The One Who Swallowed The Sun

Surya's laughter echoed powerfully through his palace, filling the vast hall with an intimidating presence. Suddenly, a flash of blinding light split the room, and a divine gate opened, pouring radiant light that overpowered even the sun god's fiery surroundings.

Moments later, six figures stepped through the gate. Leading them was a striking, muscular man with a sharp jawline and hair as white as clouds, crackling with white lightning. His mere presence exuded authority and power—he was none other than Indra, the God of Thunder and Rain.

Beside Indra stood a dignified elderly man, tall and imposing, with yellow lightning sparking from his eyes and coursing over his white hair and sturdy frame. Dressed in flowing white robes, his age only added to his formidable aura. This was Zeus, his presence as intense as a gathering storm.

Following them were four women of enchanting beauty, unlike anything mortal eyes could behold. The first two wore matching armor with graceful pink skirts, exuding elegance and charm. The one with flowing green hair was Freyr, and her companion with azure hair was Alyta—both lesser goddesses of rain, their delicate yet strong appearance mirroring their command over gentle showers and life-giving waters.

Behind Freyr and Alyta walked two identical women with flowing, intricate dresses adorned in golden jewelry. These twin goddesses, Ganga and Narmada, ruled over the rivers. But unlike their usual graceful forms, they were breathing heavily, their bodies covered in bruises, and a frailty shadowed their faces. Surya's relentless heat had drained their rivers to dryness, leaving them weakened and on the edge of collapse.

Each of them gazed at Surya with somber expressions, the weight of the world's suffering evident in their eyes.

The Lavaman lowered his head seeing them.

Indra's voice boomed through the hall, filled with anger and authority. "Surya, what in the heavens do you think you're doing? Have you lost your mind? If you keep this up, life on Earth will end!"

The force of his voice created ripples of shockwaves around him, but Surya remained unfazed. With a dismissive scoff, he replied, "Indra, you don't get to tell me what to do. Go back and enjoy yourself with your nymphs!"

Zeus stepped forward, his gaze piercing, "Enough of this nonsense! Look at those goddesses," he said, gesturing toward Ganga and Narmada. "Do you see the suffering they're enduring? This is your doing, Surya! It is the natural order to respect mortal lives. Whether they thrive or perish, our duty is to maintain balance, not disrupt it." His voice was tinged with restrained fury, adding weight to his words.

Surya's eyes flashed with irritation. "Rules, rules, rules... why should I be bound by them? Mortals are mere insects, and I have no need to cater to their weakness. They are beneath me." His voice dripped with arrogance, dismissing his fellow gods as he leaned back on his throne.

Freyr and Alyta looked away, disappointment etched on their faces. Indra took a slow, deep breath, composing himself before speaking again. "So this is your answer? It seems you've truly lost your way." His tone turned cold. "We will give you one day, Surya, out of respect for our past bonds. But make no mistake: if you continue, there will be war."

With a final glare, Indra turned and opened the divine gate, signaling to the others. Each god cast Surya one last look of disapproval before they vanished through the gate, leaving the sun god alone in his throne room, with his lava man.

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A vast crowd had gathered outside the royal palace in the Seraphine Kingdom, their faces etched with despair as they looked up toward the balcony. There, Lady Savitri stood, her gaze steady as she took in the sea of commoners below.

A man in the crowd, eyes sunken from dehydration, raised his voice, "Water… my lady, I haven't had a drop in three days!"

Near him, a woman clutched a small child to her chest, her voice trembling with grief. "My children… they died from hunger. I only have this one left, and even I haven't eaten in days. Please, save us, my lady!"

The crowd erupted in cries of agony, each person's suffering layering over the next, creating a wave of desperation. Hearing this, Savitri's heart burned with anger. Her hand clenched so tightly against the balcony railing that it cracked under her grip. "These gods think they can play with human lives as they please?" she muttered, her beautiful face contorted in fury.

Without a second thought, she leapt down from the balcony, landing gracefully amidst the people. Gasps of hope and awe spread through the crowd as they recognized her.

"She's here! Lady Seraphine has come to save us!" they cheered, their weary faces lighting up with newfound hope.

Savitri's voice rang out with strength and command, "From this moment on, no one shall worship the Sun God or beg for his mercy! Destroy every sculpture of him!" Her eyes burned with determination as she addressed the royal guards stationed nearby. Her authority was absolute; they bowed and moved swiftly to carry out her orders.

Determined to help her people herself, Savitri knelt, pressing her hand to the parched earth. She closed her eyes, summoning every bit of mana within her body. As her powers activated, the ground beneath her began to pulse with life.

Savitri's unique affinity with Nature, Light, Earth, and Water was further enhanced by the power of two rare essence stones: the Rank A "Landscape As Before" and "River As Before." These stones allowed her to return any land or water source to its former, thriving state. She poured her energy into the ground, her body glowing faintly as she concentrated, the dry land around her beginning to change. Cracks in the soil softened, and a subtle green hue started to spread.

Savitri's hands trembled as she realized the scale of the task ahead. Even with her powerful essence stones, she had to use hundreds more supporting essence stones. The demand on her energy was intense, and the advanced nature magic she wove to form a protective barrier around the kingdom drained her to the core.

The crowd gasped, their eyes widening in shock. To the people watching, it felt like witnessing a god's power in action, reviving life from barren land with a mere touch. Their reverence for Seraphine deepened, their faith in her transforming into an almost worshipful awe.

Slowly, a nearly invisible shield took shape above the kingdom, shimmering with a faint, protective glow. Beneath it, rivers flowed again, and the once-dry lands flourished with greenery. But even this incredible feat had limits—Savitri could only restore about two-thirds of the kingdom. Completing the entire region was beyond even her capabilities, But still it was an great feat even that even Lortell Mariette can't beat. Though human, Savitri held a strength that could rival the gods, one capable of turning the tide for an entire kingdom.

"Cough… cough…" Blood trickled from her mouth, the price of her extensive mana use. A grim expression shadowed her face. *The barrier will only hold for a few days,* she thought, aware that the sun's scorching power would inevitably return to threaten her people once more.

*"I have to find a way to stop this for good,"* she resolved, her body lifting off the ground as she flew back to her palace, determination blazing in her eyes.

Behind her, the people's voices rang out in admiration and hope. "Glory to our goddess Seraphine!" they cried.

"She is our true goddess!" Others cheered as they rushed to the newly revived rivers, drinking the water they had so long been deprived of, their faith in her stronger than ever.

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The night came and passed, and by the very early morning, the sun began to rise, casting its warm colors over the vanara tribe. Sadly, their tribe was still caught in the heatwave, their land untouched by Seraphine's powers. The forests were dry, and the air carried a heavy, cracked silence.

Inside his small, dim room, a four-year-old boy named Maruti lay on his bed, staring outside the window. He felt a craving gnawing at him. "I want to eat mangoes," he murmured, feeling his annoyance grow. "Mango... Mango…" He was young and innocent, and the only thing on his mind was his favorite treat.

He pouted, waiting as if mangoes might just fall from the sky. When nothing happened, his eyes turned to the rising sun—a brilliant, orange-yellow sphere glowing against the horizon. Maruti's eyes lit up with a flash of realization. "Orange… Yellow… It must be a mango!"

"Mango!" he shouted, imagining it in all its juicy glory. Without a second thought, he jumped up with such energy that he cracked the walls of his room. With astonishing speed, he launched himself toward the sky, driven by his sheer desire. "Mango, I'm coming!"

Maruti's speed was extraordinary; he flew faster and faster, his small body zipping upward like a streak of light. In less than two minutes, he shot past the clouds and burst through the atmosphere, ignoring the lack of air and the intense heat around him. His innocent mind was too focused to feel fear or pain—only the thought of that "big mango" in the sky filled him as he chanted in his mind, "Mango... Mango... Mango!"

Meanwhile, in Surya's fiery palace on the sun, his lava servants hurried in, their molten forms crackling with urgency. "My Liege," one of them stammered, "something very strange is happening! Someone is coming this way!"

Surya, puzzled and annoyed, narrowed his eyes. "Who?"

The servant hesitated, clearly uncomfortable. "Um… it appears to be a monkey boy…"

Surya's eyes flared with anger. "What? A mere monkey boy? In space?" His voice thundered, filling the chamber. The pressure in the room became suffocating, forcing his servants to kneel. "Forgive me, my liege, but it's true. See for yourself!"

Surya closed his eyes and extended his consciousness outward. To his disbelief, he saw a small monkey child hurtling toward him through the emptiness of space. "How can this be? How is he surviving out here, unaffected by my heat?"

"Prepare for battle! Kill that brat before he dares come any closer!" Surya commanded, his voice a fiery roar. Gripping his sword forged from searing lava and scorching flames, he readied himself to face this impossible threat. All around him, his loyal lava warriors brandished their blazing spears, forming a line of defense, waiting anxiously for the boy to draw near.

Time passed as Maruti sped closer to the sun, his small form hurtling through the darkness of space. Surya, however, could not shake the suspicion that this was some scheme by the gods, with Indra's name flickering bitterly in his mind. He seethed, vowing to make whoever was behind this pay.

After more than half an hour, the long-anticipated moment arrived. The fiery army stood tense, their spears raised, eyes fixed on Maruti as he neared. But then, something completely unexpected happened.

"Mahimā!" Maruti exclaimed, his innocent voice carrying a strange power. Instantly, his body began to grow, larger and larger, beyond all natural limits. Every lava warrior froze, jaws dropping as they stared in shock. They couldn't believe what they were seeing—the small boy expanding like a god, his form growing greater than any giant, beyond any mountain.

In mere moments, Maruti's body had swelled to the size of the sun itself, his form casting an enormous shadow over Surya's palace. Even Surya, the mighty Sun God, felt a jolt of fear pierce his heart. "Just… what is this child?" he whispered, his grip tightening on his sword.

And still, Maruti's body grew, stretching until planets themselves seemed like marbles beside him. The sun was now nothing more than a round mango in front of him—a mango he had craved all along.

Without hesitation, Maruti opened his mouth wide, and in one swift gulp, he swallowed the sun whole. Darkness swept through the space as he devoured it, not even leaving a burp in its place.