160 Fall of Stars
The stars sparkled brilliantly in the night sky. Amidst them sat Amanises, her eyes shut, enveloped in an ember of serenity, her back against the dark expanse. It almost felt like an illusion, but there were traces of weariness etched on her divine face, slowly fading away.
The seal of Antigonus had nearly drained her. The encounter with the Lord of Mysteries was desperate and perilous. He would have awakened despite the restraining efforts of herself and Aucuses, but it was Antigonus himself who held the Lord of Mysteries back. Their efforts were secondary; without Antigonus, the Lord of Mysteries would have risen and reclaimed the Sefirah Castle, and all would have been lost under the weight of a Pillar, but Antigonus was there, allowing himself to be sealed by them.
'Let him live,' Aucuses had insisted. 'He deserves it.'
The Eternal Blazing Sun wasn't wrong, but for Amanises, this whole situation was much more complex. She would rather not revisit those past, dark times, but Antigonus... he truly deserved it.
Amanises blinked her eyes open, a monumental resolve taking hold. With that, the final traces of weariness vanished from her face, replaced by a resolute calm that filled her entire being. Raising her hand, she sought to summon Olivia, the Mother of the Sky and the lone surviving sister of Antigonus. The Mother of the Sky was still in Concelament, slumbering under her sway. Amanises chose to start rebuilding the bridges with Olivia, despite the seeming futility of it all. What was lost, was lost. What was decided, was decided. What was reaped, was reaped. What was destroyed, was destroyed.
Yet, there was no harm in trying.
As she extended her hand to beckon Olivia, a ripple of spirituality emerged within her, unseen but palpable. Her gaze shot up to the stars, gleaming in the velvety night. Among the billions, one moved with unusual speed, urgency, and anger, hurtling towards Earth. This star shone a brilliant blue, much like Earth, but what set it apart were streaks of crimson trailing from it, like the light of blood moon. They were minuscule, nearly vanishing when focused upon, almost like a mirage, but the Goddess knew they were anything but illusion. She immediately grasped the catastrophic gravity of the blue-red star's descent upon Earth.
"Oh, Bethel…" Amanises muffled her mouth with her hand, releasing a quivering, haunting sigh. "So it truly is…"
The brightest star of this era had plummeted.
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Aucuses reaffirmed her and other Orthodox Gods about the worsening situation, all of them gathered within the dark confines of her divine kingdom.
"Silvia Abraham," the Eternal Blazing Sun reported, his voice weighed down by grimness and foreboding. "The granddaughter of Bethel was discovered by my angel, her essence tainted and consumed by the Depravity of the Crimson Moon. I tried to cleanse her, but she was beyond redemption. Her very being now belongs to the Crimson Moon. And she's not alone; many beyonders of the Door Pathway have shown signs of corruption in unison over the past month. Even now, as I speak, with Bethel drawing near, the corruption within the Door Pathway intensifies. It is faltering, its King of Angels slipping gradually into the grasp of the Mother Goddess of Depravity. If we do not act swiftly to thwart Her, the Door Pathway will be ensnared in Her dominion, and even the other pathways of Mysteries, the Fool, and Error will be vulnerable to Her malevolence."
"We can't kill Bethel," Lilith's voice cut through the heavy air, determination in every word. Her words reverberated off the shadowed walls of Tenebrous heaven. "The corruption in him won't let him fully fall. So, we bind him. A seal that'll keep him chained, powerless and impotent. He's the linchpin, the key to Mother Goddess of Depravity's bid for control over the Mysteries."
Her eyes swept the table, locking with the bright, divine gazes of her peers. They lingered on Amanises and Aucuses, unwavering as she laid down her terms. "Even if we can't end him, we can't let Her anchor find its ground."
Amanises wasted no time. Time was their enemy now, and everyone here knew that. She accepted the proposal of Lilith, bypassing the usual debates. "Seal Bethel. All in favour?"
Votes were unanimous. The God of Steam and Machinery, the God of Combat, the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, the Earth Mother, the Night Emperor and the Eternal Blazing Sun, each hand lifted in assent.
The Evernight Goddess, too, joined the consensus. "7 to 0," she announced, a finality in her voice. Her eyes locked onto Aucuses, the mightiest Gods standing as one. "Bethel will face us, and we'll seal him. But stay vigilant. We might need you at any moment."
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Astral World.
Before the vast barrier that separated Earth from the Cosmos, Aucuses and Amanises stood, their divine forms appearing minuscule against the backdrop of boundless space. With the cosmos came the piercing gazes of Outer Gods, their grotesque and otherworldly shapes swirling and materialising from the celestial bodies they'd tainted, patiently awaiting the day the barrier would crumble, granting them access to the ultimate prize. All their eyes fixated on the two Gods at the cage's edge.
"What do you reckon is on their minds?" Amanises mused, her inquisitive tone slicing through the gathering heaviness. "As they observe us, pondering how we meet their gaze without flinching."
"Oh, likely nothing," Aucuses wryly chuckled, his laughter momentarily dispelling the tension. "They might harbour anger and disdain, but in the grand scheme, we're inconsequential to them. Just a fragile barrier keeping us apart. Once it crumbles, they'll engulf us, either slaying or subduing us if we haven't ascended by then. They understand that, so they won't give us much thought."
"That's.." Amanises breathed out, her heart wavering as the boundlessness of the cosmos pressed upon her.
"Pessimistic?" Aucuses prompted, his smile unwavering.
Amanises lightly smiled, returning her attention to Aucuses. "I was going for truth," her heart heavy, yet it didn't sink. "But you are right, it is also pessimistic…."
At that moment, the Crimson Moon rose from behind the barrier, its blood-red light illuminating the entire solar system and beyond in an instant. Its surface writhed with eyes that blinked in grotesque unison, mouths contorted into unholy utterances, and tongues that slithered and coiled in abominable patterns. Every inch of its fleshy, watery exterior seemed to pulse with a sickening rhythm, as if it were a living, breathing nightmare that loomed larger and larger before Aucuses and Amanises. Its crimson presence seemed to expand and fill the cosmos, as every star in the universe flickered with a bloody light for a fleeting moment.
From within the heart of this eldritch monstrosity, a voice emanated—a voice that resonated with a perverse kind of wisdom, a knowledge beyond mortal comprehension, even divine:
"Futile…."
"So futile…"
"All will fall in the true end…"
Amanises and Aucuses stood before the Mother Goddess of Depravity, their forms bathed in the eerie, bloody light of the Moon. The haunting silence that followed Her declaration spoke volumes about the impending future.
Yet, the Evernight Goddess pressed on, her smile reemerging beneath the gory sheen. "Indeed, it's truly pessimistic," she murmured, locking eyes with the Eternal Blazing Sun, shining with determination. "But we will slay them."
"Yes," the Eternal Blazing declared with a grin, a gleam of anticipation in their eyes, dismissing the seething anger and fiery glares around them. "Every last one of them."
From beyond the Crimson Moon, the blue star tinged with red streaks finally emerged, hurtling towards Earth, capturing the undivided attention of all. Twisted, maniacal laughter reverberated around the Solar System, shaking the very fabric of reality as the star drew nearer to the barrier.
Aucuses and Amanises turned in unison, their figures glowing with an intense brilliance as they transformed into their mythical creature form. From the Evernight Goddess's ribs and waist, a pair of dark, fur-covered limbs sprang forth. Behind the shoulders of the Eternal Blazing Sun, massive bird wings unfurled, each feather ablaze with white, purifying flames. In the six arms of the Evernight Goddess, two cradled a crimson moon, two held an empty fog, and the last pair remained eerily still. In the dazzling arms of the Eternal Blazing Sun, a white electric spear crackled to life. Their pupils narrowed, adopting an almost animalistic intensity, yet when they spoke, their voices retained a hint of humanity.
""We will triumph!""
Their transformation completed in the blink of an eye, they hurtled towards the very brink of the barrier, their authorities surging forth, ready to confront the impending blue-red star. As they neared, the star's form solidified, revealing the visage of a middle-aged man. Initial impressions hinted at his age, his features exuding an air of old-world refinement. His hair, a dark void, speckled with a scattering of white strands. Yet, what truly commanded attention was the blood-red curtain that clung to him, defying the starry waves that sought to tear it asunder. He was none other than Bethel Abraham, Mr. Door and the Guide of Endless Cosmos.
Bethel Abraham finally breached the barrier. His eyes flung open, wide with a tangible sense of foreboding. They were like cerulean waves, layered upon each other, reflecting the colossal figures of Aucuses and Amanises, dwarfing even Earth itself. Their weapons and authorities were fixated at him with an intensity that sent shivers coursing through him. Yet his eyes gleamed defiantly, raging with a crimson sheen, and his countenance hardened in haunting blaze.
In a response that spoke volumes, Mr. Door raised his arms, splaying them wide. His index fingers zeroed in with unerring precision on two stars, gleaming defiantly against the cosmic abyss. It was as if he held them in his grasp, a display of power that resonated deeply through the void. Then, with a graceful sweep, he directed them towards the Eternal Blazing Sun and the Evernight Goddess. The stars propelled through the abyss of space, closing the infinite distance in a breathtaking, instantaneous descent. They crashed into their celestial targets, rendering the imposing figures of Gods infinitesimal in comparison.
