Scene One: A Quiet Night Under the Stars
The battle-scorched courtyard had fallen still. The stars above burned faintly, as if dimmed by the presence of gods.
Megumi sat alone at the edge of a cliff, looking out over the sleeping forest. His shirt was torn, hands bandaged, but the glow of his halo was soft again — no longer flaring with wrath.
Behind him, light footsteps approached.
Nyx.
She now wore a dark tunic Leonidas had lent her, no longer bound in the cruel armor Olympus had forged her into. Her raven-black hair fell freely, her crimson eyes searching his.
"Hey," she said softly.
Megumi didn't look back. "Can't sleep?"
Nyx sat beside him, close but not too close.
"You're the first person who ever stood between me and Olympus," she said. "They always told me I was a weapon. A shadow to be used, discarded when convenient."
"You're not a weapon," Megumi said. "You're just someone who was forced to forget who she was."
A long silence stretched between them.
Finally, Nyx asked, "Do you regret saving me?"
He turned, surprised.
"No. Never."
Her lips curled slightly. "Then I'll stand with you. Whatever comes next."
Megumi looked into her eyes — and saw light there. Faint, fragile. But real.
He smiled.
Just a little.
Scene Two: Olympus in Panic
Far above, in the silver halls of Olympus, twelve thrones flared with divine energy.
The gods had reconvened.
Hera's voice cut the air like glass. "He defeated Ares. Our god of war was cast down like a mortal!"
Apollo sat forward, arms tense. "His power is growing faster than we calculated. At this rate—"
"He'll surpass us all," Athena finished grimly.
Artemis leaned forward. "We should kill him now—send all our forces, overwhelm him before he ascends."
"No," came a low voice.
Zeus.
The Skyfather's eyes blazed with quiet fury as he rose. "You've seen the signs. Megumi Valentine is no longer simply a threat. He is a catalyst. A convergence of divine and mortal chaos."
He paused.
"And he's not alone anymore."
Scene Three: The Brothers Speak
After the council, long after the others had stormed off in debate or fury, Poseidon remained seated on his coral-trimmed throne.
Zeus approached him.
"You've been quiet," he said.
Poseidon leaned forward, voice low. "Because I'm considering something that even I hesitate to say."
Zeus narrowed his eyes. "Speak."
Poseidon met his brother's gaze. "We cannot kill him, Zeus. Not through conventional means. He is rising too quickly… and he already wields powers we cannot measure."
"So you would have us beg for mercy?" Zeus growled.
"No," Poseidon replied. "I would have us unleash something worse."
Zeus's face hardened.
Poseidon spoke the name like a curse. "Cronos."
The name echoed in the golden chamber like a death knell.
Zeus stepped closer, his jaw clenched. "Our father is bound in Tartarus for a reason. You would have us release the devourer of gods to deal with one mortal?"
"He is no longer mortal," Poseidon said evenly. "And Cronos may be the only one powerful enough to destroy him before it's too late."
Zeus turned away.
Outside, thunder rolled across the sky.
The decision weighed like a stormcloud.