**Third Epoch, Year 0 - The Age of the Ancient Sun God**
The Second Epoch ended with the Ancient Sun God's complete and absolute victory.
Adrian stood in the Foundation Archive's central chamber, processing the transition between epochs. After 2,561 years of the Dark Epoch—the Sprouting Era, Early Era of Fire, Dual Era, Era of Tranquility, and Dawn Era—a new age had begun.
The Third Epoch. The Cataclysm Epoch. An age that would be ruled entirely by one being: The Ancient Sun God, who now called Himself "The Omniscient and Omnipotent."
"Archive status report for the Third Epoch transition," Adrian commanded.
Marcus appeared, his Sequence 2 consciousness processing the mystical shift. "The Ancient Sun God has defeated all Ancient Gods. Soniathrym and Ankewelt are dead, their authorities claimed. Aurmir and Gregrace are severely wounded and subordinated. Farbauti has sealed the Abyss and fled. Humanity is now officially the dominant race on all continents."
Elena added intelligence from her networks. "Population counts: Human population has grown to ninety-three million. Literacy rate: Forty-seven percent. Beyonder advancement systematized under the Ancient Sun God's pathway framework. Hermes Language has become the standard mystical tongue. The Eight Kings of Angels serve Him directly."
Adrian archived it all with clinical precision. Three thousand, five hundred and forty-two years of operation. The Archive had survived the complete transition from Ancient God tyranny to... single-God tyranny.
"And our position?" he asked.
Thomas reported from his embedded position in the theocratic administration. "Deep integration achieved. We manage educational systems across seventy major cities. Our agricultural techniques feed forty-three million people. Our administrative frameworks organize the entire Northern Continent. The Ancient Sun God's regime depends on Archive infrastructure."
Adrian nodded with grim satisfaction. "Perfect defensive integration. We're too valuable to eliminate, too embedded to uproot. Now comes the long phase—surviving an entire epoch under one God's absolute rule."
He pulled up projections extending through the Third Epoch—though now those projections were uncertain, built on observation rather than novel-knowledge.
"According to the novel timeline—which may or may not still apply—the Ancient Sun God should rule for the entire Third Epoch before being assassinated by Rose Redemption at the end. His death would create the True Creator, elevate three of His Kings of Angels to Sequence 0, and produce the Second Blasphemy Slate."
Vera raised the critical question. "But will that happen in this timeline? We've changed so much."
"Unknown," Adrian admitted. "The Primordial God Almighty's awakening inside the Ancient Sun God's consciousness is a cosmological constant—it will happen regardless of our actions. But whether Rose Redemption forms, whether the assassination succeeds, whether the betrayal occurs—all of that depends on factors we've potentially altered."
He manipulated information structures showing two divergent possibilities:
**Novel Timeline Path:**
- Primordial God Almighty awakens in Ancient Sun God's mind
- Rose Redemption forms (Sasrir + Evernight Goddess + Kings of Angels)
- Planned assassination and resurrection fails due to betrayal
- Ancient Sun God dies, True Creator emerges, three traitors become Orthodox Gods
- Second Blasphemy Slate appears, Eastern Continent becomes Forsaken Land
**Potential Divergent Path:**
- Primordial God Almighty awakens but Ancient Sun God better prepared
- Rose Redemption never forms or forms differently
- Ancient Sun God survives, continues ruling indefinitely
- Timeline diverges completely from novel
- Unknown consequences cascade through subsequent epochs
"So what do we do?" Marcus asked.
Adrian's voice carried the weight of three and a half millennia of experience. "We observe. Document. Adapt. The Archive's mission doesn't change: preserve human knowledge, maintain consciousness, position strategically. Whether the Ancient Sun God rules for one epoch or ten, we persist."
---
**Third Epoch, Year 100 - The Theocratic Golden Age**
One hundred years into the Third Epoch, and humanity was thriving under divine rule.
Adrian reviewed comprehensive reports from Archive operations across every continent. The transformation was staggering—humanity had gone from scattered, enslaved masses to the absolutely dominant civilization in just a century.
"Human population: One hundred and fifteen million," Marcus reported. "Up from ninety-three million at the epoch's start. Growth rate unprecedented in recorded history. Beyonder population: Five hundred thousand trained pathway users. Mystical education now accessible to any human who demonstrates aptitude."
Elena added cultural intelligence. "The Arts are flourishing. Architecture, literature, music—all developing sophisticated traditions under divine patronage. The Ancient Sun God encourages human cultural advancement as a demonstration of His 'proper stewardship' of creation."
Adrian archived the data with mixed feelings. This was genuine civilization—sophisticated, prosperous, culturally rich. But it was civilization built on absolute theocratic authority. No autonomy. No democracy. No freedom from divine oversight.
"What about the Eight Kings of Angels?" Vera asked. "Any signs of Rose Redemption forming?"
"None," Thomas replied from his intelligence network. "Sasrir serves loyally as the Ancient Sun God's 'other self,' managing the Chaos Sea. Adam and Amon—His twin sons—show no signs of rebellion. The other Kings operate efficiently within their assigned roles. If Rose Redemption exists, it's completely hidden."
Adrian processed that information against his expectations. One hundred years into the Third Epoch, and no visible signs of the conspiracy that should eventually assassinate the Ancient Sun God.
"Two possibilities," he said. "Either Rose Redemption is forming in such deep secrecy that even our networks can't detect it—which is plausible given it involves Sequence 0 and Angel-level beings. Or the timeline has diverged so much that the conditions creating Rose Redemption in the novel no longer exist."
He pulled up mystical analysis of the Ancient Sun God's current state.
"The Primordial God Almighty is awakening inside Him—that's inevitable. But perhaps our strengthening of humanity, our administrative support, our educational systems—perhaps all of that has given Him tools to better resist the corruption. Perhaps He doesn't need the desperate resurrection plan that required Rose Redemption."
Marcus understood the implication. "If He doesn't need to die and resurrect to purge the Primordial corruption..."
"Then He might survive the entire Third Epoch and beyond," Adrian finished. "Which completely invalidates everything the novel predicted about subsequent eras."
They sat in silence, processing the magnitude of how their three-millennium campaign might have altered destiny.
"Is that better or worse?" Elena asked quietly. "A stable theocracy lasting forever versus the chaos of divine conflicts in the Fourth Epoch?"
"Neither," Adrian replied. "It's just different. The novel's timeline had humanity gaining more autonomy in the Fourth Epoch after the Ancient Sun God died, but at the cost of divine conflicts and Outer Deity threats. This timeline might have permanent divine rule but greater stability and protection."
He gestured to the Archive around them.
"Our job isn't to judge which timeline is 'better.' Our job is to preserve truth, maintain human consciousness, and survive whatever timeline we're actually in. Whether that's one more epoch or ten thousand years—we endure."
---
**Third Epoch, Year 300 - The First Signs**
Three centuries into the Third Epoch, Adrian detected the first subtle signs that Rose Redemption might be forming after all.
"Unusual mystical activity," Marcus reported with heightened interest. "Sasrir has been spending extended periods in the Giant King's Court. The Evernight Goddess—Amanises, who vanished after Flegrea's death—has been detected operating in secret. Multiple Kings of Angels have had private meetings that our intelligence networks can't penetrate."
Adrian's Archivist Characteristic focused intensely. This matched the novel's general pattern, just delayed by centuries.
"Assessment: Rose Redemption is likely forming, just on a much longer timeline than the novel suggested. The Primordial God Almighty's awakening is progressing despite the Ancient Sun God's enhanced resistance. Eventually, the crisis will become acute enough that drastic action is needed."
He pulled up theological analysis based on three centuries of observation.
"The Ancient Sun God is extraordinarily powerful—potentially the strongest being on Earth since the Pillars died. But that power comes with a cost: He's accommodated multiple pathways, absorbed ancient authorities, and connected Himself deeply to the Chaos Sea. All of that makes Him vulnerable to the Primordial God Almighty's corruption."
Vera spoke thoughtfully. "So even with all our support, all our infrastructure, all the stability we've helped create—He still can't escape the fundamental problem."
"Correct," Adrian confirmed. "This is cosmological reality, not something human support can fix. The Primordial God Almighty wants to awaken. The Ancient Sun God resists. Eventually, that conflict reaches a crisis point requiring dramatic action."
He manipulated timeline projections.
"In the novel, Rose Redemption formed and executed the assassination relatively quickly in Third Epoch terms. In our timeline, it's taking centuries longer—likely because the Ancient Sun God is more stable and the crisis is progressing more slowly. But the endgame remains the same: He'll need to 'die' to resurrect free from corruption."
Thomas raised the critical question. "And the betrayal? Three Kings of Angels—Wind Angel Leodero, White Angel Aucuses, Wisdom Angel Herabergen—feasting on His corpse instead of letting Him resurrect cleanly?"
"That," Adrian replied grimly, "depends on factors we can't predict. Greed, ambition, fear, opportunity—all of those drove the betrayal in the novel. Whether those same factors exist in this timeline is unknown."
He looked at his assembled leadership.
"What we can do is document everything. When Rose Redemption forms—if it forms—we observe from maximum distance. This is god-level conspiracy involving Sequence 0 beings and Angels. The Archive doesn't interfere. We just preserve the truth of what happens for future generations."
---
**Third Epoch, Year 500 - The Archive's Dilemma**
Five centuries into the Third Epoch, and the Archive faced a choice it had never confronted before.
"The Evernight Goddess has reached out to us," Elena reported with barely contained alarm. "Through extremely covert channels. She wants to know if the Archive would support Rose Redemption when—if—it moves against the Ancient Sun God."
Adrian processed this carefully. A Sequence 0 True God, one of the few beings who'd achieved godhood independent of the Ancient Sun God's regime, was asking for the Archive's position on divine assassination.
"What exactly did She ask?" he demanded.
"Whether we would maintain our administrative systems if the Ancient Sun God were to... transition. Whether humanity's infrastructure would survive a change in divine authority. Whether we'd work with a new regime."
Adrian stood, pacing the chamber. Thirty-three centuries of careful neutrality, of never taking sides in divine conflicts, of surviving by being valuable to all factions—and now he was being asked to choose.
"Analysis," he commanded his leadership.
Marcus spoke first. "If Rose Redemption succeeds, the Ancient Sun God dies and three new Orthodox Gods emerge—Lord of Storms, Eternal Blazing Sun, God of Knowledge and Wisdom. Plus the True Creator from His corrupted corpse. Plus the Evernight Goddess, Earth Mother, and God of Combat who already exist. That's seven Orthodox Gods replacing one, with the True Creator as a mad god hunted by all."
"Chaos," Vera summarized. "The Fourth Epoch would be defined by conflicts between seven factions instead of stability under one."
"But also autonomy," Thomas countered. "Humanity would have more freedom under fractured divine authority than under one omnipotent God. Multiple gods competing for worshippers means humans can play them against each other."
"True," Elena agreed. "But it also means humanity becomes a battlefield for divine conflicts. The novel's Fourth Epoch had constant wars between god-backed factions. We've survived thirty-three centuries—can humanity survive that?"
Adrian listened to their arguments, processing centuries of accumulated knowledge and experience. Finally, he made his decision.
"We tell the Evernight Goddess: The Archive maintains its infrastructure and serves humanity regardless of which gods rule. If the Ancient Sun God transitions, we continue operating under whatever regime follows. If He remains, we continue serving Him. We don't take sides in divine conflicts—we ensure human civilization survives them."
He looked at each of them.
"That's not neutrality from weakness. That's neutrality from strength. We're too valuable for any regime to destroy, too essential for any faction to ignore. Whether one god or seven, whether order or chaos, humanity needs functioning infrastructure. The Archive provides that. Everything else is divine politics we don't participate in."
Marcus nodded slowly. "A more sophisticated version of what we've always done."
"Exactly," Adrian confirmed. "We've spent thirty-three centuries building an institution that outlasts gods. We don't break that pattern now by choosing sides in their conflicts. We remain what we've always been: humanity's continuity, regardless of which divinity claims authority."
---
**Third Epoch, Year 800 - The Watching Game**
Eight centuries into the Third Epoch, and the Rose Redemption conspiracy was progressing toward its inevitable conclusion.
Adrian could sense it through the Archive's intelligence networks—Sasrir preparing to sleep in the Giant King's Court, the Evernight Goddess coordinating with subsidiary gods, the Kings of Angels having increasingly private discussions about "the Primordial problem."
But he couldn't predict when it would happen. Or if the betrayal would occur. Or what the aftermath would look like in this altered timeline.
"We're blind again," he admitted to his core leadership. "Just like when my novel-knowledge ran out. We know something major is coming, but not the timing, not the details, not the outcome."
Marcus accepted that with equanimity. "Then we prepare for multiple possibilities. Contingency plans for Ancient Sun God surviving, for Him dying as planned, for Him dying with successful betrayal, for completely unexpected outcomes."
"Already developed," Adrian confirmed, pulling up comprehensive strategic frameworks. "We have protocols for every scenario we can imagine. What we can't predict, we'll adapt to when it happens."
He pulled up Archive statistics for the Third Epoch's first eight centuries:
**Archive Status, Year 800:**
- Trained disciples: Two hundred and three thousand
- Apprentices: Three hundred and forty-seven thousand
- Surface operations: Four hundred and twelve
- Total human population served: One hundred thirty-eight million
- Casualties since epoch began: Three thousand, seven hundred and nineteen
- Total casualties since founding: Fifty thousand, nine hundred and thirty-one over 4,342 years
Four millennia of operation. Fifty thousand sacrifices. Every name preserved in Adrian's perfect memory.
"We've built something unprecedented," Vera observed. "An institution spanning four thousand years, serving under chaotic god-wars and unified theocracy, preserving truth through every regime change."
"And we'll continue," Adrian replied. "Whether the Ancient Sun God rules for one more year or ten thousand, whether Rose Redemption succeeds or fails, whether this timeline follows the novel or forges something completely new—the Archive persists."
His voice carried four millennia of unwavering purpose.
"We are humanity's memory. We don't need to know the future. We just need to outlast everyone who thinks they do."
The Third Epoch continued.
The Ancient Sun God ruled absolutely.
Rose Redemption plotted in shadows.
And the Archive—built on knowledge from another world, strengthened by four thousand years of institutional experience, guided by perfect memory and adaptive strategy—prepared for whatever came next.
They would document it.
Remember it.
Survive it.
That was enough.
---
**End of Chapter 13**
---
*To be continued...*
**Author's Note:**
Chapter 13 begins the Third Epoch correctly—the Ancient Sun God rules the entire epoch, with Rose Redemption forming slowly over centuries. His death comes at the END of the Third Epoch (whenever that is), not the beginning.
The timeline has diverged significantly from canon. The Archive's three-millennium campaign has altered power dynamics in ways that might prevent, delay, or fundamentally change the Rose Redemption assassination and subsequent Fourth Epoch events.
We're now firmly in creative territory, exploring what happens when an organization like the Archive exists and changes history. The journey continues!