Gods & Mortals

"It's Sol, the God of Light," Rose whispered to Klaus.

"Uhh..." Klaus responded.

"Oh, forgot. I'm just preaching to the choir here," Rose said, realizing that it was Klaus' father so he would've already known.

"Greetings, demigods." Sol began, capturing the attention of all the demigods.

"I see you all have been occupied for the past seven days, and I want to begin by commending each of you for your dedication and hard work. Your commitment to self-improvement to safeguard humanity is truly inspiring, and I hope your individual aspirations will come to fruition."

A collective smile spread across their faces as Sol continued.

"With that said, I am here to declare the commencement of the Cosmic League, along with its regulations, game formats, and team compositions. To start off, I will unveil the team names and reveal the individuals comprising each team."

This was the moment everyone had been anticipating. Being thrust into a team-based competition without prior knowledge of your teammates could be quite daunting.

Many participants had previously relied on their personal skills to succeed, without considering strategic collaboration due to the random nature of team formation. Additionally, some wished not to be grouped with certain individuals for personal reasons.

"As outlined a week ago, you will be divided into four teams of four. These teams are Team Solar, Team Lunar, Team Astra, and Team Stellar. Now, I invite the team leaders to step forward as I announce the names of their respective teams and members."

At this juncture, all eyes were laser-focused.

"Let's begin. Representing Team Lunar is... Trent."

Trent responded to his name by stepping forward, positioning himself as instructed. Klaus immediately recognized him from their prior encounter. He was the one with the distinctive blue single-braided hair and an earring on his right ear.

"Representing Team Solar is... Lance Knight."

Lance advanced to his designated spot as his name was called.

"Representing Team Stellar is... X."

With his name mentioned, X moved towards his designated position.

"And finally, representing Team Astra is... Ash Brimstone."

Sol's announcement triggered a flurry of searching gazes, as everyone sought to identify the enigmatic figure named Ash. It was widely known that he was endorsed by the Gods as the most powerful among them.

Everyone waited, in hopes that they would finally see the so-called strongest among them, and they finally did.

In a matter of seconds that followed, a demigod within the crowd surged to his feet, as if staking his claim to the name.

Klaus fixed his gaze on this figure, and in that instant, he recognized an undeniable strength radiating from him.

This was Ash Brimstone, his dark greyish hair cascading over his head, his stature reaching about six feet. Yet, it wasn't his physical presence that captivated Klaus – it was his eyes. Ash's eyes were a harmonious match to his hair in color, but what truly set them apart was the lack of stillness in his pupils.

To delve deeper, within the depths of his pupils, there swirled a seemingly ethereal haze, like tendrils of smoke caught in a dance.

However, aside from this remarkable peculiarity, Ash blended seamlessly with the others in the crowd, a guise of normality that caught Klaus off guard. He distinctly remembered the Gods hinting at Ash's dissimilarity from the rest of the demigods – he was not human.

As Ash navigated his way toward the appointed spot, a question that echoed in the minds of many found voice amidst the onlooking assembly.

"Wait, wasn't Ash supposed to be a demon or something?" Siren's query held the curiosity that rippled through the demigods' thoughts.

Hearing this, Ash let out a sigh, his response emerging in hushed tones.

"Our existence is intricate."

His voice carried a gentle, hollow resonance, akin to the divine cadence of the Gods' words, although with a more muted quality.

However, Ash showed no inclination to further unwrap his cryptic words, causing the other demigods to tacitly agree to shelve the topic for now.

After a brief lapse of time, Sol's voice reclaimed the attention of the assembly, marking the continuation of the proceedings as he revealed the team assignments for each of the demigods.

"And now, I shall proceed to designate each demigod to their respective teams;

Shade Walker... Team Solar.

Tyler Justice... Team Stellar.

Quinn Atlas... Team Astra.

Rose Valentine... Team Lunar.

Riley Greene... Team Solar.

Arthur Knight... Team Stellar.

Ace Falcon... Team Astra.

Klaus Walker... Team Lunar.

Link Atlas... Team Solar.

Iris Haze... Team Stellar.

Siren... Team Astra.

And Mia Woods... Team Lunar.

Now, I kindly request that each individual take their place beside their respective leaders."

As he wrapped up his speech, every demigod began to find their teams and gather together.

Rose wore a contented smile upon realizing she was on the same team as Klaus. However, it was evident that not everyone shared her enthusiasm. Some demigods seemed less than thrilled with their teams, sensing a lack of synergy. Despite this, they all remembered the Gods' advice about forging unexpected chemistry and chose to keep their complaints to themselves.

"Now, let's delve into the events and rules of the Cosmic League," Sol announced, regaining the crowd's attention. "The league comprises three distinct game modes: Capture the Flag, Breach, and Last One Standing."

"In Capture the Flag, each team defends their flag within a vast map, striving to prevent others from seizing it. The first team to possess more than one flag will be declared the victor. So, remember, defense holds as much importance as offense. All four teams will participate in this mode."

"Next, we have Breach. In this mode, two teams alternate between offense and defense. The attacking team's objective is to breach the defenses and reach an alarm located at the rear of the defensive team's territory within a ten-minute time limit. If the timer runs out, the defensive team claims victory."

"The final event is Last One Standing, where two teams face off, and the last remaining member or members determine the winner."

Sol then shifted to outlining the universal rules applicable to all the events.

"Firstly, there shall be no lethal actions, such as causing fatal injuries or dismemberment. Likewise, unnecessary violence, including torture, is strictly prohibited."

"Secondly, each player will wear a small button on their chest, known as a 'lifeline,' symbolizing their life. When this button is pressed or struck, it will turn red, signifying the player's elimination from the ongoing game."

"Lastly, if all players on a team have their lifelines turn red, that team automatically loses the current game mode."

The avalanche of information left everyone a bit overwhelmed, but Klaus distilled it down to a simple mantra in his mind: "Stay alive at all costs."

"I hope each of you is prepared to give your best," Sol continued with a hint of uncertainty in his tone. "That is all I can hope for, I guess."

"He really is your dad, isn't he?" Rose whispered to Klaus with a playful giggle.

"And now, as I depart," Sol declared, "you will all be transported to the arena for the first game, Capture the Flag."

With those words, Sol's departure was marked by the sudden appearance of a brilliant halo and large, radiant wings sprouting from his back. He vanished almost instantly, leaving the area bathed in the afterglow of his dramatic exit.

Shortly after a few seconds passed, during which everyone's vision slowly returned, an astonishing phenomenon unfolded. Their bodies began to fade away, vanishing into nothingness.

Klaus gazed at his own hand as it dissolved as if caught amid a surreal dream.

In what felt like an eternity compressed into a mere moment, Klaus's eyes snapped open in a panic, his breaths coming in rapid succession.

The weight upon his body felt nearly unbearable as he struggled to rise.

Then, a rush of memories flooded back, events that had transpired not mere seconds ago but felt like ages past.

Gradually, as reality reasserted itself, Klaus became aware of a profound truth that would remain a mystery to anyone else.

"Where am I?"