Gods against the odds

The universe is vast, cold, full of opportunities and yet at the same time, perfectly just, impartial…heartless.
Thus, it’s not hard to see why humanity had it rough.
Calamities, natural and man-made, plenty of them had hit them, let’s not even mention the many conflicts.
Many lean thus towards faith, faith for a better world, faith for a good fortune, faith…in something, someone…transcendent.
And they are not wrong.
There are entities high above, at the edges of the universe, standing tall and proud…guarding humanity from the dark void.
They do exist.
And they are rather different from humans.
Deities or not, they are worth humanity’s respect.
Why?
Because they protect humanity from the invaders.
Entities of myriad abilities and endless hunger, who long to feast on the planets, stars and living beings of our universe.
There are rumors about a Creator, someone who designed the universe, and someone who made it possible to souls to inhabit certain fortresses, and gain unimaginable powers.
If you guessed it, congratulations to you.
Indeed, these fortresses are the locations of the main pantheons of the many myths humanity has.
The pearly citadel of Heavens, filled with angels and saints.
The impenetrable castle of Valhalla, filled with warriors and undying berserkers.
The space-piercing Olympus, a mountain-like fortress floating and rotating, filled with deities of different ranks.
The Golden Stretch, the peaceful fortress, filled with Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
The Red Sea, another impenetrable fortress, filled with demons.
The Jadeite Fortress, the Heavenly Court, filled with immortals, immortal gods and cultivators.
The Forest Fortress, filled with beasts and monsters.
The Temple Fortress, filled with deities, spirits and demons.
There are a few more fortresses out there, all birthed for a single purpose: our protection.
And the reason why their existence is spread out and yet hidden?
Because only the soul can accept the peculiar energies floating in these fortresses, and in the void.
The body would collapse, and injure the soul along its collapse.
That’s why messages about the fortresses are spread, subliminally and that’s how new soldiers join the ranks of these fortresses.
Souls with affinity, will be attracted to certain myths and legends, and will birth faith towards a certain fortresses stories.
Those soul, after finishing their mortal journey, will join the fortresses, and begin their journey to become a fully fledged member.
After training and a new education, they will join the ranks of the troops, and start protecting the living.
For the living is their past and their future as well.
They are all god-like in nature, regardless of their location.
Each are the same, yet different, but they all share a common enemy.
The Gods are against the odds in this case, fighting a neverending number of enemies, yet they never break down, never give up.
For if they do…
Let’s not even think about that.