Just as the portal snapped shut with a final, echoing thunderclap, the grand hall plunged into an unnatural silence. The swirling mists above stilled, the ethereal lights dimmed to a somber glow, and every murmur, every whisper of judgment from the assembled gods evaporated like dew.
The air grew heavy, charged with an unspoken weight that pressed upon the divine beings like mortal gravity. All of their eyes, beautiful and grotesque, humanoid and otherworldly, turned to one focal point: Kronos's face.
The Titan of Order, the colossal god whose very presence had commanded fear and respect for eons, stood frozen at the edge of the platform. His bronzed, rune-etched skin, usually a symbol of unyielding strength, now seemed to sag under an invisible burden. His massive shoulders, broad as mountain ranges, trembled ever so slightly.
And then, in the quiet that followed Liraya's vanishing scream, tears began to fall. Silent, crystalline drops traced paths down his chiseled cheeks, shimmering with the inner fire of his essence before evaporating into faint sparks. The big god everyone feared, the one who had shaped realms and shattered stars, was weeping.
Liraya's last plea, her hoarse whisper of "Kronos... please," still rang in his ears, echoing like a haunting melody that pierced the armor he had worn for so long.
The council watched in stunned disbelief. No one had seen Kronos like this, not in the millennia of their existence.
He had always been the pillar of order, cold and impartial, the enforcer who meted out justice without a flicker of emotion. Yet here he was, his dark eyes glistening, fixed on the spot where the portal had sealed shut, as if willing it to reopen.
Elysara, the Oracle, descended from her ethereal cloud, her white robes whispering against the obsidian floor as she approached. Her aged yet timeless face, lined with the wisdom of countless prophecies, softened with a rare compassion. She floated close, her small cloud hovering just above the ground, and she placed a gentle hand on his massive shoulder
"Kronos," she said softly. "Was that truly the only way? To cast her down like that?"
Kronos didn't flinch at her touch; instead, he nodded slowly, his head bowing under the strain. A single tear escaped, tracing a path over the glowing runes on his cheek. "Yeah," he rumbled, his voice low and gravelly, laced with a pain that surprised even him.
"It was the only way she could move on... and become who she is meant to be."
Elysara's hand lingered, her piercing eyes searching his face. "You cared for her more than any of us knew," she murmured, not as a question but as an acknowledgment. "Even now, after all this, are you sure you can just let her go like this, even knowing what fate is waiting for her?"
Kronos straightened slightly, though the tears continued their silent path. He spoke with a knowing smile, "Yeah, not only that, I had to be the one to throw her in," he said, his voice barely above a whisper, raw with emotion.
"If I showed weakness... if I hesitated... she would have clung to her old ways forever. She's brilliant, Elysara, capable of so much more than the sloth that's consumed her. Down there, as a mortal in Elyria, she'll face the chaos she created. No powers to hide behind, no manipulations to escape. It'll break her, yes... but it'll also remake her. That's the only way she can survive and also help us from what is about to come."
The Oracle nodded, her cloud shifting subtly as she withdrew her hand. "And people say, we are gods, who can do anything. Shame on us for using her, in exchange for the rest of our fate."
Around them, the gods began to murmur, not knowing what Kronos and Oracle were talking about.
But before they could question Kronos about it, he waved a hand of his, and the mists resumed their swirl and the council dispersed, the huge grand hall disappeared along with the gods who were sitting on the throne around it.
Only Kronos and Oracle lingered around here, staring at the empty space where the portal had been. "Grow stronger, my Weaver," he whispered to the void. "For all of our sakes. For the 'Pantheon'."
***
In the mortal realm, the air felt different, thicker, filled with the scent of dry grass and woodsmoke. Here, the word "Pantheon" meant nothing; it was a name lost to time, unknown to the people living their simple lives.
Lys stood with Sara in the front yard of her house, the wooden fence creaking slightly in the breeze.
The sun was casting long shadows across the grass. The dirt path leading to the village was still dusty from the carriage wheels of Lady Elowen and her father, Lord Valtor, who had just departed from Sara's house for the capital. Lys waved one last time as the carriage rumbled away, disappearing around a bend in the road.
Both of them had their mind on the words said by Lord Valtor before he got on the carriage. He had leaned out the window before they started the carriage, his stern face softening into a rare smile. "The guild will send notice any day after I arrive in the capital," he'd said, his voice loud enough to be heard by both of them. "Be prepared for it, both of you."
Then, turning to Sara, he'd added with genuine gratitude, "And thank you for keeping Elowen's presence here quiet, Miss Sara. If word had gotten out, this village would have turned into a circus, everyone from your village council, merchants, and bootlickers scrambling to curry favor from me. You handled it well, Sara. We're in your debt."
Sara had nodded graciously, her hands clasped in front of her simple dress. "It was my pleasure, Lord Valtor. Safe travels."
Lady Elowen had poked her head out, too, giving Lys a knowing wink. "Remember what we talked about," she'd whispered, just loud enough for him to hear. Lys had smiled back, not saying anything to ruin their departure.
But now that they were gone, questions bubbled up in his mind. He kind of started to miss her. But he quickly shook his thoughts and got himself on track.
He turned to Sara, scratching his back. "Hey, Sara, what exactly did he mean by 'be prepared'? Like, is there some kind of…"
Before he could finish, a group of people appeared at the end of the path, heading straight for Sara's house.
There were about six of them: a burly man with arms like tree trunks, dressed in rough work clothes; a man in church robes that Lys recognized as John, the local priest; and four women trailing behind them, their faces a mix of curiosity and concern. They moved with purpose, kicking up small clouds of dust as they approached.
Sara let out a long sigh, crossing her arms over her chest. "Now here it comes," she muttered, her tone resigned but not surprised. "Word travels fast in a village like this. However tightly I try to hold it down."
The group reached the yard in no time, clustering around Sara like eager chickens. The big man stepped forward first, his bushy beard twitching as he spoke. "Sara! What's this we hear about Lord Valtor being here? At your house, of all places?"
John, the priest, nodded vigorously, his robes swishing. "Yes, yes! Someone saw his carriage coming toward your house at dawn. What happened? Was there trouble?"
One of the women, a middle-aged lady with a basket on her arm, chimed in. "And Sara, why didn't you tell us until now? We could've prepared a proper welcome!"
Another woman, younger and fidgety, added, "Is everything okay? Lord Valtor doesn't just visit villages like ours without a reason, right?"
The questions piled on one after another, voices overlapping in a chaotic buzz. Sara raised her hands, trying to wave them down, but her face showed she was getting overwhelmed. "One at a time, please…."
Lys couldn't stand by and watch. He stepped forward, positioning himself between Sara and the group, his voice firm but calm. "Hey, everyone, let's take it easy. Speak one by one, alright? She's only got one mouth to answer with."
The big man turned his glare on Lys, sizing him up like he was an intruder. He puffed out his chest, his voice booming. "And who the hell are you to order us around? Don't you know who we are? I'm the village chief, and this here's Father John from the church. We've got every right to ask! Who the hell are you?!"
The others murmured in agreement, eyes narrowing at Lys. But Lys didn't back down. He met the village chief's stare evenly, channeling a quiet aura of confidence he didn't know he had until now. No aggression, just steady poise, like he owned the ground he stood on.
He just casually said to them, "You'll know soon enough who I am," he said, his tone even and unflinching. "For now, let's just calm down, okay? And ask her one thing at a time. No need to swarm her like this."
There was a brief pause, the group exchanging glances. Village chief grumbled something under his breath, but he didn't push further. John adjusted his robes, looking a bit sheepish. "Fine, fine. But start talking, Sara. What's the story?"
Sara shot Lys a grateful look, stepping up beside him with a small smile. The tension eased just a bit, the group settling into a more orderly huddle as they waited for her explanation.