Scene One: The Hidden Vault of Thalos
The skies above Greece darkened unnaturally. Thunder rolled without rain.
Far beneath the earth, beneath an abandoned monastery carved into a cliffside, Leonidas led Megumi through a tunnel of ancient stone. Their footsteps echoed off runes glowing faintly along the walls—wards meant to keep out gods, demons, and fate itself.
"This place was built during the Titanomachy," Leonidas explained. "Before Olympus reigned. Only a few remember it exists."
Megumi walked in silence, his halo dim but volatile. Bits of black lightning cracked across his shoulder blades.
They entered a chamber lit by suspended crystals—hovering in air, held by forgotten magic. At its center stood a pedestal, and atop it, a weapon.
It wasn't a sword or staff.
It was a gauntlet.
Forged from celestial iron and abyssal bone, it pulsed with divine energy—old, forbidden, alive.
Leonidas nodded toward it. "This is Thalos. A relic that can pierce godflesh. But only one who has lost everything… and still stands… can wield it."
Megumi stepped forward, hand outstretched.
As his fingers brushed the gauntlet, it snapped onto his arm with a shockwave. Energy screamed outward, tearing dust from stone. His halo surged, reacting violently.
Visions flooded him.
⚡A burning Olympus.
⚡A woman cloaked in shadow.
⚡A child's laughter—then silence.
⚡A throne made of shattered stars.
Megumi staggered, but didn't fall.
Leonidas watched carefully. "This is your first step. Now we rally those who stand against Olympus. Not all gods are loyal to Zeus."
Scene Two: Hades' Garden
Far below the mortal world, the realm of the dead stirred.
Hades, lord of the underworld, stood amid a garden of ash roses, his skeletal hound Cerberus curled at his feet. He stared into a pool reflecting Megumi's awakening.
Persephone appeared beside him, her expression unreadable. "You knew this day would come."
Hades nodded. "The child is gone. But the father rises. I warned Zeus this would happen."
"Will you help him?" she asked softly.
A pause.
"I may not have a choice