The Gods Are Real

Chapter 5

Returning to the village, Eliot was greeted warmly by the villagers. They offered him bread and water, relieving his hunger. When asked where he came from, Eliot improvised, saying he was from a distant village beyond the mountains. Though his words satisfied them, Eliot felt a pang of guilt for lying.

As Eliot mingled with the villagers, their kindness extended beyond just bread and water. Some offered him shelter for the night, sensing his weariness from the road.

"We have an empty barn, you're welcome to stay there," one villager offered, their voice filled with genuine concern.

Grateful for their hospitality, Eliot accepted their offer with heartfelt thanks. The prospect of a warm, dry place to rest lifted his spirits, easing the burden of his journey even just for a night.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink, Eliot followed his newfound friends to the barn. It was a simple structure, but it offered a sense of safety and comfort that Eliot had sorely missed.

Settling down for the night, Eliot found himself surrounded by the soft rustle of hay and the gentle murmur of the wind outside. As he drifted off to sleep, a sense of gratitude washed over him, mingled with the weight of the lies he had told.

In the dead of night, Eliot was startled awake by a sudden wave of dizziness that swept over him. As he struggled to clear his foggy mind, he felt himself slipping into unconsciousness once more, his surroundings fading away until he found himself engulfed in a realm of blinding light.

Before him, towering figures sat upon thrones of shimmering radiance, their forms obscured by the brilliance of their presence. Eliot's heart pounded in his chest as he beheld the awe-inspiring sight, his breath catching in his throat as he realized he stood in the presence of gods.

"We know you are not of this world," one of the gods intoned, their voice resonating like thunder in the vast expanse of the divine chamber. "You have been brought here by forces beyond our understanding."

Eliot's mind reeled at the revelation, his thoughts swirling with questions and uncertainties. How had he come to be in this strange and wondrous place? And what did these gods want with him?

Before he could voice his inquiries, another of the gods spoke—a voice soft and melodic, yet tinged with an undercurrent of solemnity. "You cannot be granted any powers," she explained, her words echoing with finality. "For you do not belong in this world."

Eliot's heart sank at the news, a sense of disappointment mingling with the awe that filled him. He had hoped that the gods might offer him some measure of protection or guidance in this unfamiliar realm, but it seemed that his fate was not theirs to dictate.

"Although Eliot we can offer you something that isn't a power but is the best we can offer you" explains the feminine sounding God , The gods bestowed upon Eliot a divine aura—a shroud of palpable dread that emanated from his very being, striking fear into the hearts of those who dared to oppose him. It was a gift of unparalleled power, a weapon forged from the depths of the divine realm to protect him from harm.

"We should warn you with each passing moment this aura is wielded a part of you and your soul will be slipping away. With every flicker of fear that this aura will inspire, a piece of your own goodness and soul will be consumed, leaving behind only a hollow shell of your former self." speak the Gods.

"You may wonder why we decided to bless you with this , it is simple Eliot the entities are aware of you and how you do not belong here, they will want to hurt you" elaborates one of them.

But before he could voice his fears, the world around him began to fade, the blinding light of the divine chamber giving way to the darkness of sleep. And as Eliot drifted back into unconsciousness, his mind teeming with unanswered questions, he knew that his journey was far from over.