The master spy or Puss in the boot adventures

Lyra, the Goddess of Dreams 51, Part 181

" The Triad? Who is that? asked one new god.

" Back in the days before Nyx and Solaris got corrupted by the Darkness," spoke Astraea.

She waved her hand, and the swirling portal behind her shimmered and expanded, drawing them all into a vision of the past. They found themselves standing amidst the towering spires of a celestial city, its crystalline architecture pulsing with an inner light that seemed to emanate from the very heart of creation.

"This was our home," Astraea whispered, her eyes glistening with the weight of ancient memories. "The Nexus of All Realities, where the threads of every world and every timeline converged. As Celestials, it was our sacred duty to maintain the balance, to ensure that no single force grew too powerful and threatened to unravel the tapestry of existence."

The scene shifted, and now they witnessed a great assembly of radiant beings, each one shining with the unique hue of their cosmic essence. At the center of the gathering stood three figures - Astraea, Solaris, and a third Celestial who bore an uncanny resemblance to Nyx.

"We were the Triad," Astraea explained, her voice heavy with emotion. "Solaris, the Watcher of the Eternal Sun, tasked with overseeing the flow of time and ensuring that each moment played out according to the grand design. Nyx, the Shepherd of Souls, charged with guiding the spirits of the deceased to their final rest and maintaining the cycle of life and death. And I, Astraea, the Keeper of the Cosmic Balance, responsible for safeguarding the delicate equilibrium between light and darkness."

Nyx and Solaris stood in silence, remembering the good old days when they were on the side of the Light and defended the sacred truth.

"The Celestial Forge is the key to our salvation," Elysia continued, her eyes glowing with the reflected light of the shard. "With its power, we can reforge the shattered fragments of the Nexus, weaving them into a new tapestry of existence - one strong enough to withstand the onslaught of the Super Void and its minions."

She turned to face the gods, holding the Celestial Shard aloft. "

In the meantime, we can use the shard to stop the Super Void and its creatures until we can find the Celestial Blade, the Spark of Creation and repair the Nexus fragments... But we can't risk putting the shard in the hands of a single god. We must choose the new Triad that will protect the Nexus and the Shadow Soul. Only the Triad can use the Celestial Shard ... without being corrupted by the power of the shard.

Meanwhile, we can utilize the Celestial shard to hold back the Super Void and its creatures until we locate the Celestial Blade and the Spark of Creation and repair the Nexus fragments. However, we can't afford to let a single god possess the shard. We need to select a new Triad to safeguard the Nexus and the Shadow Soul. Only the Triad can wield the Celestial Shard without succumbing to its power.

Some gods proposed giving Nyx and Solaris an opportunity to reconcile and align themselves with goodness and light. Meanwhile, others recommended Ares, Athena, and Poseidon for the new triad.

As the gods debated who should be chosen for the new Triad, Elysia held up a hand, her expression growing somber. "Before we proceed, there is a grave matter that must be addressed." 

Elysia's gaze swept over the assembled gods, her eyes shimmering with the light of a thousand stars. "There is a traitor among us," she declared, her words falling like a thunderbolt in the stillness of the chamber. "One who has aligned themselves with the Super Void, secretly working to undermine our efforts and hasten the unraveling of the multiverse."

A collective gasp rippled through the assembled deities, their faces etched with shock and disbelief. Elysia closed her eyes, her brow furrowed in concentration as she delved into the complex web of cosmic energies that surrounded them. The very air seemed to crackle with tension, charged with the weight of her revelation.

"Impossible!" Ares growled, his hand tightening around the hilt of his sword. "No true god would ever align themselves with such a monstrous entity. It goes against everything we stand for, everything we have sworn to protect."

But even as he spoke, a flicker of doubt crossed the war god's chiseled features. His eyes darted from one face to another, searching for any sign of treachery or deceit.

Athena, her brow furrowed in thought, stepped forward. "If there is indeed a traitor among us," she said, her voice calm and measured, "then we must root them out before they can do any further damage. But how can we be certain? How do we know that this sense of wrongness is not simply a manifestation of the Super Void's influence, seeking to sow discord and mistrust in our ranks?"

Elysia nodded, her expression grave. "A fair question, Athena. The Super Void is indeed a master of deception, capable of twisting the very fabric of reality to suit its malevolent purposes. But there are ways to discern the truth, to pierce the veil of lies and illusions that the traitor may have woven around themselves."

"The traitor's identity is shrouded from my sight," Elysia admitted, her voice heavy with concern. "They have cloaked themselves in a veil of shadow, their true nature obscured by the same malevolent forces that seek to unravel the fabric of existence."

She opened her eyes, her gaze sweeping across the gathered gods. "Each of you must search your hearts and minds, examining your own motivations and desires. The Super Void's influence is insidious, preying upon the deepest fears and darkest ambitions that lurk within the soul."

As the gods looked upon one another with growing suspicion and unease, Elysia waved her hand, conjuring forth a shimmering orb of radiant energy. Within its depths, images began to take shape - scenes of destruction and chaos, of worlds consumed by the relentless hunger of the Super Void.

"Behold the consequences of betrayal," Elysia intoned, her voice resonating with the weight of prophecy. "Should the traitor succeed in their nefarious scheme, all of creation will be forever lost, devoured by the insatiable maw of oblivion."

The images within the orb shifted, revealing a bleak and desolate landscape where once thriving civilizations had stood. The skies were choked with ash and embers, the ground cracked and barren beneath a sickly, pulsating light. In the distance, the Super Void loomed like a cancerous growth upon the cosmos, its tendrils of darkness spreading out to ensnare all that remained.

"This is but one possible future," Elysia warned, her eyes glimmering with unshed tears. "A universe where the traitor's machinations have brought about the unraveling of all that we hold dear. But it is not the only path before us."

With another gesture, the orb's contents shimmered and transformed, now depicting a realm of breathtaking beauty and wonder. Lush forests teeming with exotic flora and fauna stretched out beneath skies of pure, unblemished azure. Crystal spires rose majestically from the earth, their surfaces pulsing with the harmonious energies of a universe in perfect balance. And at the center of it all, the gods themselves stood united, their essences intertwined in a symphony.