THE SON OF THE ETERNAL SWORD

CHAPTER 1 THE VOID HOUR

The prophecy was not new.

It had once been spoken-long before memory learned to fade, when the sky still bore scars fromwars no mortal tongue could recount.

But time had buried it.

Not erased...only buried.

Like the last breath of a dying fire hidden beneath cold ash, it lingered-faint, dangerous, unwanted.Many had heard it.

Few had understood it.

And those who did...

ensured it was forgotten.

It was said to have been uttered in an age when Titans still dreamed and gods had not yet learnedfear.

In the ages past, when Titans fell and gods rose, a dying voice had uttered words the world wasnever meant to remember:

"Under the wounded moon...when the heavens bleed their silent sorrow...the blade shall wake...andwith it, its heir-a Titan in spirit, a god by nature...yet bound in the fragile flesh of man.

Thee shall wield what was forbidden.Thee shall awaken what was broken.

And the power within thee...shall unmake the divine...and remake the fallen.

Thee shall stand where even fate goes blind...and choose-what is allowed to end...and what dares toremain...

and when love binds what power cannot...the blade shallremember...and the end...shall begin."For centuries, the words decayed.

From truth...to legend. From legend...to myth. From myth...to silence.

Until the night the sky remembered how to bleed.

The moon darkened.

Not dimmed.

Not eclipsed.

It became something else.

A wound torn open across the heavens-bleeding a color too deep to be named, too heavy to becalled light.

The clouds did not drift.

They twisted.

Slowly.

Like something unseen was wringing the sky itself.Thunder did not roar-

it lingered.

Low. Endless. Breathing.And lightning...did not fall.

It spread.

Branching through the heavens like veins beneath dying skin.

The world felt it.

Even if it did not understand.

Across continents-

children were born.

Too many.

Too close.

Too...aligned.

In cities wrapped in light...in villages swallowed by dark...in places remembered...and places longforgotten-cries of newborns rose into the trembling night.

And then-

those cries began to fade.

One by one-

silence claimed them.

No illness.

No warning.

No reason.

Life...simply refused to stay.

By the time the sky reached its deepest wound-only nine remained.

Nine children.

Scattered across the world.

Unconnected.

Unknown.

Among them-

two pairs of twins.

Lives bound in mirrored beginnings.And five others-

each alone.

Each untouched.

Each...unseen.

No mark branded their skin.

No sign crowned their birth.

Only survival.

And then-

the hour came.

Not midnight.

Not a number men could name.

But the thin, trembling boundary where time loses its certainty-where the final echo of what was...dissolves...

and what will be...has yet to draw breath.

A stillness between heartbeats.

A fracture between moments.

An hour that does not belong to the living.

At the peak of the wounded moon-when its gaze hung highest, heavy and unblinking-when even thunder bowed into silence-

something aligned.

Far beneath the ocean's forgotten floor-Atlas shifted.

A single movement.

Small.

But enough.

High above-

within the silent grandeur of Mount Olympus-a stillness spread where none should exist.Golden halls held their breath.

Something ancient had brushed against their dominion.

Deep within a cavern untouched by time-a fragment of a broken blade pulsed.Once.

Then again.

Dark light bled from its cracks.A voice followed.

Soft.

Certain.

"So it begins..."

And far from all of it-

hidden from prophecy, from gods, from even the memory of that ancient voice-in a quiet home on the outskirts of New York City-a child was born.

No divine radiance marked the moment.

No storm broke its walls.

No god bore witness.

Only a grandmother-

her hands steady despite the years-guiding life into the world as she had done countless times before.

Rain whispered against the roof.The chaos beyond felt distant here.Muted.

As if the world had chosen...not to look.

"Breathe...just breathe..." she murmured gently.A final push-

A cry-

Soft.

Fragile.

Unremarkable.

The child was wrapped and placed into waiting arms.Warmth met warmth.

Silence followed.

"I'll call him Kona," his mother whispered.

Outside-

the storm began to fade.

The wounded sky slowly sealed itself.The moon hid behind drifting clouds.And just like that-the world forgot what it had witnessed.

Of the nine who survived that night-some were born beneath light.Some beneath prayer.

Some beneath fear.

And one-

was born in silence.

For the briefest moment-

his eyes opened.

Barely.

Just enough-

for something within them to flicker.Not light.

Not darkness.

Something older.

Something that did not wait to be named.

Then-

nothing.

The child cried.

Weak.

Human.

Forgotten.

And somewhere-

beneath ash, beneath time, beneath the weight of a prophecy that refused to die-something listened.

Three days later Kona had already adopted to the island something to that his new found friend Alex who had been friends with him because no one wanted to be his friend just like Kona .Kona had been tag weirdo due to the tantrums he had thrown on his fast day and Alex was not considered since he was the only son of Dionysus the god of wine so everyone saw him as the son of the drunkered.

The lessons were not so boring since Kona was a fun of history back in his old school and all that was taught was Greek history and combat ."When does a god acknowledge his son's existence?"on the fourth day Kona asked Alex during the four pm break ."During the elemental ceremony,that happens every year ,"Alex replied.

Every child stays on his god's side of the island,the island has been divided according to the twelve major gods but the top seven get the largest chunk of the island with the finest resources like small counties or villages but the unnamed children like Kona stay in Dionysus' area since he rarely has children because his usually drunk most of the time and that's why Alex is alone at the center is the HQ where the instructors and the administration is .

Just like any institution the proud skunks never miss and in the island they were the Zeuse and Hera children who saw themselves the kings and queens of the island something that made Kona fill disgusted,the Zeus son's where the ones who gave the strongest warriors.

Kona realised why it was known as the phantom island that's because it moved ,it didn't stay in one place for long and couldn't be seen by mortal eyes .The island was guarded by a golden dragon and a dome that did not allow anyone who was not a demigod or with authorization from the gods enter the island.

On the sixth day there a new child of the gods was brought in she was a young lady who caught Kona's eye when she arrived ,she was one of the most beautiful girls Kona had ever seen and was also the calmest since she didn't seem scared infact she looked at the island as if it was a familiar place somewhere she had been before .

That evening Kona was the first to introduce himself to her when they went to the village of Dionysus,"Hey am Kona and his Alex a friend of mine welcome to the village of Dionysus,"he said feeling butterflies overflowing his digestive trunk."Thank you ,am Claire nice to meet you ."she said with a really calm and self acknowledged voice that made Kona's feet wabble with fear a feeling that was new to him .

Claire's calm and humble nature made her attractive she did not speak to any one rudely and defended Kona when the others called him wierdo something that made Kona feel a spark when she was near him .Her piercing scarlet gaze and her unwavered staunted frame made even the most courageous of men dumbfounded. Her curve that was too prominent for her age made every boy look like he had run a mock and every lady jealous even for the daughters of Aphrodite.

It's was on a cloudy Wednesday Kona and Alex were seated onthe secondary landing post as Claire who had been fond of them was explaining the previous lesson which .ost of them had not comprehended as he was explaining Kona felt a tingle in his heart and without his consent his head turned as if being controlled and there and then he saw her ,a lady who was alighting from a chariot in the primary land post and as if they were twins they found each other eye to eye and time seemed to freez as the two strangers looked into each others eyes and Kona felt a familiarity to her aura .

The stare contest was interfered by Claire who snapped at him for not listening and then continued .

That evening she came into the Dionysus village every one kept staring at her as her presence filled the area with pressure,her beauty was a wonder of the age although Kona had never seen Aphrodite but he knew she was jealous as she was nothing compared to this young lady although she was the goddess of beauty .

This time his legs couldn't let him even move close to her and for a day or two he was a distant stalker ."Hey I've noticed you've been watching me from afar what's your name am Cleoptile ,"she found him unprepared on her fifth day there .Kona was so dumbfounded like a kid for a minute he couldn't speak the with great strain and mastering of great strength he managed to speak,"sorry for that am Kona and about that I thought I knew you from my previous school but I see I was wrong deepest apologies madam."With that he left never to stalk her again but that small conversation created a spark in Cleoptile's heart she had never felt before and made her curious to want to know who he was and why him .

Days passed and Kona tried to avoid come close to her due to the shame and guilt that nagged him ,but as if the gates we're conspiring against him he found himself in the same group with her they were to be in groups of five so there's consisted of him ,Alex ,Claire and Cleoptile till the day the end training then they would be placed into their eternal squadrons where they would be till they die .

"Hi am Claire ,"Claire was the first to introduce herself in the group,"his Alex and he Kona .""Am Cleoptile but you can all call me Cleo ,"Cleoptile introduce herself ,"And am John ,"the other boy also introduced himself since it was a group of five .

"Okay guys those groups your in will be your groups till you graduate and points will be given according to those groups not individual so learn to cooperate with your team ,any questions...,okay since there are none you may go to the next class ,"the overall patron Ms Ann said then everyone dispersed .Ann was a nymph of flames .

Weeks passed by and Kona became used to Cleo's presence and he realised that she wasn't that scare to be around and that although she might seem to have a composure she is but shy within. It's said never judge things by their looks for not everything is what it seems just like those were one of the wise sayings of Emmah Kona's grandmother.

A day before the elemental ceremony everyone was excited to know who would choose who as his son or daughter,the island fell into a frenzy of busy bodies like an ant hill people prepared to where their best their was no lesson that day as the preparation were made for the D-Day that came only ones a year like Christmas ,but things were different for Kona he did feel that chill or adrenaline he had a deep sombre mood like a depthless hole in him that he couldn't explain it's origin .

During the preparations for the D-Day most people were busy some preparing the grounds that the ceremony was to be held on the rest had a day off to do personal preparations,Kona just did laundry and went to a spot he had found interest in ever since he arrived and sat gazing at the verse blue ocean that stretched to versed unseen distances .

As he sat ,he felt a nudge on his shoulder he would have screamed and then pounced on the person but he held back his emotions something he had developed ever since he felt the absence of a father figure in his life ,he saw himself as the man of the house and thus was required not to show any weakness ,he calmly turned and saw Cleoptile standing behind him her sapphire eyes gazing down at him giving him a chilling sensation.

"Hey , it's you ,"he finally says after mastering alot of courage ,he had never felt such great fear and shyness for a lady as he did at that moment ."Why are you here alone , anxious of tomorrow?"She asks sitting next to him ,her lavender perfume assailing his nostrils making him afraid to breath ."Not really am just gazing at the sea curious of what it holds ,"He says his nerves finally calming down ,"Oww ,who do you think or hope to be your father ?Me am betting on Hera ,"she says ,"Me ,any would do ,"he says with alittle rage in his tone ,"as for you am betting on Aphrodite.""Why ?"she asks curiously,"Well ,...your beauty is unmatched and only she could come close to it ,"He says before looking away shyness and guilt filled his faced ,she smiles lightly then stands and says before running off ,"then it's a bet if I get Aphrodite tomorrow I'll give you anything you a kiss then ." Kona turned just in time to spot the most beautiful smile he had ever seen before she dashed of them a sinister smile formed on his face .

He suddenly begun feeling anxious and excited came crushing within him all of a sudden he couldn't wait for tomorrow to reach .

The day came the ones in a year that the gods come down from Olympus and even Hades comes up from the underworld to see their children .This is the ones in a year chance a child gets to please his father or mother and ends up getting a gift for it .

The island was a hive by 6am in the morning with preparations ,the grounds were set and the golden seats for the gods were set .Everyone dressed to impress,even Willow was looking more of a handsome gentleman than ever ,the ladies were at their most standing. The ceremony was to start by 10am .The gods begun arriving by half past nine ,first to arrive was Zeus and his wife Hera ,then Paseidon , Athena, Aphrodite, Demeter,Hermes, Ares,Hestia,Artemis , Dionysus, Apollo and lastly was Hades .

The ceremony begun with music from the daughters of Aphrodite and the Son's of Apollo then alittle show of brute strength by trial of combat from the Son's of Zeus and Ares .finally after a warm luncheon,the reason for the ceremony the thing that had kept most of the freshmen off their seats acknowledgment by their parents.

All freshmen stood to one side of the grounds facing the gods who sat on their golden thrones in order of their herachy. First a sacrifice was made to each god and goddess.The process was time consuming every child was to pass Infront of every gods weapon if the god is your parent the weapon will raise in acknowledgement of your presence ,this is because the weapons of the gods were more like living thus they responded to power ,the children are divided in gender since it was known to all that daughters were from goddesses while son's for gods .

They took turns soon it was Kona's turn he he came forth to the gods presences where the weapons laid as he stood before as he came close all the. Weapons rose then before he could come any closer Apollo's bow vanishes .This caused astonishment among many who were unable to speak for a while ,even the gods were shocked beyond words ,they left the grounds for a brief but the ceremony continued as they discussed Kona's fate ,Athena the goddess of wisdom was also lost of words but not to o bring her name to shame as the other gods seemed to eye on her for answers she came up with the possible answer that was more logical ,"As is the boy is the son of Apollo's because of the great power he yields the other weapons must have risen due to his power ."she says trying to hold out her composure so that the rest do not spot her anxiety.

After the brief Kona was acknowledged by Apollo ,but murmurs were still around hovering like lost spirits since this was the first time such had happened since the establishment of the island in honor of Hercules the son of Zeus.Among the gods everyone knew that ,the young lad was up for it ,since even Hades in the underworld knew Hera's jealous and Zeus Pride were now building up and soon they would come crumbling on Kona with heavenly might.

For a week he was the talk of the island something he did ,like but that evening something happened that he will never forget he had his first kiss although it wasn't on the lips but it was from someone other than his mother or his grandmother,as it came Cleo ended up with Aphrodite, he couldn't sleep that day the feeling of having her tender lips on his bonny chick made him shiver with excitement he avoid washing the area for days until Alex accidentally splashed mad on him and he was forced to wash his entire face .