The Deities Revealed

As the team ventured deeper into the tunnel of the underground excavation site, they uncovered a series of chambers—the Chambers of Alchemora. A blinding emerald shrine dominated the space, with a statue of a woman whose hands were raised to the sky as if humbly requesting something from those who entered. Surrounding this statue were chests filled with gold, gems of pink, red, and orange, and diamonds the size of acorns. Behind the statue stood the last Emerald Tablet, with an engraved depiction of Thoth above it. This carving was intricately made with gold, tiger's eye stones, obsidian, and lapis lazuli. Each chest was brimming with artefacts and inscriptions detailing the pantheon of gods worshipped by the Atlanteans: Thoth, Apep, Heru, Shango, Oshun, and Legba.

Thoth, the god of wisdom and knowledge, was the most frequently depicted. The inscriptions often spoke from Thoth's perspective, detailing parts of the war that nearly destroyed Atlantis. Thoth was portrayed as a peaceful and benevolent figure, sharing his wisdom with humanity and guiding them towards enlightenment.

As Lucinda examined the final chest behind the statue, she felt a sting when she touched an artefact buried within. She quickly brushed it off and read the final tablet aloud for Dr Evelyn Carter.

"Thoth was revered as a kind deity," Dr Carter explained to her team. "He was considered a teacher and protector of mankind."

"Do you think it's possible, Doctor, that Thoth tried to stop the war? That he left secrets for humanity to prepare for the final stage of this war?" Kevin asked, his tone filled with assurance.

"I think that's very possible. Piecing together the information presented to us, this war is not over. It will probably engulf the earth," Dr Carter spoke plainly, the group startled by Lucinda's sudden scream.

"How can you be so calm about that, Doctor?!" Lucinda shouted, jittery but soft.

"Calm down, Lucinda. We probably won't see it for a thousand years. The best thing we can do for humanity is to warn them and prepare," Evelyn said.

"Do you think warning humanity is a good idea?" Lucas asked. Dr Carter had anticipated this question, given the world's impending plunge into a global war. She blinked slowly, took off her glasses, breathed hot air onto the lenses, and wiped them with her white jacket.

"War seems to be an inevitability of life. Maybe it's nature. The gods' wars and human beings mimicking the gods." By the time Evelyn had finished speaking and put her glasses back on, the team was struck with silence, each member deep in thought about how to proceed. It seemed humanity had reached a standstill, unable to achieve perfect unity, doomed to repeat its past. Humanity needed to learn to advance further, or perhaps this was another trait inherited from the gods, leading to higher forms of war.

"There could be hope if we use this War of the Gods as motivation for mankind to advance for our survival," Dr Evelyn Carter said.

"It could be possible," Donald said. "But we also must think about causing widespread panic. It might be best for only certain ears to hear this information."

"Even though I feel we should be generous with knowledge much like Thoth, I agree with you, Donald. We need to filter this information as much as we can," Dr Carter said. Evelyn thought Thoth was an example of how people should be, whether god or human: fair and balanced. However, Donald, Kevin, and Lucas suspected these deities used humanity as their pawns, and there was more to Thoth's character than met the eye.

Amidst the depictions of benevolence, a darker presence emerged. Apep, the embodiment of chaos and evil, loomed in the shadows. Descriptions of Apep revealed a god consumed by hatred for both humans and other deities, seeking to plunge the world into eternal darkness. Apep was depicted as a creature with scaly skin, resembling a dragon with five horns protruding from his head—two larger ones at the front and three smaller ones. Despite his dragon-like appearance, Apep had a humanoid form, with two arms and two legs, and claws for fingers and toes.

"The Atlanteans believed Apep was the ultimate adversary," Lucas said, reading from a stone tablet. "He represented everything they feared."

"Yes, I believe this entity may have instigated the war between the gods," Dr Carter said. "We still don't know enough," she repeated to herself, whispering as she delved into thought. She realized that gods wouldn't war without reason, and she was searching for that reason. This war had distinct sides but wasn't the cliché of good versus evil. It had many sides, and determining the war's origin was challenging, especially with Thoth leaving details of Apep behind. This raised more questions for Dr Carter and made her worry that she might never uncover this piece of information, leaving her descendants to confront this future.

Lucas bent down and picked up a small red stone that stung his fingers upon the first touch. Ignoring the pain, he was enamoured by the surge of electricity coursing through his body. In a trance, he muttered, "Doctor," too quietly for Evelyn to hear, but Lucinda noticed it was the same rock she had found earlier.

"What is it?" Lucinda asked, drawing Dr Evelyn Carter's attention. Her eyes widened, nearly bulging out of her head.

"I don't know," Lucas muttered with a hint of awe, his trance broken by Dr Carter's sudden roar.

"DON'T TOUCH IT!" Evelyn shouted. Everyone turned to her, their faces distorted with dread.

"What is it, Doctor? I touched it too," Lucinda asked, her voice trembling with fear.

"Could it be—" Kevin began, but Evelyn interrupted, "—Yes, it's the Philosopher's Stone, the Elixir of Life, the Alchemist's Stone, or the Stone of Curses."

"If that's the case, why can't we touch it?" Lucinda asked.

"We don't know how it works. The things the gods designed are beyond our comprehension. Many excavations have led to scholars dying shortly after due to gods and ancient ancestors performing dark magic," Dr Carter said.

"A bit far-fetched, don't you think?" Donald exclaimed. "Doesn't sound plausible, especially for people of science. If we confirmed magic to be true, what happens to science?"

"But you forget one thing, Donald," Evelyn said, pushing up her glasses. "These are gods."