Chapter 248 - Strength Of Curse
Diana had lost consciousness. Her memories were returning. The vow made long ago has been fulfilled. And she was beginning to remember who she was.
Branze also lost consciousness and was seeing the same thing.
Both their souls were traveling in a strange place.
"Branze?" Diana called out.
"Diana?" Branze answered.
"Where are we?" She asked.
"I don't know."
Suddenly, a strange world erupted before them.
They saw the entire universe like a scroll that was whirling over them. They were so small, and yet, the massive visions about the scroll were clear to them. The scroll was a million times larger than the Planesworld, yet the sight of every detail in that whirling scroll was very clear!
"Oh? The Promise is fulfilled?" A soft voice echoed.
The pair turned to the side and saw an old man standing in the void. On his hands were scrolls that spread out. The old man held to the ends of these scrolls easily.
When Branze and Diana saw it, they were terrified. The ancient power of the old man and the size that broke all forms of common sense naturally made the two feel so inferior.
"Do not be afraid. I am Histerion. The God of History and Memory." The Old man introduced.
"I have to be honest... This is quite a surprise. It looks like Agapaia won this one." The old man chuckled.
"Agapaia?"
"It's a long story. Mortals like you can't understand. Still, she sided with the right woman. Fate clearly was the woman for the job. And Fate was rather ingenious. She hid your Fate right in the center of the Meeting of History. The timing of your birth and how it interconnected with the meeting of Begining's Champion."
"Beginning's Champion? Could it be our son?" Diana asked.
"Yes. The one called Kyros. The Nephilim."
"The Nephilim...?"
"Nephilim Sealing Temple. It was there all along. Kyros was the Nephilim!"
"Fate works in odd and mysterious ways." Histerion laughed.
"Who is Fate? Or rather, what is Fate and these powers that bind our lives to this painful struggle." Diana asked.
"Take things one step at a time, daughter of Kyriachos. You already have learned much of it. I am Histerion. I can only reveal what is before you. But Fate is not before or after you. Time is quite different to us gods and fallen."
"Then what can you tell us?" Branze asked.
"I can tell you that Fate really timed it well. The First Vow and The First Curse are powers that would create massive ripples if either of you two makes the smallest of actions. So Fate, with a whole lot of help, smuggled you across time and reality to hide you in the biggest cataclysmic event of Creation. None of the Gods and Fallen knew of this event, after all. But somehow, she knew... What an interesting development. It must be 'his' work..." Histerion smiled.
"In any case, I will fulfill my part of this promise and show you your history!" Histerion waved his arm, and the scenery changed.
Diana and Branze could see them traveling towards the very start of the scroll.
Soon, they moved and entered the scroll.
Diana and Branze saw the birth of creation.
"This... This is when Hyperion, the God I met, severed the universe!" Branze explained.
Diana marveled as she saw a singular planet and how the universe came to be. She saw the First One Severed who cut his way out of the First Being.
The universe was torn apart and separated.
It was then that darkness appeared.
The concept of separation was born through Kyriachos, and the universe began to grow.
Diana and Branze saw strange things that they couldn't understand.
They saw many concepts of creation, and soon, their vision warped up, and they saw the Age of Gods and Fallen.
Creation was growing, and an explosion of life arose all over the universe. The birth of many concepts gave a chance for organisms to grow.
Gods after gods and Fallen after Fallen was born into the universe. The Beings that Are were moving on as creation stabilized. Some strangely disappeared. But many remained until the many concepts and laws of the world were starting to take shape.
Soon, the Era of Creation stopped.
The universe was finally complete. From the physical and tangible objects that made up worlds, planets to the ethereal and intangible powers that grew out, it was finished.
The gods and fallen finally had physical forms. No longer did Creation live as one being, but began to live independently from each other.
In that era, both Gods and Fallen shared the table of friendship and did not make war with each other.
"What an amazing paradise..." Branze was held captive at the beauty of the world. It was perfection.
"Something... is missing..." Diana, however, felt something amiss.
"What? Missing?"
"Ha Ha Ha... As expected of you, daughter of Kyriachos. The Strength of the Curse can pierce through this! Even though you have not awakened your memory, you still sense it! You are correct. It is imperfect. Son of Steele, perfection cannot be complete without the imperfect. Paradise can never become paradise without hell. One cannot be defined if the other does not exist. For paradise can never be known without the concept of hell being created, and hell cannot be known without paradise. For Creation to work, this has to happen. What is good if there is no bad? What is peace if there is no record of strife in this world? And that is where you come in, daughter of Kyriachos."
Suddenly, Diana's vision changed. Branze also began to see another vision.
Diana saw life through the eyes of this majestic being.
She was known as Katara. A daughter of the Lord of the Fallen, Kyriachos.
Branze saw life through the eyes of another. He was known as Gannaios, son of Hyperion.
Diana was happy. Life was peaceful, and she lived thousands of years of her life in paradise. But just as Diana had felt before she became Katara, Katara, felt an incredible emptiness. It was as if things weren't the way they should be. It was then that she met the young man.
Gannaios was well-respected among the sons of Hyperion. Soon, Katara found great friendship in Gannaios, and the two were together.
But a strange thing befell Katara's young heart. The friendship she felt towards Gannaios was changing.
She couldn't understand what she felt. She couldn't understand why she longed to be with the god, but as those actions and desires were very unbecoming of her, she kept quiet about it.
She took to the mortal worlds that were created.
There was peace and prosperity within the mortal worlds. And every mortal had a strange form of life. The power of Solas was stronger towards these mortals. Although the mortals were separated, they could become one once more through Solas and the power of Solas's daughter, Agapaia.
Katara felt something strange. Although without understanding what was right and wrong, she knew that seeking Agapaia's power to be applied towards Gannaios was wrong. And yet, she did what she felt was wrong.
The beautiful goddess Agapaia met with Katara, and the two talked. But when Katara told Agapaia what she wanted, Solas heard of it.
Suddenly, the visions that Branze and Diana saw through Katara and Gannaios turned strange.
They saw themselves zooming through time.
Gods met with Fallen, and many began to discuss strange things. Katara and Gannaios were too weak to understand what it was. But they were told that both should stop meeting with each other.
At first, the gods and fallen merely talked to them, and the pair followed.
But the years that followed created an incredible hollow emotion within Katara. She couldn't understand what it was. But she was beginning to harbor different and previously inconceivable thoughts. She wanted to disobey the orders that were said of her.
The desire grew stronger and stronger until one day, she decided to seek out Gannaios.
What followed was utter confusion. Katara was caught and was being questioned and attacked by the gods. She was being blamed for the cause of many bizarre things happening all over the world.
Gods and Fallen began to fight. The Fallens were showing strange thoughts and started to act in wickedness. But soon, the gods also did that. While the gods were primarily able to withstand it, the Fallens quickly allowed themselves to indulge in this strange desire.
Through great effort, the Gods figured out the source. Katara's act of disobedience gave birth to the concept of strife. But the concept didn't erupt out of her, but rather, because of her existence, many imperfections were borne.
Soon, the revelation was made. Katara was the Fallen of Curse. Her Code was known as Corruption. And soon, all Fallen were no longer referred to as having codes but Corruption.
A great war in the heavens soon occurred as more and more fallen developed their Corruption. The Gods wanted Katara dead, and the Fallen fought back.
While all the strongest beings did not participate, Hyperion Steele and Kyriachos were forced to act.
The birth of Undivine happened. Then, Tyrannos appeared and created an even more problematic scene within the heavens as the first murder occurred.
Soon, a truce was made, and all the Fallen and the Gods gathered in one place.
Solas stood at the center.
"I speak to you all to address the grievances that were made. Tyrannos, the First Undivine, has committed a grave act of murder. A God has disappeared. And now, our war is now reaching a point that gods and fallens may vanish forever. I plead to you all. Hear me. The cause of all this is Katara Kyriachos. Who is the source of Curse? She has 'cursed' Creation. So I have a proposal.. Let there be only one more murder. Let us kill the Fallen Katara Kyriachos!"