Marcus stared blankly at Zeus.
"…What?"
Zeus' expression remained eerily serious. Her piercing blue eyes locked onto the strange glowing sigil on the back of Marcus' right hand. A storm of thoughts swirled behind her gaze, her usual playful and seductive demeanor completely gone.
Marcus followed her gaze, glancing down at his hand, then back up at her.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked, unnerved.
Zeus folded her arms, her tone heavy. "I asked you once, mortal. I'll ask you again. What in the hells are you?"
Marcus blinked. Then blinked again.
"I—I'm a human?" He gestured to himself. "Just some average, non-special, totally normal dude?"
Zeus' expression did not change.
"Are you sure?" she pressed, stepping closer, her presence looming.
"Uh, last I checked, yeah," Marcus replied, taking a nervous step back.
Zeus exhaled sharply, clearly not satisfied.
"Then tell me," she said, her voice lowering. "What in Tartarus is on your hand?"
Marcus hesitated, then slowly raised his right hand, showing the intricate sigil embedded in his skin. It pulsed faintly, its complex geometric design shifting slightly as if it were alive.
The moment Zeus saw it, her breath hitched.
Her eyes widened.
And for the first time since they met—she looked genuinely shaken.
Her lips parted slightly. "That symbol…"
"You recognize it?" Marcus asked.
Zeus nodded slowly. "Yes. I recognize the shape, the structure… but the power it exudes…" She trailed off, her hands clenching.
Marcus frowned. "And?"
She met his gaze. "It's… different. It feels like something not of this world."
Marcus' stomach twisted. "What do you mean 'not of this world'?"
Zeus' gaze darkened.
"You know of gods, yes? Of deities like myself?" she asked.
Marcus scoffed. "Considering I'm talking to one? Yeah, kinda getting the memo."
Zeus didn't even react to his sarcasm. "Well, let me tell you something, mortal."
She lifted her hand and suddenly, the air shifted.
Marcus felt it immediately—an overwhelming pressure.
Her voice took on a commanding and primordial weight as she spoke:
"There exist things beyond gods. Beings that not even us deities dare to name lightly. Creatures that existed long before the first gods were ever born. Forces that shaped the very laws of the universe itself."
Marcus swallowed thickly. "…You're talking about like, what? Outer Gods? Eldritch abominations?"
Zeus' eyes gleamed. "You are more perceptive than I expected."
She took a deep breath. "Yes. They go by many names. Outer Beings. The Primordial Ones. The Unwritten. The Ever-Watching."
She began pacing, listing names that sent chills down Marcus' spine.
"Nyx The Abyssal Mother."
"X'thulak, The Dreaming Maw."
"Ithryis, Weaver Of Infinite Threads."
"UI-Sithras, The Black Sun."
She turned back to Marcus, her face solemn. "These beings… are beyond divinity. Beyond anything mortals or gods can comprehend. They exist in realms that transcend reality itself."
Marcus' hands clenched into fists. "And you're telling me… that this thing—" he pointed at his sigil, "—has something to do with them?"
Zeus hesitated. Then nodded.
Marcus' stomach dropped.
"What the actual hell?"
She crossed her arms. "That sigil on your hand—it's a power unlike anything I've ever encountered before. It carries the essence of something older than the gods themselves."
Marcus stared at his own hand in horror.
Then, cautiously, he asked: "So… what is it?"
Zeus took a deep breath.
"It's called the Celestial Grimoire."
Marcus frowned. "The what now?"
Zeus stepped closer, lowering her voice.
"The a Celestial Grimoire. No rather, Thee Celestial Grimoire. The Book Beyond Existence. The Record of All That Ever Was and Will Be."
Marcus felt his throat go dry. "You're telling me… I have a book on my hand?"
Zeus exhaled sharply.
"This is no ordinary book, mortal. The Celestial Grimoire predates even the concept of 'existence.' It is said to be a cosmic record that contains everything. Every event, every being, every possible future and past—all knowledge that ever was and will be."
Marcus blinked. "…So like the Akashic Records?"
Zeus smirked. "Ah, so you do know something."
"Uh, yeah. Basic mythology. Akashic Records—basically the universal database of all things ever recorded."
"Correct," Zeus nodded. "However…"
Marcus braced himself. "However?"
Zeus' gaze grew distant.
"The Celestial Grimoire is said to be even greater. It does not just record knowledge—it creates it."
Marcus froze.
"What?"
Zeus' eyes burned into his.
"The Akashic Records store knowledge. They are like a ledger, recording the history of the cosmos."
"But the Celestial Grimoire?" She inhaled deeply.
"It is the source of all records. The very first archive before archives existed. Some believe that it is not just a book—it is a conscious entity."
Marcus took a shaky breath. "So you're telling me… that I have a cosmic, all-knowing, reality-altering book fused to my freaking hand?"
Zeus nodded.
Marcus' eye twitched violently.
He turned away, inhaling deeply.
Then—
He grabbed Zeus by the shoulders.
Zeus blinked.
Marcus stared into her very soul, his eyes wild with desperation.
"Get it off."
Zeus blinked again. "What?"
"GET. IT. OFF."
Marcus shook her lightly, panic seeping into his voice. "I don't care how! Just—rip it off! Burn it! Electrocute it! Smite it with holy fire! I don't want this thing!"
Zeus stared at him, processing his absolute distress.
Then—she smirked.
Marcus' heart dropped.
"Why are you smiling—?"
"Because," Zeus chuckled, patting his shoulder.
"You're so screwed, mortal."