Adrian was reviewing the latest prayer metrics when a new divine signal pulsed across his interface. It wasn't from Lucy. It wasn't from a mortal.
It was from Zane Dreadmourne.
God of Fear.
The name carried weight. Zane was known among divine students for his mastery of psychological domains—terror, pressure, and emotional control. His divine tests were infamous for breaking even the most confident candidates. But beneath the reputation was a mind as sharp as Adrian's own.
The message was simple.
"I've been watching your Fear Trial. It's impressive. I'd like to talk."
Adrian accepted immediately.
They met in the divine realm, in a chamber designed for strategic collaboration. Zane appeared as a tall figure cloaked in shadows, his eyes glowing faintly with violet light. His presence was intense, but not hostile.
"You've built something powerful," Zane said, gesturing to the floating blue screen Adrian had brought. "But you're missing something."
Adrian raised an eyebrow. "Go on."
"Fear isn't just a challenge. It's a motivator. It drives loyalty, shapes behavior, and reveals truth. Your trial is good—but it could be transformative."
They talked for hours.
Zane proposed enhancements to the [Fear Trial] app—deeper psychological profiling, adaptive illusions, and emotional feedback loops. He offered his divinity to power these features, allowing the trial to evolve based on user fears, traumas, and ambitions.
In return, he asked for a share of the Divine Power generated by the trial.
Adrian agreed.
Zane would receive 20% of the Divine Power from users interacting with fear-based systems. In exchange, Adrian would gain access to one of the most potent emotional engines in divine design.
The integration began immediately.
The [Fear Trial] deepened. Users began encountering trials that mirrored their past failures, their hidden regrets, their buried anxieties. The app became more than a game—it became a mirror. And those who passed through it emerged stronger, wiser, and more loyal.
Zane also helped Adrian develop a new feature: [Fear Resonance], a passive system that detected unrest, anxiety, and emotional spikes among users. It allowed Adrian to identify potential threats, predict social shifts, and intervene before problems escalated.
The Internet Pantheon was now complete.
Adrian, the God of Creativity and Infrastructure.
Lucy, the Goddess of Waves and Emotion.
Zane, the God of Fear and Insight.
Together, they formed a divine triad unlike anything the mortal world had seen.
And the world was beginning to feel it.