8

CHAPTER 8

"If she's so powerful and special, then how come I have never heard about her? I doubt there's even related information about her or her father on the internet." He said. "I mean, if what you're saying is true then what the historians and the scientists have been telling us…"

"Is all a big obese lie?" She completed his words which it seemed he was a bit hesitant to say.

"Damn…" He blinked once, again, and again as he swallowed audibly while trying to process the newfound information. "The other gods and goddesses sound so familiar and even have their own religions and even one rules a whole continent. How come the most powerful of them all is an unknown? How is that even possible? It doesn't make sense. Is her influence an underground kind of thing? A well-kept secret from the normal populace?"

"No… It's not what you imagine." She explained. "Gods and goddesses of course usually love to spread their influence and reach, as it contributes a notable part of their strength. The prayers, praises, and tributes aren't just for show, you know."

"…" He didn't speak, simply listening attentively like a kid watching his mom read him his favorite bedtime story.

"However, this rule does not apply to the Divine Monarch." She continued. "Legend has it that her father, dubbed in all surviving historical text as Hamlet the Predator God, made this star as his first attempt at creating a habitable planet with living beings after acquiring the power to do so."

"It was like a test run or a prototype." She narrated. "And although the finished product did not meet his desires, he still cherished it as his first success so he did not destroy it but didn't bother to stay behind and overlook things. He let nature run its course. Gave the world free will."

"One may think freedom is good but in this case, it wasn't."

"In his absence, the world was vulnerable to invasions from other worlds and if not, possible destruction by the world's inhabitants themselves. The humans and other creatures that are now considered the stuff of legends and myths actually roamed the star back then and mostly did not get along." (Priestess)

"One day, he brought his daughter who had recently ascended to godhood and was having troubles mastering her powers of creation." (Priestess)

"Seeing the state of the world, he still maintained his stance, choosing to not interfere, curious about how the beings of the world would evolve to survive amongst themselves and foreign invaders. He wanted to see how far his first creations could go." (Priestess)

"His daughter, Celestina, on the other hand did not agree. At least not completely." (Priestess)

"So, she fought and killed him?" Cassian asked a dumb question.

"…" The priestess looked at him, checking to see if he was joking but apparently, he was not. She burst into light giggles before speaking; "Of course not silly. Even if she tried such a thing, how could a new divinity dream to best an old one that has had time to grow and digest their powers?"

"Oh? So, what happened?" (Cassian)

"She asked him for a fraction of his [Authority] so she could oversee the planet and protect it from foreign invaders. She was fine with leaving the mortals to fight and grow amongst themselves, but outside interference before we were strong enough to protect ourselves from aliens was a no-go area."

"He agreed and handed her half of his authority over the planet. As for the other half, he split it into four and gave each to a new set of beings he created to assist her. They were not as powerful as true gods like her, but they were way above human comprehension." (Priestess)

"The other gods and goddesses?" Cassian speculated.

"Bingo." The priestess poked the bridge of his nose. "Existences between man and true godhood. To maintain their status as 'gods', they need followers and believers. They need faith energy from the mortals. It's kind of an additive mechanism that nudges them to help rather than destroy the world. No sane person would worship gods that want to kill them. Since Celestina does not need prayers and faith from mortals, she remains powerful without bothering to have her own religion. She focuses on monitoring the other gods while fending off alien threats."

"Whoa… I guess that explains why no one knows of her." He nodded in understanding; "Wait, you said four others, but aren't there five?" He asked with furrowed brows that shamelessly betrayed his curiosity.

"Well, that's what ancient text says. All the goddesses' early history is well documented. However, the records only mentioned one God, the god of balance." She paused. "There is a lot of speculation and doubts about the records. Some say that it was always two gods but were mistaken as one because they're identical twins. They believed that each god was actually the representation of each side of the Heavenly Scale of Balance, Justice and Order he is known to have [Authority] over. Others say that it is still one god but his followers are misinterpreting the records since the twin gods haven't manifested in the mortal realm in ages. He hasn't even sent down oracles, only blessing his high-ranking followers with his powers."

"Hmm…" He rubbed his chin in speculation. "And what do you believe?"

"It doesn't matter, does it? One or two, as long as he or they stand in the way of our progress, their believers must be incapacitated or eliminated."

There was a moment of palpable silence until the brown eyed fellow broke it.

"…All this information… How come you know of all this? How can humans or any other mortal come in contact with such information to record them? How would they know about the interactions between the Creator and his daughter? I doubt someone who sounds as domineering as 'Predator God' would sit down and share stories with mortals over drinks."

"No, he didn't." She shook her head. "However, the Celestina herself would interact with her assistants, no? The other gods for one reason or the other passed the information down to their believers."

"This ancient texts you speak of… Have you actually seen or come in contact with any of them before?" He was genuinely curious about the whole thing. If allowed, he would willingly go down the rabbit hole.

"…Yes… and… no…" She replied with gaps in her speech. Before Cassian could press her for answers, she kissed his forehead before jumping out of bed. "Come on. It's time to go. You're not going to be tardy to your own Christening Ceremony, are you?"