I don't care how many mortal lives are lost.

Theoktonos

I will kill you

Go on. Try me.

If you dare.

I'd do anything to see your corpse.

Come on then. Kill me.

I was planning to.

But, before you do, hear me out.

What do you gain?

If you kill me, what do you gain?

You're simply perpetuating a pointless cycle of death.

What's the point of killing me?

What do I gain? Satisfaction.

Cosmology/The Attack

The satisfaction of revenge.

The knowledge that my family is avenged.

Avenged? What even is revenge?

It's a stupid concept, is it not?

We're above it, are we not?

You can move past it.

Limiting your goals to a puny human? How pathetic.

I don't care what you are.

Like you said, I am a God. I'll do what I want.

If that means murdering a lowly human, then so be it.

I would tear The Cosmos to shreds if it meant killing you

&#x3C;p class=&#x22;ql-align-center&#x22;&#x3E;&#x3C;span style=&#x22;background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&#x22;&#x3E;*&#x3C;/span&#x3E;&#x3C;strong style=&#x22;background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&#x22;&#x3E;THIS TEXT CONTAINS ELEMENTS THAT MAY BE DISTURBING&#x3C;/strong&#x3E;&#x3C;span style=&#x22;background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&#x22;&#x3E;.*&#x3C;/span&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p class=&#x22;ql-align-center&#x22;&#x3E;&#x3C;span style=&#x22;background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&#x22;&#x3E;*&#x3C;/span&#x3E;&#x3C;strong style=&#x22;background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&#x22;&#x3E;READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED&#x3C;/strong&#x3E;&#x3C;span style=&#x22;background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&#x22;&#x3E;.*&#x3C;/span&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p class=&#x22;ql-align-center&#x22;&#x3E;&#x3C;strong style=&#x22;background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&#x22;&#x3E;*TW: MENTIONS OF SUICIDE*&#x3C;/strong&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;br&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;br&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;span style=&#x22;background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&#x22;&#x3E;My heart pounded in my chest. I hate talking to people older than me. Not adults, I&#x2019;m fine with them. But when they&#x2019;re not that older, but still older&#x2026; it&#x2019;s to the point I can barely predict what they&#x2019;re gonna say. I hate that feeling. Uneasy. We gazed at each other for a few seconds, waiting for something to happen. I looked away, trying to lose her attention.&#x3C;/span&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;span style=&#x22;background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&#x22;&#x3E;&#x201C;Sorry.&#x201D; She said, her voice higher than I had expected. My mind clawed for a response.&#x3C;/span&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;span style=&#x22;background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&#x22;&#x3E;&#x201C;For what?&#x201D; I asked, cooling my nerves.&#x3C;/span&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;span style=&#x22;background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&#x22;&#x3E;&#x201C;Sorry for all that noise.&#x201D; I looked up to see her staring blankly up at the ceiling.&#x3C;/span&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;span style=&#x22;background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&#x22;&#x3E;&#x201C;That&#x2019;s their fault, surely.&#x201D; I commented, trying to avoid eye-contact.&#x3C;/span&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;span style=&#x22;background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&#x22;&#x3E;&#x201C;I couldn&#x2019;t stop them. So it&#x2019;s my fault.&#x201D; She retorted, no aggression or even emotion in her voice.&#x3C;/span&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;span style=&#x22;background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&#x22;&#x3E;&#x201C;That&#x2019;s not how it works.&#x201D; I said, half talking to myself. The knot then tightened. Are you trying to avoid the blame? Shift it? Make excuses for your mistakes? I shook the thoughts out of my head. I felt my heart beating in my throat. Tears attempting to well in my eyes. I don&#x2019;t want to be held responsible, yet I am. I don&#x2019;t want Iroas to hate me.&#x3C;/span&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;span style=&#x22;background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&#x22;&#x3E;&#x201C;Even so, I could&#x2019;ve stopped it if I had tried harder.&#x201D; She continued. &#x201C;If only I could go back and stop them earlier&#x2026; then you wouldn&#x2019;t have had to listen to it. I am really sorry.&#x201D;&#x3C;/span&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;span style=&#x22;background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&#x22;&#x3E;&#x201C;It&#x2019;s honestly fine.&#x201D; I said. There was another long silence.&#x3C;/span&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;span style=&#x22;background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&#x22;&#x3E;&#x201C;What&#x2019;s your name?&#x201D; She asked, after the pause. &#x201C;If you don&#x2019;t mind telling me, that is.&#x201D;&#x3C;/span&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;span style=&#x22;background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&#x22;&#x3E;&#x201C;It&#x2019;s Theoktonos.&#x201D; I answered, trying to get rid of the image of Iroas&#x2019; corpse out of my mind.&#x3C;/span&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;span style=&#x22;background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&#x22;&#x3E;&#x201C;That&#x2019;s a nice name.&#x201D; She said. I&#x2019;d never been complimented on my name before. It didn&#x2019;t invoke any emotional reaction in me, which I immediately felt bad for. &#x201C;Mines Aftoktonia, if you want to know.&#x201D; There was another excruciatingly long pause. I brainstormed for something to say, something genuine, that didn&#x2019;t sound fake.&#x3C;/span&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;span style=&#x22;background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&#x22;&#x3E;&#x201C;Cool.&#x201D; That sounded half-assed. I felt awful.&#x3C;/span&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;span style=&#x22;background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&#x22;&#x3E;&#x201C;Thanks for talking to me.&#x201D; She said, which caught me off guard.&#x3C;/span&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;span style=&#x22;background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&#x22;&#x3E;&#x201C;Why wouldn&#x2019;t I?&#x201D; I questioned.&#x3C;/span&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;span style=&#x22;background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&#x22;&#x3E;&#x201C;I don&#x2019;t deserve anything. I am a terrible person. I could&#x2019;ve saved my friend, but I was scared. Weak. Oh, sorry. I&#x2019;m being selfish, talking about myself.&#x201D; She stopped. I noticed now that she had bags under her eyes. Was she okay? &#x201C;I heard from Nothos that you had also lost a team member?&#x201D; She asked.&#x3C;/span&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;span style=&#x22;background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&#x22;&#x3E;&#x201C;Yeah.&#x201D; I said, thinking back to the funeral. Out of everyone that made a speech, mine was the one that got the loudest applause. Why did they applaud me?&#x3C;/span&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;span style=&#x22;background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&#x22;&#x3E;&#x201C;I&#x2019;m really sorry for your loss.&#x201D; She assured me. Now that I listened closer, Her voice was ragged and hoarse.&#x3C;/span&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;span style=&#x22;background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&#x22;&#x3E;&#x201C;Same goes for you.&#x201D; I said. Yet another painful pause. SHe sucked in a breath shakily, and let it out again.&#x3C;/span&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;span style=&#x22;background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&#x22;&#x3E;&#x201C;I-I&#x2019;m gonna go for a walk.&#x201D; She stammered, getting up. &#x201C;Thanks for talking to me.&#x201D; She walked over to the door, her footsteps uneven and callous to her foot space. She grabbed the door handle, twisted it, and pushed it open. &#x201C;Goodbye.&#x201D;&#x3C;/span&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;br&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;span style=&#x22;background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&#x22;&#x3E;I looked back at Theoktonos before closing the door.&#x3C;/span&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;span style=&#x22;background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&#x22;&#x3E;&#x201C;Goodbye.&#x201D; I had said. I could feel my heart in my throat. To think he would be the last person I would speak to. I walked forward, through the long halls. I knew where to go. I had scoped it out before arriving here. I can&#x2019;t deal with anything anymore. That image flashed through my mind, that terrible, terrible image. He lay there, cold as stone, still as the earth. All my fault. His blood stained my hands. I would do anything, anything at all to go back. To go back and stop what happened. I want to see him again. The light flickered above me, but I didn&#x2019;t care. I kept on trudging along, trying to get rid of my thoughts. I am sorry, Epeidi. I am sorry, Neos. I am so, so sorry. Sorry for the burden I am. I am sorry to everyone. I want them to know that, but I can&#x2019;t keep this up. I need to let go. Let go of everything. I can&#x2019;t keep pushing through the endlessness of life. Everyday, I am reminded of my faults, my mistakes. And everyday, I am unable to escape them. What worth do I even have? Am I worthy of life? I came up to the exit of the place. I was in the main cave place that you have to go through to enter. I walked over, and stared up, up, far, far above me. The dazzling of the black sky filled my eyes with bliss. Lit up by the specks of stars and the full face of the howling bright moon. What a beautiful sight it was. Was he up there, among the millions of suns? I breathed in the cold, yet soothing air into my ragged lungs. I looked down, vertigo climbing up my body from my feet. At least fifty feet. That would be enough, right? Tears welled in my eyes. My body and mind was ripping at me, telling me to run away, but telling me to run away from everything else.&#x3C;/span&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;br&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;span style=&#x22;background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&#x22;&#x3E;To do it.&#x3C;/span&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;br&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;span style=&#x22;background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&#x22;&#x3E;I watched as one of my teardrops trickled down my face and dropped, falling down endlessly towards the earth. It took a long, few seconds until it impacted the ground. My heart jumped around in my chest, skipping a few beats. I breathed in, and out, closing my eyes, flushing all thoughts out of my head. I went limp, I felt the harsh wind against my body. I was falling. Tumbling. Heading to my end. Instead of fear, I felt a sense of clarity. Acceptance of my fate. My body loosened, preparing for the imminent impact&#x2026; I can&#x2019;t feel the wind. Am I dead?&#x3C;/span&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;span style=&#x22;background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&#x22;&#x3E;&#x201C;I could tell you would do something like this.&#x201D; A voice said. Was that&#x2026; Theoktonos? My eyes shot open, darting around me. I was in midair? It felt as if a thousand hands were clamping down on me, keeping me in place, holding me up the moon in offering, as if the shadowless eye of the sky was staring down at me. I stared back. It was as if I were submerged in an endless sea, my body wrapped in the chilling midnight air, the universe as my ocean. I glimpsed Theoktonos out of the corner of my eye, standing at the entrance to the cave where I had just jumped from. He had a kind smile on his face. Tears once again balled in my eyes, this time leaking without restraint. A million emotions washed over my body like a fever. Grief, Anger, Sadness, Happiness, Relief, Glee, Extacy, Frustration, Irritation, Joy. All coursing through me like a tidal wave.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/span&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;span style=&#x22;background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&#x22;&#x3E;&#x201C;H-how?&#x201D; I asked, drowning in my own teardrops, that were stuck in the midnight air with me.&#x3C;/span&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;span style=&#x22;background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&#x22;&#x3E;&#x201C;I increased the friction around you, so as to stop you from falling.&#x201D; He said.&#x3C;/span&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;br&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;span style=&#x22;background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&#x22;&#x3E;&#x201C;I didn&#x2019;t want to see someone else die right in front of me again.&#x201D;&#x3C;/span&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;br&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;span style=&#x22;background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&#x22;&#x3E;&#x2014;------------------------------------------TO BE CONTINUED&#x2014;----------------------------------------------&#x3C;/span&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;span style=&#x22;background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&#x22;&#x3E;Author&#x2019;s note: I am really sorry I didn&#x2019;t post any new chapters in the last couple of days. I was planning, and recovering my motivation that had been almost snuffed out. I am back to posting new chapters every other day, so like and follow to stay posted!&#x3C;/span&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;br&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;span style=&#x22;background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&#x22;&#x3E;P.S Rate the chapter /10!&#x3C;/span&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;

&#x3C;p&#x3E;A man wielding an abrupt azure blade walks away from the now collapsed palace. A smirk on his face.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;

Pantheon