I find myself walking the streets more and more lately. It doesn't really matter which ones. A moment in Shanghai, another in New York, the next in Old York. Does anyone call it that? I don't know.

The point is, after so much time stuck walking the cosmic corridor you tend to find appreciation in the strangest things. I remember a time, not that long ago really, that I rejected those that littered my creation.

Their chaos. Their ever present need for attention.

Now they're the only thing keeping me from succumbing to the deadliest condition someone like me can suffer from.

Boredom.

But here...? In my world? The slightest permutations are all it takes to change what could have been a moment of weakness into a moment of hope. A moment of despair becomes a moment of strength. I marvel at these miracles, beyond even my ability to make. I covet them more than I'd like to admit.

I reach out my hand and strum the threads I weaved together an age ago, and off I go to the next.

You know the question that I get the most? "Why did you do it? All of it. Any of it." I never get the opportunity to answer because then it's off to the next. Always off to the next.

But if I did get to, answer that is, I think I know what I would say.

"What makes you think I thought any of it through."

I bet that would throw them all for a loop.

Don't get me wrong, I admire them in a way. If only they knew just how strong they are. They don't need me or my "answers" anymore. They haven't in a long time.

I need theirs. So it's off to the next. For as long as it takes to understand.

Two celestial beings united, their love birthing a child of boundless potential. This child, a Young Deity, possessed the raw power of influence and creation at his fingertips. Yet, fate dealt a harsh blow, leaving him abandoned upon a cold, stone shrine inside a cave, to face the world alone.

A hollow emptiness twisted and churned in the Young Deity's stomach, consuming him from within. His cries, born of desperation and need, echoed through the cavern, a haunting melody of loneliness and hunger.

With the innocence of youth, he reached out with his mind, his whisper carried on the wind, "Feed me."

This simple yet potent command ensnared a passing bird. Compelled by an unseen force, the bird offered its humble meal of worms and insects. But as the Young Deity brought the offering to his mouth, he gagged in disgust, his frustration unleashing a lethal wave of energy.

The bird fell lifeless.

Each creature that answered the Young Deity's call met a similar fate, deepening the chasm between his innocent intentions and the grave outcomes. The cave's air thickened with the tang of copper and the sickly scent of decay.

This changed when the nymphs heard his call. The nymphs, ethereal beings graced with divinity, could not ignore the Young Deity's plaintive cries. Ida, with her cascading silvery hair and eyes of the deepest blue, led her sisters to the child's shrine. The sight of unintended carnage halted their steps, fear rippling through them. Yet, within Ida's trepidation, a maternal instinct flourished. With gentle hands, she offered milk from her goat, a humble, life-giving gift to the famished child.

As the Young Deity suckled at the milk, relief swept through the gathering. The once heavy air, laden with death, now buzzed with life, as vibrant flora burst forth, carpeting the cave floor with lush grass and adorning the walls with fragrant blooms. The barren land beyond transformed, echoing the child's newfound contentment.

Under the nymphs' vigilant care, the Young Deity thrived. Ida and her sisters balanced indulging his playful desires with tempering his might. They invented games to delight the young boy, his laughter echoing in their realm. Yet, his displeasure could shake the earth, summon storms, and provoke volcanic eruptions, reminding them of his potent discontent.

This fragile peace broke with the arrival of another deity, a ruler of the seas, whose envy sparked conflict. Their clash, a maelstrom of divine wills, rent the sky with lightning and filled the air with the roar of thunder. The earth quaked, and oceans roiled in turmoil.

Then, unexpectedly, laughter replaced fury. The deities' powers collided but caused them no harm, tickling them into play. But their play altered the world around them drastically.

The nymphs watched in despair as their tranquil home fractured beneath the gods' careless joy.

In the devastation's aftermath, the Young Deity, Zeus, surveyed the scarred landscape. Ida knelt among the ruins, her silent sobs a testament to their loss. Her tear-streaked face, a silent plea for restraint, met Zeus's gaze, igniting a pang in his heart.

Zeus took to the skies, the full extent of the devastation unfolding before him. The land's pain, the nymphs' anguish, and the silent absence of once-abundant life weighed heavily on him.

In this somber moment, Zeus's understanding deepened. With a gentle glow emanating from his palms, he began to mend the broken world, breathing life back into the scorched earth.

Poseidon, his brother & playmate, began to help.

I was painfully aware

The burden that was placed on me

My future already planned out

Who was I to fight my fate

To go against my father

I could go about my days

Carelessly playing the fool

But I knew I was meant for more To show the world the truth

That salvation is in reach

I would find followers

To help me spread the word

Praying for peace

In a negative world

Fighting against accusations

A false Messiah

But the inevitable would come

I would fulfill my destiny

The day

I would die

For your sins