The Supreme Heavenly Lord

The sky above the Heavenly Realm was painted with a dark blue night sky dotted with shades of purple, while golden streaks were flying over the horizon. The cool and clean air enveloped the serenity of the realm. The place was so gorgeous and peaceful that even time did not seem to tick.

At the heart was the Palace of Celestial Harmony, a gigantic structure compared to all the others. Its exterior was built with the whitest marble, and the roofs soared to the point of brushing the stars. This is the place where the Supreme Heavenly Lord resides—the king of the three worlds of heavens, mortals, and the netherworld.

In the great assembly room of the palace, several deities were present. They were the most powerful and respected in the Heavenly Realm, each one a paragon of strength, wisdom, or beauty. However, despite their greatness, they remained in line patiently with their hands folded and waiting for the arrival of the one who was even superior to them.

He was legendary and all the realms knew that he was the strongest and most handsome of all. His power is unmatched; his presence is commanding, and his beauty was said to be beyond compare. But there was something else about him that people recognized him for, and that was his unfriendly or rather cold demeanor. He was a man who did not get much involved in talking, who rarely exhibited any visible sign of a feeling that was human, warm, friendly, and kept his distance from everyone, even his closest aides.

The atmosphere in the hall reached its climax with every passing minute. The Celestials looked at each other like deer, deeming what kind of mood the Lord would be in today. It was said that he could read the thoughts of those around him and that he never missed a thing. To meet him was an experience of profound respect mixed with fear, as it was impossible to know him deeply, as his temper could come suddenly like a storm.

Suddenly, the large door at the end of the hall opened and all the celestials became silent. The Supreme Heavenly Lord came with a gentle and yet audible thud of each step on the marble floor. He was about average height, broad in the chest, and had well-built muscles. Strands of long silver hair embraced down to his back, and it even glimmered like moonlight with every movement. His eyes were of the color of blue ice, as cold as winter, and his face was sculpted perfection, sharp and symmetrical.

He was dressed in an elegantly flowing white garment that had patterns of golden motifs inscribed on it and seemed to catch the light with every step he took. His personality was oppressive; he dominated every single person in the room. But despite his beauty, despite his power, there was no warmth in his gaze, no emotion in his expression. He stood like a sculpture carved from the finest marble, untouchable and unfeeling.

All the celestials bowed down when he was near them, and they did not look at him until he sat on the throne. The Supreme Heavenly Lord sat down gracefully, his movements fluid and precise. With one glance of his icy stare, he took a look at the room, and the temperature appeared to drop.

"Rise," he said with a low voice.

The celestials composed themselves in their postures, but none of them opened their mouths to speak. They knew better than to speak unless spoken to. The Supreme Heavenly Lord was not one for idle chatter. These included producing work efficiently, precisely, and without question.

Among them was a woman with lovely golden hair and an angelically beautiful face who also raised her hand, yet hesitantly. She had been with the Lord as one of his closest aides but even she was scared at his stare as she drew nearer to him.

"My Lord," she said, and there was caution now mixed with fear in her tone: "We have just got word from the mortal realm. The demonic activity has seemed to shift its focus to the eastern parts of the world."

The Supreme Heavenly Lord did not look the least amused, but there was an evident gleam of interest in his face. "And what do you propose?" He said out loud still in his professional, cold, and unemotional tone.

He pulled his focus back to the young woman who stared at the other celestials, apprehensively; none of them spoke. She took a deep breath and carried on with her statement. "We believe that a small group of elite warriors could be sent to aid the mortals. With your permission, my Lord, I would lead them myself."

There was a long silence as the Supreme Heavenly Lord regarded her. His gaze was tense. Despite her efforts to remain calm, she felt her heart racing inside of her.

Finally, he spoke. "Very well," he said, and his words signified that now there was no room for further discussion. "You may go. But remember, failure is not an option."

The young woman bowed deeply. "Thank you, my Lord. I will not fail you."

She quickly retreated, relief flooding through her as she stepped back into the ranks of her fellow celestials. The Supreme Heavenly Lord watched her go, his expression unreadable. To him, this was just another task, another duty to fulfill. There was no joy in it, no satisfaction—only the endless cycle of responsibility.

He shifted his attention toward the other celestials. "Are there any further questions?" he said, and his words echoed throughout the hall.

There was a low whisper among the celestials, but none among them was bold enough to step forward. They knew that any further requests or reports would have to be of utmost importance, and none of them wished to risk his ire.

Seeing that no one else had anything to say, the Supreme Heavenly Lord rose from his throne. "If there are no further matters, you are dismissed."

The celestials bow down as the Supreme Heavenly Lord departs from the hall. Only when he was gone did they dare to relax, causing the tension in the room to subside.

The Supreme Heavenly Lord strolled through the hallway of the palace at night, his footsteps barely making a sound. He also did not need bodyguards around him—he did not crave the company of others. He had witnessed many wars and managed to bring peace across the three realms; the weight of his responsibilities had only made him more distant, more detached.

He reached his private chambers, a room that few had ever entered. It was a plain room, with no lavishness that one could have anticipated. It was not elegantly furnished, with no luxurious furnishings—only a few pieces of furniture, a large window that overlooked the Heavenly Realm, and a mirror on the wall.

The Supreme Heavenly Lord had leaned against the wall through which there was a big mirror and started looking at himself. He had a perfect face, but there was no warmth in his eyes as he reached for the mirror and touched it with his fingertips as if searching for something.

It was empty and void of any feelings—the same stare that had haunted him for a thousand of years.

He just dropped his hand and averted his gaze from the mirror. Even in his solitude, he could find no peace. This was the burden of his power, of his royal position, and he could never escape it. It had made him strong, but it also made him lonely.

The Supreme Heavenly Lord stood up and went to the window, where he looked at the view of the Heavenly Realm as far as his eyes could see. The sky remained a beautiful mass of colours, and the earth beneath was calm and serene. But to him, it all felt distant, unreachable.

With a sigh, he turned away and sat on the chair. There was no one he could talk to. He had long since learned to turn to relying on himself, and hide from what he felt deep inside. It was the only way to maintain the order and peace that he had fought so hard to achieve.

However, in the core of his soul, where no one in the world can reach, the Supreme Heavenly Lord pondered if there was more to existence than this endless cycle of duty and solitude. Was there something he had lost along the way? Something that could bring warmth to the coldness that had settled in his soul?

But to think like that was not possible, and he dismissed the idea almost immediately. There was no room for doubt, no time for self-reflection. He had responsibility waiting for him, and that was sufficient; it was all that any man could, or needed.

For now, he shall continue to be—strong, unshakeable, and unbending, as well as lonely.