In the beginning stood two Eternals, figures of immense power and profound purpose, tasked with the monumental responsibility of maintaining the balance between good and evil, hope and despair, freedom and imprisonment. Their role was to ensure that neither side would dominate the other, preserving equilibrium in the cosmos. As they undertook this sacred duty, the young listeners around the old storyteller buzzed with anticipation. One particularly impatient child interrupted, "Come on, just tell us their names, grandpa."
The old man chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound that seemed to echo across the air. "Ah hahah," he laughed, his eyes twinkling with a mix of mirth and mystery. "Alright, little one, but is this a story you can truly handle? For this tale comes with a price. The knowledge of their names has been erased from existence by the very forces that rule the cosmos, for this knowledge is the one thing they fear most."
Another child, her face scrunched in frustration, stamped her feet. "Just tell us, you old geezer!" she demanded.
The old man's laughter grew louder, filling the air with a vibrant energy. "Gah hhaha! FINE! You want to know? Then take a seat and listen closely! I will tell you the story that inspired the concept of YIN AND YANG." He reached for a large and ancient scroll, its surface rich with intricate, mystical symbols and drawings. As he unfurled it, the page began to come to life, its images gradually moving and shifting as though animated by some unseen force. Then, abruptly, the world around them went black.
A booming voice echoed from the abyss, its resonance trembling through the void. "BROTHER, this is the time I shall defeat you!" Another voice, cold and composed, responded, "HA! We have no life to lose; we are creation itself. WE ARE LIFE AND DEATH."
Suddenly, in the midst of the encroaching darkness, a piercing light appeared, gradually revealing a silhouette, and then the full form of a man. "WHAT—ah—what is this? I can sense things around me, yet nothing exists," he murmured, confusion etched on his face.
Another light flickered into existence not far from the first, revealing another man. The two Eternals stood side by side in a boundless expanse, a plane of existence where the other beings referred to themselves using names. "Who are those two? I have not heard them speak," one of the beings wondered aloud.
"Silence, Zeus," another being interrupted. "We know not what their intentions might be."
"Zeus? What is a Zeus?" asked one of the eternals
"I AM A GOD, AND YOU WILL RESPECT ME—" the declaration was cut short.
"SILENCE!" barked the other Eternal. "Those are their names. The words we use to refer to one another are indeed our names, I believe."
"No, my friend," one of the gods corrected, "a name is much more than a mere word; it is who you are."
"What is your name?" the other Eternal inquired.
"Oh ha, well, see, I am God—the one and only," was the boastful yet sincere reply.
"But they are gods too, right?" the inquirer pressed.
"They are gods, but they are not God, you see," explained God.
At that moment, a female voice interrupted the scene, saying, "NYX, it's time to come home." The scenery began to fade, shifting to a large, watchful eye as a young girl turned her head to see her sister standing beside her.
"Natry!" Nyx cried out angrily, her frustration palpable as she glared at the old man. "SHE'S A FREAK!" the old man shouted back, pointing at Nyx. "She's a fish person; her kind doesn't belong here!"
A crowd began to form around Nyx and her sister, their murmurs growing louder with suspicion and derision. "Adonis, RUN, PLEASE!" Nyx cried, clutching her sister tightly.
Suddenly, a colossal shadow fell over the crowd. Nyx looked around in confusion as the crowd, now encircling Adonis, seemed to grow increasingly menacing. Yet, Adonis maintained his calm demeanor, smiling even as the situation grew dire.
"ADONIS, RUN! THEY'RE GOING TO KILL YOU!" Nyx screamed desperately.
"AHAHAha," Adonis laughed, his voice ringing out with a defiant joy. One of the men in the crowd stepped forward and asked, "Why do you not fear us?"
Adonis's reply was bold and unwavering. "Because Atrieocx is behind you."
The crowd slowly turned to see a towering figure standing behind them. Atrieocx, a celestial being nearly thirty feet tall, clad in formidable armor, loomed over them. His voice boomed with authority, "UNHAND THE CHILDREN, OR I WILL SHOW YOU THE STRENGTH OF A CELESTIAL MAN."
In a chaotic scramble, the crowd trampled one another in their frantic attempt to escape, resulting in a tragic loss of life. Atreocx's booming laughter, a sound both terrifying and triumphant, echoed through the valley, drawing the attention of Adonis's mother.
"Atrieocx, what have I told you about visiting mortal villages without a cloak of deception to conceal your size?" she asked softly, her voice tinged with disapproval.
"You said not to," Atrieocx admitted, his tone sheepish.
"Correct. Now, explain why you are here."
"Adonis wanted to hear the prophecy story of the forgotten name," Atrieocx explained.
"Then why did you provoke the people?" Adonis's mother asked, her eyes narrowing.
"They were threatening Adonis and his friend over there," Atrieocx replied.
"Friend?" Adonis's mother inquired, her curiosity piqued. Adonis walked over to Nyx, gently taking her arm. "This is Nyx. She is part fish, like me, but she's only part fish and part human. She doesn't have g—"
"That's very sweet, Adonis, that you have made a friend," Adonis's mother said, her tone softening. "Would she like to join us for lunch?"
"YEAH! Come on, Nyx, you can meet my family!" Adonis invited eagerly.
Nyx's sister interjected, "N-no, thank you. We're not hungry, maybe some other time."
"Aww, I was really looking forward to eating with you," Adonis said, disappointed.
"Shh, we need to leave now, Nyx," her sister insisted.
"But—"
"No buts. We are leaving," she commanded firmly.
"Goodbye, Adonis," Nyx said reluctantly.
"Bye, Nyx. See you tomorrow," Adonis called out as Nyx and her sister departed.
Back at home, Adonis, Atreocx, and his mother returned, where Monnia shared the events with Appollo. She recounted how Adonis almost revealed a very significant secret. Apollo, now visibly angry, went to confront Adonis, only to find him missing.
"ADONIS, WHERE ARE YOU?" Appollo shouted in frustration.
"Don't worry, father. Maybe he's gone off and died in a hole," Cain suggested callously.
"Silence, Cain! You have no right to speak of your brother like that," Appollo reprimanded.
"Father, he is weak. He doesn't deserve the powers mother gave him. She should have left him in the river to die or to be someone else's problem," Cain argued with bitterness.
"Cain, you are the strongest and eldest brother. The responsibility falls on you to be an inspiration to Adonis. I do not want to hear you speak of him in such a manner again. If I see you try to harm him, I will inflict a fate upon you far worse than anything you could ever imagine. Do you understand?" Appollo's voice was stern and filled with a deep, unsettling gravity.
Cain, seething with anger, turned and left without a word. Shortly after, Appollo slumped back into his seat, his face marked by a deep sense of worry. He had glimpsed a great darkness within Cain's soul, a darkness that troubled him deeply and made him fear for the future.
As night fell, Adonis returned home. His face was set with a determined expression, and his eyes sparkled with a mixture of relief and resolve. "I'm back," he announced, stepping through the door of his family's grand abode. His mother and Atreocx turned to him with a mixture of relief and curiosity.
"Adonis, where have you been?" Monnia asked, her voice trembling with concern.
"I was just wandering," Adonis said, shrugging off the question. "I needed some time to think."
Atreocx, observing the boy's demeanor, nodded in understanding. "It's good to see you safe," he said. "Sometimes we all need a moment to ourselves."
Apollo, his anger now replaced by a look of cautious relief, approached Adonis. "We were worried about you," he said, his tone softer than before. "But it seems you've managed to find your way back."
"Yes, father," Adonis replied, meeting Appollo's gaze with a newfound determination. "I'm ready to learn and to face whatever comes next."
As the family gathered together, the tension from earlier seemed to dissolve, replaced by a cautious hope. Adonis sat down with them, feeling a sense of belonging and a renewed sense of purpose. The secrets of the past and the uncertainties of the future lingered in his mind no more for he understood his destiny now.