Oliver woke up with a bursting headache, but he was surprised he woke up at all. He had no clue where he was or if he was even still alive. He glanced down to check his ankle. To his shock, it seemed to be in prime condition, like nothing had happened. Oliver sat upright and looked around him. The room was dimly lit and felt humid, but other than that felt pretty comfortable. Oliver felt like if he where to lay down, he could sleep for days.

The room had an air of mystery, with shadows playing tricks on his eyes. He noticed a wooden table in the corner, an old-fashioned lantern flickering on it, casting a warm, golden glow. Beside the lantern was a jug of water and a small, ceramic cup. The cup reminded him of the vases he saw in one of his history books, though his mind was so unclear he couldn"t quite remember wich one. Oliver"s throat was parched, and the sight of water was immensely inviting. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, wincing slightly as the cool floor made contact with his bare feet.

As he made his way to the table, he caught a glimpse of himself in a cracked mirror hanging on the wall. His reflection was a stranger"s—dark circles under his eyes, hair disheveled, and a faint scar tracing his left cheek. He couldn"t remember how he got the scar, adding another layer of confusion to his already muddled thoughts.

"Must have been from the fall", he muttered to himself, slowly tracing his fingers around the scar.

Pouring himself a cup of water, Oliver sipped slowly, the cool liquid soothing his dry throat. It was weirdly sweet for water, and it also felt thicker than usual. Oliver wondered if it even was water, but his thurst was too strong to hold him back He took another glance around the room, noticing more details. A small window high up on one wall let in a sliver of pale light, hinting at what seemed to be daytime outside. There were no visible doors, and the walls seemed to be made of rough-hewn stone, giving the room a rustic, almost classical feel.

Oliver"s mind raced with questions. How did he end up here? Who had treated his ankle? Why did he feel so exhausted? He decided to investigate further, starting with the table. Aside from the lantern and water jug, there was a small leather-bound book. He picked it up, noticing it was a journal of sorts. He opened it to find entries of the past few days, written in a precise and elegant handwriting, like the pen had danced over the paper. Oliver tried his best too steel his mind and read some of the entries, but the mindfog was still strong. He was able to pick up a few things though.

"Erebus ... God ... Finally awakened ..."

He tried even harder to read the entry, and was able to make out the full sentence

"Erebus, the God of the Dark, has finally awakened and returned to us. His new form seems weakened, but in no time he will be back to his old state and complete the Primordial Gods once more", Oliver read aloud. to his shock, the owner of the diary had been standing next to him for a while now.

"It"s rude to pry in other people"s belongings, you know? By the Gods, only just awake and already a real go-getter." the man said. He apeared to be a man of about 25, though his wavy curls hair was white as snow. He had a calm, almost dreary and tired expression on his face.

Who the hell are you?" Oliver slipped out, only afterwards realising he had been rude for no reason. This man mind have very well been the reason he was still alive.

"Feisty aren"t you", the man replied. "The name is Hypnos, God of Sleep, Son of Nyx and twin brother of the ever so lovely Thanatos, who will joins us in a second. I know this is all a bit much,but don"t worry, all will be clear in due time."

"God? As in immortal being? How is it than that I only appear now as the God of Darkness?" Oliver couldn"t make much sense of the entire situation. Just as Hypnos wanted to respond, a second figure walked in the room. The atmosphere in the room shifted immediately. The man, who was probably a god too, was dressed in a long and black cloak. The cloak was decorated with a lovely design, yet radiated a cold and eerie vibe. The cloaked figure took of his hood. His hair was just as white as Hypnos, but long and straight, falling to just over his shoulders.

"Ah there he is", said Hypnos is a calm tone. " My brother Thanatos, God of Death. Peaceful Death, to be precise".

Thanatos tried to smile, and even though it was a little off, Oliver felt like he was probably a man he could trust.

"Seems you made it before I did, brother. I hope he hasn"t put you to sleep yet with some boring over-explanation." Thanatos" voice was deep and rough, yet soothing.

"He hasn"t, at least not yet.", replied Oliver with a faint smile.

"I guess we are tasked with explaining you what is going on here", Thanatos looked over at Hypnos, who nodded in response.

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"We might be gods, wich means we are undying, we aren"t quite immortal. When a god dies, a new one is either born from another god, or in the case of a god spawning directly from Chaos, chosen. You where chooses to become the new Erebus, wich i suppose you guessed as much". Hypnos nodded at his diary.

"But how does a god die then?" Oliver asked.

"I"m not allowed to tell you. The Olympians fear that if everyone knows how, there is nothing stopping them", responded Thanatos. A fair point, thought Oliver. Even the gods need laws.

"We should give you a little tour across the Crossroads, where we usually are if we are on duty. Then we can let you go back to your old life, until we have a task for you. Wich will probably be rather soon", Hypnos smirked, seeing the relieve on Oliver"s face.

"Someone waiting for you? If you can, try not to sell us out to quick. Your new powers will be tricky to control at first, but you get the hang of them pretty fast".

Oliver just smiled in response. He was still processing so much, that it hadn"t truly sunken in yet. He was a god now, and so where apparently hundreds of others. As they stepped out of the room, Oliver was greeted with the rest of the Crossroads, the space between the real world, Olympus and the Underworld.

"We don"t stay on Olympus because the Olympiers are so full of them selfs that they just sit up there and let us do the work", Thanatos said. His opinion of the Olympians was shared with some giggling creatures sitting in the corner of the hallway. They looked human, but there was something off about them.

"The Oneiroi, or Dreams. We blocked them out so you could sleep peaceful, but they can be a handful. Phobetor is particular is quite an asshole, to put it bluntly. He is personification of nightmares, and by the old mythology a brother of mine", Hypnos smiled softly.You can take "brother" pretty loosely though".

They continued further into the Crossroads.

Oliver"s senses were overwhelmed as they walked through the Crossroads. The space felt both infinite and confined, a paradox of endless corridors and rooms that seemed to shift and change with each step. Strange figures roamed the halls, some with faces that were familiar in an ancient, mythological way, and others that defied all logic and description.

"Don"t worry," Hypnos said, noticing Oliver"s bewilderment. "The Crossroads can be disorienting at first. It takes time to get used to the way it moves."

"Moves?" Oliver asked, trying to keep up.

"Yes," Thanatos replied. "It"s a living entity of sorts, responsive to our needs and the balance of the worlds it connects."

As they turned a corner, they came upon a grand archway, adorned with symbols and runes that glowed faintly. Beyond it, the landscape shifted into a serene garden, filled with lush greenery and soft, glowing flowers.

"This is the Garden of Hesperides," Hypnos explained. "A place of rest and contemplation for the gods. You may find it useful when you need to clear your mind."

Oliver nodded, taking in the beauty of the place. Despite the serenity, he couldn"t shake the feeling of underlying tension. "What exactly is my role as Erebus?" he asked, turning to his guides.

"Your role is to maintain the balance between light and dark, order and chaos," Thanatos explained. "Erebus is a primordial force, older than the Olympians. You are the embodiment of the dark spaces between stars, the shadows that define the light."

"But how do I even start?" Oliver"s voice wavered with uncertainty.

"You start by understanding your powers," Hypnos said gently. "The darkness is not just an absence of light, but a force in itself. You will learn to manipulate it, to travel through it, and to harness its strength."

"Sounds daunting," Oliver admitted.

"It is," Thanatos said, not unkindly. "But you are not alone. We are here to guide you, as are the others you will meet."

As they continued through the Crossroads, they encountered other deities and mythical beings. Some nodded in acknowledgment, while others merely observed. Oliver felt a mix of curiosity and trepidation, aware that he was now part of this vast, ancient world.

Eventually, they reached a large chamber filled with maps and charts of the mortal and divine realms. In the center stood a tall woman with a commanding presence, her eyes gleaming with wisdom. She wore a large black hat, and had a commanding precense.

"Ah, Hecate," Hypnos said, his tone respectful. "Goddess of Magic and Crossroads, we bring the new Erebus to you."

Hecate turned her gaze to Oliver, her expression unreadable as her face seemed to be covered in some sort af veil. Only a set of prying green eyes seemed to get trough. "Welcome, young one," she said. "You have much to learn, but I see the potential within you. Though i also sense that the force of Chaos is strong within you. As if you are also fighting yourself"

Oliver felt a mix of determination and anxiety wash over him. He wondered if he was even cut out for a task this important. "Thank you," he said hesitantly, meeting her gaze. "I"m ready to learn."

"Good," Hecate said with a nod. "The journey ahead will be challenging, and it will try to break you. Don't let it You will discover strengths you never knew you had and forge bonds that will stand the test of time. Or you could of course give in to the Chaos and use your strenght to veil the world in darkness. I suggest we let you go for now, and when night falls and darkness covers the world once more, u will find you way back to us and your training will continue. This realm's time functions a bit different, but is isn't completely cut of either. Keeping you any longer will cause worry with your peers and relatives. "

With that, Oliver seemed to be transported back to the regular world. The Crossroad almost seemed to vanish into thin air. Oliver felt his scar again, a reminder of just how much he still didn't know.