???POV
The great throne room was a place of divine beauty, a sanctum where the very air seemed to hum with the sacred pulse of the gods. Once a gleaming sanctuary of light, it now lay heavy in the shadows, as though the gods themselves had turned their backs on this sacred ground. Bruno Alpheus, the God King, sat motionless on his throne, his yellow eyes glowing with a disturbing quietness that stretched across the room like a weighty silence. The moonlight that had once bathed this hall in peace now spilled in muted tones, a pale, blood-hued light that cast long, eerie shadows over the marble floors. The coldness of the air was oppressive; each breath filled with the taste of impending doom.
At his side, his wife, Diana, the Priestess of Alea, sat as a beacon of beauty—unearthly and perfect, yet a fragile silhouette in the fading light. The gown that clung to her form was delicate, almost ethereal, but the expression on her face was one of sorrow—heavy with the realization that the world was about to fall apart. Her blue eyes shimmered, reflecting the moon's pale glow, but they were haunted. There was no longer peace in her heart, only the weight of an inevitable loss that she could not undo. Her slender fingers clenched on the armrest, the tension radiating from her posture like a living thing.
For Bruno, the weight was heavier still. Despite the graceful delicacy of his form, his heart was a battlefield. His thoughts were scattered, broken, as the very room seemed to tremble with the choices that had led him here. The faint tapping of his fingers on the arm of his throne was the only sound in the room, echoing like a metronome counting down to a fate he could no longer avoid. The guilt that had been buried deep within him was now rising—he had failed to see the consequences of his actions. He had been too eager to prove himself, too sure of his power.
His eyes locked onto Diana's, and for a fleeting moment, the world around them disappeared. He saw the haunting reflection of the woman he loved, the Priestess who had sacrificed so much for him. They were trapped, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
"Brother!" The voice of Grey, the prince of Ethel, broke through the suffocating silence. His cry echoed across the room, each word filled with desperation and betrayal. He stood at the doorway, eyes wide, his face pale with fear. His gaze was locked on the two figures seated on the thrones, and in that moment, it was as though the entire weight of the universe had fallen upon his shoulders.
The gods of Olympus, the very beings who once ruled over the divine continent with divine arrogance, were now at odds with the fate that had been written for them. Grey's hands clenched into fists, his body trembling with the rage that burned within him. He had watched his kingdom, his family, and his world crumble before his eyes, powerless to stop it. The Abyssal Children, the twins born of the gods' greatest sins, had risen from the depths of the earth, heralding the end of the world.
"This cannot be…" Grey's voice was shaky, his lips barely forming the words. "You—you can't…"
His words trailed off as Bruno slowly lifted his gaze to meet his brother's. The God King's eyes, once bright and filled with certainty, were now clouded with the weight of his failure. Diana looked away, her face a mask of sorrow as she reached for Bruno's hand, her fingers brushing his as though trying to hold him together. It was a silent act of comfort, but it did little to assuage the storm brewing within him.
"I am sorry, Grey," Bruno finally spoke, his voice soft but laden with regret. "There's nothing more we can do…"
A low rumble filled the air. The earth itself seemed to groan under the pressure of the world's impending destruction. Grey's chest tightened as he felt the weight of Bruno's words settle deep into his bones. There was no salvation. The Abyss had come. And there was no escaping it.
Far below in the city of Ethel, the capital had descended into chaos. Once a city of light and joy, it was now a place of ruin. Streets that had once bustled with life were now strewn with the dead, bodies twisted and broken, their faces frozen in screams that could no longer be heard. The Abyssal creatures roamed freely, tearing through the once-beautiful structures of the city with the ferocity of predators. Fiery creatures, beasts of shadow, and monsters beyond description had overrun the streets, their screams echoing in the heavens.
From the palace, the screams of the dying carried on the wind, and Bruno could hear them, feel them in his bones. They were the sound of loss, the wails of a people crushed under the weight of the gods' sins.
And then, as if the universe itself had been pulled to the breaking point, the shuddering of the palace walls shook everything. A thunderous boom erupted from the very bowels of the earth, shaking the foundation of their reality. The gods stilled, and even the Abyssal horrors paused for a moment.
It was the voice of Bruno Alpheus, the God King, speaking to the heavens.
"No more running," Bruno whispered to himself, though the sound seemed to carry for miles. "It's time to face the truth."
The entire world held its breath, looking in the direction of Ethel. Time seemed to slow as the Abyssal Children, the gods' darkest creation, surged forward—an unstoppable force of destruction. The world, once full of life and wonder, now lay on the cusp of eternal night.
And the gods? They were just as doomed as the mortals they had sought to control. Their efforts, their plans, their fate had been sealed long ago, and now, they would watch as the kingdom of Ethel was consumed, unsure whether they would be next.
The ground quaked as if the earth itself was about to tear open, and the sky above split in half, sending shivers down my spine. The monsters of the abyss—grotesque, nightmarish beings—descended upon the city in a torrent of rage and bloodlust. They were chaos incarnate, their bodies shifting and warping like living shadows, each one an embodiment of pure terror.
"Run! Run!" A woman screamed as she tried to shield her child, her voice a desperate, fragile thing. A nearby soldier dashed toward them, but before he could reach them, one of the abyssal beasts lunged with terrifying speed, its gaping maw opening wide, aimed straight for the woman's throat.
SLASH!
The soldier was cut down instantly, his body disintegrating under the weight of the beast's claws. The woman's scream was swallowed by the sound of a massive crash, the monster's fangs sinking deep into her chest. The child cried in terror, but there was no one left to save them.
I gripped my nephew tighter, my chest burning as the scene unfolded before me. The horrors...
Behind me, Bruno, my brother, stood unwavering, his gaze fixed on the carnage, his jaw clenched as he raised Gungnir, the legendary spear that could rend space itself. His golden eyes glowed with the intensity of a thousand storms.
"By the gods, let them feel the wrath of Order!" Bruno shouted, his voice like the roar of thunder.
The spear crackled with power, and in an instant, the ground beneath the monsters trembled. BOOM!
The massive creatures screeched as they were struck by an unseen force, their bodies torn asunder by the raw energy that poured out from the spear. The air itself seemed to vibrate with the power of his strike, the monsters disintegrating in clouds of black smoke as they were blasted into oblivion.
But it wasn't enough. From the abyss, more monsters emerged, faster, stronger, and more grotesque than the last. The sky itself seemed to tear open, and a massive, bloated creature with multiple faces descended, its gargantuan limbs crashing down toward the city like thunder.
"FALL BACK!"
The order came from Diana, my brother's wife, the Priestess of Divinity. She wasn't a warrior, but her magic was a force to be reckoned with. With a simple gesture, the ground beneath her feet cracked open, vines and roots erupting from the earth as her divine power manifested. Her Tree of Willowed Blades, an ancient spell, sprang to life, twisting and lashing out, the branches sharp as steel.
SWISH!
The tree's massive branches sliced through the abyssal creatures like paper, their bodies severed with brutal precision. But the monsters didn't slow, their screeches filling the air as they charged once more, eager for more blood.
I could barely keep up. My heart was pounding, the fear rising in my chest as I watched the battle unfold with terrifying speed. My brother's voice rang out once more, cutting through the chaos like a blade.
"Don't falter now! They bleed! We bleed too! They'll never break our will!" Bruno shouted.
I could see him now, his body shifting, moving with inhuman speed as he darted toward the next wave of enemies. Gungnir was an extension of his body, its blade glinting in the dim light as he thrust it forward with lightning speed. A monstrous creature lunged at him, its clawed hands reaching out to tear him apart—but before it could even react, Bruno was already there.
SWISH!
The spear cut through the monster's arm like butter, its jagged edges ripping through the air. Bruno spun, twisting his body mid-motion, and with one fluid movement, he impaled the creature through the chest.
CRACK!
The beast's massive body crumpled to the ground, its blood spattering across the battlefield. Bruno didn't stop. His movements were a blur—every strike, every dodge, every counter was perfectly timed, a whirlwind of destruction.
THWACK!
A second beast lunged at him from the side, its massive claws raking across his armor. But Bruno was already moving, flipping backward and then thrusting the spear forward into its heart with a sickening thud. The beast fell lifeless at his feet, its body twitching as it succumbed to the spear's deadly force.
At that moment, a shriek echoed in the distance, and a massive, serpentine monster emerged from the shadows. Its eyes glowed a deep crimson, its jaws opening wide to consume anything in its path. It coiled like a snake, moving with blinding speed, but before it could strike, Diana was already there, standing tall and graceful despite the bloodshed around her.
Her hands extended outward, and a massive, vine-covered fist rose from the earth, smashing into the serpent's head with the force of a mountain.
CRASH!
The serpent was sent flying, its body smashing into the side of a building, the impact shattering stone. But even as it lay broken, it was far from dead. It writhed, its body regrowing rapidly as it let out a deafening roar.
"Die, you wretched beast!" Diana shouted, her voice echoing with divine fury.
With a flick of her wrist, the vine-fist returned, crashing down on the serpent's skull again and again, the relentless blows finally cracking its massive head open. Its body went limp, twitching one last time before crumbling into nothingness.
But the victory was short-lived. More creatures poured out from the rift in the sky, their hideous forms growing larger and more grotesque as they fed on the chaos around them.