The sky over Nyx's domain was as still as obsidian glass, dropped in eternal twilight. No wind. No birds. Just silence and shadow.
Orion's eyes opened.
He sat up in his bed. Breath calm, already awake before the invisible sun had risen. His body moved instinctively-discipline shaping his every movement. He began his morning routine: one hundred pushups, one hundred situps, one hundred squats. No hesitation. No pause.
Afterwards, he made his way into the adjoining bathroom, flicking on the dim, violet-tinted light. A mirror rested above the basin, and he paused to look.
The person staring back wasn't the same boy who first stepped into Nyx's halls.#
His physique had transformed. His chest was broader, sculpted with defined muscle. His arms, once wiry and lean, now carried strength in every fibre, veins subtly tracing down from his biceps. His abs were carved, symmetrical, tight with core control. The boyish softness in his face had thinned, replaced by something sharper—something forged. The blue in his eyes, once pale, now glowed faintly, the same way stars shimmered against the night.
"... Damn," he whispered to himself.
He went back to his room, left the shirt on the chair, and strapped his bow and arrows to his back. The air was cool on his bare chest. He stepped into the hall.
Shades moved around the temple- silent and ethereal, like shadows dancing in candlelight. Some bore masculine bodies, others feminine. They swept, dusted, carried scrolls, and lit torches. Even though they were creatures of darkness, Orion had grown familiar with them. In some odd way, they felt more alive than people.
Eris was already waiting outside the temple in the usual clearing, arms crossed, crossing her golden dagger between her fingers like a coin. When she saw him, her brow arched, and she gave a low whistle.
"Well... look at you," she said with a smirk. "When did you become a demigod?"
Orion blinked, then rubbed the back of his neck. "Huh?"
"You're ripped, blue eyes glowing, shirtless with a bow strapped to your back- don't act surprised that you're attractive." She circled him once. "The definition in your back alone could kill a lesser goddess."
He turned red instantly, stumbling over a response.
"Relax, starboy," she said, amused. "Let's see if you've gotten any deadlier."
She snapped her fingers, and 6 clones emerged around the field.
Without a word, Orion drew his bow and loaded three arrows at once.
Fwoom- the arrows flew.
Three clones dropped instantly, headshots clean and precise.
He leapt forward with his blade, weaving through the remaining illusions with fluidity. Each swing, each pivot was intentional. He cut down two more, spun his bow mid-air, and fired at the last-
Eris caught the arrow.
But Orion didn't stop.
He sprinted forward, grabbed the arrow out of her hand, pressing it to her throat in one motion, eyes locked with hers.
Silence.
Then the clones faded.
She grinned. "You passed."
He exhaled and collapsed backwards into the grass. "You could've stopped me."
"Of course," she said, standing above him."But the point wasn't to win. It was to find the real me. And you did."
She leaned down and pressed a kiss to his forehead. He blinked, stunned.
"Now stop blushing and get ready for Ker," she added, already vanishing in a flicker of red.
The shadows welcomed him.
Ker stood under a tree that seemed to drink all the light, her eyes were glowing with a faint crimson. The training ground was empty-until it wasn't.
Another Orion appeared, clad in black, smirking with deadly calm.
The mirror
"Begin," Ker whispered.
They clashed instantly. Orion dodged and struck with his blade, parried with his bow, and sidestepped faster than before. The mirror moved quicker each time- but so did he.
The combat felt like a storm: fast, violent, endless.
Orion slipped once, falling hard. The mirror raised its weapon
But Orion didn't flinch.
He pulled an arrow, aimed, and faked the shot.
The mirror braced for impact.
Instead, Orion rushed forward, driving a foot into its chest and slamming it into the ground. At point-blank range, he drew the arrow again and fired.
The clone shattered.
Ker clapped slowly, her shadow like armour rustling like leaves. "Flawless. No hesitation."
Orion stood, panting.
Ker approached him, placing her hand over his chest. "Remember: Death isn't selective. It doesn't care how rigorous you are. It doesn't wait for potential. When it comes, it takes. Always keep that truth in your bones."
He nodded solemnly. "I will,"
Eris appeared beside them from a shimmer of smoke." I saw the whole thing, Monster-like," she said.
Ker nodded in agreement. "He's grown very fast."
Orion entered the temple arena- open-roofed, with the sky above like cracked glass. Thunder hummed across the air.
Susanoo stood waiting with crossed arms, two swords embedded in the ground beside him.
"Bow?" he asked.
Orion nodded.
"Let's see what you've learned."
They began.
Susanoo didn't hold back his lightning; it whipped through the sky. Wind sliced across the ground. Orion danced through it all, deflecting strikes with his bow, launching precise counter-shots, switching to his sword when needed.
Susanoo was impressed.
"You're not just reacting anymore. You're reading me."
"I figured if I can't win with power... I'd better win with timing," Orion said between breaths.
Susanoo laughed. "Now that's a warrior's answer.
By the time the training ended. Orion was bruised, drenched in sweat and smiling.
"You have come a long way," Susanoo said, sheathing his katana. "You have talent- but more importantly, you have grit. And you're still you. That matters."
Orion wiped his forehead. "Tomorrow's the big day, huh?"
"Yeah." Susanoos' face grew serious. "We meet with Wukong, Heracles, and Nyx. The Gathering commences. There's no telling what happens next."
He looked Orion dead in the eye.
"You ready?"
Orion looked up at the moonless sky. "No," he said honestly. "But I know I have to be there."
Susanoo nodded once. "Good answer."
The wind stirred. The stars seemed to pulse just a little brighter.