[Prequel] Beloved Archons' Family

Suffering

Krei wasn't usually one to stay late in his room. 

The fire god wasn't one to laze about, he wasn't that type of god. 

Yet today he wasn't feeling particularly fond of going outside to feel the sun on his skin or the wind in his hair, wasn't feeling up to smelling the aftermath of the rain that had stopped only an hour ago. 

The ashy blonde haired god didn't want to get up from his bed as he curled in on himself, clutching his stomach as he stared blankly at a half finished painting in the corner. It was of fire and brimstone, a bare landscape with clouds of black and red, like the very depths of the planets' core was breaking open in the sky.

It wasn't a cheery picture, so full of dread and pain and Krei hated that he drew it.

Hated that he was always compelled to draw what he saw when he woke up in the wee hours of the morning, long before even Morax woke to start his day.

The god of the inferno just wanted to burn all his paintings, the physical, visual representation of his visions. They sullied the palace, the pure white, the gentle openness and the calming atmosphere. Krei pulled himself out of bed after another hour of just staring at his half finished painting and he just flops onto his stone floor gracelessly and just lays there for another few minutes before finally detangling himself from his sheets and standing up - still dressed in his night clothes.

Krei wasn't feeling up to much of anything lately.

He didn't want to see his siblings, his best friend and sister-in-law. Couldn't even stomach seeing Morax without seeing blood.

Blood. So much blood...it's all over the ground and all over that beautiful once pristine white garment, ice cold fury in those once so passionately kind golden amber eyes. Teeth bared with blood and the markings glowing-

Krei shook himself out of those thoughts as he goes to his walk-in closet and begins getting dressed. As much as he hated the idea of leaving his room he had duties as a god to deal with. Each god was given additional duties, a special title aside from their element. The fire god was just passively disinterested in his newer duties. It was hard to care for much when his dreams were so filled with blood and war.

The god of fire finishes getting dressed in near record time of being the slowest to change. Second only to Barbatos when the god of wind was feeling particularly lazy. Thinking of the younger god made Krei smile fondly.

His littlest brother was such a joy, so free spirited and kind. Couldn't sit still for more than five minutes unless it was family dinner night then he was practically situated in Morax's lap chatting away about anything and everything he had seen and done that day.

So pure hearted it hurt Krei.

The blonde god could only hope that Barbatos never suffered when his fate hit him in the future.

Krei felt the tears sting his eyes and he presses the heel of his palms into his eyes harshly to try and stop the tears from falling. His chest was restricting painfully as his heart thudded painfully in his chest beneath his ribs. Barbatos...baby brother... The god of fire thought with no small amount of anguish.

Talks about more gods have been in the works for weeks, Chuck was having a hard time convincing Morax and some tiny part of Krei hoped in vain that he would say no. They didn't need more gods, they didn't need help! They were fine. Sure they were stressed and tired but they'll settle into a routine-

...

Oh who was he kidding? His visions were never wrong before and Krei felt despair clutch at him like a pack of wolves to fresh meat.

Krei could only resign himself to that dark future as he sobbed into the silence and safety of his large open room. Could only cry for the loss of his brothers and hoped beyond hope that his siblings could find happiness in the afterlife once Nibelheim was done and gone.

Oh, what a cure it was to have the Eyes of Inferno.
To be able to see further than the abyss, beyond the veil.
See what will happen no matter how much he tries to change it.

The god of the inferno could only cry for the lives that will be ended far too soon, for the loss of the love Morax has, that Alatus, Ventus, and Ying have for those around them.

Krei falls to his knees as he curls in on himself, sobbing harder.

He couldn't tell a single soul about this...