(Written by Solomon Paul)

THE TREES OF SORROW

Nathan’s body was chained by roots that pulsed like veins, binding him in a prison of eternal agony. The Trees of Sorrow were alive, feeding on his divinity. With every breath, he bore not just his own torment, but the pain of countless worlds—wars, betrayals, deaths—all pressed into his spirit at once.

His eyes fluttered shut. In the abyss of suffering, a vision came.

A battlefield. Thunder split the skies.

Amon stood before Zeus.

His seal—cracked, glowing with terrible power. The ground shattered beneath their clash. Amon roared, his body consumed by divine flames, but Zeus struck mercilessly, a storm of lightning tearing through heaven and earth.

Amon fell.

Lifeless. Broken.

The light within him extinguished.

Nathan gasped awake, his chest heaving, sweat dripping despite the cold that surrounded him.

Nathan (whispering):

“…What was that? A warning… or the future? Amon… please, be safe.”

---

THE BANQUET OF GODS

Meanwhile, above the twelve skies, the gods of Olympus gathered.

Golden halls stretched endlessly, filled with music, laughter, and the fragrance of ambrosia. Torches of living flame lit the banquet, their sparks dancing like stars.

Helmes sat at the high table, watching silently as gods bickered, drank, and boasted.

Apollo (raising his cup):

“To victories yet to come! May Zeus’ reign stand eternal!”

Ares (snorting):

“Eternal? You mean until the next rebellion. Don’t speak too soon, golden boy.”

Athena (sharply):

“Mind your tongue, Ares. Not even war can save fools from their own arrogance.”

The gods laughed, but beneath the joy was unease. Whispers of prophecy had spread. Whispers of a child whose seal could rival Olympus itself.

---

HELMES AND NATHAN

Leaving the banquet behind, Helmes slipped into the prison grove where Nathan suffered. She stood among the twisted roots of the Trees of Sorrow, her expression unreadable.

Nathan’s eyes narrowed as he looked up at her.

Nathan (weakly):

“…Why, Helmes? Why choose this path? Why bind me here, while all this unfolds?”

Helmes crouched down, her smile faint but sharp.

Helmes:

“I didn’t choose, Nathan. I knew. From the beginning. All things are like a book to me—even gods. I read them as I please. Their beginnings… their endings… even yours.”

Nathan’s breath caught:

"But if you view this reality as mere books doesn't that's mean you can alter it "

Helmes(frankly):

"Yes indeed no story is above me, but if I were to alter yours I'll have to answer to the essence, which I'm not ready for "

Nathan:

“So that means…  Amon?” 

Helmes (quietly, with pity ):

“ if you had not married that angel as an Outer God, none of this would have unfolded. The chain of fate would never have begun.”

Nathan’s eyes glistened with pain, but his voice was firm.

Nathan:

“That was a choice I made. And I will never regret it. Not in this life… not in any.”

For a moment, Helmes was silent. Then, she chuckled lightly, standing to leave.

Her eyes glimmered.

Helmes:

“Yes. One more thing, keep in mind,if your boy does not break the seal you placed on him before Zeus discovers him… he will end up dead. That is the ending written for him.”

Nathan clenched his fists, despair and fury twisting in his chest.

Nathan:

“…Why tell me this?”

Helmes rose, turning back toward the banquet hall.

Helmes (playful):

“Because…, we have a banquet for gods tonight. You may be a fallen one, but still—you are a god. Let us drink to fate. It is only for the mood, after all.”

Her laughter echoed as she left, Frank and beautiful, fading into the sound of music and revelry above.

---

THE TREES OF SORROW

Alone again, Nathan tilted his head back against the bark, pain still pouring into him like an endless tide. His voice cracked as he whispered to the night:

Nathan:

“…Amon… please, don’t die. If the seal is your chain… break it. Before Zeus finds you.”

The roots tightened, and the agony of the multiverse drowned him once more.

Helmes (quietly, almost with regret):

“And Nathan… if you had not married that angel as an Outer God, none of this would have unfolded. The chain of fate would never have begun.”

Nathan’s eyes glistened with pain, but his voice was firm.

Nathan:

“That was a choice I made. And I will never regret it. Not in this life… not in any.”

For a moment, Helmes was silent. Then, she chuckled lightly, standing to leave.

Helmes:

“…You still cling to love, even now. Perhaps that’s why your story is worth reading.”

To Be Continued..