Zuras had set foot in his brother's city only once when they agreed to split their society peacefully.
Almost one hundred thousand years earlier, he and his fellow Prime Eternal and brother A'Lars had disagreed on their civilization's core goals. The majority of the Eternals, Zuras included, believed they should not tamper with their cosmic potential and that no new Eternals should be created. A'Lars and a small faction that supported him believed they should continue expanding the Machine the AI that served their kind and create new Eternals through biological and technological means.
It led to war. Once again, Eternals fought one another—another bloody conflict so soon after Uranos' heresy. Much to Zuras's and many others' relief, the war ended quickly through diplomacy.
A'Lars and the Eternals who followed him left Earth for Titan, one of the many colonies Uranos and his ilk had established before their exile. Zuras remained on Earth with those who shared his views.
Zuras remembered visiting A'Lars once, when the Titanian city was still being built. A'Lars had even taken a former Uranian supporter, Sui-San, as his wife. Zuras departed that day on good terms with his brother, and they had scarcely spoken since.
His ship descended through Titan's orange atmosphere. The vessel pierced thick clouds of nitrogen and methane, the viewport glowing with amber haze. Below, seas of liquid methane stretched to the horizon, and from those shores rose cities massive structures encased in protective energy shields.
The ship passed through one of the shields with a brief flash of light. Suddenly, the orange sky gave way to the pleasant blue of Earth. Inside the dome, the air was familiar, breathable, comfortable, a perfect re-creation of the world they had left behind.
The ship flew among tall skyscrapers and monumental buildings architecture that blended Eternal aesthetics with something uniquely Titanian. Graceful spires reached toward the artificial sky, laced with skybridges. Gardens floated on anti-gravity platforms. Everywhere Zuras looked, he saw his brother's vision made real.
They approached a landing port where Zuras saw his brother waiting for him, along with many other Eternals. The ship settled with barely a whisper. Zuras stepped out and walked toward A'Lars, feeling the eyes of every Eternal upon him.
"Mentor," Zuras said, using his brother's title the name A'Lars had taken when he became the guide and father figure to his people here.
"Prime Eternal," A'Lars replied formally.
A'Lars stepped forward, extending his hand in the old way. "Welcome to Titan. We have much to discuss, Zuras."
"Yes, A'Lars. We have," Zuras agreed, grasping his brother's forearm.
"Then let us hurry to my home," A'Lars said, leading Zuras toward a hovering transport nearby. As they boarded, the vehicle lifted smoothly and sped toward the large palace in the distance.
The ride was silent, Zuras marveling at how much A'Lars had accomplished. The city was thriving. He saw families walking through parks, children playing it truly was amazing.
They soon reached the palace, where Sui-San waited to greet him at the entrance.
"So she is well now?" Zuras asked quietly, remembering the reports he had received years ago.
"Yes, she is," A'Lars confirmed.
"And the boy?" Zuras asked carefully.
"He is here as well," A'Lars said, his expression tightening.
"I see."
Zuras knew of his nephew. The boy, Thanos, was his brother's and Sui-San's attempt to create an Eternal through biological means. And what a disaster it had been. The child was born with Deviant genes, a genetic anomaly that should have been impossible in an Eternal. Soon after his birth, Sui-San lost her sanity and tried to kill the infant in his crib.
A part of Zuras felt vindicated that his path had been right and A'Lars had been proven wrong. But he still felt bad for his brother even for his wife, the Uranian traitor though she was. No parent should have to bear such a burden.
"Sui-San," Zuras greeted as they approached.
Sui-San wore a broad smile. Of course she would, Zuras thought. A'Lars must have told her why he had come who they were freeing.
"Zuras, it is good to see you once more," Sui-San said, her voice warm but her eyes carrying a particular gleam.
"I am glad to see you well and happy," Zuras replied diplomatically.
"There is much to be happy about," Sui-San said, her smile widening.
"Of course," Zuras said, a bit testily.
A'Lars, sensing the tension, cut in. "Let us go inside."
A'Lars and Sui-San led Zuras indoors. The mansion had grand soaring ceilings, elegant architecture but Zuras barely noticed, his mind fixed on the task ahead.
As his brother and sister-in-law guided him toward A'Lars's solar, Zuras noticed a boy with Deviant features perched on a balcony overlooking the entrance hall, watching him.
He had purple skin, red eyes, and a smile that sent chills down Zuras's spine. It reminded him of Uranos, that same cold calculation, that same sense of something fundamentally wrong lurking behind intelligent eyes.
No wonder Sui-San went mad, Zuras thought, seeing her glare at her son with naked, undisguised loathing for the child she had carried and birthed.
The boy Thanos simply smiled wider, as if he knew exactly what they were all thinking.
They entered A'Lars's solar, and as soon as the door sealed behind them, Sui-San spoke.
"When will they release Lord Uranos?" she asked, her voice urgent, almost desperate.
"Sui," A'Lars said, exasperated.
"My husband, our gods themselves wish for him to be freed!" Sui-San insisted, her hands clenching into fists.
"He is aware of it," A'Lars said tiredly, as if this conversation had been repeated many times.
"And does this not mean that Uranos was right?" Sui-San pressed, her eyes wild. "That his vision was the correct one all along?"
"No," Zuras said flatly. "It means nothing."
"Nothing?" Sui-San's voice rose, her eyes taking on the look of a madwoman. "The Celestials themselves demand his release, and you say it means nothing?"
"Yes. Nothing," Zuras said firmly. "Lord Zgreb comes in search of something he believes Uranos can show him. That is the only reason he is being released not because he was right, not because his heresy is forgiven. He simply possesses information a Celestial requires."
A'Lars turned to Zuras. "How long would Lord Zgreb need him?"
Zuras considered. "I was thinking of having him out for half a day. Maybe less."
"Half a day?" Sui-San's voice was incredulous, shaking. "The gods commanded us to free him completely, not for half a day! This is… this is blasphemy! You mock the will of the Celestials!"
"Wife," A'Lars said firmly. "Enough. Leave us."
Sui-San glared at them both at Zuras with hatred, and at her husband with betrayal then swept out of the room.
The door sealed, leaving the two brothers alone.
"I am sorry, brother," A'Lars said, his voice heavy with weariness.
"I expected it from one of Uranos's lackeys," Zuras replied coolly.
"Have care that is my wife," A'Lars warned.
"Your wife seems very devoted to a genocidal madman," Zuras countered.
A'Lars was silent for a moment, then spoke quietly. "She is with child. Our second son."
"Congratulations are in order, then," Zuras said, though his tone carried little warmth.
A'Lars turned away, looking out over the city, the sprawling metropolis he had built, the civilization he had nurtured. "What will we do? What if Zgreb frees him completely? What if he takes what I have built away from me?"
"Of course you are concerned about that," Zuras said, with some bite. "Not that he would kill all Deviants and humans."
"I doubt you would care for Deviants," A'Lars shot back.
"Your son is one of them," Zuras said bluntly.
"He is not!" A'Lars snapped, whirling to face his brother. "Thanos may look like them, but he is my son, and I love him. He is well-liked even with his deformities. He is brilliant, curious, kind to his peers—"
"Whatever you say, brother," Zuras interrupted. "But do you think Uranos would care about any of that?"
A'Lars deflated slightly. "I am already on your side, brother. No need to convince me otherwise."
"We need a plan," Zuras said.
"Let us go to the Exclusion," A'Lars suggested. "I am sure the others are there as well."
The Exclusion, a pocket dimension maintained by the Machine served two purposes: it was the locus tied to Eternal resurrection, and it was also a prison for the most dangerous criminals and heretics. Uranos had been sealed there for nearly half a million years.
Zuras nodded in agreement.
Suddenly, the door opened, and Zuras turned to see his nephew standing there.
"Thanos," A'Lars said with a sigh. "Now is not the time."
"I only wished to meet my uncle," Thanos said, his voice gentle and cultured.
"He is right, A'Lars. I have not met the boy yet," Zuras said, studying his nephew warily.
Zuras stepped forward slightly. "I am the Prime Eternal, Zuras. Your uncle."
"It is good to finally meet you, Uncle," Thanos said, inclining his head respectfully.
There was a pause, and then Thanos spoke again. "I heard what you were discussing." His red eyes shifted to his father. "Father, may I come with you?"
"No, Thanos," A'Lars said immediately.
"I only wish to see the Exclusion with my own eyes, something I know I shall never see, given my nature," Thanos said earnestly. "And I wish to see the Celestial as well. To witness a god with my own eyes, even once. Is that not the desire of all thinking beings to glimpse the divine?"
Every bone in Zuras's body wanted to refuse. There was something about the boy something in those red eyes, in that too-calm smile that set off every alarm his long life had given him.
But then his brother spoke.
"Very well, son. You can come," A'Lars said.
Thanos smiled, his red eyes almost glowing. "Thank you, Father."
Zuras said nothing, but he felt a cold certainty settle in his chest.
This was a mistake.
.
.
.
How long had it been?
A thousand?
Ten thousand?
Fifty thousand?
One hundred thousand?
Two hundred thousand?
Or was it a million?
He did not remember.
Time lost meaning in the void. Days became years, centuries became nothing at all. There was only the cold and the silence and the waiting.
The prison within the Exclusion was a cold place, its palette light blue and white sterile, lifeless, designed to suppress and contain. Energy fields hummed with power enough to hold even the mightiest Eternals.
In the largest chamber of the prison, on a throne of frozen metal, sat the great heretic himself:
Uranos the Undying.
His eyes were closed.
Listening.
Waiting.
It is time, whispered the voice in Uranos's head oily, dark, pleased with itself.
When they free you, it will only be for half a day, the voice continued.
Enough to enact my plans, Uranos thought back.
The voice laughed. And then what?
Uranos did not answer.
Only through me shall you gain complete freedom, the voice said.
Uranos still did not reply.
The voice went on, patient: You will be freed, and the Celestial will take you. You will show him what he wants. Then one of my servants will come and take you to me, where you shall serve me. And I shall give you your freedom.
Uranos laughed. Do you think you can outwit a Celestial?
The voice laughed harder. The Celestial will be too busy losing its mind. It is not a threat.
For the first time in his very long life, Uranos was surprised. What? he asked.
Come now, the voice said mockingly. Are you still loyal to them to your so-called gods?
Uranos did not answer.
Remember our deal, Uranos, the voice said, all humor gone.
Uranos grunted a response that was neither agreement nor refusal.
He felt the presence leave his mind.
He dares think he can make me the first of the Eternals his servant. The little hell-lord.
Uranos had no choice but to bend to him now. He needed a way to gain freedom without the hell-lord's interference perhaps even to take it from the Celestial himself.
If that did not work, then he would have to follow the hell-lord's commands, something he did not relish.
But if it meant advancing his great cause, the purification of the universe, the perfection of the Eternal race, the elimination of all lesser beings then…
Yes.
He would do it.
Suddenly, the Exclusion began to shake. The walls trembled; the energy fields flickered. A portal appeared before him.
Uranos rose from his throne.
White light engulfed the room, and he felt himself being transported, his atoms reorganized, his existence pulled through dimensions.
When he could see again, he was no longer in the prison of the Exclusion but near the Machine, in the great chamber where the dead Eternals were resurrected.
Many Eternals were present and, to Uranos's anger, a Deviant as well.
His eyes fixed on the two before him, whom he recognized immediately as his nephews: Zuras and A'Lars.
Uranos smiled, his eyes gleaming with dark amusement.
"Nephews."
"It's good to be back."