CHAPTER 416: FATHER TO GODS

Natalie~

I stood there, my heart pounding fast in my chest, as Rayma’s words hung in the air like a challenge. "Now that everyone’s here, shall we begin?" His voice was so calm, so utterly unruffled, as if he’d just invited us all to a casual tea party instead of summoning gods from the ether. The clearing felt smaller now, the ancient oak looming like a silent witness, its branches whispering secrets in the wind. Zane’s grip on my hand was iron-tight, his body heat radiating protectively against me, but even he seemed frozen, his blue eyes now red and wide with a mix of awe and wariness.

The three main gods—Selena, Sun, and Shadow—stood in a loose triangle, their presences clashing like cosmic forces. Selena’s silvery glow cast ethereal shadows, Sun’s blazing light made the wildflowers wilt slightly at the edges, and Shadow’s darkness seeped into the ground, turning patches of grass into inky voids. None of us knew who Rayma truly was; he was just this enigmatic figure who’d appeared out of nowhere, commanding the impossible. And now, the air crackled with tension, thick enough to choke on.

Sun was the first to shatter the silence. His glowing form flared brighter, like a star on the verge of supernova, his eyes—those piercing orbs of pure fire—narrowing into slits of fury. "Who are you to summon us like common servants?" he bellowed, his voice booming across the clearing, shaking leaves from the trees. "You dare pull me from my eternal watch? I am the Sun, bringer of light and destroyer of shadows! For this insolence, you will burn!"

Before anyone could react, Sun thrust his hands forward, palms erupting in a torrent of solar flames. The attack was blinding—a roaring inferno of golden fire that shot straight at Rayma, scorching the air and turning the ground between them into charred earth. The heat hit me like a wave, singeing the edges of my dress and making my celestial magic flare defensively, stars swirling around my skin in a protective halo. I gasped, stumbling back into Zane’s chest, my mind reeling. This was it—Rayma was done for, obliterated by a god’s wrath.

But Selena—Mom—lunged forward, her crystalline form shimmering as she reached out a hand. "Brother, no! Stop this madness!" she cried, her voice like the tinkling of distant bells, laced with desperation. Her gown of starlight billowed as she tried to weave a barrier of moonlight between Sun and Rayma, silver threads sparkling in the air. "We don’t know what’s happening—violence won’t reveal the truth!"

Shadow, on the other hand, didn’t move an inch. His shadowy form rippled with amusement, those void-like eyes glinting with malicious delight. A low, echoing chuckle escaped him, like wind through a cavern. "Oh, please, continue, dear brother," he hissed, crossing his arms as tendrils of darkness coiled around his feet. "I’ve been imprisoned for eons—nothing like a good family squabble to liven things up. Burn him to ash; let’s see what this summoner is made of."

I glanced around wildly, my emotions a whirlwind of fear, confusion, and helplessness. Zane’s muscles tensed under my touch, his growl rumbling low in his throat, but he didn’t shift, didn’t charge—he just stood there, eyes darting between the gods and Rayma, utterly lost. Jacob, my brother the all knowing spirit himself, paced a few steps, his ears twitching, his face a mask of stunned indecision. "What... what do we do?" he muttered, his voice cracking, so unlike his usual commanding thunder.

Sebastian, usually so cocky with his vampire smirk, looked pale—even for him—his dark eyes wide as he clutched Cassandra’s arm. She, the fierce werewolf warrior, gripped her sword hilt until her knuckles whitened, but her hand trembled, her breath coming in short gasps. "This is insane," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the roar of Sun’s flames. "We can’t fight gods... can we?"

Tiger, my silent earth spirit brother with his golden-brown hair and green eyes, grunted even louder than before—a very rare sound from him—as he shifted partially into his tiger form, claws extending, but he didn’t advance. He just hovered protectively near me and Zane, his massive frame quivering with uncertainty. Eagle’s winds, usually a constant breeze around him, had died to nothing, his face ashen as he floated a few inches off the ground. Fox, the fire spirit with his red hair wild and outspoken nature, had his flames flickering weakly at his fingertips, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. "This... this wasn’t the plan," he stammered, uncharacteristically quiet. And Bubble, the water spirit himself was still frozen into a shimmering puddle at our feet, rippling with anxiety but offering no words.

We were all paralyzed, a ragtag family of ethereal beings, kings, queens, and warriors, reduced to spectators in a divine drama. My heart ached with the weight of it—the thrill of seeing my mother Selena in the flesh, the terror of Shadow’s freedom, the confusion swirling like Eagle’s absent winds. Emotions crashed over me: love for my family, fear for our future, and a deep, throbbing curiosity about Rayma.

The flames engulfed Rayma, a blazing pyre that should have reduced him to cinders. But when the fire died down, revealing the scorched circle of earth around him, there he stood—untouched. Not a singe on his simple robes, not a hair out of place. His neutral eyes, holding neither light nor dark but everything in between, sparkled with mild amusement. He uncrossed his arms, smiling that enigmatic smile.

The clearing fell deathly silent. Sun’s glow dimmed slightly, his mouth agape in shock. Selena’s hand dropped, her twin-moon eyes widening. Shadow’s chuckle cut off abruptly, his darkness stilling. We all stared, jaws slack, hearts thundering.

"You’re... unharmed?" Sun sputtered, his voice losing its boom, cracking with disbelief. "How? My flames consume all!"

Rayma chuckled softly, crossing his hands behind his back now, his posture relaxed as if discussing the weather. "Ah, Sun, you’re just as impulsive as you were when you were a child. Always flaring up at the slightest provocation. Some things never change."

The words landed like a thunderclap. Everyone paused—froze, really—the air thick with stunned silence. Sun’s eyes bulged, his golden skin paling. Selena tilted her head, confusion etching her radiant features. Shadow’s voids narrowed, suspicion turning to shock. Even I felt a chill race down my spine, my celestial magic flickering uncertainly.

Shadow stepped forward, his form coiling like smoke. "What did you say?" he demanded, his hiss echoing. "You knew Sun... since he was a child? How is that possible? Who are you to speak of our past?"

Rayma’s smile widened, warm yet vast, like the dawn of creation itself. "I knew all of you—Sun, Shadow, Selena—since the moment you were born. I watched you take your first breaths, your first steps into the cosmos. I’ve seen your triumphs, your falls, every shadow and ray of light."

A collective gasp rippled through us. I felt Zane pull me closer, his breath hot against my ear. "Natalie, this... this can’t be," he whispered, his voice laced with protective fear. But I was too stunned to respond, my blue eyes locked on Rayma.

We all stepped back instinctively—Jacob retreating with a low whine, Tiger’s tiger form growling softly, Eagle’s winds picking up in nervous gusts, Fox’s flames snuffing out entirely. Sebastian and Cassandra edged away, her sword half-drawn but useless. Bubble reformed into a quivering sphere, hovering uncertainly.

Jacob, ever the eldest and most powerful of us siblings, broke the silence, his voice awe-struck and trembling. "Who... who are you, truly? How can you know them like that? You’re not just some wanderer."

Rayma regarded us all with that neutral gaze, his presence suddenly feeling infinite, like staring into the heart of the universe. "I am the beginning of all life," he said simply, his words resonating deep in my soul, stirring ancient memories I didn’t know I had.

Confusion exploded. Sun flared again, though weaker now. "What nonsense is this? The beginning? Speak plainly!"

Selena’s voice joined in, melodic and urgent. "Yes, what do you mean? We sprang from the void, shaped by cosmic will! We are the very first gods!"

Shadow sneered, but there was a hint of unease in his tone. "Lies. Tricks. Explain yourself, summoner, or I’ll plunge you into eternal darkness myself."

Even my brothers chimed in. Fox, regaining his outspoken fire, blurted, "Yeah, spit it out! You’re freaking us all out here!"

Tiger grunted in agreement, his green eyes narrowed. Eagle whispered on the wind, "The air trembles... who are you?"

I couldn’t hold back anymore, my emotions bubbling over—fear, wonder, a fierce need to understand. "Please," I said, my voice steady despite the tremor in my heart. "Tell us. What do you mean by the beginning?"

Rayma nodded, as if he’d expected this. He spread his arms slightly, and for a moment, I glimpsed visions in the air around him—swirling voids, bursting lights, the birth of stars. "I was the first being in the universe," he explained, his voice calm yet thundering with truth. "From the pitch-dark void, I created everything. The light, the dark, the in-between. I shaped the cosmos from nothing, breathed life into the emptiness."

The revelations hit like waves, each one more thrilling and terrifying than the last. Zane’s hand squeezed mine harder, grounding me as my mind spun. Jacob’s eyes widened further, Selena’s glow flickered in shock, Sun’s flames dimmed to embers.

But Rayma wasn’t done. He looked directly at the three gods, with a father’s fond gaze. "And you... Sun, Shadow, Selena... you are my offspring. I am your father."

The world seemed to tilt. Gasps echoed—mine included—my heart seizing with a mix of elation and dread. Father? To gods? The implications crashed over me, dramatic and unending, as the clearing held its breath once more.