Chaosbound: Elarith Chronicles

"Hey there, what are you daydreaming about out there?"

He, who bore the face of a man and the heart of a god, looked back, a faint smile touching his lips. His gaze was fixed on the sprawling city of Elarith below, a bustling tapestry of stone and life. "Oh, it's you, Nephra. Nothing, really. Just thinking about Elarith's future. It's so fragile."

Nephra's eyes fell on the scorched stones of a makeshift cooking pan. Inside, a handful of beans and grains were burnt to a crisp, a faint, bitter smoke rising from the blackened mess. A smirk played on his lips. "Or are you thinking about how Sybris will scold you for ruining the pan she custom-made for you?"

The Chaos God shrugged, a guilty look on his face. "I swear, it's impossible. My power is meant to break things, not to nurture them. It just refuses to cooperate. I couldn't control the flame properly, much less my own patience. Why is it so complicated to cook these? Humans make it look so easy."

"My lord," Nephra said, his tone respectful yet familiar, "that's precisely the point. You're a God. You don't have to do those things yourself. It's not a fault that you can't; it's simply your divine nature."

"Yeah, I know that." The god sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It just sucks to be me sometimes. He stared at the burnt pan again, as if it held the answers he couldn't find in prophecy or power. The smoke curled upward like a failed prayer, vanishing into the sky. Oh well, please tell Whiz to help the humans gather more of these seeds. They need more food for the coming season."

"He's already on it, my lord. I made sure of it."

"And don't forget to..."

"Yes," Nephra interrupted smoothly, a familiar, exasperated sigh escaping him. "I've already made sure they train with the essence of the warrior god properly. Food safety checked, construction checked, peace checked, politics checked, education checked, farming checked... the list goes on. I have everything handled, my lord. You need not worry; I'll take care of it."

"Oh, Nephra, what would I do without you?"

"You'd probably spoil them too much," Nephra replied, a hint of a smile in his voice. Nephra's voice was light, but his eyes betrayed a deeper truth—he had seen the god's kindness, the way he lingered near wounded children, the way he hesitated before unleashing divine judgment.

The Chaos God's expression turned somber. "I know. But I feel guilty giving them all these crucibles, then watching them rebuild themselves again and again. It pains me to see them suffer because of what I gave them or took from them."

Nephra's gaze turned serious. "Humanity will adapt. But you envision them surviving outside these walls? They are not ready for that. Not yet."

"I don't think they'll ever be ready," the Chaos God said, his voice quiet. "The corruption has already consumed the whole world. Soon, the veil will disappear, and I will disappear with it."

"Do you long for that day?" Nephra's voice was soft.

"I don't long for it, but being alone, I've realized the world no longer needs a God. The gods were merely guides for other lives to prosper. We were never meant to rule. But look at what happened. The very catastrophe in this world is the result of the Gods' actions."

He paused, a solemn look in his eyes. "Nephra, I need a favor from you."

"Whatever you ask, my lord, I will do it. You should just order me. Yes, order, not request."

"No," the god said firmly. "I will never do that to you or anyone. If you do something for me, I will be thankful." The god's voice trembled slightly, not from weakness, but from the weight of choosing humility over command. It was the kind of strength only those who had lost everything could wield.

"Then what is it, my lord?" Nephra asked.

"One day I will be gone. The Holy Veil will be gone. Even the Malice Bloom will lose its power. If that day comes, please help the humans, even in a small way you can. Humanity has a long way to go."

"Do you know why I created the Malice Bloom?" he asked.

"Isn't it obvious? To ensure humanity would stand united against a common foe, to kick their survival instincts into gear, and to put them in their place."

"You think too much," the Chaos God said with a hint of a chuckle. "But yes, you are correct. It's because it's the only way I knew how. The other gods were so good at this. I can't even cook a simple dish. I wish it was the God of Life who survived instead of me. Heck, even the Shadow God could do better."

"Yet they are all gone," Nephra said gently. "You didn't have to care for the humans, yet you did. That's because it's your nature, too. You may be the Chaos God, but for me, you are the most caring god of them all." Nephra's words hung in the air like incense, soft and sacred. The god turned away, pretending to study the horizon, but his silence was louder than any denial.

"Bah, that's nonsense." The Chaos God waved a hand dismissively, though a faint flush crept into his cheeks. "What has gotten into you? You're ruining my moment. I'm the one who's supposed to be moping and feeling self-pity here, not you being so dramatic."

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The Chaos God stood up, taking in the full view of Elarith. He looked at Nephra, his eyes full of a quiet, profound gratitude. "Nephra, thank you for everything. To Sybris and Whiz as well. Despite my lacking traits, you have always made sure to fill in the gaps. I can rest easy knowing the three of you will still be there even if I am no longer around."

Nephra knew. His heart ached because he knew. The Chaos God would disappear, seeing himself as a factor in this world that should no longer exist. He wanted the era of the Gods to be gone and a new era of man to reign instead. He saw no purpose in staying because he knew his nature was chaos and would only make things worse for everyone.

The Chaos God's face turned serious. "Please check on Lumiel from time to time."

"What about him?"

"I don't like him, I don't hate him, but he is too clingy." Nephra smiled. "I see a deep chaos in him," the god continued, "one that makes me feel uneasy. But he just lost his creator, so maybe he is just heartbroken."

"I'll check on him," Nephra promised.

The Stewards' New Purpose

The world was quiet without him. The moment of his departure was not marked by a great explosion of light or sound, but by a chilling, all-encompassing silence. The wind stilled, the birds stopped singing, and the air itself seemed to grow thin, leaving a hollow ache in their hearts.

Nephra's tears fell, but he tried to maintain his composure. Whiz and Sybris, however, were crying hard in front of the tombstone they had made for the departed Chaos God. Sybris knelt, her hands trembling as they touched the rough stone, while Whiz buried his face in his hands, his sobs shaking his entire body.

"So what now?" Whiz asked, his voice choked with sobs. "What are we going to do from here? With the Gods all gone, I don't know what's going to happen next."

"Let fate decide," Nephra said, his voice steady despite the grief. "As for us, do what you want to do. The Chaos God has left me with tasks, and I plan to make sure I don't disappoint him."

"I don't plan on doing anything," Sybris said, wiping her eyes. "It's as the Chaos God said: it's the era of humanity. I've decided not to interfere. The other stewards have agreed on that, too."

As the seasons turned and the memories of their lord became a quiet ache, the stewards began their work, each in their own way.

The steward of the War God guided warriors, his form a silent shadow observing a fierce duel. He made sure a powerful hero would always rise from the warrior clans, ensuring humanity would know how to fight to survive. The Life God's steward, his hands glowing with a soft, green light, trained healers and divinants, teaching them to mend the wounds of the sick and injured so that aid would always be present. The Shadow God's steward, cloaked in darkness, guided the Eclipsebornes, those blessed with his essence, in the ways of stealth and cunning to ensure humanity's survival. The Elemental God's steward, with only a few blessed with his essence, focused on magic research and innovation in his quiet, secluded spire.

The Light God's steward, however, knew there was no Light God's essence in Elarith, a precaution the Chaos God had taken. So he created three Athenarri from his very own remaining light essence and established the Luminaries.

The three Chaos God's stewards chose not to intervene. Like their creator, they chose seclusion. There were no humans blessed by the Chaos God's essence; he feared his power would bring catastrophe.

The stewards imposed rules on themselves: never to kill humans with their own hands and to never kill each other unless one was being punished for violating the rules. Their agreed-upon purpose was to ensure humanity's survival and prosperity so that when the veil was gone, they could survive on their own.

One day, to appease the other stewards for a minor transgression, the Light God's steward gifted them powerful artifacts. To the Chaos God's stewards, he presented the last of their creator's essence. Lumiel had found it right before the Chaos God chose to disappear.

Lumiel's Scheme

"The Chaos God's essence," Whiz said. "I can't believe he would leave one. Is this unintentional, or did he really intend it?"

Nephra, always suspicious of Lumiel, inspected the essence. He knew he had to thoroughly check anything from the cunning steward. After years of studying it, he found it had been altered. He told Sybris and Whiz about it.

"Lumiel is a cunning bastard," Nephra said. "Didn't he already cause so much trouble?"

"So what do we do about it?" Whiz asked.

"Leave it to me," Nephra replied.

Many years later, the Chaos God's stewards took notice of new, abnormal beings—Abyssals, which had evolved from the Malice Bloom's gatherers and gained intelligence. It was a breakthrough for Lumiel. While Nephra was amazed, he knew these were abominations, and his feelings were a mix of praise and contempt for Lumiel's tampering.

Nephra observed one of these beings, watching its transformation.

Sybris, unable to bear the sight, moved to destroy it. "This abomination must be purged," she declared, blasting it with a bolt of chaos energy. Nephra deflected it, but was a moment too late. The blast destroyed half of the abyssal's body.

"Sybris, please let me handle this!" Nephra pleaded for the creature's life.

"This creature and its creator are disrespecting the Chaos God," Sybris said. "Why stop me?"

Nephra explained, "Clearly, Lumiel is planning something outrageous. I plan to put an end to this, but you know we can't kill him directly, so we'll play his games instead."

"You will not do anything," Nephra said. "Just leave it to me. These beings, although abominations, are still the children of the Chaos God. Like them, I seek salvation. I will find a way to save them all."

He helped the abyssal to its feet, even with half of its body torn off. He saw its intelligence and potential. "I will name you Kaelith," he said. "I will give you a purpose." The abyssal blinked slowly, as if awakening from centuries of silence. In that moment, Nephra saw not a monster, but a mirror—another being shaped by chaos, yearning for meaning.

Nephra guided Kaelith on how the world works, educating him and training him to fight. He told him everything—his evolution, where he came from, and who made him. He instructed Kaelith to find others like him. "Please find them and make sure to control them. One day, we will find salvation for all your kind. It's not your fault you were born this way."

This gave Kaelith a purpose. Nephra then asked Sybris to give the chaos essence to Kaelith. "This is a Chaos God's essence, the only one of its kind. There are beings blessed with the essence of other gods, but none are of the Chaos God. They are called divinants. Find a perfect vessel for this. Maybe one day..."

Sybris asked Nephra, "Are you sure you will leave that to them?"

"Don't worry," Nephra replied, a knowing look in his eyes. "I've already fixed it. This is what Lumiel is scheming. However, we will play along. I've made sure the Chaos God's essence will still serve its purpose as the salvation of the chaos beings—including us—and also to put an end to Lumiel."