Omnipotence City

It was built billions of years ago, after the war of the Elder Gods, from the rubble of rock of creation and the embers of fire that lit the first stars.

It was built by Mother Earth and Mother Magic as a place of divine fellowship, a place where Gods from all corners of reality would forever be welcome.

Here, Eternal treaties are signed and Sacred covenants are sworn that save the lives of trillions.

Here, Gods are married and tied.

Here, Galaxies are born and battered.

Here is the home of the parliament of the pantheons and the high holy court. The Genesis bazaars and the hall of all-knowing. The nebula-sized jewels of the universal crown.

Here in the centre of infinity lies the heaven of heavens, a site that no mortal eye will ever see.

Here is the Omnipotence City, the nexus of all the gods.

Here Apollo and Hecate had come seeking an audience with the highest court of the universe—the Council of Godheads.

———————

Apollo and Hecate traversed vast bridges that led to floating celestial palaces and towering statues. The air was thick with divinity and sanctification.

As far as the eye could see, the city was teeming with gods, goddesses, divine spirits, immortal creatures, and fabled races from all pantheons. It was overflowing with activity since it served as a link between all of the divine realms of the pantheons.

Though the city was slowly turning quiet, Apollo and Hecate proceeded to the grandest hall in the centre of the city. From all corners of the divine city, divine gazes were cast on them, and some beings even teleported away to their own pantheons to spread the news of their arrival.

The Lady of Mysteries and the Eternal Blazing Sun ignored everyone and strode forward hand in hand. The crowds of divine beings in their path naturally parted, with the appropriate amount of apprehension and curiosity visible in all of their divine eyes.

Apollo knew he was famous in the divine realms, but he was still somewhat caught off guard by such a striking reception from the gods. At the very least, he was relieved that they weren't swarming him for autographs and photos.

He and Hecate had arrived in Omnipotence City through the limitless labyrinth of Destiny in Delphi. The legend that the paths in the labyrinth could lead anywhere in the universe is not fabricated, but you must be able to find the right path to your destination. That is where the real challenge and danger lie, as you could easily get lost in the infinity of Destiny and end up in the worst parts of the cosmos.

Though it was no problem for Apollo, he discovered their path with a simple divination and travelled to the Omnipotent City with Hecate.

In his divine eyes, the Omnipotence city, the Heaven of Heavens, was much more than a city of palaces—larger and immeasurable than he imagined it to be, and as beautiful as any jewel, its auric towers burning like sun in the eternal darkness of night—it was a city of miracles; a city of dreams; a city of fantasy; a city of imagination; a city of power; a....

City of Divine – the absolute symbol and representation of Godhood and Immortality.

This was a place that symbolised everything that opposed mortality and transience. Mortals would never be able to witness its heavenly brilliance since the sight of the divine city would melt their mortal flesh and condemn their souls to eternal damnation.

Apollo was surprised. The divine power pulsing from the city almost felt limitless in his perception, to the point where he suspected it was a super-secret weapon built by Gaia and Oshtur against the eternal enemies of the divine—the Celestials.

Hecate was looking around the city as well, her haunting, dark eyes stained with primal magic. It was their first trip to the Heaven of Heavens. He had never found the time to visit, and his love had spent almost all of her time before he came into her life researching magic in the underworld.

As he pondered the divine city, Apollo dragged Hecate by hand, increasing their speed. Their route became more desolate with each step they took towards the celestial edifice—the council of godheads—in the centre of the city.

Obviously, their peaceful journey was soon disrupted. A beam of light cascaded down from the council to meet them, and out of it emerged a divine woman dressed in a green-brown gown that mirrored the tints of life. She radiated life, brightening the space around them.

"I apologise for interfering with your journey." She made a light bow. "My name is Aurora, and I am the administrator of Omnipotence City."

Aurora looked at them with her evergreen eyes. "It would be an honour to welcome you, Eternal Blazing Sun, and your consort, Lady of Mysteries, to the divine city and guide you through its divine halls."

"Thank you," Apollo said. "But we're only here for the council."

Aurora nodded. "Well, then, I'll leave you with it." she pulled two small books from her gown and handed them to them. "If you have any doubts or questions, you can consult this book. It contains basic information about the Omnipotence City."

Hecate took the books, and Aurora bowed to them again, dissolving into blooming flowers.

The Lady of Mysteries stared at the falling flowers. "Did you feel it as well...?"

"Yes. The boundless aura of life." Apollo nodded. "She is a natural spirit, and not just any ordinary one. I reckon she is blessed of Gaia.."

"Life.." Hecate spoke quietly, her eyes gleaming with magic.

Apollo dragged her forward before she could enter her dark witch state and summon her magic tower, beginning her new magical research into cracking the code of life right there and then. Something like this has happened many times in the past. His love can be spontaneous like that when it comes to knowledge and magic.

Hecate merely pouted and focused on the books in her hands. She opened it and skimmed the first few pages, focusing solely on a hall—a hall of magic.

Apollo glanced at it from the corner of his eyes. The book featured basic information on the city, such as its history and beginnings, palaces and ministries, bazaars and markets, and divine halls like the hall of all-knowing, hall of the lost, hall of murder, hall of magic, and hall of all-life.

Hall of All-Knowing. His eyes narrowed at that name. A dusty memory flashed through his mind—in the comics, Loki visited the hall of All-Knowing with Thor, where he met Now and Then, the Children of Eternity. Then they had lured the God of Mischief into the "house of ideas." But it wasn't the real deal, but rather a project of the children of eternity, who were recording the stories of every hero in the multiverse.

Maybe he should go to the hall of all-knowing the next time he comes here. Apollo thought to himself. He doesn't have much hope of finding anything, though, since his universe isn't 616 (the main universe).

Hecate abruptly shut the books, jolting him out of his reverie, and pointed to the front. "We are here."

A massive palace supported by auric columns hundreds of metres high and bathed in eternal divine light rose before them. Two colossal statues of divine women, as large as palaces, flanked the entrance that was led up by the stairs—they were Mother Earth and Mother Magic.

Gaia, the Earth Mother, was depicted as a plump and beautiful lady with ears of wheat growing from her feet and surrounded by spring water. Her dress appears to flutter, and embedded in it are various herbs and flowers, as well as depictions of various animals. She appears to be tall and holy, with a white halo around her head.

Mother Magic, Osthur, was depicted as a stern and dainty woman holding a book with the symbol of Omniscience, a triangle with a single eye in the centre. Her gown was embroidered with faint mystic runes that were woven together to form a beautiful artwork that appeared to be both sanctified and brilliant, and a star-shaped halo decorated her head with dazzling points of light.

Apollo squinted at the statues. He had the strange feeling that the Elder Goddesses were staring back at him, their sacred glow on their statues intensifying by the second, as if they were going to burst out and greet him: "Hello, Apollo!"

He looked at Hecate, who was also looking at the statues, but she didn't seem to notice the anomalies.

"What?" She asked, raising her brows.

"I think the Elder Goddesses are staring back at me." Apollo said, returning his gaze to the statues. Obviously, it has returned to normal.

"It must be an illusion created by their remnant power." Hecate guessed as she placed the guidebooks within her personal dimension.

"It has to be." Apollo nodded.

"Or they were literally gazing at you through their statues." Hecate continued with a fleeting smile. "After all, who are you? The Eternal Blazing Sun!"

"Look," Apollo said proudly, looking her up and down. "who finally managed to develop a sense of humour?"

Hecate whined as he dragged her to the stairs, on which they began their ascent to the golden council of godheads.

The stars in the night shimmered as they stood alone before the door to the council, which was even more massive than everything else in the Omnipotence city.

"Do you want to come?" Apollo inquired.

"Do you want me to come?" Hecate asked back, tightening their hands.

"Go," Apollo stared at Hecate. "to the hall of magic. I can tell you really want to. I'll handle the approval."

Hecate nodded and smiled brightly. Then she kissed him lightly and turned to face the stairs.

"Hecate." Apollo grumbled, accusingly looking at her.

Hecate turned. "What?" she said, as realisation dawned on her. "You don't need 'all the best' or 'good luck." she continued emphatically. "I know you will succeed, Phoebus."

"Oh.." Apollo drew her into his embrace and kissed her fervently. "I love you."

"I love you too." Hecate smiled.

Apollo kept watch over her as she descended the stairs and vanished between the buildings after she turned and smiled farewell. Then he looked at the hefty door and went towards it.

He willed his body to grow with each step, and by the time he stood in front of the door, he was already 100 metres tall, adjusting himself to the size and structure of the hall.

Apollo pushed the door open, unveiling a brilliant burst of light that illuminated the entire Omnipotence city.

He entered the light without hesitation, and the door immediately closed with a rumble upon his entrance.

——————

Apollo stood in front of dias, surrounded by rising circular platforms atop which divine thrones brimmed with power and might. The starry light poured in through the glassed dome supported by marble columns.

A cosmic tree pulsing with streams of light was in the centre of the dias, and within its core was a faint projection of Earth. The lights of creation pulsing through the tree coursed out of the green planet.

This was the council of the godheads—the highest holy court of the universe. It is ordained to convene only in the case of pressing matters affecting the fate of the gods and the universe.

The cosmic tree in the centre is a projection of the World Tree, which serves as the pillar of creation that supports the Universe.

And at the centre of it all was the Earth, his home, the hub of creation and genesis. There was a reason why the Gods, despite their immense power, did not attempt to conquer the universe for themselves—the earth was the centre of existence, and that's all they ever needed.

It was said that, at the beginning of creation, the power of Dunamis Demiurgos bathed his home, shifting the celestial axis of the cosmos to earth. And from this ocean of creation, the Elder Gods arose into existence.

Does this imply that I am also related to Presence? And why have I never thought of this before? Apollo mused as information about the history of the Elder Gods flashed through his mind. But then he shook his head, putting a stop to his thoughts about his weird family tree.

Apollo raised his hand and summoned his eternal spear. Then he banged it on the ground, applying some power.

A wave erupted and spread across the golden council and divine city, and even into all of the pantheons and god realms.

RUMBLE!

And the heavens trembled under his might.

With that, Apollo declared, willing his voice to resound like rolling thunder throughout the divine realms of the gods.

"I, Phoebus Apollo, request an audience with the council of godheads."

There was a moment of resounding silence, and then shimmering figures began to materialise in the divine thrones on the platform, exuding a collectively terrifying divine aura that could shatter galaxies in turn.

Faced with the Sky Fathers, Apollo assumed his divine form, his hair growing long and white. A white halo adorned his head, and twelve massive white wings sprouted from his back, illuminating the entire council with gentle, infinite light.

"Hope?!"

Immediately, the council of godheads exploded with astonished voices and chaotic whispers.