Cerria. A world that could not be more divided. Apart from the many nobles, there were two kingdoms: Hyferon and Raedha. While Hyferon existed in eternal darkness, Raedha basked in the light – surrounded by the gods who sustained both realms. Countless wars had raged between the lands, but they abruptly ended with the current ruling families. Since then, peace reigned. But was that truly the case? Could generations of resentment simply vanish?
The people of Hyferon had perfectly adapted to the darkness and traded minerals for food with the people of Raedha. And yet: they longed for the light. It was an irrepressible inner urge they could not resist. But why did the kingdoms not come to an agreement? Even if Raedha accepted Hyferon's people, it changed the planet itself. Wherever Hyferoners settled, the sky darkened until eventually, darkness consumed the land. For Hyferoners, this was good – they could hardly endure the light. For Raedhans, however, it meant the loss of habitable land.
Immune to the effects the realms had on one another were only the ruling families – and the gods. They were immortal, relentless, and indispensable for the well-being of all. Yet, since all but the God of Darkness and the God of Death resided in Raedha, this too caused indescribable resentment. The gods themselves did not interfere with the affairs of mortals, and they reproduced only very rarely. It seemed as though the conceiving of children was not in their hands – no matter how much they wished for it.
All the greater was the joy when it was announced that soon a new god would be born. And this god was to be special, even among the divine: Valerio, God of Water and Fortune. He was destined to bring new prosperity, for both realms suffered from droughts and dryness – though Hyferon fared far worse in this regard.
The birth of the young god was to be celebrated with grandeur. Everyone was invited, regardless of their realm. There was food, music, and joyous dancing. But not all harbored good intentions. Some Hyferoners were consumed with envy. While Raedha thrived in prosperity despite the drought, Hyferon suffered ever more from absolute lack of water. That these "snobs" of all people should be granted a water god seemed to them an intolerable insult.
Valerio was a happy baby, true to his divine nature. He smiled and laughed cheerfully, no matter how much attention he received. Accordingly, he did not cry when he was kidnapped.
And with that, everything changed.
The gods were so horrified that they withdrew entirely into their own world, abandoning Cerria to its fate. Hyferon and Raedha began blaming one another, yet as tensions grew, they held back. The only reason they did not immediately fall into another war was that both ruling houses stressed the importance of finding the culprit – no matter their origin. But they never did. Not on the first day, nor on any that followed.
Years passed. Tension remained high, and it grew increasingly dangerous to set foot in the other's land. Yet those who wished to trade had no choice but to risk it.
Valerio had grown into adulthood. Of his true heritage, he knew nothing. He believed himself to be merely the humble omega son of a farmer. His parents thought little of him – he was not as strong as an alpha and thus less useful. Valerio bore them no grudge. He had learned early on to endure blows and verbal abuse. At first he was sad, desperate, and depressed – he longed for love like any child. But eventually, he convinced himself that this was the way it had to be, and that it was his fault for being born an omega. As negative as that was, his divine nature still helped him. He clung to the belief that everything would get better once he found a worthy alpha who would love him. He pictured himself helping at the court and spending romantic hours with his mate in his free time.
On this very morning, Valerio thought of a romantic date and imagined how his dream alpha might fluster him. Lost in thought, he giggled and promptly bumped into someone. The bundle of firewood he carried clattered to the ground.
"Oi!" a dark voice complained.
Valerio looked up, blinking in confusion at the stranger before bowing deeply, clearly flustered.
"Forgive me! I was lost in thought! Are you all right? Did you hurt yourself?" he asked almost frantically, his aquamarine eyes scanning the stranger for injuries.
But there were none. The tall man crossed his arms, watching Valerio, who was quite obviously staring at him.
"Boy. Don't you know who you're talking to?" he asked, sounding almost annoyed, rolling his eyes with a sigh.
Valerio's expression spoke volumes: he did not recognize the God of Death. How could he? Beyond his family's farm and the surrounding lands, he knew nothing.
The god ran a hand through his hair and sighed.
"That was meant as a joke. I didn't think you truly wouldn't recognize me."
At the same time, this piqued his curiosity. Normally, even the bravest shuddered in his presence and quickly fled. But not this boy. And those blue eyes – the way they looked at him.
For the first time, the god caught himself captivated by that gaze.
"Tell me. You are…"