"Wow, you were right, this place is amazing!"
'Agreed.'
Echoes of merry conversation echoed through the empty caverns, being the only sound in the entire place. Two pairs of eyes looked around. One of them darted her eyes around, admiring the bioluminescence that lay before her. Fireflies, glowing mushrooms, they all cast a soft, blue light that pieced the darkness like tiny little blue fires. Pools of water reflected the light like mirrors and just added to the beauty of this place. The other pair, a man this time, just admired the most beautiful object in the entire cavern - his companion, whose marble white teeth glistened in a wide, innocent smile. This was her first time here, so her eyes were wide with the wonder of a child.
The tall woman's hair was long and flowing, coloured a pure, angelic white. Her skin was pale, and by contrast her blue eyes are like sapphires embedded in the snow. She was absolutely beautiful, looking like she didn't even belong to this world, beauty beyond measure. She wore just a light blue summer skirt, decorated with a white silk sash around her waist. She wore a couple of bracelets. She wore a pair of headphones, but these weren't any normal pair of headphones. The headphones belonging to mortals were coloured a dull grey, not too light, not too dark. This woman, however, wore headphones that were pure white. So white that you actually can't tell that the design on them - a white triangle, existed at all. Her partner, by contrast, was a taller man coloured a bright pink. His skin was a pale pink rosy colour, compared to the pure white of his companion. His hair was also pink, thick, wavy and styled back, with a few strands in front. He wore a long, pink coat that reached to his knees, with round collars popped up. Underneath it, a white dress shirt with a pink bowtie. The design on his pure white headphones was a pink circle. His gaze was fixated on her ethereal beauty. He felt a warmth in his heart as a nervousness started to form.
She turned to him and smiled.
"What do you think we should call this place?" She chirped. "Needs a name, doesn't it?"
'W-Well um...' Her partner stuttered. 'I-I dunno, Trinity, what do you think?"
She just shrugged.
"You've always been the creative one, Circ, surely you would come up with something?"
'Creative? Naw, I just like music, that's all, you created the humans, I'm really nothing special...'
"Don't be so self-deprecating, Frence, I think you're pretty great"
This caused her partner to turn his face away to hide the blush that stained his pink cheeks.
"Circ..?" Trinity turned towards him. Her smile dropped. "Is everything okay? You seem kind of... well, nervous..."
Silence.
"Circumference?"
He just turned his face away more.
"Circ, if something's wrong, you know you can tell me-"
'TRINITY-WILL-YOU-BE-MY-WIFE????' His sudden, hurried shout echoed through the air as all of a sudden, he whirled around, squeezing his eyes shut as a bright red washed over his face. In his hands, was a sack size of her head. He had taken this sack with him through the entire journey, but not once did she question it, she just assumed that it was food or something, as he always bought some with him during outings. But if he's actually proposing, there's only one thing that can be in the sack. And that would be gold, jewels, extravagant gifts, anything of the like.
A silence passed the two of them, before Trinity started to laugh.
Circumference opened one eye, like he was scared.
"Seriously? C'mon, you don't have to be so shy!"
'I-Is that a no?'
"No? Nonono, Hey, Circumference, look at me, I'm not saying no, I would love to be your wife!" She chirped, cheeks flushed with a rosy red that was extremely rare for her. The feeling in her heart was genuine love and affection. She took the sack and opened it. Her suspicions were true, it was loaded to the brim with the finest gold and jewels she could find, even a perfume bottle or two. Of course he could get his hands on such extravagant goods. Most people just give their brides-to-be a gold bracelet or two, Circumference was practically a god, so of course he gifted her with goods belonging to a queen. He created the sun and moon, which both shone a bright, warm pink over the earth. When he came into creation, he looked pretty much the exact same as he did now, still as youthful as ever. He did not age a day, still greatly resembling a young adult despite being almost a hundred years old at this point. So did Aster, Tess and Trinity. Radius was growing taller and taller every day, however.
"But why here of all places? Usually most humans organise a huge ceremony when the male proposes, that's what I'm confused about."
'Well, um, I didn't want to create a big fuss about it, so...' His eyes darted down the ground. His usual confidence had dissipated.
She smiled, took the bag in her hands, and kissed Circumference on the cheek. He just immediately exploded, melting like a stick of butter in the microwave. Trinity laughed and hugged him. Just when he thought he couldn't possibly get any more red...
When they returned back to Trinity's cottage, they weren't exactly expecting Aster and Tess already waiting for them. No, they just opened the door, saw that a fire was already lit, and two figures were sitting hip to hip on a bench not even 10 meters from the door. Circumference was just escorting Trinity to her house, and they both assumed their other two friends had already gone to rest for the day, so they were not expecting them to be right in Trinity's house. How did they even get in?
"Where were you two?" The blue-eyed figure squinted at them. Trinity and Circumference froze.
The woman, Tesseract, had ebony skin that directly contrasted her bright blue hair. It reached down to her waist in cropped segments. She wore a dark blue robe, adorned with accented squares. Like Circumference and Trinity, her headphones were white, design being a blue square. Aster was a tall, lanky, skinny man who almost never left the house - or even the bed - without his trademark cloak. He said it made him look "mysterious" and "sophisticated". His short, spiky green hair was also the same shade as his eyes. His headphone design was a green pentagon.
"Hi..." Trinity waved awkwardly. Tess glared at her down her greek nose.
'Where were you?'
"She's my fiancée now." Circumference interrupted, wanting to get it over with. Aster and Tess just blinked.
And both of them broke their usual calm demeanours.
"WHAT????" Aster sat up so fast that the chair fell down behind him. There was a look in his eyes that was a combination of both incredulousness and the giddiness of a child. "SO YOU DID GO THROUGH WITH IT! I GENUINELY THOUGHT YOU WOULD'VE ABORTED LIKE A COWARD!"
'Thanks I guess?'
"DID YOU PLAY A SONG FOR HER?" Aster knew how good Circumference was at playing string instruments.
'No, took her over to a cave I found in the east. It had glowing Mushrooms and fireflies, it was awesome."
Tess' reaction was a bit more extreme, as she immediately got up with a joy in her step, and practically tackled Trinity. The momentum caused the two girls to topple over like dominoes. Trinity crashed onto the floor while Tess just hugged her, squealing happily. It was exceptionally rare for Tess to act like this, so this shocked even them.
"HOW MANY KIDS ARE YOU TWO GONNA HAVE?"
'Circumference already has Radius, right?' Trinity flushed a deep red. Circumference just covered his face with one hand. Frankly, for the foreseeable future, they'll just be happy with the adopted Radius, and they're not even sure that their children will be immortal just like them.
A new voice joined the chat. It was croaky and tired, like someone who just woke up. "I hear my name. What about me...?"
The four of them looked at the doorway, and a slightly smaller shape stood in it, yawning.
Radius was at this point in his mid teens, but even so he was taller than most adult men in the nearby village. He was the very first human Circumference created, so he was made a bit too big, too lanky, too awkward. The only people taller than him were the four immortal gods.
His sun-kissed, tanned skin was littered with tiny freckles that covered his entire body like fireflies. His bright yellow hair was messy and bedridden, curling up into unnatural angles and curls. He didn't have much energy, not enough to even open his golden eyes. He still wore his underclothes, and had a small patch of dried saliva on his cheek. At least he had the energy to put his headphones on before leaving the house. Unlike the other four, his was the usual, dull grey. But his design was the warmest yellow imaginable, like a buttercup. And it was a circle, just like Circumference, a true testament to how much he looked up to him when he first got it the year before.
Radius followed Circumference around ever since he was a toddler, like an imprinted duckling. Since not a lot of people wanted to adopt the overgrown boy, Cfircumference just took him in. Now the two of them live together, having a close father-son relationship. Radius was always a light sleeper, so he was likely aroused from his slumber by the clamour that was Aster and Tess' excitement and decided to check it out.
Circumference just walked over and placed his hand on the shoulder of the smaller shape. Radius' eyes opened themselves slightly more.
"I just proposed to Trinity." He smiled from ear to ear, eyes shrinking to make room for the massive smile.
A second passed when the half-asleep boy tried to process what happened, before all of a sudden his golden eyes widened. And a large smile that was largely reminiscent of Circumference's own spread across his lips and he started laughing.
"SO YOU DID GO THROUGH WITH IT!!!" He cheered, suddenly awake. He hugged his father figure and beamed with pride.
'Wait, Cirf?' Trinity finally managed to get the clingy Square off of her. 'You told them about this?'
"I needed to get their opinion and advice." He smiled nonchalantly and shrugged.
"Ms. Trinity?" Radius turned his vibrant face over to her. "Can I call you 'Mother' from now on?"
Trinity laughed and Circumference covered his face again. Both their cheeks were flushed the same shade of crimson.
'Sure! I guess since I'm gonna get married to your father, I'm technically your mother' Trinity smiled, which coaxed a smile from Radius.
The following days were spent planning when the wedding was going to be held, as well as announcing their marriage to the human villages nearby. They were faced with utmost enthusiasm and vigour, so they spent ages planning the big ceremony. Radius never looked happier, neither did Circumference.
But about a week after his proposal, Circumference unexpectedly got sick. Really, really sick.
Nobody was expecting it, but apparently gods can also become ill, just like humans. Circumference spent all day in bed, not being able to get out. His head was extremely light, like someone had painted white all over his thoughts. Days passed in blurs to him, being asleep a majority of the time. He vaguely remembered his friends and son staying by his side, taking care of him and feeding him. Tess said that she had never felt body temperatures so high. Radius spent most of his time by his bed, making sure he was okay, helping him whenever he needed it. Trinity often came, also spending a large amount of time with him, bringing him meals, including the trademark, delicious mushroom soup that Aster makes. He still remembers the shadows of his companions filling up the room. Green for Aster. Blue for Tess. Yellow for Radius and White for Trinity.
One day, Circumference woke up to the sound of birds chirping and a bright pink sunlight flooding through his windows. The three of his closest friends were in his room, still sleeping. Radius must've slept in his own room. Trinity was sleeping against his bed, sleeping face using her forearms as cushions. She looked peaceful. Aster was seen leaning against the wall, upright, hood of his cloak casting a shadow that shrouded his face. He did have a talent of falling asleep standing up. And Tess just curled up into a corner, leaning against the wall in an upright foetal position. She was muttering to herself in her sleep. Circumference didn't feel sick anymore? He sat up and blinked the remnants of his sleepy daze away. During the entire time he was sick, his body felt stiff and heavy, like someone had pumped lead into his veins. Now, it felt... normal? His head was also clear now. Did he suddenly recover in his sleep? He looked at his Fiancée and shook her awake. She jerked up with a grunt, blank eyes trying to focus. When she finally processed what was going on, she called towards the other two, who woke up almost immediately.
"How're you feeling?" Tess asked, checking his forehead to see if his fever's died down somehow. Before he even got a chance to respond, her eyes widened.
"What the- How did- Wait- This isn't-!"
'Tess, what's wrong?' Trinity asked, fearing the worst. Aster left the room to get Radius.
Tess swallowed a heap of saliva. "His fever's completely died down. It's like he went from summer to winter within a couple hours!"
'What?' Circumference questioned. 'How...How long was I sick for?'
"Over a week." His fiancée responded. She held his hand. "You were asleep most of the time."
'This isn't normal...' Tess muttered to herself as she stared at the wall in disbelief. 'That fever was the hottest fever I've ever felt and it went on for over a week, how did it die down within a couple hours? Even with my healing capabilities, he shouldn't go from being so sick he's unconscious to perfectly fine overnight, this doesn't make sense...'
Aster re-entered the room, with a half-asleep Radius in tow. He rushed to his father's side, and was relieved to know he was okay. 'Makes sense or not, the important thing is that he's healthier, right Ms. Tesseract?'
"I guess you're right..." Tess shook her head. Trinity, Radius and Aster were honestly extremely glad that Circumference was back on his feet, while Tess still had her suspicions about the mysterious nature of his sickness. But eventually, she just shrugged it off and carried on with her life.
Another week passed, and she knew she was right to be suspicious. One day, Aster was walking past Circumference's house, when he suddenly heard shouting. Curious, he decided to check it out. When he opened the door, he saw Radius hovering over Circumference, visibly worried with jerky movements. His father figure clutched his hand as he stood hunch-backed, in a posture that didn't let Aster see his face. He walked in.
"Mr. Aster!" Radius turned around once he heard someone coming in. Circumference didn't even bother looking up.
'What's wrong, Radius?'
"Father accidentally cut his hand re-stringing his instrument." He pointed to the guitar that lay on the floor miserably. One of its strings was snapped in half, both ends rising up like vines. "The string just snapped and cut him. It sometimes happens, but he doesn't usually yell that loudly."
'Oh. Hey, Circumference, you want me to go get Tess?'
"Piss off." Circumference snarled under his breath. Radius and Aster both blinked. Piss off? What's with that attitude? "I'm perfectly fine."
'You sure?' Aster shot a look at his palm. It was bleeding quite a bit. 'I mean, you were just sick, so I think I'll go get her-'
"I TOLD YOU, I'M FINE!" Circumference shot his head up, glaring deep into Aster's soul with an intense fire burning in them. He wouldn't usually get this angrily so easily. This sudden change in attitude was shocking, so Aster just blinked and took a step back.
'Okay... If you say so?'
"AND GET OUT OF MY FUCKING HOUSE!"
'Okay okay! I'll leave, I'll leave, jeez.' He hurriedly paced out of the front door. Radius looked terrified.
Aster didn't think too deeply into it at the time, but he really... really should've...
Following that, Circumference's attitude started to change. He became more anti-social, more irritable, more intimidating. It had gotten to a point where the only two people who he hadn't yelled at was his fiancée and son. It was like the kind, bubbly man had been taken over by a complete stranger. The four gods were gods for reasons, they had supernatural powers, which they used to create the universe. Circumference had recently started to get stronger and stronger, until he was much stronger than his other three friends. He felt proud of himself, but his friends were uneasy. In fact, they all seemed much more uneasy and scared around him now, following his sickness.
And whenever Tess entered the marketplaces in the villages, the air was tense. There were a couple of women sobbing in the square. When she asked what was wrong, they just told her that they found their loved ones dead one day. Torso horribly mangled like a wolf had found a helpless deer. It wasn't exactly the best atmosphere to have if two immortal deities were going to get married, with people dying and all. Rumours went around saying that it was a monstrous being made from darkness.
Just when it couldn't possibly get worse, Circumference woke up one day to find that his son Radius wasn't in the house. He left it, checked the woods, his friends' houses, but there was no sign. Just when he was about to punch a tree, Tess came sprinting over.
"What is it?" He glared at her. She spent a few seconds catching her breath. When he looked at her, her eyes were wide with dread and panic. Something happened. "Tess?"
Tess just pointed at the direction she came from, still panting.
"I-It's Radius..." She panted. "S-Something happened... To Radius..."
His heart dropped to the bottom of his shoes. His eyes widened with a combination of both despair and hatred. His fist clenched so tightly around itself that his knuckles turned white and he glared at Tess like she had something to do with it.
"Where is he?" He bore his teeth in a snarl.
Tess just gestured for him to follow her. He did so without a second thought. They both sprinted out of the forest, and towards the nearby village. The grass was green, the sun was shining, the sky was a brilliant blue. Circumference secretly hated everything be so sunny, be so beautiful when something happened to his son. Even when he wasn't even one hundred meters from the gates, he could already see an overabundance of people surrounding a certain area. Some of them turned around to see Circumference running, and they all immediately got out of the way. A domino effect took place and soon Circumference was sprinting through the village without a single person blocking his way.
Until he saw a pool of pure red, and an all too familiar figure lying in the middle of it.
Radius's lifeless body was a stiff statue lying in the middle of the street. His usual glistening eyes and shining smile that warmed hearts wherever he went was now replaced with a pale, horrified, twisted expression that was smothered with fear and pain. It sent a cold, solid colour of black through the hearts of anyone who looked upon his body. His body was crumped in an awkward position, almost like he was trying to fight off whoever attacked him.
His soft, golden threads of hair was tainted with the daunting, sanguine colour of blood. It decorated his corpse like cherries. His torso was mangled, covered in red slashes that almost seemed to bore right through his body, leaving his white toga looking like it had been through a woodchipper. You could almost see the pale pink glimmer of his guts in there, like gemstones against mud. The red puddle underneath him was starting to dry. His tanned face was drained of all colour as the life in his body was taken away.
Circumference collapsed to his knees. He was so fixated on the corpse of his son that he didn't realise that Trinity was also there when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He looked up at her and saw that tears were streaming down her face relentlessly. Her beautiful face was now scrunched up, crying the ugliest crying Circumference has ever seen. Her face was paler than usual. He held her hand.
"Who... Who did this......?" He only managed to mutter out. Trinity just shook her head. Painful, raw emotions were starting to bury and drown him. Anguish. Pain. Rage. And only when he managed to borrow himself out of the pit of despair did he finally realise that tears were streaming down his face.
When the sadness had been flushed out of his system, it was replaced by rage.
"Who did this..." He muttered and stood up. Every one of the human villagers with their grey headphones took a step backwards.
"I SAID, WHO THE FUCK DID THIS?" He roared. With that scream, they all flinched. Circumference glared at all of them with a cold, unforgiving gaze that bored into their souls. The pain tugged at his heart, threatening to break it into a million pieces. "I KNOW ONE OF YOU DID THIS! WHO DID THIS?"
No response. Just the horrified, tense silence. Under normal circumstances, Circumference would NOT be this pissed off. But all the villagers understood, his adopted son was just brutally murdered, of course he was angry.
"Circ... Darling..." Trinity placed her hand on his shoulder.
Circumference just swiped her hand away and stormed off. Everyone was sympathising with his pain. He just witnessed the death of a flower plucked too soon. Trinity was just about to go after him when Aster stopped her, shaking his head.
The angry man practically stomped up the hill that led to his house. Leaves scrunched up and died with a loud CRUNCH whenever he stood on them, and it's very likely that he scared off every bird within a mile radius.
His son was dead.
MURDERED.
BRUTALLY SLAUGHTERED.
His heart lurched as the image of his dead son flashed through his mind.
He wasn't his biological son, he was far from that, but Circumference loved Radius as much as any father that loved his son.
The bright rays of sunbeams that emitted off of Radius' face whenever he smiled was also playing through his conscience at the same time his corpse was. Great. The twinkle in his eyes whenever Circumference arrived home with a basket filled with his favourite fruits seemed to haunt him.
Tears were welling up in his eyes, and he hated himself for it.
Finally, when he got home, he slammed the door, locked it, and immediately collapsed onto his bed. He buried his face into his pillow and before long, he was starting to cry again. The dark corners of his room seemed to be alive, taunting him for his weakness. He could feel its judgemental gaze and hear its silent chuckling. The despair was draining him of all emotional energy. His body started to shut down.
He swore that when he was just about to fall into a dreamless sleep, he saw an innocent, shining smile that lurched at the heart of the broken man.