Greece around 1600 B.C.E., the Minoan Civilization is thriving. Somewhere in the Aegean Sea, there exists a small island where a secret cult lives—a cult that has long been forgotten that it existed. They did not worship the Cretan bull but rather the Dark god Erebus.
One day, they gathered secretly at night; they slaughtered a captured bull as an offering to Erebus and drank its blood. Then they burned the meat and inhaled the smoke, reaching a form of ecstasy.
Suddenly, the ground began to shake, and clouds gathered in the night sky. Soon afterward, on the nearby island Thera, the volcano erupted, shooting hot lava and rocks into the night sky.
Soon, I saw in front of me three individuals – two men and a woman. They all appeared to be incredibly strong with hard expressions on their faces. As I examined them closely, I noticed that occasionally, their eyes would appear completely blue without any white or black dot in the center; however, this only lasted for a second before they seemed normal again. This occurrence was random and could easily go unnoticed.
One of the men spoke up, revealing himself as their leader. “What do we have here? A lone woman?” he asked. “No,” countered the woman of the group, “she is a fallen goddess like us.” The first man concurred with her statement, saying, “Hmm, how true.” The second man continued, “Perhaps she can join our ranks.” “Maybe,” said the leader again. Curious about their identity I inquired, “Who are you?” “We are fallen gods, like yourself,” explained the second man. “Fallen gods?” I asked them, more confused than ever. “What does that mean? A goddess?” The woman suggested, “Perhaps we should help her. She does not seem to know her true nature” “Agreed,” said the leader.
I hesitated, unsure of what to make of their claims and my own abilities. They seemed to know that I was different somehow? Did my eyes seemed to shift colors like theirs did randomly? Was that a sign I was more than human? It would explain my ability to heal and come back to life, but I was not sure. But at the same time, I felt more mortal than divine but then again, I had no idea how a god felt.
So with trepidation, I agreed to join them in hopes of discovering the truth behind my nature and abilities.
When Death, the harbinger of the end, heard about Project Imortel's activation, he couldn't help but scoff at its absurdity. “These beings with limited existence should not be eternal,” he grumbled to himself. Alas, his dissenting voice was drowned out by the Council of El's unanimous decision.
The council had made up their minds – certain mortal souls would now escape Death's grasp and become immortals of El. Though Death disapproved, he knew that his role in this new world order was no longer to take lives but rather to observe the consequences of the council's decree.
It is said that one day, the sky will bleed as reality ceases to exist. In this moment of cosmic collapse, all existence shall vanish. As time reaches its ultimate halt, Death and Life will confront each other, united in their love. Following this climactic encounter, the creator will begin anew on a pristine canvas,life, and death will be separated again for countless ages.
In a distant part of the universe, a voice spoke,
“How is the situation?” Another figure replied,
“It's quite dire; many are wounded and several are in critical condition. It may have spread to other universes as well.”
“This is concerning,” said the first figure.
“We need heroes now more than ever. Prepare for the activation of Project Imortel, initially only within our universe which has been hit hardest.”
“I understand, but Death won't be pleased with this decision.”
“I don't care; it must be done,” said the first figure resolutely. “Death will eventually accept that this is necessary.”