve."
Gradually, Cronus folded the scroll and turned it into dust, growling menacingly at the rest of the gods.
"You listen to this, you think that it is a song of deliverance, of hope for a brighter future, and I assure you, they are deceptions, illusions of the darkness conspiring to bring us down, to divide and conquer We are their puppets if you wish to look at it that way or if it is not, then it is just a series of lies."
The gods looked at one another, confusion depicted on their faces. Taking advantage of the situation, Cronus raised the volume of his voice.
"Why should we, the ancients, the rightful masters of the universe, submit to the cosmic caprice? Why should we let these interlopers interfere, why should we let them upset the order we have created?"He tensed, his eyes narrowing to dangerous slits as he fixed the Gods with a stare
"We do not need to wait for this prophecy's fulfillment. We do not need to gamble everything in the hope that these Twelve will save the world. We are gods! We have the power to shape destiny with our own hands! And if these Twelve Chosen are meant to rise against us, then I say we strike first. We hunt them down, one by one before they have the chance to gather their strength."
A dark smile twisted Cronus's lips as he delivered his final words, his tone dripping with malice.
"Kill them. Eradicate them before they can even discover what they are fated to become. Thus shall we demonstrate that the Gods of Gods endure for all time; that we are the only rightful masters of the world and the cosmos. Let the revelation die with the accursed, and let us continue to rule in glory, as is our due."
Hushedness fell on the council hall as the gods pondered over Cronus's speech. Swinging beams of the torch illuminated their faces with their eyes reflecting the struggle inside them.
Zeus, now full of worry and concern on his face, struggled between his obedience to his father's order and his conscience. However, Odin and Ra always looked calm; their faces betrayed nothing, the inner battle fully hidden.
But Cronus, being wise and shrewd, knew the effects of his words. He had planted seeds of doubt in their hearts and provided them with an opportunity to retain their authority and eternal youth regardless of the consequences.
It was to be a turning point; the rising unease within the chamber culminated within Cronus' spirit as he realized that war was inevitable.
The war between the Old Gods and the Twelve Chosen is not anymore imminent; it has started already, but not all Gods agree with that statement, aren't they?
Being a god, Cronus could not control the power of his words, and when he finally spoke, the air in the chamber became thick with tension.
The ancient gods are depicted sitting and brooding with darkened faces; the only light being that of the torches and the confusion reflected in their eyes.
But then, with a calm and deliberate grace, Chukwu, the Supreme God of the Igbo, rose from his seat.
However, Chukwu embodied the athletic figure as he was tall and imposing without being threatening; he had an air of calm authority.
His skin was dark and smooth and the color of the brown soil, thus depicting the fertile lands he had laid down.
His eyes were indeed big like the universe, and they carried the knowledge of many worlds. He was dressed in flowing garments of a snowy white and that fabric was spun from the light of stars themselves.
His silver hair that touched the bottom of his back, and around his head blazed a halo that symbolized his sovereignty over all creatures and objects of existence.
When Chukwu finally found his voice it was deep, powerful, and resonant like the sound of distant thunder.
"Well, Cronus, it could be either a false or a true prophecy, we can never know about its source or its purpose… But, Cronus, my dear friend, do we think it is possible to murder fate? To change the purpose of the cosmos with such ease?"
His steely eyes scanned the room, making eye contact with each of the gods as if daring them to contemplate his words.
"These Twelve Chosen will rise, whether we wish it or not We could try to annihilate them, as you propose, but what for? What if, in doing so, we contribute to the coming of the prophecy sooner? No, Cronus, there has to be a different approach, one that is not based on fear and killing."
He waited for a few moments to allow the information to register before proceeding to add formally and deliberately.
"Instead of killing them, we should teach them. They will complete their mission under our very watchful eyes, and if it means they are to replace us then that's to say, supplant us in our roles…. then so be it, as long as they maintain the order we have ever so agonizingly built up. The prophecy speaks of destruction but also creation. Let us ensure that when the time comes, they build something worthy of the legacy we leave behind."
A murmur of assent moved through them as their uncertainty seemed to fade into cautious optimism. Chukwu's suggestion was a route that secured both the gods' dignity and the order they set up over the eons.
"That is why," he went on in a firmer voice.
"We shall open the Academy again. We will train these new gods alongside our own. They shall be taught in the ways of the divine, balance, and the responsibilities of their power. And when the time comes to fulfill whatever prophecy it is that has been laid out before them, they shall do so under our guidance, that the world they create is one of order and not chaos."
The gods glanced at one another and nodded their acceptance; their previous tension remained, but at Chukwu's wisdom, it lightened. The murmur of assents rose; a sense of resolution mounted into the chamber.
Cronus watched from his place, his face narrowing, but he said nothing. Chukwu's words swayed the others, but they did not sway him.
The seeds he sowed now bloomed in his mind, already poisoned by doubts and envy. His eyes lit upon the shifting sentiment of the gods, and his uncertainty grew as he looked around.
"So, they CHOOSE for guidance instead of destruction. With such simplistic ideals, they believe they can hold destiny in their hands. Let them feel that their ways are protected while I prepare the battlefield for what is to come. They shall see in time that no prophecy is to be manipulated with such ease and that the real danger was not in the rising Chosen but in failing to see the darkness within their ranks." Cronus muttered to himself.
Cronus whispered his thoughts with ill intent. He knows the gods were preparing to come to trials while he shall wait in the dark ready to exploit those very seeds of doubt he had sown. The fight was not yet over, and Cronus was bent on making sure it continued on his terms at whatever cost.
"You all shall BOW to me, very soon. Even my son, Zeus, is not listening to me. Ha! They gave you the throne; hence, you will listen to them. I'll be the one to sit, and you all will crumble." Cronus thought to himself as he smiled
From there, the meeting was over, and the Gods began the preparation of the academy.
{A/N}
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