Home was not a place of comfort, it was a place of comparison.
The apartment sat on a hill top high above the city, hidden behind wards old enough to predate concrete. Power hummed faintly in the walls, subtle but alive. Inside, his elder brother, Adrian Hardes, was already present. His presence was well deserving of his Olympian title "Lexor", the Cold, Calculating, Modern Villain Energy, manipulating illusions of power, strategizing even in silence. His Golden Brown eyes shimmers in the shadows, with a gaze that can pierce ones' soul.
"You're late," Adrian said, eyes sharp, analyzing, calculating.
He sat cross-legged in the living room, copying something unseen. The air around him shimmered briefly. Fire, lightening, illusion... Then settled. He smiled, unsatisfied.
"I was busy," Lucas replied, shrugging.
"That's Suspicious," Adrian said.
His younger sister, ElenaHardes, lounged on the couch. Her lustful charisma was well befitting for her Olympian title; Virella, A Sweet Predator.
She scrolled through her phone, the faint shimmer of her life-force manipulation hiding beneath her calm facade. She smiled, and the room seemed to lean toward her.
"Did you feed again?" she asked sweetly.
Lucas stiffened. "You felt it?"
"I feel everything," she said, cold and predatory. Her smile sharpened. "You should be more careful. Humans break so easily."
"You're sloppy" Adrian said.
Something flickered behind Lucas' calm expression. "I didn't hurt anyone."
"Yet" Adrian replied.
The door opened.
Their Father, Leon Hardes, entered. The air changed. Pride incarnate. Fearless. Unmovable. His aura was befitting for his Olmpian Name; Theron the hunter. The room straightened, shadows recoiling slightly from his presence. Even his sister's smile dimmed slightly.
"I felt a disturbance," Leon said, voice low. His gaze fell on his second son, Lucas. "You're growing careless."
"I handled it," Lucas replied quietly.
Leon studied him longer than usual. Not with disappointment, but with curiosity "Gluttony," Leon said slowly, "was never meant to be small."
The room fell silent.
"Long ago," Leon continued, "your ancestor consumed realities. Concepts. Wars ended because there was nothing left to fight with."
Lucas heart pounded.
Adrian frowned. Elena's smile vanished entirely.
"And now" Leon said, lowering his voice, "the gods are watching again"
A tremor rippled through the wards. Far away, unseen, something ancient had noticed the feeding. Olympus had not forgotten Hades. And it would not ignore his heirs forever.
The forgotten war was stirring again.
The Devourer Without End was awake.