CHAPTER 8: GODHOOD

"Okay old man, I had enough of this wizardly bullshit. I'm gonna ask you again, WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!?"

I still don't get it. Why does it feel I already saw this guy?

"I'm Bathala, the creator of everything."

"ok, prove it"

"prove it?" he replied

I've seen worse, things like this are not crazy to me.

"If you're God himself, then prove it. Multiply bread, re-fill my cup, do miracles, or change to Morgan Freeman. That's what you do right?"

...

"HAHAHAHAHAHHA"

I wasn't trying to be funny or anything. I was trying to make him do miracles cause man I'll still accept him if one of those 3 wizard guys but the fact that he told me he's God himself, that's some serious shit.

"Anak, I'm not that guy."

"So, you're not a god?"

"I am THE God."

"No angels?"

"None."

"No Heaven?"

"There is a heaven, but we don't call it that way."

"So you're God but not the God I know?"

"Enough questions, just grab my hand. You people complicate such things."

He's right though

"I don't even know you man so there's no way I'm gonna grab –"

The old guy grabbed my hand and in an instant, I saw EVERYTHING.

He just projected things that I can't comprehend, my mind is exploding.

This guy sees everything from birth and death of life, feelings, construction and destruction, natural disasters, planets, galaxies, heaven, and are those glowing people?

Then I heard a voice.

"Anak"

The moment I opened my eyes, it's the "I am God" guy, and I just realized that this is the same dude who stopped me from glowing.

It's him, he is Bathala.

It feels fascinating though that my feet are touching the clouds and it's satisfyingly warm.

I lay down and every inch of my body feels like being hugged by cotton candy.

And suddenly there's hair on my shoulders. Tried to remove it's stuck on my head.

The old man created a mirror out of nowhere and it's still me, but not me.

"woah, I look like Lapu-lapu." It's the muscles man, I can beat the Rock with this.

I feel like I'm a new man. I got a golden bandana with this weird cloth strapped on my waist. Not to mention the glowing tattoos all over my body, I kinda like an eagle being drawn all over my back but this is sweet.

"How's the new look?" The old man said.

"This looks cool but weird, are these the outfits your angels are wearing? OH MY AM I DEAD??"

"More to that later, but I need to explain to you something. He replied.

So he just flies me away to outer space like that one scene from Doctor Strange.

I was flying and turning and flying while closing my eyes, it's getting warmer and warmer. I was getting close to the Sun. Damn.

"HOLY SHIT OKAY MAN YOU WIN JUST DON'T BURN ME ALIVE OH SHIT BATHALA MAKE IT STOP PLEASE NO NO NO!!!"

I stopped, I'm in the sun.

I'm not burning or anything and it's not even hot in here. Those scientists are making a fool out of me.

I'm still hesitating to touch the floor because this is hell in outer space.

I fell, Bathala is making fun of me.

And just like that, I'm standing on the sun. that big light bulb on the sky that burns everything on Earth, yeah I'm stepping on it.

"One small step for Paul, One giant leap for mankind."

Beat that Armstrong.

"Having fun on the sun?"

Yeah, he's still smiling, he's making fun of me.

"This is you Paul or should I say, Apolaki, you are the God of the Sun. Whatever the light touches are your domain."

I swear I already heard that before, I couldn't remember.

But looking at all these stars and planets, the fact that he's watching all of this is just wow.

"You need to protect your domain and that's why I bought you here. The three deities told me you won't believe a single word they said so it's my turn to explain everything. Anak, the end of all life in this universe is coming and I need you to stop it. I need you to gather your siblings and the other gods, it's time for you to take my place."

Woa- woa Woah, everything that happened is already bigger than a life situation BUT THIS? No way.

"you're God himself, you can make life with a sway of a finger, you can make planets just by breathing, why just erase him with a snap? You made those gods, you made me, why not just call them yourself and let them fight."

I'm teaching Bathala himself, and my dad calls me a failure.

Beat that dad.

"The universe needs someone to control the balance and that's my job. Some will die and that will lead to opportunities for the newcomers. It's also my responsibility to protect others since I send the gods back to Earth and I didn't do it for no reason. If I leave my responsibility just to find and get them, the balance will rumble, leading to universal suffering. I may be powerful but I'm too old for this and that's why I want you or your sister to replace me."

SISTER!? I have a sister??

This went 0 to 1,000,000 in a minute and I didn't sign up for any of this. I feel weak, my heart is beating up so fast it feels like the universe just stopped moving. This is insane.

"I don't want any part of this. All of this is your responsibility. You created it and you have to take care of it. Why not create something that can stop that thing? and too old? I thought you're immortal?"

"First, I already did and I'm talking to him. And second, living a long life is different from being immortal." He replied

"How about the other gods? I suppose the others are stronger than me?"

"If they were stronger than you, do you think I'll come and get you myself and beg you to do something for me? No. I blessed you with the strongest and brightest thing this universe offers, which makes you the strongest of them all. If you don't lead them, all will die including you and me."

I suddenly remembered that vision where we're all getting eaten by a giant snake, is that what he's talking about?

My hands are shivering, my skin is getting numb and we're in the sun. the irony.

"I know you're the creator and everything but I'm going to decline, this is too much for me to handle. I screw up now and then and assigning me to save everyone is pure genocide. If all will die then be it, this mess you made is screwed up anyway."

I never felt so patient while arguing with someone in my entire life, maybe it's the life and death topic? or maybe I'm talking to a god? I don't know.

"Okay, guess I don't have a choice. Unite the Gods and tell your sister Mayari to lead them and I'll give you whatever you want. Money, girls, you name it."

On second thought, I can work this.

"wait, my sister Mayari?" I said

"she's one of your three sisters. The God of the Moon. If you don't want to replace me so I'll give my title to her, She's worthy of it." He replied

"So let me get this straight, all I have to do is find the other gods and tell that Mayari girl to lead them to war?"

"exactly"

"Ready my money, I'll do it."

The million-dollar mansion, here I come.

"so, how do I know to where to find them? And how do I know if their Gods?"

"the three deities know their locations."

And with a snap, he sent us back to that exact spot in Bohol. Talk about a lousy trip.

"oh and I was wondering, how do you make people in the first place? Are we monkeys or something?"

...

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA"

Luckily, he's Bathala or I'm gonna punch that beard out of his face. He laughed because of my curiosity.

"I did it with a snap of my fingers." He said

Can't wait to tell my Biology teacher about this.

"Okay last question, among all the parents in the universe, why did you pick a lousy family to raise me?"

"it –"

Then the Deities arrived at the scene and men hate seeing their faces.

"I'm sorry to ruin your conversation but we have a team to assemble, Paul, Let's go."

Said the plant bender.

"Maybe you'll get your answer some other time. If you need me, I'm just upstairs. Goodluck anak"

And just like that, he vanished.

"so, where should we start your highness?"

"Bathala mentioned that I have a sister, I think that was Ma-"

"OH YES MAYA! OMG, I MISS HER SO MUCH." The water guy said.

These guys know everyone huh, this shouldn't be a problem.

"uuhh yea-yeah her, okay let's go see my sis."

Billionaire life, I'm coming.

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<Meanwhile, Maya is crying in the bathroom of their school. Glowing and makes everything float in the air like crazy.>

"STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP PLEAAAASE!!!"