Chapter 2: Chapter 1: Beginning

A soul passed through a dimension beyond any human comprehension. Numerous strings bundled together to create pillars of light that spanned into infinity.

The strings which composed these pillars of light brimmed with activity as numerous strings could be seen losing their sheen as they faded into nothing, while an equal number of strings were born into existence with a radiant glow.

In addition to that, these pillars of luminous strings though plentiful were evenly spaced to avoid contact with one another. No matter how much activity occurred in the pillar of strings, it would never reach another pillar. So close and yet so far at the same time.

It was a sight that was equal parts fascinating and terrifying in its perfect mixture of chaos and order.

The stray soul wandering through this cacophony of luminous string pillars was never meant to be here. Though it would be hard to know who instituted such a rule, it simply existed as if it were natural. In the endless amount of time this dimension has existed, never once has it experienced an anomaly such as this.

The soul wandered for an unknowable amount of time without stopping as if continuing a task in futility was second nature to it. But given an infinite amount of time, even the most improbable of miracles will be all but assured to occur. And that it did.

The wandering soul which wandered endlessly slowly encroached upon a pillar of light that stood out from the rest. It shined with a radiance brighter than the others surrounding it. Millions of strings faded from its collective in both a calm and abrupt manner and millions more burst forth into existence within it with a radiance ranging from a light shimmer to a blinding glow.

As the stray soul neared its vicinity, it was struck with a string that strung it deeply. It was a string whose sharpness was incomparable to others as if strengthening the quality of its edge was its only purpose. Akin to a blade forged an infinite number of times.

The stray soul reeled from the impact of that lone sharp string as its trajectory changed due to the impact. It was now closing in on a pillar of strings that seemed all too familiar to the soul, a pillar of strings that the unconscious soul felt a natural attraction towards. As the soul collided with the pillar, a brilliant light never before seen in this dimension covered its entirety for a brief moment, and the soul soon began morphing into a string that attached itself to the pillar. The consequences of this occurrence will soon shake up this dimension once more...

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"It seems I'm at my limit Zeus-Sama..."

In a room that was only illuminated by a small lamp, there lay a woman with brilliant snow-white hair. In her arms, she cradled a sleeping toddler. His hair radiated the same white brilliance hers did. Though she was trying to set up a serious mood for the person she was talking to, she could not help but glance at her child and have a bright smile plastered on her face as she watched him sleep.

"Meteria...is it finally time?..."

The man who spoke this did so with a melancholy he was all too familiar with recently. He was the chief of one of the strongest familias Orario had ever known. A god with the authority to control the most turbulent of storms. Zeus.

"Yes...I tried my best to hold on as best as I could...but it would seem it's not my fate to rear this child and witness him growing up"

Though Meteria experienced a great amount of sadness as she confronted the reality of the situation, she still kept her characteristic smile which charmed both gods and mortals alike.

"Though I will not be able to raise him myself. I can find comfort in knowing he can be left in capable hands. Though I am nothing but a member of the Hera familia who did nothing but rely on others to continue living, I ask of you Zeus-Sama, please take care of my dear Bell"

Though she was incredibly weak at that moment, she did her best to bow whilst carrying her child safely.

"Stop Meteria. You provided enough by being the emotional support of both my and Hera's familias. And conserve your energy, Hera would have my neck if she knew you bowed to me in this state hahaha"

Though Zeus tried to lighten the mood with a joke at his expense, Meteria still held her position.

"Please Zeus-Sama"

Having his joke fail to lighten the mood and dissuade the topic, he could help but sigh at having no way out.

" *sigh* Would it not be better for him to be raised by a fellow mortal Meteria? Though I have long lived in Genkai, I still retain the sensibilities of a god. That might affect my ability to raise him. I'm sure I can find someone who would be willing to take him"

"Absolutely not, Zeus-Sama"

Meteria halted her bowing and assumed a pose that allowed her to stare directly into the eyes of Zeus. Zeus was taken aback since Meteria rarely showed such conviction in all the times he has conversed with her.

"Though I'm sure you can find a worthy caretaker for Bell Zeus-Sama, I...no...we would not accept anyone else but you to raise our child in our place"

Zeus, knowing whom Meteria was referring to, couldn't help but find his conviction to refuse her request weaken at the mention of the child close to his heart. Memories of a fool hearty adventurer with raunchier humor than his own passed by unconsciously. The pain of his passing along with his other children wore down his heart once again.

"Mentioning him...that isn't fair Meteria..."

"He always said to never hesitate to use such things when I needed to ask you anything Zeus-Sama"

The two lightly chuckled as they felt the spirit of a person dear to both of them envelop the conversation. But Meteria continued her serious plea, despite the comfort the current atmosphere brought to her.

"Zeus-Sama...I know you blame yourself for what happened to our familias..."

Zeus slowly lost his refound smile at the mention of his greatest failure throughout all the years he has existed.

"But it was never your fault Zeus-Sama. No amount of prior preparation or planning would have changed the outcome of your battle with the One-Eyed Black Dragon"

"Nothing could have changed the results of that battle. And I'm confident none of your children nor my familia mates would hold it against you or Hera for embarking on such a quest. Had you not, Orario may have very well experienced a true disaster"

Meteria did her best to comfort the grieving god, but Zeus could not help but make a snide remark at his current sorrow

"Ha, and you're saying it isn't in a disaster right now?"

With the fall of the Zeus and Hera familias, the power vacuum that opened within Orario soon led to radical groups and familias running rampant now that there was no one to keep them in check.

"That is true, but compared to the One-Eyed Black Dragon escaping the dungeon and tearing down the Tower of Babel at full force, it makes the current events we are experiencing look like a blessing"

Zeus knew deep down that Meteria was correct. Had his and Hera's familias not repelled and weakened the dragon in their excursion, it may very well have led to the first dungeon outbreak to occur in thousands of years. Not even Ouranos' prayers would be enough to hold the dragon at bay.

Though he knew she was correct. He couldn't find it in his heart to accept it. He couldn't help but claim responsibility after seeing what had happened to the children...after what had happened to Hera...

Seeing the once proud and goofy god begin to sink into depression once again, Meteria resolved to bring him out of that rut.

"Zeus-Sama, what do you see when you look at this child?"

Zeus' self-deprecation stopped when he heard the gentle voice which enamored his now-gone children and companion. When he raised his head he saw the gentle eyes of Meteria that conveyed a sense of comfort he hadn't experienced in the last month.

Complying with what Meteria had said, he switched his gaze onto the child that lay in her arms. A sleeping baby boy with silver hair. His breathing showed his sense of cal. Naive, and unaware of the turbulent happenings around him.

The sight brought up comforting emotions within himself. Though he was unable to articulate what exactly those emotions were. As he was trying to find a way to describe it, Meteria spoke.

"Hope. That is what I see when I look upon my child Zeus-Sama"

"Hope that he might be able to run around the fields that I was never able to. Hope that he might not be as much of a bumbling mess as his father. Hope that he can live a life better than ours. Hope that he can reach a place we were never able to"

Zeus pondered on the words Meteria spoke. Hope. He couldn't help but be drawn towards the word to describe what he felt.

"Zeus-Sama. Why do you think we mortals continue living in a world so eager to drown us in suffering? In a world where our fellow brethren would not hesitate and even relish in our demise?"

"It is hope Zeus-Sama. Hope that our suffering would end. Hope that we may find comfort. Hope that we may find joy. Hope for a day better than before. We place our hopes in the possibility that it will one day get better. The sight of paradise on the horizon, though it may be far, brings us enough comfort and conviction to continue moving forward in pursuit of it"

Zeus calmly listened to the words of Meteria as she spoke with an overflowing kindness that can turn the vilest of criminals into pacifists.

"Though we place our hopes into this possibility of paradise, it doesn't always happen. Many fall into despair at this realization. Some resign themselves to fate, deciding that any more effort is futile. Others decide to become evil. Choosing to exploit others in the pain of realization..."

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Zeus began to slowly slip back into depression, thinking his decision to be the lost hope plunged all of Orario into darkness, but Meteria's next words cut him off from pondering on such a prospect any longer.

"But many choose to continue hoping. If not hoping for their wishes to happen to them, then hoping that one day it will come true for those we care for. Hoping it may come through for our friends...family...lovers...and children... We hope for the best for them. That they may reach somewhere we never could. That they might smile brighter than we ever could. And the solace found in their happiness...That's what drives us to continue living in futility"

Meteria weakly reached out her hand to the grieving god. Zeus quickly grabbed ahold of her, not wishing to see her continue struggling for his sake.

"I know you are burdened with the deaths of your children Zeus-Sama. And I'm not saying it's wrong for you to grieve. But please do not allow their deaths to be in vain...Just as much as you wished for them all to live a better life, they all wished the same for you too"

"Continue being the perverted god that made us laugh every day...continue making the most out of your life here in Genkai...accept what fate has dealt you...and strive to improve so that you don't add any more regrets..."

Meteria now began to visibly become weaker. So much so that Zeus had begun holding Bell in her place while she spoke.

"Such a harsh life you mortals live..."

"But...it was that very same stubbornness in futility that enamored you gods...is it not?"

"Touche"

Meteria smiled kindly as she witnessed Zeus begin to regain his smile as he held her child in his hands.

"Start anew Zeus-Sama. I will not be long for this world. Zald will soon succumb to poison, and Meteria will soon be like me. So, unfortunately...We will not be able to start anew with you...but you will be able to do so with Bell..."

"I know it is very selfish of me to ask this of you when you're like this...but...please raise Bell...in place of me and my husband...if not for us...then for yourself Zeus-Sama"

Zeus began to frown at the idea of using his child's son as an outlet for his depression and soon replied to Meteria's accusation.

"I would never do that Meteria"

Meteria then weakly replied

"I know...I'm just making sure...hehe"

Zeus could only smile at how caring she was of others, even if they were as annoying as him...even if she was at the end of her life...

"I promise to you Meteria, I will make sure Bell grows up to be a fine man"

The god of storms reclaimed his proud stature as he swore this oath to the child who had done him a great service during the greatest tragedy of his existence.

"I'm...so glad...May I...hold him...one last time?..."

"Of course Meteria..."

Zeus handed Bell to the weak Meteria.

She cradled him as best as she could with her dying body. Though she struggled to embrace him, the act overflowed with an immense amount of love and kindness. Before she passed on, she found the strength to speak to him one last time.

"My sweet precious Bell...grow strong...grow happy...may you experience so much joy...that no sadness could triumph over it....grow loved...grow kind...know that no matter where you are...or what you become...mother will always...always love you...my beloved...son..."

As Meteria closed her eyes as she uttered her final words, she continued to embrace her precious son. Even as strength began to leave her arms, her mysterious magic wrapped her in a warm white glow, allowing her to continue embracing him even after death. A miracle that allowed her to convey her love beyond the constraints of death.

Zeus stood there, trying his best to hold back the tears he wished to shed. To mourn the passing of the kindest mortal he has had the pleasure of knowing, and to appreciate the beauty of such motherly love amidst the turmoil of the world.

As he moved to pick up by Bell so that he can lay Meteria to rest, the baby boy began to wail. Perhaps it was an instinctual response to sensing his mother passing, but whatever it may be, the next scene shocked Zeus greatly.

The warm white light exuded from Meteria's magic began to dwell within the body of the baby boy. In addition to that, light blue strings began to revolve around him.

Zeus began to move quickly, worrying that this might've been the result of an Ignis Faatus of Meteria's magic.

But just as abruptly as this had happened, it just as quickly disappeared altogether. Greatly confused, Zeus began to examine if Bell had any abnormalities. Though he wasn't a god in the realm of medicine or healing, he had picked up tidbits from watching his familiar perform first-aid throughout the years.

After finding no abnormalities. He was greatly relieved. This was reinforced by the baby's healthy crying. He didn't want to mess up so soon after promising Meteria to do his best in raising the kid.

But as he steadied his heartbeat, he was shocked as he looked upon Bell. His once crimson-red eyes which he had inherited from his father were no longer seen. They were now a shade of light blue. An eye color neither of his parents exhibited.

Zeus tried his best to recollect any possible answer for this from the conversations he has had with his Familia's magicians and gods related to the field of magic. Wanting to be absolutely sure that nothing was wrong with the child.

But as he struggled to find an answer, Bell slowly began to stop wailing and started sleeping peacefully in Zeus' arms.

Zeus, feeling the warmth the child produced in his embrace, began to calm down as well. He had just witnessed a mortal child break the conventions of life and death to convey her motherly love, and not soon after saw her child begin exhibiting bizarre magical phenomena.

"Hope that they can reach somewhere we never could huh?... I'm sure Hermes would have a field day if he knew this child..."

Zeus knew the potential of this child. Having witnessed numerous heroes throughout history, even having created the spirit contracted with the first hero "Argonaut", he knew all too well the potential he saw in Bell.

But though he recognized this potential, he also recalled that beyond the miracles that just occurred, this was just the passing of a loving mother and the grieving of an innocent child. He couldn't bring himself to push him to be some selfless hero, even when he knew what was at stake. He simply wished...for this boy to be happy...just like what his mother would've wanted...

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Zeus buried Meteria in a hidden flower garden he found within the ruins of Orario. It wasn't a grave that exuded grandiose of any sort, but he made sure it blended with the beauty of the surrounding nature and would last the test of time. He found comfort in imagining Hera scolding him for not giving her child anything less than a mausoleum in her honor, and Meteria trying her best to convince her to stop.

Zeus soon gathered all his belongings and what little wealth he had on him for the future journey in store for him and Bell. He did his best to remove any possible traces in case Evilus was able to track down their movements. But he had heard that an upstart goddess named Loki and the plaything of Hera, Freya, have been keeping them busy with their familias, so he figured he wouldn't have to worry about them for a while.

Due to the current chaos of Orario, Zeus was able to leave the checkpoints without much fuss. Until he had left the forest north of Orario, he raised his awareness to the absolute limit. Like the goddess Artemis, Zeus' arcanum-sealed body couldn't contain all of his strength, so he had capabilities comparable to those of a high-end level 2 adventurer with his residual strength.

He utilized his senses and dexterity to avoid suspicion and detection by monsters, thieves, or pursuers. But if push came to shove, he was confident in ensuring his escape with Bell.

Once he left the forest and came upon the deep mountains where the village he was heading towards was located, he finally began to loosen up. He looked at the sleeping child in his arms with a fond smile. Bell mostly slept ever since Meteria's passing, but he made sure he was well-fed and hydrated, though he would soon need to find someone who can breastfeed him...

The image of a well-endowed woman's breasts suddenly flashed within Zeus' mind. He began to unconsciously fantasize but soon snapped out of it once he remembered it was vital to Bell's health.

"Damn it, now is not the time to get pent up..."

"Though I do wonder if you'll end up a pervert like me or your father Bell"

He asked the child sleeping in his arms. Though he didn't get a verbal response as he was sleeping, he did hear Bell grunt with a small "un".

"HAHAHA, guess it runs in your blood eh? HAHAHAHA"

"Don't you worry a thing Bell, your grandpa will teach you the ways to pick up any girl, that way you can live your wildest fantasies. Even if you have to do it in a dungeon HAHAHAHA"

And so the god and child set forth to make a life for themselves in this rural village. Choosing to hope even after despair.

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