"Oh, oh, I never thought Ishtar would get bullied by a mortal until she cried."
In the Reverse Side of the World, a pristine realm cut off from reality, a grand palace hall stood. There, a handsome old man with a goatee lounged sloppily on the steps, grinning sleazily.
"But good thing she didn't suffer too much—just got a proper lesson. Perfect. Maybe it'll teach that sneaky runaway some sense."
"Sigh… don't lie, Enki."
"You were worried sick when Ishtar got pinned. If I hadn't stopped you, you'd have followed her lead and possessed some mortal down there."
Hearing Enki's creepy chuckle, Anu, the Sumerian sky god and king on his throne, sighed helplessly.
Though he was the god-king, father to many deities, and held supreme authority, even he had no good way to handle Ishtar—his spoiled, willful daughter.
Her indulgent upbringing by the gods had only worsened her brattiness.
This time, she'd defied his orders outright, answering a devotee's call to possess a girl below and refusing to return.
Such audacity—even the other Sumerian high gods wouldn't dare. Yet Ishtar did it.
All because Enki and Ninsun spoiled her rotten…
Anu shot a reproachful glance at Enki on the steps.
Never mind that he, too, bore plenty of blame for her behavior.
"Right, Father, Gramps—you've pampered Ishtar too much. If Father hadn't held you back just now, you'd have bolted." A blond youth on the other steps chimed in, irked by Enki's coddling.
"She ignored Father's orders, ran off, caused trouble, and lost Gugalanna, apparently. Yet here you are, fretting over her, even tempted to join her nonsense. Keep this up, and she'll spark a disaster big enough to pierce the heavens."
Enki's face flushed at the boy's words, unable to argue.
Among Mesopotamia's gods, he and Anu doted on Ishtar most. That's why she'd grown so reckless—defying Anu and even conning treasures from him.
But why just call him out? What about Anu?
As her father, he'd shirked his duty to rein her in!
Enki glanced back at Anu's throne, but the guilty god-king had vanished.
Leaving Enki alone to face the gods' grilling.
"…"
You're quick to ditch, Anu…
"Don't be so hard on Lord Enki, Shamash."
As Shamash and the hall's gods ganged up on Enki, the god of water and wisdom, a gentle voice intervened. A regal woman in splendid robes strode into the chamber.
"Saved at last."
Enki exhaled, the roast session pausing.
The gods nodded in greeting, chorusing, "Mother Ninsun."
"Greetings, all."
Ninsun smiled softly, taking her seat.
She'd arrived to hear Shamash and the gods griping about Enki.
She knew Shamash was right—Enki and Anu had spoiled Ishtar rotten, leaving her unhinged, barely goddess-like.
Still, they shouldn't disrespect Enki so. She gently chided Shamash.
"Understood, Mother."
Unlike the laid-back Enki, Shamash revered Ninsun deeply.
He bowed, accepting her rebuke without protest, then apologized to Enki.
But curiosity lingered.
"Lord Enki." Shamash called respectfully.
"What is it, Shamash? Something else on your mind?"
"Yes." Shamash nodded.
"You once predicted Mother Tiamat's revival is certain, right?"
"Correct. Tiamat's awakening is fated—beyond our power to change." Enki affirmed.
Unlike Gilgamesh's Sha Naqba Imuru, Enki, wielded the Coveted Secrets. With them, his vision stretched further and clearer than Sha Naqba Imuru.
He often offered the gods timely prophecies.
In his eyes, Tiamat's rise and Uruk's ruin were inescapable, no matter how he looked.
Long ago, he'd considered mimicking Ishtar—possessing a vessel to aid Mesopotamia's humans against this doom.
But that future turned worse…
If gods who'd parted from humanity returned, history would twist wildly, veering into unseen darkness.
His sight would lose it entirely.
So, Enki swore not to interfere directly.
Even Ishtar's descent rattled him—could her antics shatter this timeline's history?
His prophecy spurred Anu to forbid divine meddling, sealing their link to reality after Ishtar slipped out.
"But can mere humans defeat Mother Tiamat?" Shamash asked gravely.
Like human-loving Enki, he was closest to mortals, especially fond of Gilgamesh.
He'd vouched for Gilgamesh before the gods plenty.
When Gilgamesh and Enkidu once enraged them, Shamash's pleas spared punishment.
He genuinely feared for Uruk's looming fall.
"Don't know…"
Enki shook his head candidly.
His sight saw the future, true.
But it wasn't static like Clairvoyance—especially with Tiamat and an outsider magus in play.
Uruk and Mesopotamia's fate now eluded him entirely.
"Then we can't—"
Shamash started, but Enki's shake of head cut him off, stance clear.
Looking at Shamash, he said earnestly, "Maybe it's Ishtar's meddling, but this world's future's diverged from my predictions. At least, I never foresaw this Magician."
"Magician?"
Shamash's face lit with surprise.
"Yes, the young man who bullied Ishtar. A remarkable kid—rivals gods. I like him. If I could go down, I'd meet him, chat properly."
"Ahem… off-topic."
Enki glanced at Shamash, continuing, "The world's path has shifted—good or bad, who knows? But we can't meddle more. Acting rashly only worsens it."
"But Ishtar—"
"She's different. She and her sister slipped Anu's seal undetected, meaning they're part of this timeline's fate. Done is done—let them be. Ishtar's spoiled and brash, but on big matters, she'll choose right."
Answering Shamash, Enki gazed at Roy heading to Uruk and Ishtar fleeing Karna's fireballs.
He stroked his beard, murmuring, "Strange soul, unseen future… this unique convergence. What sparks will you and Ishtar ignite?"
"Maybe, like Gilgamesh, you're this Singularity's hope—who knows?"
Shamash didn't buy Enki's words one bit.
Counting on Ishtar to step up? More likely Tiamat sleeps through it.
"Lord Enki, you sure Ishtar will—"
Not just Shamash—the gods questioned her antics too.
It was serious; they needed certainty.
"Ahem… I can't guarantee it…"
Under their dubious stares, Enki coughed awkwardly, muttering, "Just to be safe, I'll send Ishtar a dream tonight—nudge her a bit."
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