Athanasios Perseus Apollyon - The Forgotten Tide

Chapter 6: The Meeting of Primordials

The ocean, vast and uncharted, held secrets that even the gods hesitated to explore. But today, my father, Poseidon, led me to its most distant and mysterious depths. As we descended into the abyss, the water grew colder, heavier, pressing in from all sides until I could feel the weight of the ancient powers that resided here. The darkness was absolute, swallowing all light, leaving only the eerie glow of bioluminescent creatures that dared to venture so deep.

My father's usual calm was tinged with tension, a sign that what awaited us was beyond anything I had encountered. I remained silent, focusing on the rhythmic motion of the water around me as we continued our journey. After what felt like an eternity, we arrived at our destination—a place that radiated an ancient, primal power.

We had reached a cathedral of the deep, a cavernous space where the ocean itself seemed to pulse with life. The walls were lined with glowing corals that bathed the surroundings in an otherworldly light, while the floor was covered in sands so fine they flowed like water. At the center of this awe-inspiring chamber stood two figures whose presence filled the ocean with a profound, ancient authority.

Pontus, the primordial god of the sea, was a being of constant motion, his form ever-changing like the currents of the ocean. His eyes were dark, endless voids reflecting the deepest parts of the ocean and the ancient secrets buried within. He was the ocean's raw, untamed force, a reminder of its power before the Olympians had ever existed.

Beside him stood Thalassa, the primordial goddess of the sea, her presence calm and soothing. She moved with the grace of a gentle tide, her aura a balm to the turbulent waters. Her eyes, filled with the wisdom of eons, met mine with a mixture of curiosity and expectation. Together, they embodied the ocean's duality—its fury and its serenity.

Poseidon approached them with a rare show of respect, bowing his head slightly. "Pontus, Thalassa, I bring you my son, Perseus. He is strong, but there is much he must still learn. I ask that you guide him."

Pontus gazed at me with an intensity that made me feel exposed, as if he could see through to the core of my being. "Perseus, firstborn of Poseidon," he said, his voice resonating through the water like a storm. "We have felt your power echoing through the ocean's depths. Now, we shall see if you are truly worthy of it."

Thalassa's voice was softer, like the whisper of the waves. "The ocean is a realm of endless mystery and power. To master it, you must first understand its depths. This will not be easy, but it is necessary."

And so began a century of rigorous training. Under the guidance of Pontus and Thalassa, I was pushed to my limits and beyond. Pontus was relentless, teaching me to summon storms with a thought, to command the seas with a gesture. His methods were harsh, demanding nothing less than perfection. He showed me the ocean's raw power, its ability to destroy and create in equal measure.

Thalassa's teachings were a stark contrast. She focused on the subtleties of the ocean, teaching me to communicate with its creatures and to understand the delicate balance that maintained the sea's ecosystem. Her lessons were about harmony and respect—understanding that true power came not from domination, but from symbiosis.

As the years passed, I grew stronger, more attuned to the ocean's rhythms. I could feel its currents as though they were my own blood, hear its creatures' thoughts as if they were my own. The ocean was becoming a part of me, and I, a part of it. Yet, despite all I had learned, there was always more. The ocean's mysteries were endless, and I was only beginning to uncover them.
It was during this time that I stumbled upon a fading echo of an ancient power. In the darkest, most hidden recesses of the ocean, I discovered Hydros, the primordial god of all mystical waters. His form was weak, barely more than a shadow, but his presence still carried the weight of ages.