CHAPTER 417: ORIGIN OF THE GODS

Rayma~

I stood there in the heart of the ancient clearing, the weight of eternity pressing on my shoulders like an old, familiar cloak. The air hummed with tension, thick as the primordial void from which I’d once emerged. My children—Sun, Shadow, Selena—stared at me with eyes that held the echoes of stars and abysses, their faces a whirlwind of disbelief and dawning horror. Around us, the mortals and spirits shifted uneasily: Natalie, her blue eyes wide with celestial fire; Zane, the Lycan King, gripping her hand like a lifeline; her ethereal brothers—Jacob the wolf spirit, Tiger the silent guardian of earth, Eagle whispering through the winds, Fox crackling with fiery impatience, and Bubble quivering in watery uncertainty. Sebastian and Cassandra lingered at the edges, their auras flickering with vampiric caution and werewolf instinct.

Sun was the first to shatter the silence, his golden form flaring brighter than a supernova, casting long shadows that danced across the mossy ground. His voice boomed like thunder rolling over endless plains, laced with the arrogance of eternal light. "This is absurdity incarnate! You, a mere summoner, claim to be our father? The architect of the cosmos? Prove it, stranger! Show us evidence beyond your honeyed words, or I’ll burn this farce to ashes myself!"

I felt a pang in my chest, a father’s quiet ache for a son lost to his own brilliance. But I kept my expression neutral, neither light nor dark, just... existing. The others murmured in agreement, their voices layering like a chorus of the elements.

Shadow coiled closer, his void-like eyes narrowing to slits of inky suspicion. "Yes, prove it," he hissed, his form rippling like smoke in a gale. "I’ve plunged worlds into oblivion for lesser lies. If you’re truly our progenitor, demonstrate it—or face the endless night."

Selena, my luminous daughter, tilted her head, her crystal-clear glow softening with curiosity amid the shock. "Brother, calm your flames," she said gently to Sun, her voice melodic as a distant harp. But then she turned to me, her features etched with urgent plea. "Yet... he speaks truth in demanding proof. If you are who you say, Father—reveal it to us. We deserve to know our origins."

Natalie stepped forward, her red hair catching the faint light like embers in twilight. Her voice trembled with a mix of royal command and vulnerable wonder. "I... I agree. This changes everything. For the sake of all realms, prove your words, Rayma. My family—my kingdom—hangs in the balance."

Zane nodded beside her, his Alpha strength evident in the low growl underscoring his words. "Aye, stranger. If you’re the beginning, show us. But if this is a trick..." He left the threat hanging, his eyes flashing with protective ferocity.

Jacob, the eldest of Natalie’s siblings and father of all werewolves, let out a low whine that shifted into words, his wolfish form pacing restlessly. "The spirits whisper of ancient truths. But whispers aren’t enough. Prove it, first one, or we’ll tear the veil ourselves."

Tiger, ever the stoic earth spirit, grunted in assent, his green eyes piercing like forest depths. He didn’t speak much, but his massive frame—golden-brown hair tousled like autumn leaves—shifted subtly, roots from the ground coiling around his feet as if nature itself demanded answers. Eagle’s winds picked up, swirling leaves in nervous eddies, while Fox blurted out, his red hair flaming brighter, "Yeah! No more cryptic nonsense! Light it up or fizzle out!"

Even Bubble, reforming into a shimmering orb, bubbled agreement, its surface rippling with anxious waves. Sebastian crossed his arms, his dark eyes—mirrors of his father’s—flashing with cocky skepticism. "I’m with them. Proof, or we’re done here." Cassandra, sword half-drawn, nodded silently, her warrior stance unyielding.

I sighed inwardly, the cosmos within me stirring. They wanted proof without the pain of memory—the guilt I’d erased long ago. I wouldn’t dredge up Moon’s tragic end, the sparkle of her light extinguished by childish fury. No, I’d show them the birth, the joy, the undeniable bond, woven into the fabric of existence itself.

"Very well," I said, my voice resonating like the first echo in an empty universe, calm yet thrumming with infinite power. "I shall prove it. But not with words alone. Witness the dawn of all things—the moment I breathed life into the void."

I raised my hands slowly, palms upward, and the clearing transformed. The air shimmered, reality bending like a canvas under an artist’s brush. A veil of illusion parted, revealing visions not of memory, but of recreation—holographic echoes of creation itself, drawn from my essence. The ground beneath us faded to nothingness, replaced by the pitch-black void, endless and suffocating. Gasps rippled through the group; Sun’s flames dimmed instinctively, Shadow’s form stabilized in unease, Selena’s glow pulsed brighter for comfort.

"Behold the beginning," I intoned, my tone laced with the quiet thrill of genesis. "There was nothing—no light, no dark, no time. Only me, awakening in the emptiness."

In the vision, a solitary spark ignited—me, emerging as a formless entity, neutral and vast. I willed it, and waves of energy surged outward, birthing the first stars. They exploded into being with dramatic flair, pinpricks of light piercing the dark like defiant screams. The onlookers leaned in, eyes wide; Natalie clutched Zane’s arm, whispering, "It’s... beautiful. Terrifying."

"But creation demanded balance," I continued, my voice weaving emotion into the scene. "From the void, I shaped the elements. Light to chase the shadows, darkness to cradle the weary." And then, I deliberately skipped the part where Moon, my love, gave birth to my children. Instead, I time skipped to when the children arrived.

The vision shifted, zooming into a cosmic cradle. There, in swirls of energy, three forms took shape. First, a brilliant orb of pure radiance, flaring with unbridled joy. "Sun," I said softly, my heart swelling with paternal pride. "My firstborn, embodying eternal brightness. You laughed as you burst forth, your light warming the cold expanse. Remember? Your first flare lit the path for galaxies."

Sun staggered back, his golden skin paling further. "No... this can’t be. I... I feel it. That warmth—it’s familiar. But how?"

I smiled faintly, infusing the vision with thrill—the dramatic burst of his birth sending shockwaves that birthed nebulae, colors exploding in vibrant hues. The group murmured in awe; Fox whistled low, "Whoa, that’s some entrance!"

Next, the vision darkened, a coiling tendril of shadow emerging, sleek and enigmatic. "Shadow, my second," I said, my voice dropping to a dramatic whisper, edged with the thrill of mystery. "Eternal darkness, born to provide rest and secrets. You slithered into existence with cunning grace, hiding in my own silhouette, testing the boundaries of the new world."

Shadow’s voids widened, his form flickering. "Lies... yet... that pull. The void calling me home. Are you ready my father?" His hiss turned vulnerable, a rare crack in his enigmatic armor.

The drama intensified as the vision showed Shadow’s birth rippling through the cosmos, creating black holes that swallowed light in thrilling gulps, stars winking out and reborn. Eagle’s winds howled in response, as if echoing the cosmic gale. "The air remembers," Eagle whispered.

Finally, the scene crystallized into purity—a shimmering figure of clarity and light. "Selena," I murmured, emotion thickening my throat. "My youngest, crystal clear like the purest reflection. You emerged with a song, harmonizing light and dark, bringing balance."

Selena’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears, her melodic voice breaking. "I... I sang? It feels right. Like a melody I’ve forgotten. Father... is this true?"

In the vision, her birth wove threads of unity, stars aligning in dramatic constellations, the universe sighing in relief. The thrill peaked as comets streaked across the holographic sky, celebrating her arrival. Bubble bubbled excitedly, "So sparkly! Like me, but bigger!"

To bind it all, I channeled a surge of energy, making the visions interactive. Tendrils of neutral power extended from me, touching each of my children. Sun felt a rush of warmth, his flames syncing with mine in a heartbeat rhythm. "Feel it," I urged. "The essence we share. Not just light, but the source."

Sun gasped, clutching his chest. "It’s... undeniable. Like staring into my own core. You... you are my father."

Shadow recoiled at first, but the tendril wrapped him gently, revealing hidden layers of connection. "The darkness... it’s not empty. It’s yours. Ours." His voice cracked with rare emotion.

Selena embraced it fully, her glow merging briefly with mine. "Yes! The clarity—it’s from you. Father... we’ve been lost without you."

Everyone else watched in stunned silence, the proof unfolding like a thriller. Jacob whined in awe, "The wolf spirit bows to the first." Tiger nodded solemnly, earth rumbling in agreement. Fox grinned, fire crackling, "Okay, that was epic! Mind blown."

Natalie wiped a tear, her voice hushed. "This... this is the origin of gods. Zane, can you believe it?"

Zane shook his head, squeezing her hand. "It’s thrilling. Changes everything."

Sebastian smirked faintly, hiding his wonder. "Not bad for a family reunion."

As the visions faded, the clearing returned, but the air buzzed with transformed energy—dramatic, emotional, thrilling. My children looked at me anew, faces a mix of joy, confusion, and lingering shock. I lowered my hands, the proof sealed without the shadow of Moon’s tragedy.

But Selena, ever the seeker of truth, stepped closer, her crystal eyes searching mine. "Father... if you are truly our father, who was our mother? Did we have one?"

The question hung like a star on the brink of supernova, and I felt the old guilt stir. But for now, the Chapter closed there, the cosmos holding its breath once more.