Long Journey || ATEEZ

Thy Dream Shall Be Yours

Hongjoong was settling in quite nicely to his new life in Zeratik. Seonghwa had actually quite a large sum of money saved in his bank account, accumulated from the long five years of servitude to the Cherries gang and its boss, and had used this to rent out a sufficiently-sized, three-bedroomed apartment in the coastal city. Hongjoong himself had managed to secure a decently-paying job that had him working six days a week – leaving only Sundays free – and so, less than a week later, their lives seemed to be settling back down to some tone of normal.

It was on one of these Sundays – the first Sunday since he had acquired this new job – that Hongjoong decided to go out on a bit of sightseeing. Zeratik was a new city for all three of them (though San mentioned that he may have stayed there for a while when he was younger); it was unfamiliar territory. And Hongjoong decided to make it his mission to get to know the place better. After all, this would be the place he'd be staying at before the sea became his home.

This time, with a map app open on his phone, he was determined not to get lost.

* * *

There was a story, long ago. Of why the Gods dared not cross the great Lord of the Gods, Eterna.

It had been ancient times when this tale took place.

The Gods were young and wild and reckless at the time, and knew no better.

They were fed up of Eterna's tyranny – and decided to overthrow her, and allow the Gods to be ruled by no one; they would be the ones to govern themselves.

But was Eterna truly a tyrant, or was this naught but a fib dreamed up by those who held a grudge against her?

There was no telling.

But one way or another, they'd had her cornered, in the sacred Horak Grata – Great Hall – where violence was forbidden.

These Minor Gods involved in the plot had managed to acquire the Sword of Ereni, an ancient and powerful blade imbued with the very essence of the Ancient Gods themselves.

They knew that no ordinary weapon would be sufficient enough to end Eterna.

And so, they had her cornered, they had a sword powerful enough to eliminate a God – it was the perfect chance.

And on that fateful day, forbidden blood was spilled on the very throne of Eterna, and a curse settled upon the very marble of the sacred building.

What kind of curse, the Gods did not know.

But they knew it was there, lurking underneath like a savage in the sewers.

Perhaps one day it would arise, and wreak havoc upon a once-peaceful Realm.

* * *

There were so many stories about the Gods, Jongho realised. They were all very interesting.

But the only problem was, were they real?

Were Lucidia and and Arai and Eterna and even Moderna all real? Did such powerful beings exist?

Could such powerful beings exist?

Well, they'd probably have to. Because Jongho's own father was one of those Gods. A Minor God, yes, but nonetheless a God. So of course Gods would have to exist, right? Jongho didn't visit the temples for worship and prayer and offerings to the Gods like those who believed in the religion of Terra itself, but he did believe in the Gods, unlike the many who dismissed them as naught but myth, or believed in other gods such as Brahman, or Allah. After all, if his father Jurna was naught but a myth, then what was he? Half non-existent?