New Era

The celestial halls of Aetheria shimmered with divine energy as the counselor stood before the gods. He is an angel hiding in a human form, he is Sargon's counselor. The grand chamber glowed with an ethereal light, casting long shadows from the towering figures that sat before him. 

At the head of the council sat Anu, the father of the gods, his silver hair flowing like a river of light. Beside him, Enki, the god of wisdom, whose piercing eyes seemed to see through the very fabric of the universe, observed the Gabriel in silence. The angel's wings were folded behind him, their feathers brushing against the golden tiles beneath his feet as he delivered his message.

"Uruk has fallen," Gabriel announced, his voice steady but carrying the news.

Anu, whose gaze had been wandering elsewhere, snapped his attention back to the angel. His eyes, sharp and ancient, focused intensely. 

"And what of that to me?" he asked, his voice commanding.

Gabriel hesitated for only a moment, knowing the significance of his next words. 

"The Ark of the Covenant was found in Uruk."

A ripple of interest passed through the chamber. Anu's eyes gleamed with excitement, a spark of something long thought lost igniting within him. For centuries, the Ark had been missing, its location unknown. But now, with Uruk's fall, it was exposed, and with it, the possibility of a great power stirring once again.

"The Ark could lead us to the Seal of Solomon, my lord," Gabriel continued, his tone measured.

A murmur of astonishment spread through the room. The Seal of Solomon—an ancient artifact of immense power. If the Ark was the key to finding it, their next move could alter the very balance of the heavens and the earth.

" and how it can lead us to it?"

"My lord. We have Gilgamesh's head, we can extract information about the seal." Gabriel replied.

Michael, the Archangel of War, stepped forward, his wings flexing with readiness. 

"We should go at once," 

He said sharply. "The Seal of Solomon cannot remain hidden any longer. It must be secured."

Raphael, the angel of healing, nodded in agreement.

"The longer we wait, the more vulnerable we become. The Ark will draw attention from others—beings not of our kind."

But Anu raised a hand, silencing the rising voices.

"We will not move yet," he declared, his voice brokering no argument. 

"Sargon must return to Akkad first. Only then will we act. The three of us—myself, Michael, and Raphael—will descend together."

Michael's face twitched with impatience, but he bowed his head in submission. Raphael followed, his expression calm. Gabriel remained still, knowing better than to question Anu's wisdom.

In Akkad, the city was alive with celebration. After months of war and uncertainty, King Sargon, the mighty ruler of the Akkadian Empire, had returned. The streets were draped in crimson and gold, and the sound of drums reverberated off the stone walls as citizens gathered to welcome their hero.

Sargon rode at the head of the procession, his armor gleaming in the midday sun. His battle-worn face held a stern, regal expression, and the people cheered as he passed, throwing garlands of flowers at his feet. Behind him, his warriors carried the severed head of Gilgamesh and a mysterious coffin shrouded in black.

As Sargon approached the palace gates, a chorus of priests raised their voices in praise of the gods, offering sacrifices in gratitude for the divine protection that had led their king to victory. Fires blazed in great braziers, and the air was thick with the scent of incense and offerings.

Inside the grand hall. Sargon was greeted by his council and high priests. The normally solemn halls buzzed with excitement, though Sargon's mind drifted. His thoughts lingered on the message Gabriel had sent during his campaign.

The Ark of the Covenant, and what it could mean for Akkad and his kingdom. He had always been a loyal servant to the gods, proud of the attention they paid to his kingdom, yet wary of their unpredictable will. Even now, despite his triumph, he felt the weight of something far greater than his victory.

The gaze of the gods upon him, watching, waiting.

Three days after Sargon's return, the sky over Akkad began to darken. It was subtle at first.

A stillness in the air, a soft whisper of wind that carried no sound. Then, without warning, a blinding flash of light split the heavens, and four figures descended from the sky.

Anu, Enki, Michael, and Raphael landed with the grace of beings who had seen the birth of worlds. The people of Akkad gathered in the great square, fell to their knees in awe and fear as the gods strode among them, their very presence overwhelming, radiating power and authority.

Shino stood among the crowd, her heart pounding as she beheld the gods' descent. Fear gripped her, a primal instinct rising in the face of such immense power. But beneath the terror, anger simmered. Her fists clenched at her sides, her jaw tightened in defiance. She hated their arrogance.

Her eyes flashed with fury, a silent refusal to bend completely to their will.

Anu stepped forward, his voice booming across the square.

"People of Akkad," 

He began, his tone commanding absolute attention. 

"The gods have seen your empire, your triumphs, and your faith. We have come to witness the greatness of Akkad and to honor the bond between mortals and divinity."

Sargon, standing at the palace gates, approached the gods, his heart pounding in his chest. He bowed low, but Anu raised a hand, gesturing for him to rise.

"You have served us well, Sargon," Anu said, his expression unreadable. 

Then, in a whisper meant only for the king, he added, "But now, a greater purpose calls. The Ark of the Covenant rests within our grasp and the path to the Seal of Solomon… You must find it."

Sargon nodded, though his mind raced with questions. The gods' presence in Akkad was unprecedented.

As Anu continued to address the people, Michael and Raphael's eyes wandered over the crowd, scanning the faces. Their gazes eventually settled on two figures.

Shino and Yacha. Michael's eyes narrowed, and he leaned over to Raphael, whispering something that caused the angel of healing to nod thoughtfully.

Anu's voice rose again. "The kingdom of Akkadia, no the empire of Akkadia shall rise to even greater heights, for we, the gods, now bless you. Let it be known that today marks the beginning of a new age."

With that, the gods turned their attention back to Sargon. 

"Prepare yourself, Emperor of Akkad," Enki said softly, his voice like a whisper in the wind. 

"For the road ahead is fraught with challenges, and not all who walk it shall see the light at the end."

As the gods conversed with Sargon, Michael stepped forward, addressing him.

"These two," he said, pointing to Shino and Yacha, 

"are of particular interest to us."

Sargon glanced between his warriors and the gods. Shino's face remained unreadable, though her sharp eyes betrayed a flicker of intrigue. Yacha, however, met Michael's gaze with defiance, his fists clenched at his sides.

"What is it you want with them?" Sargon asked cautiously.

"They possess the attributes of thunder," Raphael explained, stepping forward.

Yacha frowned, exchanging a glance with Shino. "And what if we refuse?"

Michael's smile was cold. "You will not refuse," he said simply. 

"Your fates are already intertwined with ours."

Shino felt confusion swell within her, but she dared not to make a fuss.

As the days passed, the gods decided to head back to ahteria. Sargon, for all his power, knew he was merely a piece in a larger game, a game orchestrated by forces far beyond his control. 

Shino and Yacha, too, found themselves drawn deeper into the gods' web. But with each discovery yacha made, a darker truth began to emerge, one that hinted at the true nature of the god's interest in the Ark, the Seal of Solomon, and the Staff of Movses.

"My lord!!! My lord!!!" 

A jinn, his voice mixed with fear and despair, rushed through unknown lands, carrying terrible news. 

"The humans... they have found the Ark of the Covenant."

In the shadows, a figure stood, his eyes glowing within the darkness. He stepped forward, his lips curling into a sinister smile.

"The game begins now," said Lucifer, the King of Demons. 

His puppet had fallen into the hands of the gods. He toyed with a ring—the Seal of Solomon—an artifact that gave him absolute rule over the jinns. But the shedim, the dark spirits, had yet to reveal themselves.

"Seraphel..." Lucifer muttered, contemplating his next move.

The news of the gods' descent upon Terra spread quickly across the continents, striking fear into the hearts of all, the elves, the dwarves, the demons, and the jinns. They all knew, they all prepared. The second apocalypse was coming.