MTL NOVEL Chapter 15: Chapter 15: The Birth of Humanity
### Chapter 15: The Birth of Humanity
The cliffside where Apollo and Artemis stood shimmered with the golden glow of the sun and the silver gleam of the moon, their giant forms casting long shadows over the mortal world below. Apollo's golden curls danced in the sea breeze, his crystallized jewel-blue eyes glinting with a quiet intensity as he surveyed the villages dotting the horizon—fires flickering in his name, hymns rising like incense to his radiance. His golden-blue toga clung to his twelve-pack frame, the white gloves of Purity a stark contrast to the raw power of his thirty-five domains. Beside him, Artemis's silver hair flowed like liquid moonlight, her sharp silver eyes tracing the wilds beyond, *Selene's Fang* resting at her side, her presence a testament to her fierce dominion over the Hunt and the Moon.
Olympus was behind them now, its chaos—Zeus's paranoia, Aphrodite's wrath, Hephaestus's reluctant betrothal—a distant storm they'd chosen to leave behind. The twins had no need for the mountain's squabbles; their legend was growing among the mortals, their faith nodes climbing to 300, their influence stretching 1,200 miles. But as the sun dipped lower, casting a golden hue across the sea, a new pulse of divine energy rippled through the world—a tremor that Apollo felt in his bones, a whisper that Artemis sensed in the wind.
The system chimed in Apollo's mind, its voice crisp and urgent:
"Event detected: Creation of humanity initiated. Entity identified: Prometheus, Titan of Forethought, Father of Humanity. Objective updated: Assist in human creation, imbue mortals with divine essence. Mission parameters: infuse humans with your domains to ensure survival and loyalty. Faith potential: exponential growth projected."
Apollo's lips curled into a smirk, his golden curls glinting as he tilted his head, his jewel-blue eyes gleaming with intrigue. "Prometheus," he murmured, his voice a melody of Sound and Knowledge. "The Titan who defied Zeus—stealing fire, shaping clay into life. He's at it now—creating humans. And the system wants us to join him."
Artemis turned to him, her silver eyes narrowing as she caught the shift in his demeanor—the faint glow of his gloves, the spark of intent in his gaze. "What's that smirk for, brother?" she asked, her tone sharp with Hunt and Precision. "What are you scheming now?"
He met her gaze, his twelve-pack flexing as he straightened, his toga shimmering with Sun and Radiance. "No scheme, sister—just purpose. Prometheus is crafting humans—clay given breath, mortals born from defiance. The system's tasked me to help, to pour my energy into them, make them ours. I'm going to do it—give them light, sound, music… life. Want to come along?"
Her silver hair whipped as she tilted her head, her eyes glinting with curiosity and a hunter's instinct. "Humans, eh? Frail little things—clay and hope. Prometheus—he's the one Father chained for meddling, isn't he?"
Apollo nodded, his domain of Memory threading through his reply. "The same. Zeus bound him for giving mortals fire—defied the king to lift them up. Now he's at it again, and we're invited to the forge of their souls."
Artemis smirked, her grip on *Selene's Fang* tightening. "Then let's hunt a new prey—shape these humans, make them ours. I'll give them the wilds—hunting, survival. What's yours?"
He grinned, his golden curls catching the fading light. "Music to stir their hearts, sound to bind them, light to guide them. Let's go meet the Titan."
---
With a synchronized flicker of their domains—Apollo's Travel and Artemis's Exploration—they vanished from the cliff in a burst of gold and silver, reappearing in a hidden valley far from Olympus's gaze. The air here was thick with the scent of damp earth and the faint hum of creation, a primal energy that pulsed beneath their feet. Before them stood Prometheus, the Titan of Forethought, his massive form bent over a mound of clay, his hands shaping figures with a meticulous care that belied his rugged appearance. His hair was a wild tangle of black, his eyes a deep amber that flickered with defiance and wisdom, his body scarred from Zeus's chains yet unbowed. Around him lay dozens of clay figures—humans in the making, their forms still soft, their breath yet to come.
Prometheus looked up as the twins approached, his amber eyes narrowing, then softening with recognition. "Apollo, Artemis," he rumbled, his voice a deep echo of the earth. "Sun and moon—Zeus's twins. What brings you to my labor?"
Apollo stepped forward, his golden curls gleaming, his jewel-blue eyes glinting with purpose. "We've come to help, Titan. You're crafting humans—giving them life, defying Father again. We'll join you—infuse them with our essence, make them more than clay."
Artemis nodded, her silver hair shimmering as she surveyed the figures. "They're prey worth shaping. We'll give them strength—ours."
Prometheus's lips twitched into a faint smile, his hands pausing over a clay form. "Defiance runs in the family, eh? I welcome it. These mortals—they're my children, born of my will. Zeus denies them, but I'll not let them perish. What do you offer?"
Apollo raised a hand, his domain of Light flaring as a golden glow spilled from his palm. "I'll give them light—to see, to thrive. Music to lift their souls, sound to unite them. They'll carry my radiance in their veins."
Artemis stepped closer, her silver eyes glinting as she summoned a shimmer of Hunt and Wilderness. "And I'll give them hunting—the skill to survive, the instinct to conquer the wilds. They'll bear my silver strength."
Prometheus nodded, his amber eyes gleaming. "Good. Let's breathe life into them—together."
---
They set to work, a trinity of divine power weaving humanity into existence. Prometheus knelt, his hands pressing breath into the clay, his Titan essence sparking the first flickers of life—heartbeats, pulses, the faint stir of consciousness. Apollo stood over them, his giant form casting a golden light that bathed the figures, his domain of Light sinking into their eyes, granting them vision and hope. He sang—a melody of Music and Sound that flowed like a river, threading through their souls, giving them voices to cry, laugh, and create. His energy pulsed, a radiant warmth that fused with their clay, making them resilient, vibrant, alive with his divine spark.
Artemis moved among them, her silver hair trailing like moonlight as she touched each figure, her domain of Hunt igniting in their blood. She whispered secrets of the wild—how to track, to stalk, to kill—infusing them with the instincts of predators and survivors. Her silver essence sharpened their senses, honed their reflexes, binding them to the earth and its untamed heart. The clay hardened, their forms taking shape—men and women, frail yet fierce, born of Titan clay and Olympian power.
As Artemis stepped back, her silver eyes glinting with satisfaction, Apollo watched the humans stir, their first breaths ragged but strong. He tilted his head, his golden curls swaying, and a thought struck him—her gift of hunting sparked a new idea. "Wait," he said, his voice a thread of Inspiration and Knowledge. "They'll need more than skill—they'll need fire to cook, to warm, to fight."
Artemis raised an eyebrow, her smirk returning. "Fire? That's Prometheus's trick—Zeus'll hate you for it."
He grinned, his jewel-blue eyes blazing. "Let him. They're ours now—I'll give them my flame."
He raised both hands, his domain of Fire surging, and golden flames danced at his fingertips—bright, fierce, controlled. He knelt among the humans, pressing the fire into their hands, their hearts, their minds. It wasn't just warmth—it was power, creativity, defiance, a spark of his own Radiance that would let them forge tools, conquer darkness, and challenge the gods themselves. The humans gasped, their eyes widening as the fire took root, their clay forms glowing faintly with his gift.
Prometheus watched, his amber eyes glinting with approval. "Fire again," he murmured, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "You're bold, Apollo—Zeus'll chain you next to me if he finds out."
Apollo stood, his twelve-pack rippling as he adjusted his toga, his golden curls gleaming. "Let him try. These humans—they're ours now, Titan. They'll sing my name, hunt with her skill, and burn with my flame. Zeus can't stop that."
---
The first humans stirred fully awake, their voices rising in awe as they beheld their creators—Prometheus, the rugged Titan; Apollo, the radiant god; Artemis, the silver huntress. They knelt, their hands trembling, and the system chimed:
"Objective complete: Humanity infused with divine essence. Gifts granted—Apollo: Light, Music, Sound, Fire; Artemis: Hunt. Faith nodes: 350. Influence radius: 1,500 miles. New parameter: protect and guide humanity."
Apollo smirked, his golden curls catching the firelight. "Three hundred fifty—already they love us."
Artemis nodded, her silver eyes softening as she watched a human grip a stick, mimicking her hunting stance. "They're ours, brother—clay turned to strength."
Prometheus rose, his massive form towering over the humans, his voice a rumble of pride. "You've done well, twins. They'll thrive—defy Zeus as I did. Keep them safe."
Apollo's jewel-blue eyes glinted, his domain of Prophecy whispering faint threads of their future—cities rising, songs echoing, fires burning. "We will, Titan. They're our legacy now."
The sun dipped below the horizon, the moon rising in its place, and the twins stood over their creation—giants of gold and silver, their gifts woven into humanity's soul. Olympus might rage, Zeus might scheme, but here, in this valley, they'd forged something eternal. The Sun and Moon had breathed life into the world, and their reign was only beginning.