Chapter Text
“Mom! Mom! Tell me a story!” The little boy sings with a forced enthusiasm – even though he doesn’t expect an answer – as he lies back against the headboard.
These are just memories lingering in this world that mortals who passed away try to reach, as if second chances are freely given by gods. Gods don’t care about mortals’ fate, gods are elusive beings who can not be reached for such a ludicrous whim.
He carries with him the weight of memories which gather for centuries and centuries now, but at the moment, he knows it is a gift doted upon him to re-establish justice in hope to heal his own wounded heart.
The time comes to a stop. He takes a deep breath.
“Alright. I will narrate you a tale which has been long forgotten. Is it fine with you?”
“More than fine!” The boy shrinks on himself as he remembers it is the night, and he should not speak so loud. “ Please.”
He takes a deep breath. ‘This is a story you'll come to know. You deserve the truth.’
“It is the tale of love, grief and forgiveness.”
The kid opens big wide eyes, and stares at him with clear amazement.
“Once upon a time, there was nothing but void. The whole universe was simply empty from any life forms. And then, one day, a mind awoke in the nothingness, brightening the whole universe by its brilliance.
The Sun was born.
But the Sun found himself very lonely, and thus he created the Earth and later humanity to keep him from despair.
But the Earth couldn't handle the Sun's brilliance all day: the Earth started to yield under the incandescent rays of light, her skin wrinkled and dried.
Pained and mortified for the suffering he was causing, the Sun decided to beg forgiveness to his people by offering them a gift: a gentle and loving light meant to soothe away the burn marks laid upon the Earth's skin by the Sun himself.”
The child's eyes are now wide open with curiosity as he silently registers everything he's saying. This is a quiet boy and the observation shouldn't hurt this much: children are not meant to be so still as if Death claimed their soul.
“The Moon arose, beautiful and ethereal, high above humanity, hiding behind the Sun's shadow and shining in his glorious beauty when time for the Sun to decline was called.
The First Pantheon was created.”
The boy beams at him. He can almost see the shadow of a shy smile drawing upon the kid’s lips.
“During years and centuries, the three Goddesses reigned over humanity with wisdom and a magnanimity that Gods didn't always show for their people.”
His breath hitches, and he knows the little boy notices it, albeit he doesn't open his mouth to say something on the matter.
“Peace wasn't fated to be eternal. In every story, in every tale, the happy times never lasted long.
Humans are meant to be greedy. Soon, they started to crave for more than their gods' caring and benedictions: they sought godhood and immortality, afraid of Death’s wrath.”
He is surprised by how the words flow easily behind his lips, he shouldn't be so serene while speaking of such serious matters.
This feels like a betrayal.
“They said you can achieve godhood by defeating one in a battle.
They said you can achieve immortality by drinking a god's blood.
Fire has been started with less. And you know how the flames are quick to burn everything that comes upon their path, leaving a trail of ashes behind.
Gods who ruled over mortals are no exceptions.”
When he sees the boy gawking at him with a mist clouding his eyes, he realizes overstepped: he can’t expect a little kid to understand everything.
Fire has been started with less, he remembers. He always remembers these days.
“That is how humanity began to rise against those who gave them life and a roof to shelter them.”
“...” The child looks at him in total silence before he allows himself to ask in a small voice: “How can mere mortals hope to win against Gods? Isn’t it foolish to believe in such an outcome?”
“If gods have power and the strength to move mountains, it is no such thing for humans who are frail and so afraid of Death. Hope is the only thing which is granted to them since birth, and which no one can take away from them. It is all you– we're allowed to do as helpless creatures who desperately need a god’s support.”
A silence passes, quiet and heavy at the same time.
“You shouldn’t be concerned by such matters. Not yet, at least. Allow me to finish my story.”
The little boy slowly nods as if he fears to wake up the dead.
“Very well. As expected, the Three Gods who formed once the First Pantheon in their past glory and renown didn’t wait to be striked down by mortals who thought too highly of themselves.
They fought, hard and fast, to repress the rebellion which threatened to explode, reducing the mortals who dared to call into question their authority to ashes, hoping it would be a warning for others who would come with the same idea.
Even gods can be foolish with hope.
Mortals felt threatened and abandoned by those who swore to protect them times before, and they took arms to defend their people from the goddesses who stopped caring about their sort and their well being.”
“Did everyone turn their back to the gods? They were only doing what they thought was best.”
Ah. The child has started to calm down, his first nervosity is now no more than a hazy memory. Seeing life brightening those extinguished orbs spreads a warmth in his chest.
“Why did the Gods never try to defend themselves or to explain the meaning of their actions? Why didn't their people trust them more than that?”
These are good questions.
“So many inquiries are left unanswered. It is not a tale told, it is one left to rot in people's memory. I may suggest you will have to ask yourself these questions to the Gods.”
“Eh.” Then he holds his chin up, and the light in his eyes shines even more brightly. “I will, then.”
“I don’t doubt that, my dearest, you are meant to accomplish great things.” The boy beams with a smile so bright that it can almost concur with the Sun’s ones even though a few can remember them.
“Of course, it is easy to guess how the prime war between the First Pantheon and the mortals ends. The Gods put down every opponent coming in their way until there was nothing left apart ashes, and a few believers who stayed faithful to the Gods no matter if the public opinion was against them.
At this point, the Sun, the Moon and the Earth all came to the same conclusion: they were not meant to be rulers or else this slaughter would never have happened. Thus they decided to step down from their role as gods and to fade into the darkness that lies in people’s memory.
The First Pantheon was no more.”
He smiles, a sad one which wears the defeat and the sorrow of an entire lifetime and more as the boy looks at him with big eyes full of hope.
“Don’t stop here… Please?” the boy adds quickly as he remembers what his mother always told him to say. “I want to hear what happens next! What did the First Gods become after stepping down? Gods can’t die, right?”
Gods may be immortal, but even them can’t defeat Death.
“I am afraid it is a question for another evenight. It is way past your bedtime, and I can fully assure you that your teachers won’t be pleased.”
It is a low blow, he knows that, but he can't think of any other excuses.
“... Mom is right,” the boy says with a long yawn. “But is it bad if I don't want to?”
A picture of him spending the night watching the ceiling while his brain can not stop working and thinking, comes into his mind.
“No,” he says truthfully, “I don't think it is bad. There's always something you can't change despite everything you can do.”
That hits way too close to home, even for him.
He knows better than to hope after all these years, and still, he's standing here.
“Being so unruly doesn’t sound quite like you, doesn’t it?” he settles for, because scolding gently a child who asks too many questions is always the fastest way forward.
“... If Mom promises, then I will. Because Mom always keeps her promises.”
His heart breaks between his rib cages even though he would have swore his heart was long lost to him.
He places a quick kiss on his forehead as a sheepish smile draws on her lips. “Have sweet dreams, my dearest.”
Time fades away.
Run, golden one, and see if you can defeat fate.