"Burn it all!" another guard shouted, tossing a torch onto a wooden structure. The fire roared to life, consuming everything in its path.
The vision blurred, the flames and cries fading into the background as Eryndor's tears fell freely. His chest heaved, his heart pounding with a mix of sorrow and rage.
"I thought my mother and her people had powers," he said, his voice trembling. "Why didn't they help themselves?"
Keli lowered her hand, the river returning to its dark stillness. Her voice was calm but edged with a grim satisfaction. "They sacrificed their powers to save their lives and come to the land. Their magic, their legacy, their very essence, sealed away forever to ensure their survival."
She raised her hands, and a brilliant heirloom materialized between them. It shimmered with radiant colors, pulsating as though alive. "This," she said, her tone filled with acknowledgement, "is your mother's family's heirloom, the place where all their powers are trapped. But," she continued, holding it out to him, "it can only be unlocked with a great price."
Eryndor hesitated, his hand trembling as he reached for the heirloom.
Keli placed it in his palm, her crimson eyes locking onto his. "You will find out the price in due time," she said, her voice soft but menacing.
Keli's lips curved into a sly smile as she stepped closer to Eryndor. "Great One," she began, her voice as smooth as silk, "before you go, make me a promise."
Eryndor frowned, his expression cautious. "What promise?"
She tilted her head, her crimson eyes gleaming. "You have great things ahead of you, Great One—power, conquest, and destiny. And I want to be part of it. Make me your woman."
His eyes widened, disbelief written all over his face. "What?" he stammered, taking a step back. "How old are you?"
Keli laughed, the sound echoing through the void like a haunting melody. "I'm 500 years old," she said, her tone dripping with amusement.
Eryndor screamed, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "What are you? You want a 10-year-old boy to make you his woman? Are you alright?"
Her smile didn't waver as she stepped even closer. "You still haven't discovered who you are, Great One," she said calmly. "Age is irrelevant to beings like us. Just make a promise to me, and you can cross the bridge and start your new life."
He hesitated, his young face a mixture of confusion and frustration. The weight of everything he had just seen and heard bore down on him, making his mind whirl. After a long moment of silence, he gave a curt nod. "Fine. I promise."
Keli's smile widened, and she nodded approvingly. "Good," she said softly, moving to the side to clear his path.
As she did, the bridge ahead of him began to glow with a bright, otherworldly light. At the end of the bridge, a shimmering portal appeared, its colors swirling and pulsating with energy.
Eryndor took a deep breath and started walking toward the portal, his steps steady despite the storm of emotions within him.
Just as he was about to step through, Keli's voice rang out behind him, sharp and commanding. "Great One!"
He paused, glancing back over his shoulder.
"Make sure to remember me," she called, her tone both playful and foreboding.
Eryndor didn't reply. He turned back to the portal, the bright light swallowing him as he stepped through, leaving Keli standing on the bridge, her enigmatic smile lingering like a ghost in the air.
**********
In the celestial realm, a great hall of endless brilliance buzzed with confusion and tension. The deities, each resplendent in their unique forms, gathered in an emergency council.
Elder Astraeus, the Keeper of Time, with a cloak shimmering like starlight, slammed his staff on the crystalline floor. "Order! What is the cause of this disturbance?"
Zephyra, the Tempest Sovereign, her hair flowing like a cascade of storm clouds, stepped forward. "The boy…" she said, her voice carrying the hum of thunder. "He has chosen the EX-RANKED GODHOOD LEGACY."
A collective gasp echoed through the hall.
Solara, the Radiant Flame, her golden aura flickering like an eternal fire, leaned forward, her expression grim. "The EX-ranked legacy? That hasn't been claimed in eons! Its power rivals the Creator's own. This is a threat to all of us."
Gravion, the Titan of Stone, his form as vast and immovable as a mountain, rumbled in agreement. "If he is left to awaken the legacy and grow stronger, the balance of the realms will crumble. His potential surpasses any mortal or deity."
Aetherion, the Void Weaver, whose form was a shifting mass of galaxies, spoke with a voice that seemed to come from everywhere at once. "One more thing concerns me," he intoned. "There is something dormant within him… something ancient, waiting for the right time to awaken. Its presence is unlike anything I've sensed before."
Elder Astraeus frowned, his grip tightening on his staff. "He must be controlled before he masters his powers. If that dormant force is unleashed, it will reshape existence as we know it."
Velthara, the Shadow Empress, her eyes glowing like twin moons, stepped forward. "If he awakens his powers fully and becomes a threat…" Her voice was cold and deliberate. "Then we must act. We will kill him before he masters them completely. It is the only way to protect ourselves and the balance of the cosmos."
The hall fell silent, tension thick in the air. The deities exchanged wary glances, their immortality suddenly feeling fragile in the face of the boy's potential.
Elder Astraeus finally spoke, his tone resolute. "Prepare the pantheon. We shall monitor the boy closely. If he veers toward destruction, we must be ready to intervene, by any means necessary."
The deities nodded, each retreating into their own thoughts, burdened by the gravity of their decision. Above them, the celestial constellations shifted, as if the universe itself was holding its breath, awaiting the boy's next move.