The vast hall had fallen into uneasy silence. Hermes hovered slightly above the centre of the great round table, golden sandals flickering with divine energy. The weight of what he was about to say seemed to hang like a blade above everyone's head.
"Before the Fates were sealed away… they left us with a prophecy," Hermes said, his voice echoing softly, yet clearly, through the chamber.
He took a deep breath. Then, with a flick of his wrist, ancient golden threads appeared in the air behind him, each strand pulsing with the voices of the Fates themselves. Their combined voices—dozens, hundreds—merged into a singular, haunting harmony:
"The heavens shall tremble when the Four converge.The Forbidden Ascendants—chaos unchained—Cannot share the same sky, nor stand upon the same earth.For when the Fourth awakens,The stars shall fracture,And fate itself shall bleed."
The chamber remained still for a long moment.
Not even Wukong cracked a joke.
Hermes lowered his hand and dismissed the threads, his face grim. "After that, they gave us only one instruction… a warning." His eyes swept the table. "The Forbidden Ascendants must never be in the same room. Not ever."
Odin, in youthful form but with eyes as ancient as time, turned to Wukong. "Where's Man-God?"
Wukong raised a brow, arms crossed lazily. "Do I look like his babysitter? Ask Shiva. He's the one who used to meditate with him under waterfalls."
Shiva, leaning back in his summoned obsidian chair, gave a dry snort. "He's not my disciple. For all I know, he's halfway across the realms—or already watching us through a crack in reality."
Zeus slammed his fist on the table, lightning crackling around his form. "This prophecy is one of the most dangerous we've ever encountered. And none of us know where all three of these Ascendants are at any given time?"
Hermes nodded gravely. "That's correct. Worse—no one knows who the Fourth even is."
Amaterasu finally spoke, her voice calm but sharp. "Then we must take precautions. We don't know how long we have before fate begins to unravel."
Shiva's eyes narrowed. "And what, exactly, are you suggesting?"
"That we eliminate the Ascendants," she said coolly. "Before the prophecy fulfils itself."
Orion's breath caught in his throat. He watched from the platform behind Nyx, every word digging into his chest like a blade.
The air tensed. Shiva's smile vanished, replaced by silent fury.
"Oh, go ahead," Wukong said with a chuckle. "Try it. I'll make sure to rip the heavens apart on my way out."
"Enough!" Odin barked, standing. "There are other ways to delay fate."
"Like what?" Surtur growled. His molten body shimmered in the dim light.
"Find the Fourth," Odin answered simply.
Ao Qin stroked his chin, scaled fingers glinting. "A fine idea. Pity we have no way of doing that."
Zeus's gaze grew intense. "There's a clue. 'The stars shall fracture.' Whoever this Fourth is, they're tied to the stars."
Orion's stomach twisted. His breath grew shallow. He looked down at his hands, then up at the distant ceiling. For a brief moment, the stars etched in the ancient roof seemed to pulse.
Nyx leaned close to him, whispering, "Don't panic."
"But—" Orion began.
"I said, calm down. You're not alone."
Ra, silent until now, finally spoke. "I believe I may have found the Fourth."
Every eye turned toward him.
Wukong's smile disappeared. "How?"
Ra didn't flinch. "A mortal. One unlike any I've seen. I sent Sekhmet to track him."
Odin frowned. "And where is Sekhmet now?"
Ra raised a hand. Flames curled around it. Sekhmet dropped from the air and landed on the table in a crouch, graceful and fierce.
"Speak," Ra commanded.
Surtur growled, "Where is this mortal?"
Sekhmet stood tall. "I tracked him for some time. But then... he vanished. Disappeared in a forest. I couldn't find him."
From the crowd, Orion's heart raced. That was a lie. A perfect, deliberate lie.
Nyx's expression didn't change, but her voice slid into his mind: "I don't know why she lied, but don't react. Let it play out."
Shiva scoffed. "Useless."
Sekhmet's eyes blazed. "Say that again."
Hermes clapped his hands. "Enough! Back on topic."
He cleared his throat and continued. "We don't know the identity of the Fourth, but we need to work together to monitor any star signs or anomalies."
"And what about the peace treaty?" Zeus asked, electricity still dancing across his shoulders.
"We are here to ensure that peace continues between monsters and gods," Hermes said. "No more blood. No more pointless wars."
Just as he began to speak further, a laugh echoed through the room.
A cold, bitter, echoing laugh.
Hellfire erupted in the centre of the table.
From the swirling inferno, a teenage figure rose—a boy no older than Orion, eyes glowing dark red, shadows clinging to his frame like armour. A sealed katana hung at his side. The temperature dropped despite the flames.
He looked around slowly at the gods and monsters, his voice deep, calm, and unnatural.
"I will be the death of all the Gods."