World Shake
The sun shone through the parting clouds the next morning, illuminating the world, which was still reeling from the prior night's events.
The world always experiences various changes due to war and the ascension of gods. But, mortals' feeble minds cannot bear the knowledge of events, so all those changes always tend to go unnoticed.
This could be clearly seen during Artisan's ascension. When he became a god, the light of civilization erupted, illuminating almost every aspect of human civilization; it also nearly merged the spirit and material worlds. However, these changes went unseen by all below angels.
The last night, however, was different. It was all over the front pages of newspapers.
The 'World Shake,' as they called it, had occurred all over the world, and for 8 seconds, the very foundations of the world rumbled. From frail mortals to all-powerful gods, everyone felt the 'rumbling.'
As one might expect, the world went into a frenzy, causing chaos all around. Civilization's brilliant minds attempted but failed to discover its cause. When material power fails, people always turn to mysteries.
And, turn they did, they attempted to divine the cause of the world shake, only to suffer a fate worse than death, regardless of their sequence. So they finally turned to the gods, but their prayers went unanswered.
In the end, the 'World Shake' event became a 'mystery' among men, with numerous fabricated legends surrounding it.
However, it was not a "mystery" to everyone. The Gods could guess what actually occurred. And they weren't pleased at all...
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Feynapotter. The city of life. The city was decked out in evergreen, right down to its glittering gold crown.
The church bells rang as the sun shone through the clouds, illuminating Lilith, who was checking her dress in the mirror.
Lilith was always nervous nowadays, nervous about the change of times and the impending war.
This feeling has been heightened by recent events. She didn't have to think long to figure out that last night's events were most likely related to Aucuses.
After all, Aucuses took temporary control of the Golden Order, bypassing their authorities.
It also occurred shortly after the 'World Shake' began. So the others had no trouble connecting the dots, which all pointed to her lover, Aucuses.
And, they were enraged, particularly Herabergan, Leodero, and Artisan. They demanded an explanation from Aucuses right away. Others weren't much better; Amanises backed Herabergan and Leodero's demand, while her 'Son' remained silent. It was only her who stood with Aucuses.
Given the "Golden Order," it was to be expected. The Order was a structure imbued with all of their power. The gods supported the establishment of the "Golden Order" for the sake of world stability, particularly in light of the impending events. They don't want chaos to spread from their fights and inadvertently destroy the world.
Lilith also knew Aucuses had his own agenda for the "Golden Order," as he always does.
Returning now, the "Golden Order" wielded terrifying power, and if it fell into the hands of one person, they could temporarily rule over the gods themselves.
This was what made them all nervous. It didn't matter if it was only temporary, because the prospect of Aucuses achieving that was enough for all of them to turn their backs on him.
As a result, they demanded an explanation from Aucuses right away.
Aucuses dismissed their demands without batting an eye, his action didn't surprise her at all.
The others couldn't do much else because the contract was restricting them all.
So they left, suppressing their rage in their hearts, and bid for the right time.
This incident occurred at the worst possible time. The war for pillar was just around the corner.
Despite her trepidation, she had faith in Aucuses. He always makes plans for everything.
He should have a reason for doing this.
He should have...
Lilith finally sighed, suppressing her nervousness and focusing on the present.
She was double-checking her dress for the upcoming wedding she was attending with Aucuses.
It's not just any wedding; it's Trunsoest and Auernia's wedding. She was surprised when Aucuses suggested that they attend the 'wedding'. After all, they were 'Gods.'
However, Aucuses didn't seem to care. He kept asking if she wanted to join him to the wedding.
In the end, she agreed to his request, despite knowing it would expose their relationship to public scrutiny and cause problems.
However, she didn't care anymore. She simply wants to spend all of her time with him. She just can't get enough of him.
Aucuses…
Lilith smiled. There was a lot that happened in the previous century. Despite never telling each other, they already knew a lot about each other.
Her true identity, in particular. Aucuses is well aware. In the middle of the century, she confirmed it.
She didn't confront him, though, because doing so would violate her 'Concealment.'
In terms of the 'Concealment,' she told Amanises about her relationship with Aucuses, hoping she would be considerate given the gravity of the situation. She also had no idea how Aucuses had discovered her identity on his own.
After hearing her words, Amanises fell silent for a moment. She then waved her hands, indicating that she needed time to think about it.
And, Lilith didn't tell Amanises that Aucuses already found out.
In the end, she let it be. Despite how unnerving the situation was, there was nothing else that could be done.
Though, deep down, she had a feeling that this was all going to end soon, one way or another....
Knock!
A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts, prompting her to peer through the door and then smile.
Speak of the devil. It was Aucuses.
Before heading out the door, she double-checked herself in the mirror to ensure she was absolutely perfect.
She opened the door to find Aucuses leaning on the doorframe, checking his watch.
He smiled as he looked up at her.
"You're stunning..." He said this while lightly kissing her lips. "As always…"
"Well…" Lilith punched him on the chest lightly. "Enough with the sweet words; what the hell were you thinking of pulling a stunt like that?"
"I just did what I always do." Aucuses shrugged with a laid-back smile.
That was unsurprising, Lilith expected him to answer exactly like that.
She still pressed, her brows furrowed. "What happened last night?"
"In conclusion..." Aucuses contemplated, before answering. "Red Priest is about to be born today."
"And everything is coming to an end."
"What?" Lilith wished she had misheard, as the meaning behind his words was both outrageous and terrifying.
"Come on, let's not be late for the wedding." Looking at his watch, Aucuses said abruptly. He then grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the house, still dumbstruck.
He continued with a mysterious smile. "As for the overall situation, you'll find out by the end of the day." He then drew her closer to him, their faces inches apart. "It wouldn't be fun if it was known ahead of time, would it?"
Lilith pushed him away. "Whatever you're planning with this, Aucuses. I already don't like it at all..."
"Let's go." Aucuses sighed, extending his hand to her, without showing any intention of elaborating himself futher.
Lilith glared at him before taking his hand in hers.
Then they vanished from the Feynapotter.
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