The Guardian gods

Witnessing this, Ikenga's perspective on the current memory shifted profoundly. It was like watching the illusory work of a phantom. Every goblin, from Vellok to Kaelen and Kairos, was ensnared in an elaborate illusion they wholeheartedly believed was reality. Kairos, convinced of his own unique talents, was perceived through Vellok's memory as a heroic figure, a visionary accomplishing the impossible by accessing areas that should have been utterly impenetrable.

They were all drawn deeper into this intricate deception for years, maturing within its confines, until one pivotal day when Kairos "discovered" the core of the ship.

Kairos's triumphant "discovery" sent ripples of hope through the enslaved goblin population. He materialized among them, a shadow slipping through unseen pathways, his blue eyes alight with what they believed was genuine victory. He proclaimed that he had not only located the ship's core, the very heart of their captors' immense vessel, but had also found accessible ships within the massive structure – vessels large enough to carry them all, goblins and their brutish brethren, the Ogres, to safety.

The plan, as Kairos laid it out, was simple in its audacious scope: destroy the core, cripple the mages' colossal craft, and escape in the newly found ships before it plummeted back down to their homeworld. Freedom, a tangible, exhilarating concept, was now within their grasp.

The news spread like wildfire, igniting a fervent hope that had been brutally suppressed for generations. Goblins whispered, then openly rejoiced, sharing the impossible dream with the Ogres. The heavy, dull resignation that had clung to them for so long began to crack, replaced by a fierce, almost desperate determination. Kairos, with his elusive movements and impossible discoveries, had cemented his image as their savior, the harbinger of their liberation.

However, the final, daunting hurdle remained: how to destroy the core itself. The power source of a sixth-tier mage ship would be immensely protected, designed to withstand any assault. Kairos, for all his cunning, had found the path to the cage door, but the lock remained stubbornly impenetrable.

Kairos shared his monumental problem with his brothers during their "secret meetings." How could they possibly destroy the core, bypass the powerful mages' watchful eyes, or even reach the escape ships? No one had an answer.

Then, the memory shifted, showcasing the escape ship. It was no surprise to Ikenga and Keles, whose understanding of the mages' long game now solidified: the escape vessel was what was now commonly known as a "Mage Tower." This very ship, a symbol of the goblin empire's current sixth-tier power, was the vehicle they used to flee the mages' vast vessel. The irony was palpable.

It was at this crucial juncture that a new voice echoed within the memory. Something that had been watching all along, observing their plight, spoke up. It had remained silent until now, held back by a potent mix of pride and shame, unwilling to reveal itself given its current humiliating position.

The voice that cut through the silence of the memory belonged to the angel hosted within Vellok's body. Since this wasn't Vellok's direct memory, Ikenga and Keles experienced it as Kaelen did, hearing Vellok recount the angel's words.

"All your problems can be solved with my help," the angel had told Vellok, its voice resonating within him. "All I need from you is, you release me from my imprisonment within you."

Kairos, desperate and seizing onto this unexpected hope, eagerly pressed Vellok to ask how the angel could solve all their problems. From Kaelen's memory, it took months before the angel responded again.

When it finally did, the angel explained that due to Vellok's master catching it off guard and imprisoning it so swiftly, it hadn't been able to use a specific gift accessible to young angels like itself. Kaelen and the others couldn't comprehend the name of this gift at the time. It was only after Kaelen himself became a sixth-tier figure, much later in his life, that he recalled this memory and understood the angel's words: the gift was "The Rapture."

According to the young angel, the gift of "The Rapture" manifested as a trumpet whose devastating sound would spread across all planes, universes, and timelines. Nowhere, it claimed, would be safe from its reach. This sound, the angel explained, would be sought out by its fellow angels, for it represented a cry for help.

The angel spoke these words with a palpable mix of hatred and shame directed at the mages. It longed to summon the full wrath of the angels, to unleash their fury upon the mage's vessel and, specifically, upon Vellok's master, who had so cruelly imprisoned and defiled it. The "Rapture" was not merely a call for rescue, but a summons for divine vengeance.

In the memory, Vellok's voice echoed with desperate confusion. "How can I release you," he asked the angel, "when I have no idea what the mage has done to us both?"

The angel's response was chillingly clear: "I do. I understand what he has done to me and to you. He cursed you, boy. He cursed you with me... he made it so that the seal could be accessed by your will. All that is needed for the seal to break is your willingness to break it and free me."

When this part of Kaelen's memory reached its climax, there was an abrupt period of blankness. Ikenga and Keles understood immediately: this momentary void represented the mages' sudden panic. The very notion of the young angel's potential, of The Rapture, must have sent shivers through their ancient ranks. The vengeance of the angelic civilization wouldn't end with just the mages on the ship; it could very well turn its devastating gaze upon their main world, threatening everything they had built.

During this period of erased memory, the mages, who had so meticulously orchestrated the goblins' illusion from behind the scenes, now had all their attention focused solely on Vellok and the angel. They were no longer merely observing; they were on high alert. Apart from the mages directly on the ship, Vellok and the others had been caught in a carefully constructed illusion, one constantly monitored by the mages. As long as Vellok and the angel showed any sign of instability, any deviation from their controlled path, they would be "taken care of". EnjoythestorybyreadingonM|V|LE%MPYR.

The illusion, meticulously maintained by the mages, continued to play out. Kaelen's memory resumed, a warped reality unfolding for Ikenga and Keles, even as they now understood the puppet strings pulling every goblin's action. The "secret meetings" between the brothers, Kairos's "impossible discoveries," the growing resentment towards the mages—it all continued, perfectly orchestrated. Vellok, burdened with the angel's secret and the terrifying power of his own will, moved through this carefully constructed world, his internal struggle hidden from his brothers, and from the mages who watched his every flicker of emotion.

Years continued to pass within this carefully controlled environment, until the day finally arrived – the day of the escapade.

The moment Kairos set their calculated plan into motion, the subtle shifts in the mage ship's energy matrix, which Kairos believed only he could detect, were perfectly aligned. He led the charge, a figure of heroic conviction, toward the core and the "escape" Mage Towers.

It was then, in the controlled chaos of the supposed rebellion, that the angel "used" The Rapture. No trumpet visibly appeared, but within Vellok's mind, the angelic will surged forth. A sound, not audible to the physical ears of the goblins, but a resonant call vibrating across planes and dimensions, erupted from the cherub-turned-herald within Vellok.

And that was precisely what the mages wanted.

Suddenly, the illusion intensified. The very fabric of the ship seemed to ripple, but not from an external invasion. Instead, within the perceived reality of the goblins, blinding light coalesced into forms that were unmistakably angelic. They weren't real angels, but meticulously crafted illusions, manifestations of pure light tailored to the angelic forms. These illusory angels "tore" through the outer layers of the ship, appearing from nowhere, their forms radiating righteous fury. They "clashed" with equally illusory mages in brilliant, controlled explosions of light and arcane energy.

The spectacle was terrifyingly convincing. The mages, far from being surprised, had anticipated this. Their carefully managed illusion had accounted for the "angelic distraction" from the moment they understood the Rapture's true nature. They were merely facilitating the perfect, controlled chaos, giving the goblins the illusion of a genuine struggle. This grand, fabricated battle, triggered by Vellok's unwitting release of the "Rapture," was merely the next, critical stage in the mages' elaborate plan.

To the angel's utter horror, as it "used" the Rapture, the illusory angels swarming the mage ship seemed utterly oblivious to its existence. They overlooked it, never sought it out, their every movement a choreographed distraction. Vellok and the others, believing the chaos to be real, seized the opportunity to escape the immense vessel.

The "Mage Towers," now understood by Ikenga and Keles to be the goblins' own future symbols of power, descended through the atmosphere. Vellok, Kaelen, and the other goblins finally touched down on the familiar soil of their home planet.