27 The Cosmic Clash

"The gods are great, but people are greater, for in their dreams, the gods are born, and to their dreams, they shall return," Hypnos said serenely.

"Where are you going with all of this, old man?" Siddhartha asked, his brow furrowing.

"Shaka," Hypnos admonished, "that is for you to find."

— 4th BCE, Ancient India.

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The messenger of God—the Will of God—the Prince of Justice—the Archangel of Revelation—the Annunciator.

Ultimately, he was none other than Gabriel, the Hornblower.

Within a fraction of a second, Hypnos gleaned all the information he had on Messenger from this life and his previous life to deduce the reason for Gabriel's sudden decent.

It was Chaos...

He eventually realised that all of his assumptions pointed to chaos one way or another. And now, what he feared has come true.

Heaven was going to intervene in their war....

Despite his growing concerns, Hypnos maintained a neutral expression, his countenance calm and serene. "Your excellency, Gabriel," he greeted respectfully.

"To what do I owe this honour?"

A ripple of astonishment pulsed through the immortals, who were also on their feet and staring at Hypnos and Gabriel. Their commander's respect for this angelic entity astonished them all the more— just who was this being?

They were all curious, but no one dared to express it. They were all wise enough to recognise that this was not a conversation in which they could participate.

Hypnos keenly noticed their surprise and took note in his mind to later teach them on the subject of cosmology. The immortals of his pantheon only knew the basics of the divine world—the existence of pantheons, ancient laws, and primordials—and most didn't even know of Heaven, with the exception of a few like Prometheus, Metis, Themis, and a few others; even they were only aware of the presence of Heaven and nothing more. He needs to deal with this issue, and thinking about it further—why hasn't Gaea already dealt with this?..

"I come bearing the message of Heaven." Gabriel uttered, yanking him out of his reverie. The Archangel of Revelation was fully focused on Hypnos, not even bothering to look behind the Primordial of Sleep at the immortals.

—Heaven, Hypnos keenly noticed. Not God. Great, he can avoid this with some drastic improvisations, but his voice alone will not suffice; he needs her...

Why in Tartarus hasn't Gaea already appeared?

Gabriel continued, confirming his fears. "Heaven has decided to end your war, son of Night," he said sternly. "We accepted it until now since change was deemed necessary for your pantheon, but not any longer, as the earth will not be able to withstand the chaos brought by the final battle."

The declaration of the Angel of Revelation rang throughout the hall, heralding a dazed silence.

Hypnos immediately opened his mouth to state his case, but before he could, the earth beneath his feet began to rumble, implying the obvious.

An ethereal woman appeared next to Hypnos, dressed in a rippling green tunic that seemed to bear the essence of nature itself. She gently placed her hand on his shoulders, calming his inner emotions.

"Gaea." Gabriel greeted her neutrally, his face as expressionless as the copper head on a penny.

"Gabriel," Gaea said cheerily. "It's been a few millennia, has it not?"

"And it seems you haven't gotten a promotion from being the postal worker of Heaven," the Earth Mother abruptly observed, eyeing the Angel of Revelation up and down with faux concern.

"Your excellency, Gabriel." Hypnos broke up their 'warm' atmosphere, bringing the conversation back to the matter at hand before it became violent—Milky Way wouldn't be able to bear it then. "I understand the concerns of Heaven, but I guarantee you that in the last fight, Earth will not be plagued by Chaos."

Gabriel merely stared at Gaea for a moment, who merely cracked a smile back at him, before turning towards Hypnos and squinting at the Primordial of Sleep. "Continue," he finally said, giving Hypnos the opportunity to present his case.

Under the gaze of everyone, Hypnos nodded and waved at the table. "The battleground does not have to be entirely on Earth..." He drawled as the holographic projections on the table revealed a golden star encircled by nine planets. "Solar System." He declared his on-the-spot improvisation to everyone. "The final battle of Titanomachy will take place in the Solar System."

Yes, you read that correctly—he intended to turn the entire solar system into a battlefield for their war. After all, drastic times require drastic measures.

"A fantastic proposal." Gaea immediately supported him.

"A hasty improvisation," Gabriel retorted. "is exactly what it is."

"Perhaps it is." Hypnos acknowledged. "But does it not solve our problems?"

"You have a silver tongue, son of Night." Gabriel said. "But it won't change what your proposal truly is—a hasty improvisation," he remarked emphatically. "By transferring the battlefield from Earth to the Solar System, you will be assisting Chaos even more, affecting order throughout the entire star system in the end."

"Oh, Gabriel," Gaea smiled. "Hypnos and I will be the keepers of order in the coming war. I thought it was obvious."

Gabriel remained calm in the face of her passive-aggressiveness. "I figured, Gaea," he admitted as he closed his eyes, notifying Heaven of developments.

Hypnos and Gaea waited patiently in silence.

After a few seconds, Gabriel opened his fiery eyes. "In light of everything, Heaven has decided to approve your plan, son of night."

Of course, Gabriel continued before Hypnos could rejoice. "On one condition."

"What is it?" Gaea asked, her eyes glowing with infinite power and a dangerous edge to her voice. Her intention was plain for all to see: back down.

Gabriel, on the other hand, obviously didn't back down at all, instead declaring with a steely tone. "Heaven will oversee the final battle alongside you."

That did it.

"Close your eyes." A faint whisper floated through the air, and all of the immortals in the hall instinctively obeyed.

"Gaea—" Gabriel narrowed his eyes at Gaea.

"No, Aunt—" Hypnos looked hastily at Gaea, who merely raised her hand, and suddenly he was not looking at his aunt. He wasn't even looking at a woman.

Everything Hypnos saw was an infinite, boundless cosmos—brilliant galaxies spinning in symphony, nebula clouds swaying in harmony, shining stars dancing in polyphony—and beneath it all was a cosmic grave. He saw the innumerable ruins, each telling him a sombre and painful story. Civilisation lost. Names forever forgotten.

And this brilliant cosmos had a voice.

"Have I not made myself clear, Gabriel?" The entire cosmos rumbled with an incomprehensible tone.

Gabriel responded catastrophically—an angelic figure made of the purest light of creation materialised, his features ineffable and indescribable. And, in comparison to the boundless cosmos within which he floated, his size and figure were insignificant, a speck of light on a dark canvas, but his presence and aura stood firm facing the cosmos as an equal.

From his light, the Archangel of Revelation took a long horn. Then he brought it to his brilliant lips and gently blew at it.

The horn blared so mightily, so powerfully, so tremendously—betraying its owner's gentleness—that Hypnos himself couldn't bear it, and he wasn't alone; the cosmos around him shared his emotions.

Under the trumpet of Gabriel, the gates of Armageddon swung open with a star-chilling roar, unleashing cataclysmic forces on the cosmos. And the universe collapsed on itself, its forces vanquished by Conquest, its lives shattered by War, its fates plagued by Famine, and its essence extinguished by Death.

The apocalypse had arrived; rather than fighting it, the boundless cosmos embraced it, and in one final act, it self-destructed itself—the fading galaxies in the dark canvas dimmed for a brief moment before brightening exponentially in an explosion that seemed dwarf everything—and all of it followed a will, a voice, a hand, which together guided it to bear its ultimate wrath on the Archangel who brought it to its end.

Gabriel raised his other hand, and a pure silver sword materialised. He grasped its handle and turned to face the end of the cosmos in one fluid, seamless motion,

Hypnos tried his best to withstand the weight of their cosmic confrontation and witness it thoroughly, but he was slowly edging into the deep end, and as if noticing his condition, a natural force pushed him away, and then everything spun on itself.

The next thing Hypnos knew, he was back in the hall, standing next to Gaea, her face as ethereal as ever. And the Archangel of Revelation floated in front of them, his face as stoic as ever—nothing seemed to have changed, but he instinctively knew everything had changed.

Hypnos immediately looked at Gaea, feeling utterly breathless. For all intents and purposes, he understood what her status as the embodiment of nature represented.

Gabriel stared silently at Gaea. "Heaven will remember this," he finally said, fading away into light particles.

Gaea plainly waved her hand at the particles, annihilating them. She then told her descendants to open their eyes and turned to look at her gobsmacked nephew. "Your idea is truly marvellous, Hypnos. We'll talk about it more later."

"But, Aunt—" Hypnos pressed hesitantly, trying to calming himself down.

Gaea soothed. "He was only carrying the message of Heaven, not the Almighty."

"Still…" Hypnos drawled, his silver eyes reflecting his worries to her.

"You worry too much, nephew." Gaea spoke ethereally. "We are Primordials, the children of Khaos. We may indeed have bent to the Order of Heaven in the beginning of creation, but that doesn't mean we are under them in any way."

"Never ever forget that.."

Hypnos nodded slowly, pressing his worries into his heart. For an ounce, he chose to place his trust in Gaea. He had no idea whether he would grow to regret it or not.

Gaea continued, patting his shoulders. "Now finish what you started, Hypnos," her figure faded into vibrant petals. "In the meantime, I'll meet with my crooked son and bring him around to your idea."

Hypnos looked at the swaying petals for a moment before returning his attention to the immortals. They were still on their feet, their eyes brimming with a myriad of emotions, though they all shared something in common—inquisitiveness. "Sit down," he said steely, leaving no room for debate or questions, much to their chagrin and disappointment. "Let's continue."

"As you can see, our plans had to be improvised hastily." Hypnos continued, his gaze fixed on the seated immortals. "The main battleground for the final war will now be the solar system. Prometheus and Metis will notify you of any changes to our plan as soon as they are finalised. Nevertheless, the initial allocations will remain unchanged."

Metis and Prometheus looked at the projection of the solar system with unblinking eyes.

"Moving on." Hypnos said, "Mount Othrys…"

Poseidon immediately stood up and listened to Hypnos with rapt attention. The Primordial spoke briefly about his plan to attack Mount Othrys, focusing only on the extraordinary troops assigned to the God of Seas.

"The last issue is Mount Olympus." Hypnos stated. "It is a home for you all, so who better to defend it than..." He cocked his head in the direction of Hestia.

Hestia rose from her seat. "I will protect Mount Olympus, Lord Hypnos." She said it with such firmness and confidence, taking many by surprise.

Hypnos took a look around, sensing the obvious uncertainty in the air. "Place all your Hope on her, and the Olympus shall never fall," he declared cryptically.

"That concludes the meeting. You may leave."

The immortals did as instructed, striding towards the door in whispers and mummers, but Hecate, Mnesmosyne, and Themis remained seated under the gestures of Hypnos.

Hera turned to face Hypnos with inquisitive concern, but he merely gestured for her to rejoin her family for the time being.

After a bout of hesitation, the Goddess of Marriage nodded, biting her lips. She turned and rejoined her family, bombarding Hestia with questions about the last words of her love.

After they exited the door, Hades abruptly drew them all away into a deserted corridor. "I've got something to tell you..." he said firmly.

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Hypnos pointed to a projection of a black room with massive thrones. "The throne room of Mount Othrys—it is where the seats of the powers of the Titans are highly placed. It is nearly invulnerable to the divine power of the immortals, as the essence of the Titans has strengthened their thrones over the millennia, but we have to get it destroyed to seal the victory of our side." he gazed at Hecate, Mnesmosyne, and Themis. "And this is your task. I chose three of you because each of your abilities allows you to manipulate reality in a unique manner. Nothing is more damaging than an attack from reality itself."

"You will follow Poseidon to assault Mount Othrys in concealment, then breach into the throne and destroy the seats of power while he serves as your cover. You'll only get one shot at this, and you can't afford to miss, as this will be the final nail in their coffin."

Hecate, Mnesmosyne, and Themis immediately began asking questions about their task. Along with Metis and Prometheus, Hypnos clarified their doubts by delving deeper into their mission—the routes and pathways within Mount Othrys, potential enemies, and so on and so forth.

Finally, after everything, they stood up from their seats, and Hecate said. "We will not let you down, my Lord."

"Mount Othrys will fall under our might."

Hypnos nodded and sent them off to prepare. He then turned to face his assistant. "Metis,"

"Yes, Lord Hypnos," Metis said.

Hypnos raised his hand, wishing all the fundamental information on cosmology into existence in the form of a book, which he then handed to the Titaness of Wisdom. "Pass this knowledge to everyone."

Metis gave the book a quick glance, and her eyes immediately opened in wonder. "I'll get to it," she said as she bolted out of the hall, clutching the book in excitement.

"Lord Hypnos?" Prometheus asked, his gaze drawn to her fading figure. "Is that what I think it is..?"

"Yes," Hypnos confirmed his far-fetched guess. "Now, let's get back to work."

Prometheus hesitated.

"Prometheus, that knowledge won't go anywhere," Hypnos peered at him. "You can learn it—"

"No, Lord Hypnos." Prometheus interrupted immediately. "I'd like to make a request..."

"What is it?" Hypnos squinted at him.

"I know this is a lot to ask of you, but I don't have any other choices left." Prometheus stated solemnly. "Lord Hypnos, is there any way for you to help the humans?"

Hypnos considered it carefully; "No," he finally said quietly, shattering the hopes of Prometheus. "The golden era must come to an end. I will not stop the change of times, but…" he drawled, re-igniting the hopes in the heart of Prometheus.

"The dreams of your family shall survive," the Lord of Dream declared, "and pass on to the next human generation. They will also be endowed with all of your original gifts, and your names will be forever engraved in the annals of history for your contributions."

"So mote it be."

The world shone with his unseen power, his commands etched into the substratum of reality.

Prometheus looked utterly stunned at his kindness.

"Prometheus," Hypnos revealed. "I too have a vested interest in humanity."

"Thank you." Prometheus bowed deeply, expressing his heartfelt gratitude. And he also noted the last words of Hypnos, for a rainy day in the future.

Hypnos merely nodded, then he said with a fleeting smile. "Come on, we have a lot of work to do and changes to make with such a short deadline."

Under the rays of the sun, they began to improvise their main plan, discussing intently all the aspects of the solar system to choose the appropriate battlefields.

Soon, Metis returned after passing on the basic knowledge of the cosmos to everyone with her divinity, and she did that too with Prometheus after rejoining them. Then they continued on with their plans as seconds turned into minutes and minutes into hours, until they were interrupted.

Gaea materialised in their room with a swirl of flowers.

"Aunt, what did Kronos say?" Hypnos immediately inquired.

"Yes," Gaea said ethereally. "with demands."

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