Echoes of The Divine (1)

The Seventh Enlightenment Students all died during a solar eclipse.

And they were resurrected ten to twelve hours later. And... they all got a new title that all of them shared; Echoes of the Divine.

Apart from Vastarael who has his own system, the others use Axia and Natas as their system. And... none of them had any idea about this title they all shared.

They were all sitting on a conference room which the lecturers use. Only this time, only the Seventh Enlightenment Students were there. Apart from Vastarael and Elyonari, who were late.

The eight of them turned to face Natas, the Primemaster, the Omniscient of History. He was silent, staring into the distance waiting for the last two to arrive. The other eight couldn't talk to each other, mostly because they never knew each other that well.

Only Vastarael and Elyonari were in very good terms with each other.

The moment they stepped inside, the atmosphere shifted. All eyes turned to Vastarael, who stood confidently at the threshold.

His handsome features, amplified by his charisma left an immediate impact. His flawless face, his perfectly sculpted features and his confident aura were overwhelming. For the first time, none of the students could look away. They were all caught off guard by his sheer presence.

Vastarael, still wearing his usual attire but with no mask, looked completely different without the veil of mystery.

His entire appearance seemed to radiate a sense of beauty that was almost unnatural, and it didn't help that the Boon he had was now in full effect.

The girls—Narisva, Farrynelle, Denisia, Natalis, Peroncerea, Adelasta—all froze, their faces flushed in surprise. They were speechless, entranced by his presence. It was as if, in that moment, their thoughts became secondary to the mesmerizing effect of Vastarael's charm.

Elyonari, ever the calming presence beside him, gave a light smile to the group. Her emerald pupilless eyes softened as she whispered an apology to the group.

"Sorry we're late," she said, her voice carrying no hint of the discomfort that the others were clearly feeling. She sat next to Vastarael, not even sparing a glance at the stunned expressions around them.

Vastarael, however, didn't seem to notice or care about the attention he was getting. He then turned his attention to Natas, the Primemaster, who had yet to speak.

With a quick, almost imperceptible motion, Natas straightened up. His cold, calculating eyes finally flicked to Vastarael, then to Elyonari, before his voice broke the silence.

"You're late," he said flatly, his tone neither angry nor pleased. It was the kind of remark that carried no weight but still demanded acknowledgment.

"Apologies, Natas," Elyonari replied with a respectful nod, though her eyes flickered to the others. The room still felt... tense. And she knew why.

There was something unsettling about the fact that, for the first time, none of them seemed to understand the gravity of what was happening.

Natas' gaze hardened as he focused on the group before him.

"I trust you all are now aware that you have... changed in some significant way."

He glanced at each of them individually, his eyes pausing on Farrynelle, Denisia and Natalis, the most affected by the charm. The others could barely meet his gaze, still in a daze, lost in Vastarael's overwhelming presence.

"It's been one week since your resurrection. The eclipse has altered you and has granted you a title none of you understand, nor do you remember. But, this ability will shape your futures. And you need to understand it fully before it begins to control you. Before we proceed, do any of you have questions?"

Vastarael glanced around the room. His eyes lingered on Farrynelle, who looked especially vulnerable under the weight of her emotions, and Narisva, who seemed distant, lost in thought.

It was then that he realized that these students were no different from him in terms of destiny. A deep sigh escaped him as he settled back into his seat next to Elyonari.

"No questions," Vastarael spoke softly, as if it were all too familiar to him. "Just tell us what we need to know, Sir Natas. We don't have time to waste."

The Primemaster simply nodded. He then gestured toward the center of the room, where an ancient hologram appeared, floating with a gentle hum.

"Then, let me explain your true purpose, and the reality you now face. I'm sure that all of you are familiar with the Divine Generations."

This was information every divine child knew. Apparently, they are the Third Generation of Divine Beings. The Second Generation are their parents and the First Generation are their grandparents or better yet, the earliest divine beings in Spheraphase.

"The First Generation led Spheraphase and made it a world for different races to exist in it. However, the Destras Cataclysm occurred that caused the destruction of most of the First Generation deities."

"Because most of the Second Generation deities fought them," Narisva spoke out loud.

Natas nodded in approval.

"Yes. However, Spheraphase has a Hidden Truth that no one knows about. Spheraphase is a living world."

The room fell into a stunned silence after Natas spoke, his words hanging in the air like an unshakable truth. Each of the students exchanged confused glances, their expressions ranging from shock to disbelief.

Adelasta was the first to break the silence, her voice laced with skepticism.

"Spheraphase... is alive? What do you mean by that? Alive how?"

Natas did not answer immediately. He simply let his sharp gaze drift across each of them, as if evaluating their readiness to comprehend the magnitude of what he was about to reveal.

"I mean exactly what I said. Spheraphase is a living entity. It is not merely a world. It is a conscious, sentient being, a force far beyond what any of you have encountered."

The weight of his words settled on the room like a storm cloud. Xander, sitting rigidly in his chair, crossed his arms.

"A conscious world? That doesn't make sense. If it's alive, why doesn't it do something about the threats it faces? Like the eclipse? Or us dying?"

"Because it is not a god in the way you imagine," Natas answered, his voice steady, yet carrying a warning edge. "It is not bound by mortal reasoning or divine intervention. It allows life to thrive upon its surface, but it does not interfere. It is aware of all that happens but chooses to remain silent."

"But why?" Denisia asked, her tone soft, almost fearful. "Why would something so powerful, if it's more powerful than the Nexuses, do nothing while its own existence is threatened?"

Natas regarded her for a moment, as though considering how much to reveal.

"Because Spheraphase sees existence differently. To it, the rise and fall of civilizations, the destruction of worlds, are but fleeting moments in an eternity of being. Its power is beyond what any of us can imagine but it is also... indifferent. It does not intervene unless absolutely necessary."

"Wait." Farrynelle, sitting at the edge of her chair, raised her hand slightly, her warrior instincts flaring. "You're saying it can intervene? Has it ever done that?"

Natas' lips twitched into a faint smile, almost imperceptible.

"Yes. It has. But those moments are so rare that they are forgotten, even by history itself. The last time Spheraphase intervened directly was during the Destras Cataclysm, a time when its very core was threatened. Even then, its actions were subtle, not overt. It influenced events through certain individuals... but never openly."

Narisva, who had remained quiet until now, finally spoke, her voice thoughtful.

"If Spheraphase is alive, then is it possible to communicate with it?"

"Yes," Natas said simply, causing several students to gasp. "But only under very specific circumstances. Spheraphase's consciousness is vast. To speak with it would require a vessel capable of enduring its overwhelming presence, something none of you possess. Even Nexuses struggle to commune with it fully."

Vastarael, who had been silent since entering the room, finally spoke. His voice was calm, but there was a sharpness in his tone.

"You said it's more powerful than the Nexuses. Just how powerful are we talking?"

Natas turned his piercing gaze to him.

"Spheraphase's power is immeasurable. It exists outside the constraints of magic, divinity, and even time itself. While Nexuses are sources of immense energy and knowledge, they are still bound by the laws of existence. Spheraphase is not. It is eternal. Infinite. It holds the fabric of this reality together and could just as easily unravel it if it so desired."

The weight of this revelation pressed heavily on the students.

Peroncerea Ceres leaned forward and asked.

"If it's that powerful, then why does it allow us to exist? Why allow Nexuses, gods, mortals, or anything at all? Why not just... be?"

Natas' expression darkened slightly, though not with anger.

"Because existence itself is a reflection of Spheraphase's consciousness. Life, death, creation, destruction, they are all extensions of its will. You live because it allows you to. You die because it chooses not to interfere. Even your very destinies are threads in the tapestry it weaves. You are not outside its influence, even if you believe you have free will."

The silence that followed was almost unbearable.

Elyonari glanced at Vastarael, her voice low but steady.

"If Spheraphase is so powerful... does that mean it knows everything? Even about us? About why we were resurrected?"

Natas gave her a rare, approving nod.

"Indeed. It knows all. Your resurrection, your shared tirle, Echoes of the Divine,.all of it is tied to Spheraphase's will. The eclipse, too, was not a random event. It was a moment chosen by Spheraphase for a main reason."

"To stop another Cataclysm from happening. That's why it caused an eclipse."

They all looked at Natalis Andelaris, who already figured it out.

"You said that it only interferes if it's under threat. That means that a select First Generation deities had the same title we all share and now it's passed on to us. However, they used it for evil and the Second Generation deities killed them."

Natas was surprised by the answer but he couldn't deny it.

"That's... true. And... you don't have much time."