"I am aware that you will all have questions during this breakdown," Zenith began, his expression as stern as ever. "But I simply ask that you save them until I have concluded."
Zenith's request made it clear to the demigods that this was not some trivial meeting summoned by the gods. They understood that the information they were about to receive would be something capable of shaking them to their core. A few demigods let their smiles fade as Zenith took a moment before continuing.
"I am also aware that two demigods among you are still absent," Zenith noted. "But I will begin the meeting regardless, assuming their absence has a valid reason."
Klaus glanced around, mentally noting which demigods were present. He counted only fourteen in attendance, and after a brief scan, he confirmed that the two missing were Ace and X. Ace's absence made sense since Klaus remembered he had requested not to be alerted, but X's absence stirred his curiosity.
Klaus knew that despite how difficult X could be, he usually obeyed summons from the gods, especially when they were mandatory. This suggested that X might have a justifiable reason for not showing up. Soon enough, Klaus's attention shifted back to Zenith.
"With everything said," Zenith continued, "I will begin this information session by starting from the very beginning, informing you all about the being who started it all… The End."
"The End?" a few demigods muttered, puzzled, before remembering Zenith's request to withhold their questions.
The room returned to silence as Zenith prepared to reveal everything.
"In the beginning… there was nothing. And then, there was The End," Zenith explained. "He simply chose to become, and he became. Coming into existence by sheer will, The End harbored unimaginable power, existing as the absolute pinnacle of divinity, surpassing anything that has ever existed or ever will exist throughout all of reality."
The demigods stood in stunned silence, shaken by the revelation that a being existed above even the gods.
"Upon coming into existence," Zenith went on, "The End possessed every possible power, including the power of creation. With this, he indulged in the formation of multiple realms and worlds. However, his reason for doing so is not what one might expect. There was a certain power he enjoyed far more than any other, a power no other being in existence possesses: the power of Destruction."
Klaus's shock grew, the truth hitting him all at once. He recalled something important he had learned during his first time in Under World how, despite their infinite power, the gods lacked one singular ability: the power of Destruction.
"While we gods can imitate this power through dematerialization or disintegration," Zenith explained, "Destruction is entirely different. It is simply the ability to turn being into the absence of being."
Klaus remained frozen in awe. The gods' lack of true Destruction had always been emphasized, so to hear that The End wielded such a power made him even more terrifying than he had imagined.
After a brief pause to let the demigods process what they'd heard, Zenith continued. "The End lived this way for eons," he said, "creating realms and worlds only to destroy them. It became a kind of sport for him, or a hobby, and he indulged in it endlessly."
Zenith's expression gradually softened. "However," he murmured, "that enjoyment eventually began to fade. He started to lose interest in destroying the worlds he created as time passed and his mastery grew. This wasn't surprising, considering he was the one who created those worlds in the first place. 'What good is Destruction when all the secrets of the worlds are already known?' he thought. He began to suffer from a lack of interest, much like a cruciverbalist who finds no thrill in solving their own puzzles. Because he made them, destroying them had simply become too easy."
Zenith's expression shifted, now clouded with spite, his contempt for The End evident in his glowing white eyes. "The End lost interest in his favorite form of entertainment," the god continued, "until he was struck by an idea. 'Why suffer the dullness of creating, when you could simply give that burden to others, ensuring that each destruction feels fresh?' And with that thought, the gods came into existence."
Each new sentence from Zenith felt increasingly surreal to Klaus. He struggled to comprehend the idea that the gods themselves had been created merely as pawns; tools for another being's selfish desires. Still, he forced his focus back to Zenith's words.
"It all began with the creation of two gods: Sol and Abyss, the first generation of gods," Zenith said. "After eons of indulging in the destruction of the worlds they created, The End's hunger grew. He became dissatisfied with how slowly new worlds were being made and craved more. So, he created additional gods; seven in total. These made up the second generation. And eventually, he created a final group of eight to complete the third generation."
Following this explanation, Quinn and a few of the other demigods exchanged glances, sensing something off in Zenith's statement. A subtle inconsistency had caught their attention. But Zenith, it seemed, was already a step ahead.
"I'm certain some of you have noticed a strange detail in what I just said," Zenith acknowledged. "Specifically, the implication that there are seventeen gods in total, and specifically that seven were created in the second generation, rather than the three you all are familiar with."
Klaus's right eye widened at the realization. He hadn't even registered the weight of what had just been revealed until Zenith pointed it out.
"I assure you that this isn't an error," Zenith continued, "but rather a revelation. Along with Torrent, god of Water; Nekro, god of Fire; and myself, god of Nature, there also existed Tundra, god of Frost; Tempest, god of Storms; Tremor, god of Stone; and Limbo, god of Space."
Murmurs broke out among the demigods. The confusion and shock were palpable.
"So you're telling me there were more gods that existed?" Mia blurted out instinctively, before remembering Zenith's earlier request for silence. "S-Sorry," she mumbled, lowering her gaze.
"It's alright," Zenith replied. "I understand the shock you're all feeling. I don't fault you for your curiosity."
He then returned to recounting the past. "There were seventeen of us in total," he said, "every one of us created for a single purpose: creation. We were given infinite power to build infinite possibilities. And to ensure that our creator remained completely uninvolved in the process, he gave us the curse of sentience."
Zenith's hands clenched into fists, the pain behind his eyes surfacing as he spoke. Despite the ache in his heart, he pressed on.
"With sentience came awareness," he said. "We were conscious of our existence, aware of everything we created. Every galaxy, every planet, every civilization... every living being. And because of that, we were cursed to watch as he destroyed everything, all for his entertainment."
Quinn's mind raced. Zenith's words answered many long-held theories she'd quietly formed, yet they sparked just as many new questions. Still, she stayed silent, honoring the god's request.
"As our minds matured," Zenith went on, "so did our emotions, and watching our creator annihilate our creations that we made with love and passion became unbearable. It was like a child constantly watching their carefully stacked building blocks get knocked over by an adult. Naturally, some of us couldn't take it anymore. We needed something to change, so we confronted him."
Zenith paused for a bit before continuing. "Sol was the first," he revealed. "He stood before The End and spoke on our behalf, asking him to end his destructive rampage after figuring out how we all felt. But The End refused. He saw Sol's plea as defiance. And so, he punished him."
A weight hung in the air as Zenith spoke the next words.
"The End trapped Sol in a separate reality, a place of absolute emptiness. A realm where all abilities and powers are stripped away. A prison with no exit, forged by The End himself: the Void."
The demigods stirred, their expressions darkening at the mention of that final word.
"Void?" Klaus repeated inwardly, unfamiliar with the term but unsettled all the same.
"Sol was imprisoned for eons," Zenith continued, his voice heavy with old grief, "all because he dared to speak on behalf of us all. Until he returned, we continued the burden of creation, building new worlds with no rest, only the certainty that they too would be destroyed. We crafted flawless worlds and breathed life into mortals capable of thought, of wonder... mortals who built civilizations and colonies. And yet, every single time, The End would reduce everything to nothing, exterminating their lives and worlds for his amusement. There was no stopping him. Any god who questioned his will or showed even a flicker of resistance was cast into the Void for millennia. Until... one of us proposed something; something that would change everything and stop our creator once and for all."
The demigods were stunned into silence. The weight of Zenith's words hung over them. Klaus could hardly believe what he was hearing. How could such a being, one with infinite power, ever be stopped? The idea felt impossible. And yet… Zenith stood before them, and The End did not. That fact alone made him realize that they had somehow found a way.
"You see…" Zenith began, "We gods are capable of achieving infinite power. We were created to do everything, the sole exception being Destruction. This is only possible because, no matter how powerful we become, we cannot threaten our creator, owing to the same law we have over our own creations: Dominion over Creation. However, since we still possess infinite power and capabilities, we can perform every task and wield every ability… including the ability to access our realm of punishment: the Void."
Zenith smirked as a thought entered his mind, and his frustration visibly eased. "Our creator underestimated our desire to end his frenzy," he said, "and he had no inkling of how deeply it pained us to watch him destroy our creations. And one day, when we were tasked with creating new realms for destruction, we held a meeting among ourselves. In that meeting, we proposed a plan to overthrow The End and imprison him in his own realm of emptiness."
The demigods' silence was heavy, but as the agony of waiting grew, Quinn couldn't help but speak out, frustrated by the unanswered questions swirling in her mind. "I just don't understand how an infinitely powerful, supposedly multi‑dimensional being could allow such a meeting to happen without his knowledge," she said, her curiosity getting the better of her.
Zenith smiled, picking up on her frustration. "You see… to answer your question, there is one truth universal to every sentient being, regardless of power or capability," he began. "That truth is the pleasure of rest and slumber. Even though divine beings do not require it, every sentient creature enjoys the satisfaction of rest, including The End. And at the very moment we held our meeting, he was indulging in slumber, as he always does during our creative processes to remain unaware of them. That was our opportunity."
Zenith's words shocked the demigods; they were taken aback by the idea that even divine beings embraced slumber. Klaus grasped the truth of this when he recalled his own isolation after Avalon's passing.
Klaus had stayed awake and alert throughout that time, but once Riley eased his mental stress, his body suddenly gave in to sleep. Realizing it was possible to stay awake so long, he understood it was not mandatory even for demigods. And they were only half‑divine beings. As Klaus pondered this, he noticed Zenith's expression shift.
"Though there was a problem with the plan," Zenith said abruptly, drawing the demigods' focus back to him. "Some gods strongly opposed such an ambitious scheme. Some feared defying our creator, while others were unwilling to risk their existence for the sake of our creations. Knowing how unpredictable our creator was, we feared that failure would bring catastrophic consequences. This disagreement fractured the pantheon, as there was no compromise to be found. But that was not the only issue. To safeguard themselves, a few gods who opposed our plan chose to betray us by reporting the rebellion to our creator."
"What?" Klaus exclaimed in shock, seeing the frustration in Zenith's eyes and realizing how dire the situation had become.
"One of the gods who opposed the plan was Siege," Zenith revealed. "But when the other gods confronted him to report the rebellion, he sided with the pantheon, standing against these traitorous gods among us. And you can imagine how that confrontation ended."
Klaus was completely absorbed in the story as Zenith paused and continued.
"Siege fought Tremor, Tundra, Limbo, and Tempest, the four gods who sought to betray us, alone. He remained true to his affection toward his siblings, despite the argument he had just had moments earlier. Siege nearly lost his life that day at the hands of his own kin, if not for the intervention of two gods who had luckily detected the conflict. They were Abyss and Sol."
Klaus stood in shock at the revelation, realizing he had been unaware of what Zenith had just disclosed about his father. He hadn't expected such strife among the gods, yet he also recognized it was his own fault for never asking his father about his past.
"This was the first conflict among divine beings," Zenith stated. "Siege, Sol, and Abyss displayed remarkable skill, and despite being outnumbered, they managed to defeat some of their adversaries before the rest of the pantheon could respond. With our timely intervention, we were able to halt and incapacitate these traitors without losing any of the three who confronted them. But one of those gods, Limbo, managed to escape; his mastery of space aiding his flee."
Zenith paused briefly before continuing. "With the threat at its apex and the conflict threatening to awaken our creator, the pantheon had to act swiftly and execute the plan, including those who had initially hesitated. Acting without delay, we encompassed every corner of reality that held any fragment of The End's existence and cast Void across the plane separating us from our creator and the incapacitated gods who had betrayed us."
Klaus was stunned. He couldn't believe that such a plan had actually succeeded.Even more baffling was how the gods had managed to pull off such an extraordinary feat with the Void, but Zenith's next words provided clarity.
"Despite our infinite capabilities," Zenith continued, "the act of casting Void across all of reality, the very canvas upon which existence itself rests, was far too colossal a task for us at the time. Because of this, we chose to concentrate specifically on the place where The End resided. Even then, the sheer power required to open the Void was overwhelming, especially in keeping it open for the duration necessary to trap our creator. As a result, once our task was done, every god was rendered immobile and slipped into unconsciousness, a slumber that lasted eons. And when we finally stirred... the pantheon came to realize that our plan had succeeded. We had been freed from the hands of our creator, and with that freedom came the chance to perfect our creative gifts; gifts that eventually led to the creation of humanity."
Silence filled the air. Zenith's words sank deep into each demigod, weighing heavily on their minds as they processed the revelation. The notion of a being capable of destroying entire realms and worlds for nothing but amusement sounded like fiction, and the reality of it made their own existence feel small and fragile, especially when they grasped the vastness of reality itself.
After several minutes had passed, just enough time for the demigods to fully absorb the weight of Zenith's recounting of reality's history, he spoke again. "I understand that a few of you still have questions to ask regarding this topic?" he asked.
The demigods remained quiet, but as expected, Quinn was the first to break the silence. "I have quite a few, actually," she said, drawing everyone's attention to her.
Zenith turned to Quinn. "You may proceed," he declared.
Quinn cleared her throat. "The first question I had in mind... is the lack of description for when exactly each god gained their respective titles," she asked. "Your explanation confirmed why the gods all have a similar facial appearance with one another, but it was also clear that The End didn't care about you all enough to assign titles to each one of you during your creation. So, when exactly did this occur, especially since the banished gods also have titles of their own?"
Zenith smiled. "As expected from the daughter of Sage," he said before continuing. "But your assumption is correct. We were indeed not created with our titles in mind. In fact, when we were created, we all had the exact same appearance as one another in every perceivable dimensional plane. The End cared not what we looked like, but what we were capable of creating. It was among ourselves that we saw the benefit of distinguishing one another and having our own identities. That is why we chose to brand ourselves by our specific passions."
Klaus hadn't expected Zenith's explanation on why each god represented a concept, but now that he heard it, the logic clicked in his mind.
"Just as mortals are born the same on average and gradually refine a particular niche of their choosing to master it," Zenith continued, "we too chose to brand ourselves according to our passions, to master those crafts and be recognized by them. Thus, the first generation gods, Sol and Abyss, chose to represent light and darkness; the undeniable duality of existence in the third dimension. The second generation chose to embody natural and physical elements, while the third aligned themselves with non-physical concepts and phenomena of their own selection."
Klaus recalled when they were taught about the generations of gods several months ago by Zeal. Looking back, he realized Zeal had never mentioned the gods spawned bearing these titles; instead, he had only said they represented these roles. He also remembered Zeal referencing the realm of Possibilities and Probabilities, a detail that now helped him understand why it wasn't impossible for a being like The End to be defeated by his own creations.
After Quinn's question, Link immediately raised his hand. "Just something I noticed from the story," he began, "but whatever happened to the god of Space? You mentioned that he managed to escape, so I'd assumed he wasn't thrown into the Void like the others; man, that sounds surreal to even say out loud. That being said, why wouldn't he just try to restore this End dude while you guys were immobilized?"
"Hey, I was just about to ask that," Quinn said to her brother in mild frustration from the side.
"Who cares," Link replied with a shrug. "At least I spared us from your long-as-hell monologues."
"Good question as well, Lincoln Atlas," Zenith said, gently steering the attention away from the twins' banter and back to the matter at hand.
Hearing Zenith use Link's full name, Quinn grinned broadly, while Link sighed in irritation, the digital screen on his mask flashing an unimpressed side-eye emoji.
"The burden of opening the Void," Zenith said promptly, "as seen by the fact that we fell unconscious for a long time, was not something to be dismissed. We were thirteen gods in total, and even then, we barely managed to perform the feat for mere seconds. Also, with his own condition far from optimal, it likely bought us a bit more time. I was one of the first few gods to awaken from this state, and during that time, we discovered that Nekro had awoken much earlier than any of us. Because of this, he was able to confront Limbo before he could amass the power needed to reopen the Void."
Zenith's words were sound, though it was clear there was more he had to share. "Furthermore," he continued, "given the risk of releasing The End, we could not afford to open the Void again to banish Limbo like the others. So Nekro made the decision to imprison him and keep him under his watch after the creation of Under World. Limbo remains there to this day."
Klaus's eye widened in complete shock, realizing that another god still resided within Under World. But that wasn't what truly caught his attention. What stood out to him was the odd disparity between Nekro's power and status when compared to the other gods. According to every explanation given, Nekro was a second-generation god, yet he had been the first to awaken. Though it was possible that Sol and Abyss had been weakened from the war against the other gods prior, Klaus remained curious.
Another detail dawned on him: unlike the rest of the gods, Nekro had not taken part in the demigod project on Earth. Instead, he had a child who lived within Under World, another clear deviation from the others. Klaus wondered if he was simply overthinking it all, but he couldn't help his intrigue about how Nekro slightly stood out.
"Is there any other question anyone would like to ask?" Zenith soon said, pulling everyone's attention back to him.
Quinn had already begun raising her hand when Zenith quickly added, "Any question that would relate to the understanding of the topic of The End, that is," he clarified.
"Oh," Quinn muttered, slowly lowering her hand.
"I have one," Rose suddenly spoke up. "Why exactly was it so urgent to disclose his existence to us right now?"
To Rose, it felt strange that The End's existence was being addressed so critically. She understood from Zenith's words that his power was beyond comprehension, but if he was imprisoned in the Void and incapable of escape, why was there so much urgency now?
Zenith's expression softened, aware that what he was about to say might be unsettling for the demigods. "There is indeed a reason why this information is so urgent," he said quietly. "Earlier today, based on the report provided to me by Sol, Klaus and Shade Walker informed us that the future had fallen into peril, one where every living being, including the gods, were slaughtered by The End."
Rose's eyes shot wide open in horror, a reaction mirrored by the rest of the demigods. "What?" she whispered, stunned.
"But how is that possible?" Lance asked in disbelief.
The room filled with anxious murmurs as panic started to spread, but Zenith swiftly moved to settle the unrest. "Calm down, demigods," he called out, his voice immediately commanding silence. "The matter of future possibilities is far too vast to fully explain during this meeting, but understand this: no future is set in stone. Infinite possibilities exist, and countless outcomes could still unfold. There is no certainty that this future will come to pass, nor is The End guaranteed to be released. Every god of the pantheon is committed to ensuring that such a future never comes to pass. So please... ease your concerns."
Zenith's words offered a sliver of comfort, calming the hearts of the demigods if only slightly. But the idea that such a future could exist still left a lasting impression. It terrified them, even if there was nothing they could do about it.
"With that being said," Zenith went on, "I know many of you still carry questions, or will soon gain questions that deserve answers. Should that happen, I urge you to contact us. We are more than willing to explain anything, no matter how extreme these questions may be."
After his words, Zenith extended his wings from his back. "I know it's easier said than done," he added gently, "but please, do not let fear overtake you because of what you've heard today. As I've said before, we gods will do all in our power to ensure this realm never again falls into the destructive hands of our creator. You have our word."
And with that, Zenith bid the demigods farewell before departing, returning to the domain of the gods.
As soon as he vanished, a rush of murmurs erupted among the demigods. Most were reeling from the cascade of revelations they'd just been given. Yet, despite the overwhelming new information, Klaus wasn't as shaken as the others. Because of this, his attention shifted toward Riley, who remained beside him, another who was just as unaffected as he was.
"Can we talk now, Riley?" Klaus asked.
Riley let out a quiet sigh at his question before turning to walk away. "I'm not really in the mood, Klaus," she said, her voice low. "I don't want to think about heartbreak after all that information."
Klaus watched Riley leave in silence as a few of the other demigods began to depart as well, now that the meeting had come to its conclusion. He let out a quiet sigh, frustration stirring inside him. Deep down, he knew he deserved her coldness. It was no different from what he had done to her earlier. With that thought weighing on him, he turned away and began walking back toward Rose and Shade, regrouping with the two of them.
"I honestly didn't expect that much news about reality and how everything began," Shade admitted, still trying to process it all.
"Yeah," Klaus murmured, his expression softer than usual.
"How'd it go with Riley, by the way?" Shade asked, nodding toward where Riley had walked off.
"How it looks," Klaus replied.
"Damn," Shade said, picking up on the weight behind Klaus's eyes.
Klaus took a moment, then decided to push the conversation in a different direction. "So what are your plans right now?" he asked, glancing between Shade and Rose.
"Well... I'll probably head back to Earth," Shade said. "I'd love to jump back into training after everything we just heard, but I made a promise that I'd return home soon, and it feels important to me."
"I get it," Klaus said, reaching out to meet Shade in a handshake.
"I'll see you guys later," Shade said, giving a brief wave as he turned and began departing for Main World.
Klaus soon turned his attention to Rose, who stood in silence beside him. "So how about you?" he asked. "What are your plans?"
"Why do you care?" Rose shot back suddenly, catching Klaus off guard.
"Excuse me?" Klaus asked, confused.
"You don't care, do you?" Rose pressed, her tone flat. "You're only asking because I'm the only one still left."
Klaus blinked. At first, he thought she was joking like she typically did, but the weight in her voice told him that this was different. "Uhh... did I do something wrong?" he asked carefully.
Rose turned her eyes on him. "How long have you known about the news concerning the future?" she asked directly.
Klaus hesitated briefly. "About a few days," he admitted.
"And did you ever think to let me know about it before this point?" Rose asked, her expression still stern.
"Come on, Rose," Klaus said, realizing where this was going. "You know it's not that simple."
"That's what you think," Rose replied. "But if I had found out about the situation instead, I would've told you. And you know that."
Klaus fell silent again, his gaze dropping slightly. He didn't have a response.
Rose sighed, her frustration layered beneath a deeper sadness. "Klaus... when was the last time you actually cared enough to check on me? To call me just to ask how I'm doing?" she asked. "And that excludes meeting in person."
Again, Klaus said nothing.
"I thought so," Rose said, turning away.
"You know I would've called if I could," Klaus finally said.
"Shade called," Rose countered. "He didn't explain anything about this... strange future you two stumbled across, but he called within the past month. Iris called as well. Heck, even Riley called once in a while."
Klaus stood still, surprised. He hadn't known any of that beforehand.
"I showed up at your house every single day for an entire month when you locked yourself in your room," Rose said quietly, still not facing him. "I know you didn't ask me to... but I did it anyway, despite everything. Because that's how much I care about you."
There was a moment of silence between them.
"I risked the safety of my mother and my home just to make sure I could be there for you in case you needed me," Rose added softly. "But in all the time that's passed since then... not one moment did you ever worry about me."
"That's not fair," Klaus said. "I've had a lot on my mind this past month, and you know it."
"That's also what I kept telling myself," Rose murmured. "But it's clear to me now that I care about you a lot more than you care about me. And that's not your fault... It's mine."
Klaus couldn't say anything. He simply watched in silence as Rose turned to leave the arena.
"I'll say hi the next time I see you," she said, lifting a hand in a quiet wave before walking away.
Klaus was already frustrated from his encounter with Riley, but now he felt even worse. What pained him most was that he recognized that Rose was right. She had done so much for him, yet he'd never properly shown his gratitude. He wasn't a good friend to her, and her words drove that home.
Klaus stood motionless as the remaining demigods filed out, his half gaze fixed ahead in silence. Upon realizing Klaus was the only one left, Link left his conversation group and approached him.
"Wow, getting two girls mad at you at the same time has to be some kind of record," Link teased.
"Just leave me alone, man," Klaus snapped, annoyance clear in his voice.
"Damn, chill out, Fetty Wap," Link replied. "I'm just trying to help."
Klaus sighed. "Thanks, but I need to be by myself right now."
"Fine," Link responded, returning to the others who waited for him. "But don't sulk too much that it becomes contagious."
Silent once more, Klaus watched each demigod depart the arena. He was left alone with his thoughts about everything Zenith had revealed, as well as the harsh reality check from Rose and Riley.
He stood for several more minutes before exhaling heavily. A realization struck him: there was something he had to do. With that, he headed to the transportation podium and soon departed the Exalted City.
Meanwhile, inside a meeting room, the gods debated the threat of The End and their next steps. Suddenly, the door swung open, drawing their attention. Confused, they looked up to see Klaus standing in the doorway.
Klaus cleared his throat. "Uhh… is this a bad time?" he asked, noting the gods' swift reactions.
"What do you want, Spawn of Sol?" Siege demanded from the pantheon.
Klaus took a moment. "I wanted to see if I could speak with my dad," he said. "I see this isn't a good time."
Sol rose from his seat. "That's alright," he said, leading Klaus out of the room.
Once outside, Sol turned to face his son. "What would you like to ask?" he inquired.
Klaus paused, his determination evident in his eyes. "I wanted to ask you… If you could teach me everything I need to know about my abilities."