• If you are reading this, you will be oblivious to all that I say. What I write here is all true. Every word. You have to find it in your heart to believe what I am saying because if you don’t history will repeat. My story is the story of human history, our story. It is of destruction and birth, of death and life, of the immortal and mortal, and of the truth and myth. You will read books of ancient wars and gods but believe them to be false. What I am about to tell you will cause you to rethink everything you’ve been told. The world depends on your understanding and knowledge of erased past. That may mean nothing to you now, but it soon will. If you are still confused by what I am trying to tell you then please be patient; everything will be explained in due time. This is our story yet mine alone. This is the story of all mankind yet of only me. This is the story of man’s destruction yet of their birth. My name is Orion, and this is my tale.
    •••
    My story begins on the day I turned 17. That day seemed like every other one, but little did I know about the chain of events that would change the rest of my life. If anything I felt as though this was the worst birthday of my life. All day whatever could go wrong did. I failed a test, lost my lunch, had my cell phone stolen, and, to top it all off, had a massive migraine. I had always been the odd-one-out. It’s not that I was bad looking because in that department I was sure that I was pretty handsome (I always got hit on by those who didn’t know who I was). The problem was that strange things would happen to whoever was around me. Whenever I had any type of strong emotion something happened. For example, sometimes when someone angered me strongly the lights in the surrounding area would burst. So I was forced to keep my feelings in check. I would keep to myself even when I felt that I would be happier with someone to talk to. I never understood why these things happened, but I never bothered to figure out why because I thought it was just bad luck. I also found a fascination with mythology. I didn’t know why, but it felt closer to the truth than anything else to me then.
    Even though it was my birthday, I didn’t expect much from my mother. She was a single mother, so she was always busy. She worked hard but made very little. She was the greatest mother a person could wish for. The only thing was that she had a curiosity that exceeded all others, and it got her in many difficult situations. However her cautiousness and good heart helped to keep her out of trouble.
    When I got to the front door, I had a strong feeling that something was amiss. I unlocked the door and proceeded inside.
    “Mom, I’m home,” I said while looking around. No answer came for a while.
    “Mom, where are you.” I said this thinking that maybe she still was at work, but she would’ve told me if she was going to run late. I walked further into the room, and discovered that wind had filled the house. I found that the window was open which it rarely ever was. In panic, I raced around our apartment looking for any sign of my mother, but there was none. When I ran into the kitchen, I found a letter that lay on the counter. It had my mother’s handwriting so I quickly began to read it.
    Dear Orion,
    My glorious son, I love you. More than you’ll ever know. I need you to stop looking for me. You will not find me. Please I beg of you to keep hidden. I don’t have long to write this. I know that you may be frightened and angry, but realize that I am trying to protect you. Your life means more to me than the world, and the world will soon realize how important you truly are. Your knowledge of mythology will lead you to the truth. You must connect the pieces that lead to you past, present, and future. This may sound very strange right now, but it will make sense. I promise. I only have time to give you one clue that will lead you to the others. Look in your “Creation of the World” text. Please remember to keep yourself safe.
    Happy Birthday,
    Your Mother
    With tears in my eyes I put the letter down. What was I supposed to do? What did she mean? Remembering her mention of my mythology book, I ran into my room and found my book on the shelf. I remembered that I had left it on my bed, so I recognized that my mother had moved hoping that I would notice. I grabbed the book off the shelf and opened it to the marked page and found that my bookmark had been moved. I began to read the marked page: the Story of Prometheus. The story told of the creation of man from different metals, and the prophecy of Zeus’ fall from grace. What does this have to do with me, I thought as I read on.
    When I finished reading, I placed the book back on the shelf, disappointed and distressed. My mother had told me not to look for her, but I had to. She was all I had. The problem was that I had no idea where to start. While try to figure out what to do, a voice called to me.
    “Orion, the glorious son,” the voice said kindly. The words reminded me of my mothers words, causing me to jump and run towards the sound. I ran to the window looking out to find the source of the noise when from behind me the voice spoke again.
    “Orion, the son of the gift.” I twisted around to find a man standing in the shadows in front of me. I started to slowly back away and hit the wall.
    “Who are you?! Get out,” I cried, hoping foolishly that the stranger would turn and run. Instead the man slowly walked closer, and I noticed that the man bore a gentle smile as he did all this. My fear began slowly leave me for an unknown reason. He seemed benevolent and almost kindred. It felt like I knew who this man was.
    “Who are you,” I asked again more calmly. The man stopped still watching me with that same smile. At this point I got a chance to see who the man was. He was very tall and well-built. He wore a white, shining robe. His eyes were pools of blue, and his air was almost gold. He was almost godly.
    “You already know my name; you just have to remember,” this man said amiably. At that moment a name that I thought was impossible came to mind.
    “Prometheus,” I asked with caution. The man’s smile grew wider, and he nodded. My mind started to race. This was impossible, wasn’t it? The Greek gods weren’t real, were they? I must be dreaming. None of this can be really happening, I thought. I tried to make a run for it, but the stranger/Prometheus blocked my way.
    “Why do you try to escape the Fates. It’s impossible to do. The Fates are even out of the almighty Zeus’ control,” spoke Prometheus, “I’ve known this day would come for many millennia, and here you are.” The words that came from his mouth reassured me. Because I was very rational, I knew that if this was happening for real I needed to accept it.
    “Please answer me this. What are you talking about?!” the words left my mouth without a second thought.
    “You might want to sit down. The story I am about to tell you well shock you.” I sat down as he began the story.
    “You have learned how the ancient Greeks wrote the Creation. This will make this story easier to tell. This began when I joined with Zeus to overthrow his Titan father, Cronus. I joined with him because the Fates gave me a glimpse of the future that told of the son of Cronus was too overthrow him. He tried to stop this from happening, but the Fates are stronger then any god’s will. During the ensuing battle, other Titans, such as me, helped Zeus fight his father. In the end, as you know, Zeus came out victorious. Soon after the victory another prophecy came to mind: Zeus was to have a son that would kill him. Those were the exact words.
    “This enigmatic statement said that Zeus was to be killed, but the gods were immortal. I still don’t know what it means, but as tie went by more and more clues were given to me as to the identity of this mysterious child. Zeus found out that I knew that he was to be “overthrown” (because I didn’t want to think about his death). I would not tell him not only because I didn’t want to but also because I couldn’t. The Fates hadn’t allowed me to speak of this until the child is born. Because I wouldn’t/couldn’t answer him, he punished me. You already knew what it was, so please don’t make me re-live it.
    “One day another son of Zeus, who I thought to be the one, came and rescued me from my torture. Hercules, as you know, was this son. Now free of my prison, I wandered far and wide looking for the son. As time passed, more was revealed to me: the child’s name, features, and etc. Soon after, the identity of the mother was revealed to me: Pandora. I found the irony that Zeus’ boon and bane for humankind would be his bane also. Pandora. She has escaped the notice of the gods for some time now. Only recently have I been able to find where she was, and when I came into her house I found you, the prophecy made flesh.” As he spoke I tried to connect what I’ve read to what was being said. Question’s filled my mind simultaneously: Was I truly Zeus’ son? If I was, is my mother really Pandora, mankind’s bane and boon? Then a more important question came to mind.
    “Why are you telling me these things? Isn’t your loyalty to Zeus not his son?” I could see the expression on his face change as I spoke these words from that gentle smile to a look of seriousness.
    “Why am I here you ask,” Prometheus answered. “I’m here to protect you. It’s only a matter of time before another soothsayer finds out your identity and relays it to Zeus. To answer your question of my loyalty, my loyalty has always wavered. First it was to Cronus, then to his son, and now to you. My destiny has been sealed by the fates. I serve the successor. That’s my purpose.” After he spoke, silence overflowed the room, but in my head my voice yelled. Most would think that the man standing here was crazy, but the voice inside of me told me that what he said was true.
    “If you are here to protect me,” I started, “why have you let my mom been taken?” Prometheus looked worried as I said this.
    “What do you mean, she’s been taken?!”
    “Yes. Why do you think she is not here?” I grabbed the letter. “Here! This is what I found before you came.” I handed him the letter.
    “This is horrible news. If he has already found your mother, he will soon be after you. We need to leave immediately.” Distressed, Prometheus looked out the window as if to find something.
    “We are not going anywhere, unless it is to find my mom,” I demanded.
    “We don’t have time for this.”
    “I don’t care. Without me you have no destiny, so you will help me find her!” even I was surprised at the intensity of the statement I had just made. Prometheus just stood there looking at me.
    “You don’t understand what could happen do you,” he began. “Zeus is out to get you, so the other gods will fall in step. Hera, herself, will be after because you are Zeus’ son. Don’t you see that we must flee?!” Prometheus came towards me and grabbed my arm. As he did this a pained expression fell upon him.
    “Ahhh!” Prometheus fell to the ground in pain. His hands left men as he fell. What had I done? He barely had touched me. As I looked upon him a glowing, translucent cloth came forth from his body. The ghostly fabric had scenes of something that would/could happen in the life of Prometheus. What was I watching? As quickly as the cloth appeared, it disappeared.
    “What you see there is the future,” Prometheus spoke as he arose from the ground, “You now share the gift of foresight. I was revealed that something like this would happen, but I dismissed it. You have also taken my immortality away. This power is beyond any god’s.”
    “Wait are you saying that I am able to see the future now?!”
    “If the Fates allow, yes.”
    “I also have to ability to make even the gods mortal? That’s impossible.”
    “Yes to your question. I thought also that this was impossible. You have given me the ability to finally die. I have lived in this world for too long. But just because you have taken my immortality does not mean that you have been granted immortality. It is better that you believe that you are still mortal.” Prometheus started towards the door. “Are you coming? I will do my best to rescue your mother. I see now that your powers are greater than even I could’ve imagined.”
    Saying this he walked out the door and out to the hallway as I followed. As we walked, Prometheus stayed oddly quiet. The cloth then appeared again around him, and I saw him standing in front of me impaled on a sword with my hand at the hilt. What is this, I thought. It disappeared. As we walked the image replayed in my mind. Prometheus stopped at a door that was not there before.
    “Before we enter through this door I must tell you that once you begin you can never turn back. Also before I take you on the hunt for your mother, I must train you because the fight for your life is about to ensue.” He turned and opened the door and light flooded the room.
    When I opened my eyes we were on a field standing in front of a house. I assumed that it was Prometheus’ because he didn’t stop moving towards it.
    “Inside my house you will find the armor given to me in the war against Cronus. This armor came from Heaven himself. It will now be yours.” With these words he led me into the house and my true journey was to begin.

    After two months of intense training, I concluded that it was time to go after my mother and Zeus. I had grown into a strong young man in this very short amount of time. I had also mastered my ability of foresight only to the point of seeing something before it actually happened. I was dressed in the armor that Prometheus gave to me. It was silver with gold lining and it fit on like normal cloths. It looked like it could’ve been a shirt with pants, but in reality it was more durable the purest of metal alloy. I found Prometheus on his porch waiting for me.
    “It’s time.” The words were simple, but they held much weight. I waited fore Prometheus’ rely.
    “To Hades then. A vision has told me that your mother that the Underworld would hold a clue to her location.”
    “Prometheus, lead the way my friend.” I walked out to the field with him at my side. A black door appeared.
    “Prometheus, this is the beginning of the end. I’ve waited for this day for so long.” I opened the door and entered the world of darkness that was the Underworld.
    In the Underworld I found that very little light was accessible. If not for the glowing river that flowed through it, I would not have the ability to see. In this river, the souls of the dead floated by in peace. As I saw this, I had a vision of a man that would come up behind me. A smile formed on my face. I was full of anxiety and adrenaline. I was ready for anything. We walked farther along the dark shore when the man from my vision appeared behind me.
    “Hello Hades, Lord of the Dead,” I said with the grin still on my face.
    “Hello human and Prometheus. You are correct in assuming that I am Hades.” He spoke a melancholy, low voice that held little if no expression. “Prometheus, the Fore Thought, you should know better then to bring a mortal into the Underworld. I am disappointed in you. As for you, the human, why are you down here may I ask?”
    “I’m here for my mother,” I answered as I turned to face him.
    “I have many people’s mothers. What makes you think that I would give you yours by asking.”
    “Because if you don’t, I’ll kill you.” When I had said this, Hades fell silent with an expression of shock. I was able to catch a glance of the Lord of Death at this time. He was tall, but shorter than Prometheus. His pale face glowed in the light given by the river. He wore a long, black robe with a hood. The surprise quickly left his face.
    “Ha ha ha. You almost had me there. Are you such a fool that you believed that you could threaten me? For your arrogance I will grant you a painful death. Thanatos!” He called upon Thanatos, death itself. It rose from the darkness in the form of a man. The beast rushed me as I drew my sword. I jumped lightly to the side and swung at the beast. Thanatos screamed in pain as the sword cut through its side. Prometheus’ training was now being put to use.
    A blade of darkness formed in the hand of the dark beast as he rushed me again. I brought my sword up to block the attack. The blades clashed and sparks flew. He was much stronger than me. He put more and more weight on his sword. I moved quickly sidestepped to the side letting Thanatos’ blade fall to the ground. In this moment of opportunity, I thrust the palm of my hand into his chest. Another, more searing, scream came as he fell to the ground. I took this moment to take my final blow, striking him through his heart. I retracted my sword from the dark body of Thanatos and stood there in silence.
    “Orion, look out!” I turned at the sound of the voice to see my vision come true: Prometheus impaled by a sword. Horror filled the face of Hades, who was at the other end of the sword. Fear overtook him.
    “You killed him, you b*****d!” I punched at Hades. He fell to the floor his immortality leaving him. I grabbed Prometheus in my arms, and slowly put him on the ground. I walked over to the fallen Hades and lifted my sword.
    “Hades of the Underworld,” I began angrily, “You have ruled over the dead for an eternity, and now it is time for you to join your subjects.” I brought down the sword and ended the life of the Ruler of the Dead. I dropped my sword and ran to Prometheus, my fallen comrade. I took him into my arms.
    “You saved my life. I wish I could do the same,” I said as tears formed in my eyes.
    “Don’t worry. I have lived longer than even the gods. My time has now come. You must protect yourself.” And with this, Prometheus breathed his last. I grabbed him closer and began to cry on his dead body.
    “Awww. How sad. The poor little boy is crying. You disgust me.” I turned to find that the source of the voice came from a man sitting on top of a rock. The man wore a blood red shirt and black jeans. His hair was long and fire red. He had an evil sneer on his face. A broadsword hung from his back and two pistols hanging from his belt.
    “So you’re what all the fuss is about. I don’t see what the big deal is. Zeus is a little baby and gets scared so easily. What’s your name? I’d like know who this great and fear-enticing person is,” he said mockingly. “I am Ares, God of War and your death.” I laid Prometheus on the ground as I turned to confront Ares.
    “I am Orion. I guess news travels fast between you guys.”
    “Now that the formalities are over, I guess I should get to work, but what’s wrong with playing around first.” With this, he ran towards me sword already drawn. I braced for his attack when I remembered that I had gained Hades’ and Thantos’ power. I closed my eyes and let myself be enveloped by the darkness, the way Prometheus had taught me to. I now became one with the shadows. Ares stopped in mid-run and looked around for me.
    “That’s a new trick. Well no matter.” Ares draw a gun from his side laying his sword on his sword. “This is going to be more fun then I thought.” I moved through the shadows to get to my shoulder. I grabbed my sword and reappeared.
    “There you are,” Ares said as he shot at me. I could almost see the bullet coming at me, so I raised my sword to block the bullet. He shot at me again and again, and each time it seemed as the bullets traveled slower and slower. I blocked and redirected each bullet. The shots stopped firing so I lowered my blade to find Ares rushing me again with sword in hand. He was too close for me to dodge. I braced myself again. He swung at me and I blocked. He swung again and again, but all for not. I was able to block each one of them. He leapt backwards to create distance between us and grabbed his second pistol. He began firing and I ran to the side to escape his fire. In the midst of this danger, memories of things that I never experienced flashed through my mind. These memories were Thanatos’, Hades’, and Prometheus’. Using these memories I tapped into the abilities that I had just gained.
    My sword became enveloped with darkness. I jumped into the air while running and swung my blade releasing the darkness. It flew towards Ares and pierced him like an arrow. He flew back to the wall. When I hit the ground, I ran towards him, blade parallel to the ground. I raised one hand I grabbed his head and shoved it into the ground, plunging my sword into him almost simultaneously. The blood of War filled my clothes as Ares fell limply to the ground. I felt his strength engross me. I rose from the ground.
    “I’ve killed three of them, and am still no closer to my mother. I might as well head to Zeus.” My attitude also began to change with these newly gained abilities. I had the rational of Hades, the blood thirst of Thanatos, the arrogance of Ares, and the kindness of Prometheus. I no longer felt like one person, but more like five held in one form. I thought these different qualities would clash at first, but found it odd how the qualities all blended equally. Another door appeared in front of me. It was tall and golden. I reached for the handle and opened the door. Before I left I noticed that more and more souls began to fill the illuminating river. I dismissed it at the time, but that would come back to haunt me later.
    As I walked through, light overtook me. When my eyes adjusted I saw giant gates in front of me. This must be Olympus, one of me thought.
    “I am here. Oh Mighty Zeus, your b*****d child is here.” I spoke with an air of arrogance. I guess that’s the Ares in me, I thought. Four gods appeared in front of me. None of them Zeus. Using the other gods knowledge I was able to tell who each was: Apollo, Artemis, Poseidon, and Hera.
    “At least someone answered.”
    “Do you beg to be killed,” asked Hera. She was dressed like royalty. She seemed frail and easily broke. She was beautiful, but she had an air of self-importance that pushed her away.
    “No I just want my mother. Hand her over and nothing will happen. I don’t want to fight.” Even though I had said this, blood thirst was coming up from inside me.
    “What makes you think you can just demand what you want,” questioned another from behind me. It was Athena, dressed in shining armor. She joined the others after speaking.
    “I just want my mother, but I will take her be force if I have to.” Saying this, a circle of darkness appeared at my feet. The first to attack me was Athena, the warrior. She struck at me with a sword that gleamed brighter than the sun. I blocked it and quickly sidestepped, bringing my hand to her gut. She screamed in pain, and Apollo and Artemis came to her rescue. They pulled there bowstrings and shot a flurry of arrows at me. The darkness at my feet leapt into the air absorbing the arrows that were shot at me. I then had it send the arrows back. They were impaled by their own arrows and fell to the ground. I turned and found Athena back of her feet. I foresaw an attack from Poseidon, and swung my sword behind me sending a sharp spear of darkness into him. I then swung at Athena with my blade, but she was able to block it. I kicked at her sending her backwards. I turned to find Apollo and Artemis standing still with the arrow impaled in them. I jumped towards them using the newfound strength of Ares.
    Because they were close together, I brought the palm of my hand onto both of their chests in quick succession. A scream of agony came from them both as they fell to the ground simultaneously. I turned to find Athena rushing at me sword in hand. Grabbing Apollo’s bow and arrow, I pulled the bowstring and released an arrow into Athena’s heart. She dropped where she stood. Poseidon, the last of who were fighting, came at me again, and the ground began to quake. I ran at with the speed of Artemis towards him sword still in hand, dodging the flying debris. He stepped back, and a wall of water rose to protect him. Not stopping, I launched into the air over the wall landing behind him. Placing my hand on his back, I felt his body shudder and plunged my sword into him. Hera stood at the gate watching all this unfold.
    “I warned you,” I said, pointing at her with my sword, “Now they are all dead. Will you still play around with me?”
    “Hephaestus, my darling son, come protect me,” Hera cried cowardly. An ugly god appeared before me.
    “So that is the way you want it. Fine!” I rushed at the new opponent. The monstrosity was clad in armor. He swung his shield at me, knocking me into the air. He is stronger then he looks, I thought in pain.
    “You wnt hrt mi mama,” spoke Hephaestus. His words came out smashed together and dumb sounding. He lifted his hand, and an enormous ball of fire appeared in his hand. I was in mid air when it was thrown at me. I surrounded myself with a boundary of water to protect me. I realized that the water would vaporized, so I cooled it into ice. The ice wall blocked the fireball as I fell to the ground. I used my speed to overcome him. He was lame, so he didn’t move as fast as I could. To him it must’ve seemed as though I teleported behind him. I punched with my fist and hit his skin. It was rock hard. I recoiled with the pain in my hand. I used my other hand to bring down my sword upon him. With that, I destroyed him. I then turned to Hera who was still dumbfounded.
    “You b*****d child! Your mother, Pandora, is dead. That whore deserved to die. She was no immortal because she had touched you. You caused her death by being born.” Her words cut my like a sword. Tears filled my eyes.
    “Fine, then I have no reason to keep you around!” I rushed at her with more fury then ever before. The point of my sword impaled her.
    “I should let you suffer for what you said,” I cried shoving the sword deeper inside her body. She cried out in pain. I looked into her eyes and smiled.
    “My touch takes away your immortality. I wish I could never touch you and let you suffer an eternal torture. But the just in me won’t allow it.” Saying this, I slapped her across the face, and she fell limp. Withdrawing my sword, I threw open the gates to a now bloody Olympus.
    “So you have finally come. Prometheus told me about your birth. I tried to get rid of you, but the Fates are against me.” I turned to find my father, Zeus, standing in front of me. I stared at him with hate. I hated him. I wanted to kill him. But I couldn’t.
    “I’m sorry my son,” Zeus said coming closer. “I have the most horrible of news for you. Your escapades with the gods have ravaged the earth, killing off all human kind. Only I’m left and with me only a small group of people. The rivers of Hades are overflowing with the souls that have become victims of your stupidity. You thought that by coming up here you were doing something good, but you just destroyed the world.” He stood there waiting for a response.
    “You’re wrong father. You’ve always been,” I said grinning.
    “What are you talking about? Are you mad?”
    “No father, I am not. The reasons I came up here were purely selfish. That is my only crime. I have the personas of all the gods inside of me now. I am able to see things that you cannot. There are no Fates just choices. You chose to believe that your life was predetermined, but it was the choices that you made that affected your life. You chose to believe in these Fates. Prometheus chose to save me. The Fates can’t choose for us. We might be able to know things before they happen, but there are too many paths one can choose for anyone to know. We can see choices not facts. Yes my actions might have unintentionally killed many, but there souls re still alive, are they not? I choose for these souls to be either rewarded or punished. As for you, my choice has already been made.” With that I raised my hand and called upon fire. To both of our surprises something else came in its place: lightening. The bolt of lightening formed in my handed.
    “I am your successor. Farewell father.” I threw the bolt into my dumbfounded father. With this I hugged him. The man I hated. The man I loved. He dropped to the floor, and with him the last of the human race fell. As he dropped to the ground my body ascended and light came from me. I knew that this was my immortality. This was my forever. When I hit the ground, a shockwave of light erupted throughout the earth. It was clean again. No dead gods, no humans, just me.
    “Now I recreate man. With all of these gods now in me I have become the God. The overwhelming Love I feel now will be expressed. Zeus has used gold, silver, bronze and iron. I will use the purest element of earth itself.” I grabbed some dirt and shaped man and women out of it. To give them life, I breathed into them my essence, so that they could love as I can love. Remnants of the Iron Age were still left, but I purified them with the light I had emitted.
    It took seven days to rebuild the earth to its former, simpler glory. On the last day the sun set on yesterdays, and as I stood on top of Heaven, it rose on a new day.
    •••
    The story I have just relayed to you may seem contrary to your beliefs, but that is all it is about. The chains of Fate no longer bind you. Your choices will lead you to your salvation or destruction. I will be there if you call and even when you don’t. I am not perfect, and I am not asking that of you. I have killed and suffered in my own ways. All I ask is that you live happily and lovingly. You have read a story that you can choose to accept or reject, but in the end that doesn’t change the fact that this is the truth. If you read this and choose to accept it as truth, the past occurrence of world ruin won’t happen again. It may not make sense now what I say but in due time all will come clear. Choices have led this world to ruin before and not only mine. You may ask why I wrote this story. There is no other answer but love. I want you to know your past. I want you to know me. By knowing each other we can start loving. Love is so important because how can we truly if we do not love. Life without love is not a life at all.