Selene…
With Artemis’s fight against Kali, as well as the second bracket of contestants came to a swift end, Selene was left in shock over the devastation that she had caused in that fight.
It made her realize that if she had really wanted to kill her when they had first met in Lunaas, she absolutely could have. Even at a twenty percent release, she had been holding back so much strength that it made Selene feel like a toddler in comparison.
The more she thought about it, the more worried she felt about how Marcus will do in his own fights. Eventually, he would end up fighting against Artemis or Moyako. Both of which have displayed the strength to destroy worlds if they wanted to.
She has never seen Marcus show that level of strength before, yet she still wanted to see him win.
As she was about to leave, a voice from behind addressed her directly.
“Selene Kiser.”
She turned around and came face to face with a very tall and athletic man that she did not recognize.
He had tanned white skin, an unusual crown made of golden leaves resting upon his head, a white toga, and sandals with wings made of gold. In his right hand he held a staff with two intertwining golden snakes.
“Uh..., yes. That is me, but who are you?” she asked.
The man held his left fist against his chest as he bowed his head in greeting and said, “My name is Hermes. I am the messenger of Kronos and I have come to receive you.”
“‘To receive me’? What do you mean? Is there someone who wants to speak with me?”
Hermes nodded and said, “You are correct. In fact, Kronos himself has asked to speak with you directly.”
Hearing that, her eyes widened in shock. She then turned around to look up at the three gods’ thrones that towered over arena.
Odin and Ra had already left, but one of the gods did remain.
Or no...Marcus called him a Titan.
Kronos, the Titan of Time stood beside his throne and looked down at her, meeting her eyes.
He then turned his back to her as if waiting for her to look up at him in time for him to leave. As if he wanted her to follow him and speak with her.
Selene then returned her attention to Hermes and asked, “Why would Kronos want to speak with me?”
“It is not my place to ask why my master wishes to speak with anyone. It is simply my job to deliver messages. Now, will you come with me?” he asked.
She was reluctant to go with him but for some reason she felt that she had to. The timing of things could not be any more suspicious.
With Ruvick appearing at her apartment and bringing her to the arena to watch Artemis’s fight and being in the right place to look up at Kronos…
It made too much sense. Maybe this was the real reason that Ruvick wanted her here.
“Alright. I’ll go with you.”
Hermes then snapped his fingers and the two of them found themselves in the small room with the three thrones overlooking the arena below.
“Come now, I hope that we do not keep Kronos waiting,” he said as started walking past the thrones and into the long hallway out of the Gods’ podium.
She followed after Hermes but the longer that she walked with him, the more that she realized something was wrong.
The two of them had already been walking for five minutes down the long hallway, yet it didn’t make sense for there to be a hallway connected to the podium. If there really was a hallway this long connected to the back of the podium, then it would have stuck out the back and would be dangling off the end of the arena.
Yet Selene knew for certain that on the outside there was no such structure. There was only the podium building and that was it.
For some reason, it was far larger on the inside than it was on the outside.
When the two of them eventually made it to the end of the hallway, the bright light shining at the end of it made it difficult for her to see what was on the other side. She had to squint her eyes until they adjusted.
When she could see clearly again, her eyes widened and her mouth hung open in shock for what she saw in front of her.
Beyond the long hallway that she had left spanned an enormous stretch of land that went on for much farther than she could see.
Rolling hills and mountains to the east that towered higher than many of the clouds that floated in the skies.
A body of water to the west that was so massive, she could swear that it was the Lycenean Ocean, yet she knew that it was not.
In the very center of all of it was a kingdom that dwarfed everything that she had ever seen. It was even larger than the city of Alken, save for the tower that the Forrosans proudly displayed in the city’s heart.
The city walls, towers, and pillars looked to be immaculately crafted from some kind of white stone and tipped with gold.
No...upon a closer look, Selene could tell that it was much more than that.
In the very center of the city was a massive tree with its roots wrapping and spreading through everything.
Taking in the details once more, the city’s outer walls all seemed to be placed in a shape resembling a pyramid. It felt very similar to Alken’s own massive walls yet different somehow.
The city of Alken was clearly designed in a specific way as to be more defensive, with a focus on function rather than form.
This city was very different and it looked as if three separate cultures had come together to form a city with conflicting designs and ideas, yet somehow meshed together in a way that accepted all three.
She then remembered how Marcus had said that Kronos, Odin, and Ra were once all part of different pantheons.
Perhaps this was their own way of combining their respective cultures together for one large city.
“Amazing isn’t it?” Hermes asked as he noticed her expression.
“Yes...it is. Its incredible.”
“I’m sure that those three will appreciate hearing that. The name of this city is Ragnarok,” he said as he smirked at the name.
Ragnarok…? When she asked Marcus to tell her more about the different gods and pantheons of Terra, he had once told her about Ragnarok and that it was the Nordic name for the apocalypse. If that was true, then why would they name their city after that?
“It seems that you recognize that name. You must be curious as to why they would name their city after what was supposed to be the end of the world.”
“I am, yes. Can you explain?”
“Of course. Kronos, Odin, and Ra all named the city Ragnarok as a joke to spite all the prophecies made in Terra about the end of the world. When the end of times never came at the times that numerous prophecies spoke of, their trust in prophecies vanished. So when they appeared in this world, they built this city and named it Ragnarok since it was the catchiest version of the word among the three pantheons.”
“I guess that makes some sense…,” she muttered.
Hermes then clapped his hands which startled her as he said, “Well then. Let us continue on our way. Kronos is very patient but it would be rude to dawdle for much longer. Come.”
He snapped his fingers once again and the two of them appeared in a large room with three thrones that mirrored that of the thrones above the arena.
Of the three gods that were expected to inhabit these thrones, only one of them were present.
In the center of the room, sitting in the middle throne was Kronos.
Standing before the titan shook her to her very soul. Something about his presence was horrifying to behold.
She made the horrible mistake of trying to look at the nature of his soul and saw something incredible nauseating.
Rather than a single form sitting upon that throne, she saw a countless number of reflections all around him. It was as if the effect of looking at yourself between two parallel mirrors, however the numerous reflections were positioned in such a way that it almost like a cube...but not a cube.
All the many countless reflections coming from his soul were positioned in a cube like shape, yet expanding endlessly in all directions. The reflections fluctuated constantly as they moved in and out of Kronos’s main body.
Seeing this, Selene dropped to her arms and knees. She felt like throwing up but thankfully there was nothing in her stomach to lose.
“Oh dear...I must apologize for the extreme nature of my soul, but I must advise you never to look upon it again,” Kronos said, speaking softly but with a voice that reverberated through her entire being.
As she struggled to look up at him, he rose from his throne and walked towards her.
Coughing and taking in a deep breath, she struggled to her feet as she looked at his face.
“I...I was told that you wanted to speak with me,” she struggled to say.
“Yes. If you will let me inconvenience you for a little while, I would you to walk with me for a moment,” he said in a respectful tone.
“Alright then,” she said as the two of them walked out of the throne room and into a long winding hallway filled with many thousands of detailed illustrations depicting Greek, Norse, and Egyptian history in their unique art styles.
As they walked, Kronos remained silent and calm, as if waiting for Selene to get used to being around him so she did not get nervous.
In fact, she noticed that he had toned down the energy released from his soul.
“You seem different from how Marcus described you,” she blurted out, venting her thoughts aloud.
As soon as she realized she had said that out loud, Kronos gave her a curious look and asked, “What could this man Marcus have said about me?”
She felt too nervous and embarrassed to speak.
“You do not have to worry about angering me. Whatever stories that have been told, I am sure I have already heard them all.”
“Well...I was told that you...swallowed five of your own children whole to keep them from usurping you when they came of age...among other things,” she said.
Hearing that, Kronos laughed as he said, “So its that story again eh…? I must admit that I have done many horrible things but eating my own children is not one of them. Let us move on to why I asked for you. I would like to discuss your relations with the man you may know as Ruvick.”
Hearing the titan speak his name confirmed her theory that she was meant to be here.
“Relations…? What do you want to know?” she asked.
“I don’t want to know about your relationship with him. I brought you here to give you a warning,” he said as he stopped in place.
A warning…?
He then turned to face her, looked into her eyes, and said, “I must warn you about involving yourself with that man Ruvick. You must be careful to avoid allying yourself with him so easily.”
Her body went still as she heard that and her breath was caught in her throat.
“Before I came to this world, the remnants of Terra’s pantheons that still existed were allied with an otherworldly being known as Lucifer. A person who existed beyond any concept of reason and logic. The man who followed and fought alongside him was known as Cain, who Lucifer had gifted a power of unbelievable strength. The Mark of Oblivion, a power so great that it could destroy magic at its most fundamental level. Even as a human, undying as his body was known for, he would have been powerless against most gods or beasts. Yet with that mark, he could wipe out any threat that came before him. All those who fought alongside Lucifer also grew to respect and fear Cain for the strength that was given to him.”
Kronos paused for a moment to look over his shoulder as if being careful not to be overheard. Yet Selene knew for certain that there was no one around who could hear them.
“Cain and Lucifer remained at war against the horrifying power that was known as God for hundreds of thousands of years. No one questioned Cain’s loyalty to Lucifer, least of all Lucifer himself. Yet, just as the war between Lucifer and God was nearing its end, and end that would have left neither as the victor, a great betrayal took place that resulted in the Great Exodus.”
Selene, who was struggling to follow along with what Kronos was saying, tried to piece it together.
“So...did Cain betray Lucifer?” she asked.
Kronos went silent for a moment before he answered, “I do not know.”
She wasn’t expecting that kind of answer…
“You don’t know? But you were just telling me this long story about Lucifer and Cain and how later a great betrayal took place. I would have assumed you meant that Cain betrayed him.”
“In all honesty, I have thought just as you had many times, but even now I cannot be sure. When Lucifer was betrayed, Cain had vanished from the world. He had disappeared so thoroughly that no one could find him. Not even the primordial Goddess Hestia was unable to find him. He vanished from all creation. But then, moments before the Exodus, a new being was born. Something so horrible and unstoppable that even Lucifer was powerless to stop it. A being that wore Cain’s undead flesh and carried the Mark of Oblivion with him, but whose soul was unlike the man before. That man...that thing wielded power comparable to a primordial, or perhaps even greater.”
Kronos then grabbed both of her shoulders and held her firm as he said, “Selene, Ruvick is that such being. He is an unstoppable, unkillable, uncontrollable force beyond all concepts of reason, logic, and nature. If you are to do business with that thing, then you must do so in a manner to distance yourself from him and from his goals as soon as possible. His goal of killing God will take precedent above all else and he will not stop at anyone’s expense. He will use any method and any resource at his disposal to achieve his goals.”
The more he spoke, the more his words turned into the ramblings of a paranoid madman.
“Kronos...why are you telling me this? Why ask for me specifically just to warn me?”
The titan then realized that he was still holding onto her shoulders and let go of her. He then turned away and coughed, as if to regain his composure.
“I apologize...I got carried away. Perhaps...perhaps you should not listen to me. It must be my fear of him betraying my sense of reason…,” he said as he made some distance between them.
Deeply disturbed by his words yet painfully curious to know why he would say such things to her, she slowly approached him once more.
“Lord Kronos...please tell me. Why did you ask for me so that you could warn me of him?”
The titan turned his head to look at her and sighed.
“V-very well...I shall tell you,” he said before taking in a deep shuddered breath, “before the Exodus, before the betrayal, there was a man who went by the name Yeshua. A man who was the human spawn of God. Days before the exodus took place, he spoke to Cain, myself, and a few others about a prophecy. It was one that he kept hidden from Lucifer for reasons I am unaware of. He spoke of a person who would rise up and gain great strength in the goal of killing God. He had said that when the time came for God to die, the one that would kill him would be a person who suffered greatly, and would suffer even further on their journey. They would wield their father’s sword and Death will cry out in anguish as God is put to death.”
Hearing this, the image of her father’s sunlight sword flashed in her mind.
Kronos couldn’t be talking about her...could he?
She knew next to nothing about this mysterious being known as ‘God’ and wanted to know nothing. She was content with living as she was here and now. She had no grudge or grievance with it, nor did she intend to have any with them.
“I tell you this in the hopes that you do not become involved with such a prophecy and suffer any further. I tell you this because...because you are my kin,” he said.
The moment she heard those last few words, she quickly pushed away from him.
“Your...’kin’? What could...what could you possibly mean by that?” Selene asked, her voice quivering in fear at the implications.
“Selene...you must understand-,” Kronos tried to say but she cut him off.
“No! I don’t want to hear anything more from you. I’m leaving now,” she said as she took a few steps back.
Kronos sighed and said, “Very well...I will have one of the handmaidens escort you.”
In just a few moments, a woman appeared with skin so incredibly pale that it almost looked like snow. Her dress was a pale white blue and her eyes were grey.
The closer she came to Selene, the colder the air around her became. As she got a better look at the pale woman, she realized that her hair and skin was partially made of living snow and ice.
“This is Upis, she is a frost Nymph. She will lead you out of Ragnarok. May she be better company to you than I.”
When Upis looked at Selene, her eyes widened and her mouth opened as if she were about to say something. She then turned to look at Kronos and decided against it.
“Come along with me dear,” she said sweetly as she took hold of Selene’s hand. It was cold to the touch but comforting and soft like powdered snow.
She let Upis lead her out, and by the time they had left the long hallway and were out of ear shot, the frost Nymph sighed in exasperation.
“I bet that old bastard gave you quite the earful didn’t he?” she asked.
“He did…”
“He must have given you the long speech about how you are his kin and offered you a place in this kingdom, didn’t he?”
“I...well, he did say I was his kin but I didn’t let him explain what he meant by that. I didn’t want to hear anything more. He didn’t offer me a place here, but why would he? I don’t even know who he is.”
“Kronos is a man who is tormented by his nostalgia of Terra. He misses the old world fiercely and is always looking for any survivors of Terra or their children. When Artemis arrived in this world, he sent Hermes to her and offered her a place here as well but she refused and preferred to stay with that man Adrianos.”
Hearing Upis speak her father’s name made her stand still.
“Y-you...knew my father?” she asked with a shaking voice.
“Of course I did. Although, I had no love for him. He had led my darling little Artemis astray with his endless flirting. Disgraceful…,” she said with an annoyed tone.
“Wait, if you know my father then you must know who my mother is as well, right? You know who she is?”
Upis paused as she looked into Selene’s desperate eyes and realized what was happening.
“Oh you poor child. How have you been kept unaware of the name of your own mother for so long? You share her hair, her power, a part of her soul, and yet you still do not know?”
“M-my power…? My flames come from my father and my moonlight...comes from Artemis,” Selene said as she became painfully aware of the truth.
How...how could she be so blind?
With a comforting voice, Upis spoke softly to her, “Yes, you are Artemis’s child.”