3 The Beginning (3/3)

After the depressing battle, Nyx had admonished him gently. 'Hypnos, don't let your growing power get to your head. You may be stronger than the Gods, but if you want to stand shoulder to shoulder with the original primordials, you still have a long, treacherous path to traverse.'

Finally, she handed him a black pouch enclosing sand, which twinkled like stars in the night sky. 'I and your father created this, considering your power. The starry sand in it will never run out and will always help you on your path.'

She paused abruptly, as if recalling something unpleasant, and her face twisted with scorn. 'Hypnos, never ever connect your primal essence with the pouch or any other foreign object. It may indeed instantly increase your power, but it also means that a part of your life is indelibly tied to them. And, unlike you, they could be destroyed.'

'Always remember that a weapon is just a weapon, and that in the end, only your own power matters.'

Hypnos accepted the pouch, repeatedly nodding to his mother's advice. He had never considered fusing his essence with his weapon to increase his power. He may have desired power greatly, but he knew when and where to draw the line in his pursuit of it.

He could tell his mother was throwing a jab at the gods and titans with her words. His mother disliked both of them for reasons unbeknownst to him.

'That concludes today's class.' Nyx whispered after ensuring that he took her words to heart. 'It's time for family dinner...'

Hypnos sensed something off about her tone, but he dismissed his worries and followed his mother into the mansion of night. And it was there that they reunited with Thanatos and Erebus. His brother was also becoming much stronger under their father's tutelage. So he was uncertain who would win in a supposed battle between Sleep and Death.

He also spotted his brother wielding a dark scythe, which he didn't have the last time he saw him.

It was not difficult for him to discern that his parents were onto something, but he chose not to bring it up and instead waited for them to reveal whatever it was themselves. And judging from the look that Thanatos was giving him, he also decided the same.

Then, Hypnos focused on his other siblings, Hemera, the Primordial of Day and Aither, the Primordial of Upper Air/ Sky and Light, who had come for his mother's monthly family dinner.

Once again, Hypnos was struck by the irony of his family's existence, which continues to defy all conventions. Night and Darkness, after all, gave birth to Day and Light.

Hemera, like her domain, exuded warmth and comfort. She was every good aspect of the day. Clean air, brilliant skies, and pleasurable heat. Whenever you stepped outside and thought. "This is a good day." Hemera was that personified.

Personally, though, he thought Hemera was the brightest and fussiest woman he had ever come across. He quickly realised this fact when they first met, not long after he was born. He did not have a typical childhood. He started growing from a baby to a teenager the moment he was born. So he was obviously still trying to grasp everything when Hemera dashed into the chambers of night and squealed at the sight of teenage Hypnos and Thanatos. She immediately hugged them and pressed her large bosoms against them, suffocating them with love.

Damn! That was all he could think of at the time.

They were thankfully saved by their brother, Aeither, who apprehended his sister/wife before greeting them.

Contrary to expectations he had, Aeither was not a total airhead but rather turned out to be the complete opposite. The primordial of light was a serious and pragmatic person who lacked even a sense of humour (Thanatos had finally found his match).

Just like Hemera, Aeither's appearance personified his concepts. He was tall and holy, enclosed by primeval light. His chiton cut from the bluest sky and decorated with the whitest clouds. His long white hair flowed in wafts of air all around him. His golden eyes were as bright as the sun in the centre of the solar system. He was shrouded in ethereal and dainty light.

And that was how the first chaotic meeting of the Children of Night and Darkness went. It had only gotten more chaotic over the years, with Hypnos and Hemera pranking the hell out of their brothers.

Nyx hugged them all together, pulling Hypnos from his reminiscence. Her smile was just as brilliant as the brightest star in the sky.

Erebus simply stood aside and smiled as he watched over them. He exited the hug and drew his father into it, earning him pats on the back from his sister and father, eye rolls from his brothers, and a kiss from his mother.

All in all, Hypnos loved his family. They were not what he expected, but they turned out to be everything he could have hoped for.

The touching moment soon ended, and his mother whisked them all away into her mansion at night for the dinner they had every month together, putting aside their duties and just spending time as a family. It was initiated by his mother to ensure that their family did not drift apart and separate with the passage of time like other immortal families, but it has now become a family tradition.

Hemera recounted the recent civil war between Titans and Gods on the surface world during the family dinner. She stated that the titanomachy was impacting the foundation of their entire pantheon, and the primordials of other pantheons will not hesitate if an opportunity presents itself. And war of the primordials was not something they could afford at this moment.

His mother dismissed his sister's concerns by grudgingly stating that Destiny was on their side.

Before Hypnos could be worried about Destiny, his mother and father rose from their seats and turned to face him and Thanatos with a solemn countenance.

And they announced that it was time for him and Thanatos to begin fulfilling their responsibilities as Primordials to creation.

'We have taught you all that is required for your beginning.' His mother had told them. 'Now it is time for you to take your first step on your primal path.'

'This is the path you should take on your own. We've already shown you the way; now it's up to you.' His father then added. 'Never forget that imagination and will are the keys to everything.'

That was the end of the dinner. Erebus and Nyx dragged Hemera and Aither away, silently scolding them that this was a step that he and his brother must take on their own.

Hypnos discerned that their parents didn't want him and Thanatos to become completely reliant on them. They hoped to see them stand on their own legs and face the world.

And Hypnos was not going to let them down. But setting goals is easy; achieving them is the real challenge. He only had a few educated guesses about the first step, as his mother put it, but nothing conclusive.

As he was mulling over the entire situation, he suddenly remembered the words of his father. It pierced his being like a ray of darkness, devouring the hazy fog in his mind.

'Every primordial needs to create their own realm.'

Hypnos turned to face Thanatos. Their eyes were both flashing with a strikingly similar light. And he knew his brother, as expected, had also found the answer.

They got right to work, charging into the barren and desolate underworld, sparking an unintentional race between them with smiles on their faces.

And so Hypnos began his journey in this wondrous and terrifying world.

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