Divinity Detox: Gods Gone Viral

When the portal collapsed, the world went dark.

For a moment, there was nothing—no sound, no light, no gravity. Just the lingering taste of Goldfish crackers and existential dread.

Then, with a violent jolt, they fell.

Tommy landed first, grunting as he hit stone.

Erlang crashed next, muttering a celestial curse.

Wukong flipped midair, landed on his feet, and dusted himself off like nothing happened.

Then came Kara—who landed gracefully, cradling Ravi, who was completely unfazed.

Because of course he was.

The toddler looked around curiously, sippy cup still glowing. "New place!"

Yeah. That was one way to put it.

Tommy pushed himself up, blinking. "Where… are we?"

The sky was wrong.

Above them, the stars shifted like data points, forming and reforming constellations that shouldn’t exist. The buildings around them were half-formed, glitching in and out of different architectural styles—one second ancient temples, the next skyscrapers, then floating palaces.

And the streets?

They were filled with people—gods, spirits, beings from different mythologies—all walking side by side.

Erlang’s third eye widened. "Impossible…"

Wukong smirked. "Oho. Now this is interesting."

Kara, still clutching Ravi, scanned their surroundings. "Where the hell are we?"

A voice answered from behind them.

"The Crossroads."

They spun—and came face-to-face with a tall, cloaked figure, his presence exuding an ancient, watchful energy.

His skin was dark as the night sky, speckled with shifting stars. His eyes glowed silver, like twin moons. And in his hand, he held a staff woven from countless golden threads.

Erlang tensed. "You…"

Tommy frowned. "Who the hell is this guy?"

Wukong grinned. "Well, well, well. If it isn’t the Spider himself."

Kara narrowed her eyes. "Anansi."

Anansi—The African Spider God, Trickster of Stories, Keeper of Fate, and the Weaver of the Cosmic Web.

Once, Anansi had been known as the god of stories and knowledge, the weaver of fate itself. But while some trickster gods thrived on chaos, Anansi thrived on secrets.

And right now?

His gaze was locked on Ravi.

"The Codex has chosen," Anansi murmured, his glowing silver eyes studying the toddler with far too much interest. "That… is unexpected."

Kara held Ravi closer. "Stay back, Spider."

Anansi chuckled. "Now, now. Let’s not be hostile." He gestured toward the ever-shifting city around them. "Welcome to the Crossroads—the city between realities. The place where gods go when they have nowhere left to be."

Tommy crossed his arms. "You mean like divine purgatory?"

Anansi smiled knowingly. "Something like that."

Erlang’s jaw clenched. "This place shouldn’t exist. It was erased eons ago."

Anansi twirled his staff. "Nothing ever truly disappears, my dear lawbringer. It just… hides."

Kara, still on edge, kept Ravi behind her. "If this place is so hidden, why did the Codex bring us here?"

Anansi’s smile faded. "Because you’re running out of options."

The air around them hummed.

A presence—vast and watching—settled over the city.

Anansi sighed. "And because you’re not the only ones looking for answers."

A distant bell tolled.

And somewhere in the city, something stirred.

To be continued…