Island of the Gods,

The Divine Realm

In a grand hall with towering marble pillars, twelve massive thrones formed a circle. On each throne sat one of the Lesser Gods who ruled over the realms.

At one end of the circle sat Kallos, God of Strength. The burly, bearded god wore shining armour and tapped his fingers impatiently on the throne arm as he waited. Beside him was Enya, Goddess of the Hunt, idly polishing her bow.

On the next throne was Laszlo, God of Knowledge. He had his nose buried in a thick book, ignoring the gathering. The shy god avoided eye contact, adjusting his glasses as he read.

Opposite Laszlo slouched Nirian, Goddess of Night. She wore a long black gown scattered with gleaming stars, lounging lazily on the throne with her feet up. Nirian gave a loud yawn, covering her mouth daintily.

The other gods chatted amongst themselves, wondering why they had been summoned.

"Does anyone actually know why we're here?" Nirian interrupted loudly. The murmuring voices faded to silence. "I was in the middle of a lovely dream."

Kallos shrugged his bulky shoulders. "No clue. But it better be important to drag me away from the arena."

"Perhaps someone finally solved that millennia-old crossword puzzle you've been stuck on," Enya said, smirking.

Kallos scowled, his thick brows drawing together. "Laugh all you want, huntress, but I'll get it one day."

"Oh, I'm sure you will," Enya replied. "With that brain of yours, it may only take another thousand years or so. Why don’t you just ask Laszlo, I’m sure he could solve it in a second?"

Kallos grumbled something incoherent under his breath, fingering the war hammer at his belt. Enya just grinned wider and went back to polishing her bow.

"Friends, must we begin with petty squabbles?" said a gentle voice. They turned to see Sophia, Goddess of Mercy, seated serenely with her hands folded in her lap. She wore simple brown robes, a hood shadowing her delicate face.

Sophia smiled at them. "I'm certain we will discover the purpose of this gathering soon enough."

Kallos and Enya had the grace to look ashamed. "You're right, Sophia," Kallos muttered. "My temper got the better of me."

"Mine as well," Enya agreed. "Let us speak of more pleasant things."

As the gods resumed chatting, Laszlo finally peered up from his book. "Has anyone seen the God of Love or the Goddess of Nature?" he asked softly. "It's quite odd they aren't here."

The others glanced around the circle, realizing the two nature gods were absent.

"You're right, that is strange," said Sophia with a frown. "Those two rarely miss a gathering."

"Ha, probably too busy making flower crowns and composing poetry together," Nirian said with a wicked grin.

Sophia shot her a reproachful look. "There is no need for such unkind speculation. I am certain they would be here if they were able."

Their conversation was interrupted by the grand doors swinging open. The gods turned to see who had arrived.

Striding into the hall was Kakarion, the God of Space. He appeared as a man in his prime, with sharp features and closely trimmed beard. His maroon robes swirled around him as he walked.

Kakarion's gaze swept the circle of gods, his dark eyes calculating. Without a word, he took his seat on an empty throne carved with celestial symbols.

"Well, this is a rare delight," Nirian purred, eyeing the reclusive god. "We haven't seen you in centuries, Kakarion."

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"I keep busy," he replied curtly, steepling his fingers.

"So, what's the occasion?" Kallos asked. "Why gather us all here?"

Kakarion surveyed the hall as if weighing how much to reveal. Finally, he spoke.

"It has been nearly a millennium since the God of Time vanished."

At the mention of the missing god, the playful atmosphere evaporated. The gods exchanged uneasy glances.

"We are all familiar with the prophecy," said Sophia gently. "But what has prompted this meeting after so long?"

Kakarion's sharp gaze fixed on her. "Recent...developments. But first, I see some who were close to the Time God are absent. So…why are you here?"

Sophia lowered her eyes. They all knew she had been a confidant of the disappeared god.

Laszlo cleared his throat. "Yes, well...perhaps we should speak no further of prophecies and vanishing gods." He fidgeted with his glasses. "Dangerous topics those, quite volatile."

"Hiding from truth brings no safety," Kakarion stated. Laszlo shrank back under his intense stare.

"Enough riddles," Kallos growled. "Just tell us plainly why you've gathered us here."

Kakarion eyed the God of Strength for a moment before nodding. "Very well. To be direct, it seems the God of Time's plan to hide pieces of his essence in mortal vessels has succeeded thus far. After all these centuries of searching, none of us have located any of the Seven Marks of the Hidden, correct?"

Reluctantly, the others shook their heads or mumbled agreement.

"Precisely. But that may be changing." A faint smile touched Kakarion's lips.

Nirian perked up. "Oh? Have you uncovered something, Kakarion?"

"Perhaps. As God of Space, I possess certain senses attuned to distortions in the fabric of reality." Kakarion interlaced his fingers, choosing his words carefully. "Recently, I detected a subtle ripple suggesting someone manipulated time. The disturbance was faint, but unmistakable."

Excited exclamations broke out amongst the gods. Kakarion raised a hand for silence.

"I cannot pinpoint exactly what occurred. It may have been small - time briefly slowed around one person, for instance. Or something more significant, like journeying through years or decades. But clearly, one of the Hidden used their gifts."

He waved a hand, conjuring a glowing image of the celestial realms spinning in space above the circle. With another gesture, Kakarion highlighted countless worlds scattered throughout.

"I have narrowed the source's location to these realms. Still an extensive area, admittedly, but far better than nothing."

Kallos scoffed. "That's still searching for a single grain in a thousand beaches!"

"Patience, God of Strength,” Kakarion's eyes glinted. “The important revelation is that the Mark's magic is waning. Each time their powers manifest, it will create more noticeable ripples in the fabric of space and time. It is only a matter of time until I can pinpoint the sorcerer's exact location."

He let that sink in before continuing.

"And with each subsequent use of temporal magic, their signature will strengthen while their concealment weakens. Soon I will be able to pierce their veil completely."

The gods absorbed this news with a mixture of eagerness and wariness.

Sophia wrung her hands. "This troubles me. Meddling with the Time God’s plan will only cause c-."

"Once we locate the vessels, we can extract the Time God's essence," Kakarion interrupted calmly. "The mortals may even survive the process…if they’re lucky."

"And what if they refuse to cooperate?" Laszlo asked, timid but persistent.

A dangerous glint entered Kakarion's eyes. "Then we will remove the essence by force."

An uneasy silence settled around the circle. The gods exchanged conflicted glances, torn between unease and temptation. Each harboured a secret longing to possess just a fraction of the power hidden within those mortal vessels. Even the gentlest gods were not exempt from such dangerous ambitions.

Finally, Nirian broke the silence, unable to contain her curiosity any longer.

"This is all fascinating news, but why reveal it to us?" she asked Kakarion slyly. "Why not simply wait and take the power for yourself once the Mark is revealed?"

Kakarion studied her for a moment before answering. "As you say, I could do exactly that. Keep this knowledge to myself and seize the full power of Time God to ascend to the level of a Greater God."

His dark gaze swept the other eleven immortals. "But consider this - if one vessel could evade even my sight for nearly a millennium, who knows what tricks the Time God may have left? The road ahead may be...unpredictable."

The implications of his words settled around the hall. The gods eyed each other warily.

The tricks and machinations between the gods were legendary. None of them fully believed Kakarion was simply being generous with this vital information. But his true motivations remained unclear, and the other gods knew better than to pry further.

Kakarion smiled without warmth. "In such uncertain times, it is prudent to have...insurance. The loyalty of allies can prove important." He spread his hands innocently. "Can I not simply wish to share vital information with my fellow gods?"

"Ha! And I'm the God of Truth," Kallos barked out a laugh.

Kakarion inclined his head, unruffled by the sarcasm. "Believe as you wish. But remember this - the Mark of the Hidden cannot evade detection forever. A storm is coming. Choose your loyalties with care."

With one pointed look at Sophia, Kakarion rose smoothly to his feet. The other gods watched in uneasy silence as he strode out of the hall, robes swirling behind him. None of them noticed the dark anticipation creeping into Kakarion's eyes.

The grand doors boomed shut, leaving the eleven immortals to ponder the God of Space's revelations.

After all this time, the powers of the missing Time God were finally within reach again.

And with that, their chance to become a Greater God…