Chapter 7: Praise to the Gods

The entire prison hall was slowly filled with terrifying amounts of energy that emanated from every side, forcefully invading Hermes' body.

Raven stood outside the closed door, his expression unreadable. He could still hear Hermes' furious roars echoing through the hall, but he paid them no mind.

As the energy coursed through Hermes' veins, Hermes writhed in agony, his body convulsing against the restraints that held him captive. Every fiber of his being screamed out in protest, but there was no escape from the torment that engulfed him.

His muscles clenched and spasmed, contorting his face into a mask of excruciating pain. Beads of sweat dripped down his furrowed brow, tracing the lines of anguish etched upon him. Each breath he took felt like shards of glass scraping against his raw throat, a constant reminder of his helplessness.

The echoes of his desperate cries bounced off the walls, only him present to hear them.

Time seemed to slow down, stretching every second into an eternity of torment, his coarse roars intensifying until now voice came out anymore.

The energy that invaded him intensified, as if it reveled in his anguish, relishing in the destruction it inflicted upon his body. It tore through his flesh, shredding nerves and tearing apart his insides, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake.

The worst of the pain came from his soul, the energy tearing his souls to shred, which was a pain thousands times worse than what his body felt.

In the midst of his agony, Hermes' mind became a battleground of conflicting emotions. Fear, despair, and regret waged war against his fading consciousness. He longed for release, for an end to the ceaseless torment that consumed him.

As the energy continued its relentless assault, Hermes felt his strength wane. His vision turning blood red, the world around him fading into a haze of darkness. He knew that death was inevitable, that it was the only escape from the unyielding pain that had become his existence.

And then, in that lonely hall, surrounded by his own agony, Hermes drew his last breath.

****

In a small village, a few children were playing amongst themselves. One of them paused for a moment, sensing a shift in the air.

The youngest of them, a bright-eyed girl looked up at the sky as a gentle breeze brushed against her face.

High in the sky, she was able to see a small dot. But with each passing second, the dot was getting bigger.

"What is that?" she asked, pointing towards the sky.

The other children followed her gaze. They watched as the dot grew larger and larger, gradually taking the form of a massive structure hurtling towards the earth.

For the children, it was as if the sky itself was falling over their head. Scared, the children called out to their parents.

Within a few seconds, the rest of the villagers had also gathered, looking at the structure that looked like a floating island about to crash.

The villagers were scared. They didn't know where the island was going to crash. They didn't even know if they could run from it if it was to fall over their village.

The leader of the Villager called out everyone, telling them to compose themselves. He selected a direction and told everyone to run in that direction.

Parents picked up their children as they ran in the same direction as the Village Leader, leaving their lives on his judgement.

Before long, all the Villagers were out of the village yet they didn't stop running. As the Village Elder looked above, his face went pale. Now that the Celestial Fortress was even closer, he could truly see how colossal it was.

Fortunately, he was also able to confirm that this fortress wasn't going to fall over their heads or their village. His prediction had been proven right. The sky fortress was falling on the other side of the Village, leaving them safe.

Still, he didn't get too comfortable, as he knew they had to keep moving to ensure their safety.

As the Sky Fortress descended, the ground beneath trembled, sending vibrations through everyone's feet. Some people even lost their balance, falling to the ground.

Boom~

The Sky Fortress crashed in a thunderous explosion, sending shockwaves rippling through the village. Dust and debris filled the air, creating a sandstorm.

The village was thrown into chaos as the dust settled and the villagers slowly emerged from their hiding spots, coughing and wiping the dirt from their faces.

The once peaceful village now received quite a lot of damage even though the Sky Fortress didn't fall directly over it.

The Village Elder gathered the villagers together to check if anyone was hurt. Fortunately, no one had been injured in the aftermath of the crash. The children huddled close to their parents, their eyes wide with fear and confusion.

"What just happened?" one villager whispered, her voice trembling.

The Village Elder sighed heavily, his face etched with concern.

"I do not know," he admitted. "But it seems we have survived whatever disaster befell us."

As the dust settled, the villagers began to cautiously return to the village, approaching the Sky Fortress on the other side.

They marveled at the sheer size and grandeur of the Fortress which was still mostly intact despite the fall.

While they were observing the Sky Fortress on the ground, they noticed the cracked door of the Sky Fortress open, two people coming into their view.

"There were people inside?" The Village Elder frowned. He was already shocked that something like this fell from the sky, but it shocked him even more to know that someone inside had survived.

They didn't know who those people were, but he was certain that they weren't ordinary people.

"They must be..." the Village Elder dropped to his knees. "Praise to the Gods!"

The other villagers were momentarily in a daze, but hearing the Village Elder, they also dropped to their knees.

"Praise to the Gods!"