The Earth had undergone a massive reform; in fact, it was undergoing constant changes at the moment.
The planet’s mass was in constant expansion, the unified landmass slowly expanding... Only the changes of the sea remained a mystery.
From corruption zones to mysterious sites, all existed in the dark abyssal depths, but humans were too preoccupied to explore.
Meanwhile, within the dark depths of what was formerly known as the Black Sea...
An isolated ocean mass that was once located between Europe and Asia, but due to the continental convergence back into Pangea,
The ocean had returned to its ancient location, now a part of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean — an eastern gulf nestled inside the great Tethys Sea embayment of the supercontinent.
At approximately 16,000+ feet deep within the dark depths of the ocean’s basin, one would find a massive dome-like structure that defied all laws of physics...
A structure that spanned the size of several stadiums sat at the depths, strong and steady despite the turbulent water flow, its pristine deep-blue steel structure shimmering like the evening sky alit with stars.
This was a gray zone, unclaimed territory that was as ancient as the first life itself, and today it was hosting an event that was supposed to have begun two days ago... The Grand Meet.
Stepping into the massive underwater dome, the dark waters of the ocean remained absent, with breathable air filling the entire space.
The interior was vast, layered like an ancient amphitheatre, with rows of occupied seats carved in a sweeping circle.
Each section was carved to accommodate the myriad races gathered here today.
And sitting at the centre, a grand platform bathed in a luminescent glow. Upon it stood a massive, at least 9-foot-tall creature.
The host of this whole event — the only creature among the myriad races of native Earth that qualified to call himself a king.
A figure who had single-handedly united the entire ocean, bringing all ancient native races of the sea under his command.
A respectful, god-like being known as Neptune, with a graceful body coated in shimmering blue scales that glinted with the luster of cobalt.
His hair flowed down his back like endless streams of rivers converging down a waterfall, bony protrusions peeking out of his head to form a noble crown that carried the jade hue of sapphire.
And eyes that embodied the endless depths and mystery of the ocean itself.
Dull, silent whispers and mutterings plagued the hall, as disgruntled figures of the ancient races bickered among themselves, polluting the atmosphere with noise.
Raising his trident, he stamped it against the earth, causing a resonant hum to quake through the entire massive hall, commanding silence.
"The meeting today is one that determines our fates. I did not invite all of you here just to listen to your endless bickering." He scolded coldly.
The myriad figures sitting across the colossal amphitheatre remained unmoved as they eyed the King of the Sea coldly.
No one here were comrades, neither were all of them subordinate to the Fish King. They were gathered here for a singular purpose, and that was that.
So frankly speaking, he had no right to order them, but for the sake of their goals they swallowed their protest.
"Hmph! Honestly, I don’t see any use for this gathering. Those monkeys are weak, we squash them, the hegemon title will be up for grabs. In fact, as far as I’m concerned, everyone in this room is the true threat!" A tall, broad humanoid wolf barked his opinion.
Drawing agreement from his side section, as they all eyed each other warily.
Bam!
Slamming the table before him, the Avian King rose in agreement, his wings bristling in tandem with his emotions.
"I agree!" His ancient tongue, rich with will, echoed through the halls.
"Those slave monkeys betrayed their masters! They deserve complete extermination. Me and my people have erased countless cities of puny humans on our way here, and none could withstand our force. I see no reason for this meeting."
Neptune just calmly stared at this spectacle and patiently waited for Ra to finish his speech, before delivering a cold line.
"Yet you’re here anyways!" His deep-blue, pupil-less eyes pulsed rich with ancient wisdom.
As the hall fell back into silence...
"You say you see no reason for all this, yet... you honored the invitation. Why is that?"
To this, none had a rebuttal...
Taking a step forward, his grip tight over his glowing trident, he continued speaking, his aged ancient voice ringing through all their ears.
"I will answer that for you... It’s because no matter how you all deny it, no matter how you want to deny it, deep down you know... the so-called slaves you ruled over for eons, the tree-hopping savages you all colonized, are no more!"
He ended his statement with an aggressive stomp of his trident, sending another resonant hum accompanied with a flickering pulse of gold rippling through the room.
Everyone remained silent, especially a specific group of bloodbornes. Their members had tasted defeat at the hands of a human, so naturally Neptune’s words resonated with them more.
Neptune turned to Ra, pointing his trident at the gold-flaming Avian.
"You say you eradicated countless human cities on your way here!"
Ra met his gaze coldly, folding his flaming feathered, clawed arms, he responded. "I did!"
"So tell me, old friend, in context of the entire race of humans, about how many percent do you think you successfully killed off?" Neptune asked.
Ra’s golden beak curved into an unpleasant smile. "I don’t take into account such puny calculations."
Neptune’s eyes flashed coldly. "I’ll answer that for you. You merely got rid of a cup in comparison to the sea!"
His gaze turning to scan the rest of the others, he continued, "Humans are fertile, they are many, and now they are talented! In case you all aren’t aware, they have lit their racial lamp!"
His voice boomed, deep apprehension could be felt in his tone. "You still see slaves, you still see savages, but in reality, they are calculating, vindictive creatures that will send us all extinct if we let our guards down."
A rocky behemoth, sitting within a section, leaned forward, his eyes glowing green, focusing on Neptune. "I wonder, old friend, what have you seen for you to be so apprehensive of them?"
His question echoed the sentiments of everyone’s heart.
No matter — humans were once so weak and harmless in comparison to the capability of the other ancient races, so much so that even now everyone still looked down on the entire species.
Neptune remained silent. He turned his head to a section. "Garbo, tell them!"
A figure cloaked in dark robes rose, a fishy stench wafting from their frail frame as they stood hunched. "As you wish, my king!"