It began in silence.
The void stretched infinitely in all directions, a sea of unbroken darkness before the voice cut through it—a presence deep, commanding, ancient.
"It is time."
A breath shuddered from your lips as consciousness took hold. Your eyes opened to the soft glow spilling through the curved dome of the ship, casting celestial beams across the chamber. Beyond the walls of polished cosmic alloy, the universe unfurled in its endless splendor—an ocean of stars and swirling galaxies, an expanse untouched by time.
You exhaled slowly then inhaled deeply, the motion measured, as if tasting the gravity of what was to come. Across the vast chamber, ten figures sat in a solemn circle, their forms bathed in the quiet radiance of the cosmos. Your kin, the undying sentinels of the Celestials, bound to a mission as old as existence itself.
Above you all, Arishem loomed.
The Prime Celestial, his colossal form wreathed in a crimson glow, watched in silence. His presence pressed against your consciousness, vast and unrelenting, his will a constant reminder of why you were here. Why you had been created.
The air shifted, charged with an unspoken command. In seamless unison, you and your brethren turned outward, toward the ship's radiant walls. The golden hum of energy resonated in the chamber, responding to your essence, to your purpose.
Light coiled around you, weaving into the fabric of your being. It forged the armor that was both part of you and beyond you, wrapping your form in its familiar embrace. Colors flared—platinum, crimson, deep indigo, earthen bronze, emerald green. Your own—a steel-blue with golden inlays—solidified in rippling waves, the energy pulsing beneath your fingertips like a second heartbeat.
Ajak's voice broke the charged silence, steady as the tides.
"Ikaris, Kingo, Gilgamesh, Thena, Makkari."
Each name called upon a force of nature. Blue, violet, brown, platinum and red stepped forward—each a master of their domain.
"Would you kindly clear the field for us?"
Ikaris inclined his head. "Yes, Ajak."
One by one, they strode through the ship's grand threshold. Ikaris stepped out with effortless lift, floating just beyond the threshold in a quiet blaze of power. The other four took a step onto the space Phastos had conjured for them from his technology. With a flick of her wrist, Sprite cloaked them, vanishing their presence into the atmosphere below. And even before they touched the earth, you felt them—the reverberation of their power, the shifting of the battlefield in their wake.
You frowned, not in disagreement but puzzled as to why Ajak didn't call you forward to help with the coming fight. You had trained. You had fought before. So why not now? Were you not ready? Or was she trying to tell you something else? She must have read your face and heard the question unasked. She turned to you and lay her hands on your chest, right above the beating heart, and muttered one word to you.
"Connect." It was all she said.
Then, the Deviants emerged.
A guttural snarl echoed through the cosmic link, reverberating through mind and matter alike. The air grew thick with the scent of something ancient, something wrong. Bone scraped against stone, limbs slithered in unnatural motions. They came in waves, grotesque creatures twisted by time and hunger, their luminous veins pulsing under the sun's watchful eye.
Ikaris ignited first.
His form streaked across the night, a golden blaze cutting through the dark. Twin beams erupted from his eyes, carving through the first wave of Deviants like a blade of pure celestial fire. They shrieked, their forms disintegrating in his wake.
Kingo followed, his fingers curling with practiced precision. Cosmic energy gathered at his palms before unleashing in a volley of crackling orbs. Each struck true, detonating on impact, scattering the beasts like dust in a storm.
And Thena—
She was among them before they could react, moving like liquid flame, every motion a perfected art. Her golden spear flickered in precise arcs, severing limbs, piercing through twisted flesh with inhuman grace. A Deviant lunged—she sidestepped, her blade carving through its neck in a single fluid strike. The body collapsed before it even knew it was dead.
Gilgamesh thundered forward.
His fists, wreathed in celestial energy, collided with monstrous flesh. One punch shattered a Deviant's ribcage, sending it sprawling across the battlefield, the impact enough to crack the earth beneath it.
And then there was Makkari—a crimson blur against the chaos. The battlefield trembled beneath her sonic booms, each step a shockwave that sent Deviants careening. She weaved between them with impossible speed, breaking limbs, striking with enough force to shatter bones before they could even react.
Connect. You recalled Ajak's word to you. From within the ship, your fingers twitched. Not in nervousness, but in response to her guidance.
The soil responded first. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed one Deviant whole—just barely missing your kin as they fought below.
Just a simple thought and its sheer power still caught you by surprise.
Your mind extended beyond your form, reaching for the cosmic tether that bound you to the elements. The battlefield answered. The ground beneath the Deviants convulsed—then erupted. Jagged spikes of rock speared upward, impaling one, then another, rising like the fangs of the earth itself.
A breath. A pulse.
Druig, standing in the shadows, exhaled slowly. His golden gaze flickered, his will threading through the chaos. The Deviants faltered. Then, they turned—snarling, baring their fangs at their own kind.
The battle was over before it began.
The creatures fell in droves, their forms reduced to nothing but remnants of a forgotten threat. Silence settled over the battlefield.
Then, a rustle.
Eyes—human eyes—peered from the darkness. Wide, wary. Some fell to their knees before the fallen Deviants, murmuring prayers to unknown gods, their hands trembling as they touched the slain creatures' twisted forms. Others clutched their weapons, gazes flickering between you and the cosmic warriors before them. A chieftain stepped forward, his lips moving in words none of you understood. Sprite, standing beside Ajak, lifted her hand. A faint shimmer spread through the air—an illusion, weaving the meaning of his words into something you could comprehend.
You felt the weight of the moment settle.
When the humans turned their eyes to you, you hesitated.
The battle was over, but the wounds remained. You reached out—not physically, but through the elements. The air pulsed in response. Light coiled from your fingertips, a golden mist spreading across the battlefield. Warmth bloomed, the earth exhaling as pain faded, wounds knitting closed. A murmur spread among the humans, eyes widening in awe.
Then, exhaustion gripped you. The energy drained from your limbs, your vision flickering at its edges. You staggered—just slightly—but Ajak was there. Her hand clasped your arm, steadying you. A knowing look passed between you. No one else could know.
This was your mission. Your purpose. You were Seidon, the Elemental Eternal, and you had been sent to protect this world.
Or so you believed...
The earth beneath your feet did not argue. But it did not promise you anything, either.