Prologue: Birth of Monsters

“There are decades when nothing happens; and there are weeks when decades happen.”Vladimir Lenin

When there was only Chaos, they created divine children, each a unique embodiment of fundamental aspects of existence.

First came Erebus, a shadowy figure that emerged from the deepest recesses of Chaos. Erebus was the personification of darkness and the eternal night.

Next emerged Gaia, a magnificent and vast entity, the Earth herself.

Tartarus followed as the embodiment of the abyss.

Eros fourth came out as a radiant and winged being. He was the embodiment of love and desire...

Finally, Nyx stepped forth. She was pale with the blackest hair and a more mundane body than all of her siblings.

As Chaos looked upon its divine progeny, they marveled at the diversity and wonder of these creations. Each child represented a primal and essential aspect of the realm by Chaos’ estimation.

Or so this is what Tartarus recalled.

In the realm of Chaos, where starlight and platforms intertwined to form a celestial tapestry of infinite beauty, Tartarus went and stood before the Progenitor. The boundless expanse of the Chaos Realm stretched out around them, a realm where the very fabric of existence was woven from starlight and the ethereal bridges of possibility.

For the Primordial deity, the vast expanse of Chaos’ Realm was almost overwhelming.

Tartarus stared upon Chaos with reverence, as Chaos had birthed the Primordials. In this radiant and ever-shifting realm, Tartarus only recognized the chasm that separated a Primordial from the Progenitor.

“Chaos,” Tartarus said. “With the Primordials made and our Realm of Greece for us all, what shall become of us? What of the Realm? Who shall have dominion over the others?”

Chaos regarded Tartarus with a profound, knowing gaze. Chaos’ voice echoed with the starlit expanse of the Realm, speaking with a resonance that transcended mere sound. It was a voice of ancient wisdom.

“Tartarus,” Chaos intoned, “you shall rule over a realm of your own.”

Tartarus bristled with excitement. If he ruled the Realm of Greece, then surely he would be worthy of his greatest desire: Gaia.

“You are entwined with the very threads of existence,” Chaos mused with the depth of eons.

“Then what shall I do?” Tartarus wondered.

“Your purpose is to shape the world that is to come,” Chaos said.

When Tartarus just stared at the Progenitor, Chaos gave a look that Tartarus believed was annoyance. With the Progenitor, it was hard to tell. Chaos was a solitary being, so guests were mildly discouraged.

The words reverberated through the very essence of Tartarus. The Primordial felt a surge of elation unlike any he had ever known. The prospect of ruling over a realm filled him with joy, for it meant that he could pursue his deepest desire—the desire to marry Gaia, the Earth herself, and rule as equals.

Time passed.

From the intricate fabric of starlight and celestial platforms, Chaos emerged before Gaia giving her a great gift. Gaia was Mother Earth herself. She would bless the Realm of Greece with the gift of fertility.

Chaos revisited the Realm that they had helped make. New beings would come. As such, Chaos touched Gaia, endowing the Primordial with something new.

Before the other Primordials, the Last Primordial was conceived and born. From the power of Chaos and the body of Gaia came Ouranos, the powerful Sky Father.

Erebus and Tartarus looked upon one another, unsure what this new creatures existence would mean.

Tartarus watched with a mixture of curiosity and expectation as the newest member of their divine family took form. Tartarus had long believed that he, as one of the primordials created by Chaos, should rightfully ascend to a position of dominion and authority over the cosmos. His heart swelled with ambition, and he harbored dreams of ruling alongside Gaia, the Earth, as her equal and consort.

However, as Chaos reached out to crown the newly created Ouranos, a profound shift occurred in the very fabric of reality. Chaos bestowed upon Ouranos the celestial crown, a symbol of rulership over the heavens, and blessed the union of Gaia and Ouranos. This divine gesture marked the beginning of a cosmic union, a partnership that would shape the world to come.

For Tartarus, the sight of the crown adorning Ouranos’ head and the blessing of their union ignited a storm of emotions within him. Jealousy, like a shadow cast over his ambitions, engulfed his essence. The dreams of becoming a ruler and marrying Gaia seemed to slip through his fingers, leaving only the bitter taste of envy.

As the heavens rejoiced and Gaia and Ouranos embraced their newfound union, Tartarus, his heart heavy with resentment, shrank back in the presence of Chaos. The ambition to claim dominion and the longing to possess Gaia romantically remained, but they were now clouded by the realization that the destiny he had envisioned had been altered by the very hand that shaped the cosmos.

In the midst of the Titan War, Gaia was becoming more and more aware of the damage created by the clashes between the Titans and the young gods. Her once-pristine lands of Greece were becoming marred and scarred by the actions of her offspring and their offspring.

Gaia cast her gaze upon the turmoil and devastation, specifically the crumbling mountains and the scorched forests. The pain of her beloved realm was breaking her heart.

Before too long, she decided to seek counsel in the darkest depths of the Underworld, where other Primordials resided. If there were answers to be found, it would be there.

She descended into the shadowed realm with ease, manifesting from her island to the desolate realm of the dead. She saw the specters of her former husband, Ouranos, as well as some of the Titans who had died.

She saw Menoetius and Iapetus sitting in a corner, having a discussion. Theia and Phoebe were together, weeping. Gaia looked upon her children specifically. She wished so much that she could have saved them, but in the end, Gaia accepted that there would be loss in deposing Cronos.

Ridding the living world of Ouranos had been an exception, not the rule going forward. This was just another thing that Gaia was keeping in mind. As the Primordial of the very soil and dirt itself, Gaia would be the everlasting sentinel of the land. She would need to keep many things in mind if she was going to last.

Gaia walked further in when she felt the palpable presence of Nyx, shrouding her in an inky embrace.

“You’re lurking,” Gaia said with sisterly familiarity.

Nyx flashed her starlit eyes at Gaia before materializing out of nothing. “Great Mother Earth,” Nyx whispered. Her voice was like a soft breeze in the eternal night. “What brings you to my realm?”

Gaia was careful in her answer. Truthfully, she was not sure. As such, she tried to be as honest as she could without revealing her uncertainty. “I have seen the suffering of the land, and the chaos that engulfs our world. I have come for guidance from Erebus or even Tartarus.”

Nyx smiled at Gaia. “Sister,” Nyx said with compassion and understanding. “There is a palace nestled deep within the heart of the Underworld. It is a testament to our Primordial sibling, Tartarus, but he has long since become part of the Underworld.”

“Thank you, Nyx,” Gaia said. She turned towards the direction Nyx motioned at.

“You might not find anything,” Nyx replied in her distant, starry voice.

“That’s okay,” Gaia said. “I just feel I need to do something. I don’t especially care if I find an answer. I just can’t sit back and do nothing.”

“As opposed to me, who sits in the Underworld?”

“I did not say that, Nyx. I just ... I need to do something,” Gaia said with some sadness. “But until Cronos enters the fray, there is nothing that can be done.”

Nyx lowered her head in shame. “I apologize for my assumption.”

Gaia turned back and put her hand on Nyx’s shoulder. “Nyx. We are older than these children. Whether Titan or god prevails, we will go on. I only want to ensure we are doing right. Perhaps you shall become part of all darkness and night, and someday, I will become part of the Earth itself. But until that day, I want to do right by Chaos and their creation.”

Chapter 1 »