The marble floor echoed under her bare feet.
Each step made a nice sound down the long hallway.
"..."
She walked smoothly, like water flowing downhill… You know, the kind of graceful movement that makes the rest of us look like we're stepping on Legos.
Her white robes flowed around her like captured moonlight.
The fabric was woven with white, ghostly threads that created shifting patterns in the tempting light from floating crystals on the walls.
Her gorgeous face could make sculptors quit their day jobs.
Her platinum hair fell down her shoulders like spun silk, and her sharp cheekbones framed her star-colored eyes.
The hallway itself gave a big middle finger to modern architecture and physics.
Streaks of blue and gold light pulsed through the tall pillars like living crystals which are basically Instagram filters, but for buildings.
The ancient runes had lost their meaning over time, but their power was still hanging around like that one friend who overstays their welcome.
There were also gardens of glowing flowers. Each petal looked like cosmic night lights.
Instead of a regular ceiling, there was an opening that showed a spinning galaxy of bright colors that didn't have names in any human language…
Suddenly,
"..."
She stopped in front of huge doors.
Their surface was carved with moving constellations that shifted like a living star map, which was GPS for gods, apparently.
The doors were easily ten meters high, and looked heavy enough to survive an angry god tantrum.
Two shrine priestesses stood on both sides of the door. When they saw the woman, they both bowed like they were meeting their favorite celebrity, but in a humble style.
"Seer, the Council wants your wisdom."
The first priestess whispered, her voice barely louder than the cosmic humming that filled the room. Both spoke in the same humble tone, like they'd practiced this in a mirror.
Without a word, the priestesses touched the ancient doors.
Their touch made the stone groan as old mechanisms started working.
The doors swung open slowly and dramatically, because apparently even doors have flair for the theatrical here.
A wave of power washed over them.
The chamber beyond showed off divine greatness like a cosmic flex.
The room was round, with walls that rose high up into darkness.
Floating platforms of different sizes hovered at various levels.
Each one was designed for different types of divine beings.
Some platforms had small storms or pools of liquid starlight around them, while others were wrapped in eternal flames.
A giant table made of pure energy sat in the middle of the room.
Images of unknown worlds and realities constantly shifted on its surface – like a really expensive screensaver.
The representatives were already there.
Athena stood in full battle armor to the east, because apparently "business casual" wasn't in her vocabulary.
Her owl perched on her shoulder, its golden eyes scanning the crowd like a feathered security camera.
Hermes moved restlessly beside her, his winged sandals barely touching the platform, guy probably had some sort of divine ADHD.
The Norse crew took up the northern platform.
Frigg sat on a throne of woven starlight, looking regal and authoritative… basically the divine equivalent of that intimidating mom at PTA meetings.
Thor stood beside her with Mjolnir on his knees, still vibrating with thunder.
The Egyptian gang commanded the western platform.
Thoth was scribbling notes on self-writing papyrus.
Next to him, Anubis stood silent and alert, his jackal head raised like a really intense guard dog.
From the south, the Hindu representatives brought their own awesome presence.
Saraswati sat gracefully with her four arms moving in delicate motions that seemed to weave knowledge into reality.
Beside her, Hanuman stood watchful, radiating heavenly protection like a divine bodyguard.
Smaller platforms housed other pantheons.
The Celtic gods brought the sound of distant pipes and the scent nature's own aromatherapy.
The Japanese gods whispered to each other like rustling leaves and flowing water.
With them were various youkai including catgirls and foxgirls that would definitely make anime fans cry tears of joy, because apparently even divine councils need some fan service.
The rest of the spaces were filled with dozens of other mythological representatives.
Each brought their own personality to the gathering, like the world's most overpowered group project.
The Seer calmly walked to the center of the chamber.
As she approached the fancy table, all conversation stopped.
The silence was so complete that the cosmic background humming became deafening.
"The merging of dimensions is complete. Reality is now accessible to us."
She began, her deep voice reaching every corner of the vast space without any effort.
Murmurs rippled through the assembly.
Everyone present nodded like "yeah, duh."
They'd all felt it.
They sensed in their divine essence as space itself had shifted and expanded.
But the Seer's expression stayed blank, her starlight eyes reflecting unknown light that made even the gods uncomfortable – divine poker face at its finest.
"However, what I must tell you next will shake the very foundations of our existence."
She continued, and the murmurs died instantly.
The energy table's surface began to shift, showing images of Earth... but not the Earth they remembered.
This Earth was scarred, burning, filled with creatures that shouldn't exist and humans fighting desperately against impossible odds.
Which was basically some sort of Tuesday night in a post-apocalyptic movie.
"The prophesied Protagonist and Antagonist have finally awakened."
The chamber erupted.
Multiple representatives accidentally flashed various energies, lighting up the assembly's shocked faces like a divine rave gone wrong.
Even Frigg, who had Odin's knowledge, leaned forward in obvious surprise.
"Wait, hold up, both of them? At the same time?"
Hermes interrupted, his wings fluttering nervously like an anxious hummingbird.
The Seer shook her head, starlight eyes reflecting something darker.
"Is the Antagonist a human?"
Asked someone from Japanese mythology.
"I don't know. It could be anyone."
The Seer still shook her head.
"But the Protagonist is a human, right?"
"Yes, that much I'm certain."
The Seer nodded in affirmation.
"What about their condition...?"
"The Protagonist has awakened. The Antagonist remains sealed... but the seal weakens with each passing moment."
"Sealed where?"
Anubis spoke for the first time, his voice carrying the whisper of ancient tombs.
"... Their location is hidden even from my sight."
The Seer shook her head, and that gesture sent chills through every divine being present.
"And the Protagonist?"
Saraswati asked, her melodic voice tight with concern.
"Also unknown. But both are connected to Earth... the starting planet where this war will reach its peak."
"A human, the fate of all dimensions rests on a single human?"
Thoth muttered, not looking up from his endless writing.
"That's what bugs me. We're supposed to trust some mortal who doesn't even know what they are yet with everything?"
Hanuman growled, his divine strength radiating frustration.
"The prophecies have guided us for ages,"
Frigg stated calmly, but her voice was serious.
"Prophecies can be wrong. What if this 'Protagonist' turns out to be some coward hiding in a basement? What if they can't handle the pressure?"
Hermes shot back, pacing on his floating platform.
"Or worse, what if they join the enemy? Humans are notoriously... flexible with their loyalties."
Hanuman added, crossing his massive arms.
He was being polite about that… humans can change sides faster than a weather vane in a tornado.
The chamber got much more tense.
Old arguments came back, and divine auras clashed.
You could cut the atmosphere with a knife.
"You forgot that humans created us... Their belief, their stories, their need for meaning gave birth to every single one of us."
Athena's voice cut through the growing chaos like a sword.
"That doesn't mean they're reliable in a crisis,"
Hermes argued.
"Especially not when that crisis involves potentially destroying everything,"
Hanuman added.
"So what do you suggest? We ignore the prophecy and try to fight the Antagonist ourselves?"
Thor rumbled, finally speaking up.
"Maybe. At least we know what we can do."
Hermes spread his wings defiantly.
"Idiot, the prophecy exists for a reason. Only the Protagonist has the power to truly destroy the Antagonist. We are merely... supporting cast."
Anubis muttered, but his words carried throughout the room.
Anubis's blunt truth made those with big egos frown. I mean, nobody likes being called a sidekick.
They still couldn't wrap their heads around it.
They, who were literal GODS, were fated to die if they faced this so-called Antagonist?
"Supporting cast? I am the son of the wind god! I have lifted mountains!"
Hanuman's voice rose dangerously.
"And yet, you cannot kill what seeks to consume all existence. None of us can."
The Seer interrupted quietly.
The argument got more heated and louder.
After thousands of years of cooperation, divine beings suddenly found themselves at each other's throats over whether mortal humans could be trusted.
… It's like a really dysfunctional family dinner, but with world-ending consequences.
*CRACK!*
Suddenly, a thundering sound filled the room.
***
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