Lyra couldn't sit still anymore. The condo felt suffocating, like the walls were closing in on her thoughts. She grabbed her coat and stepped outside, the city shining over her.
Cars rushed by, horns blaring, people laughing somewhere in the distance. The night air was cold enough to sting, but it felt better than the silence she'd left behind. She walked without really knowing where she was going, just letting her feet move.
The city stretched around her, tall and loud, built on land she remembered when it was nothing but dirt and trees. She could still picture it: quiet valleys, wide rivers, small villages where people lived by the sun and the rain. Now it was steel, noise, and too much light. Humanity had learned how to build their own gods, skyscrapers and machines, and forgot the ones that made them.
She almost smiled at the thought, but it faded fast.
The air changed.
The streetlight above her flickered once, then twice, and went out. The sound of traffic softened, like the world was holding its breath. She felt it instantly, cold, sharp, wrong. Her pulse picked up.
Then came the whispers.
They weren't coming from any one place. It was like they were all around her, slithering through the air, brushing against her skin. Her stomach dropped. She knew that sound.
"The Neraths."
She muttered the name like a warning to herself. The beings who despised the Supreme and everything connected to Him. The ones born from hatred and chaos. They hated her most of all, because even though she wasn't divine anymore, a trace of the Supreme's light still clung to her.
"Not tonight," she whispered, glancing over her shoulder.
The shadows on the alley wall started to move. Slowly at first, then all at once, pulling themselves into shape. She could see faint outlines, humanoid, but not human. Eyes, pale and glassy, blinked open in the dark.
One of them spoke. Its voice was deep, layered, echoing inside itself.
"Velithra."
The name hit her like a slap. She froze.
"Don't call me that," she said quietly.
The creature stepped forward, bones cracking as it formed a face. "The fallen goddess still walks the mortal world."
Her chest tightened with anger. "Last warning."
It lunged.
Before she could think, her hand shot out, catching it by the throat. The strength that tore through her was familiar and terrifying. She slammed the creature into the wall, the impact rattling the bricks. Another came from behind; she spun, drove her elbow into its ribs, and sent it crashing into the ground.
The alley flashed with light, faint, silvery, and alive. When it faded, the creatures were gone, their bodies dissolving into black dust.
Lyra stood there, breathing hard, her hands trembling, her palms still faintly glowing.
She stared at them like they belonged to someone else. Then she looked up at the sky, her voice cracking as she spoke.
"Why leave me with this?" she said quietly. "You took everything else. Why this?"
Her reflection flickered in a dark window across the street—lonely, furious, and still glowing with little power she wished she never had.
---
Lyra walked faster, her heels clicking against the damp pavement. Her mind raced, the encounter in the alley still burning in her chest. She knew she needed help, or at least someone who could explain why the Neraths were suddenly moving again and this time not even in their human forms again.
There was only one person she could think of.
Aelric.
He was an Elyth, though he hid it well. By day, a successful businessman, CEO of a tech firm, always polished, always untouchable. By night… he dealt in the shadows, the same world Lyra had always moved through. She had first seen him almost forty years ago when the city was smaller, quieter. He'd been in his twenties, sharp, restless, impossible to ignore. She had tracked him back then, fascinated by the way he carried his power without letting it show. Since that day, they had crossed paths more times than either cared to admit. They knew each other's existence in ways few mortals could understand.
Tonight, she needed him.
She hailed a cab and gave an address she had memorized long ago. The city blurred past as she sat back, mind sharp, senses alive.
When the car pulled up, the house was… something else. Modern, sure, but huge. Not one of those old-money mansions, all pomp and marble, but sharp, sleek, like it had been carved out of glass and steel. Warm lights glowed from inside, softening all those hard edges, making it feel… alive, not like some sterile showroom. Two stories, giant windows, a minimalist vibe that somehow screamed "don't touch anything" while hiding a house that probably felt more like a fortress than a home. Cameras were everywhere, but it didn't feel paranoid, just like the owner knew exactly what to show, and what to keep tucked away.
Lyra stepped out, her coat brushing her knees. She moved to the front door, eyes scanning the edges of the property. Her hand rested lightly on the handle, sensing the faint hum of Aelric's power just inside.
The door opened before she could knock.
Aelric stood there, taller than she remembered, sharp in a tailored suit that did nothing to hide the ease of his strength. His dark eyes flicked over her, unreadable at first, then a faint, knowing smile tugged at his lips.
"Lyra," he said simply. No surprise, no hesitation. "I was wondering when you'd come looking."
Her lips curved faintly. "You've been busy."
He stepped aside, letting her in. The interior matched the exterior, modern, clean, almost minimal. A broad staircase led up to private quarters; below, an open floor with sleek furniture, a bar tucked into one corner, and walls lined with screens and subtle magical wards she recognized instantly.
She knew he wasn't just a businessman. Never had been.
"I take it… the Neraths?" he asked, voice low, almost casual, but every word carried weight.
Lyra's jaw tightened. "They're moving. And they're stronger than I've seen in decades."
Aelric nodded, already walking toward a wall of screens that lit up as he passed. "I suspected as much. Something stirred them. Something old. You're not imagining it."
Lyra followed, taking in the house again, noticing the subtle wards, the silent hum of contained power. For a moment, she allowed herself a small sense of relief. At least here, she wasn't entirely alone.
"Good," she said quietly. "Because I'm running out of options."
Lyra crossed her arms, pacing the polished floor as her mind churned. "What do you mean 'something old'? And why now? I've lived, literally millions of years, and I've never seen the Neraths fully develop like that today. That… form. It was… demonic, more than I've ever witnessed."
Aelric ran a hand through his white hair, his gaze steady. "The world itself is changing. It isn't about faith, or sin, or punishment. Humans… they're fractured now. Their lives are faster, greedier, their choices more selfish, more destructive. Every thought, every action, every misuse of power or ambition,i leaves a mark in the energy flows that bind this world. The Elyths feed on harmony, balance, creation. The Neraths… they feed on cracks, fractures, the distortion of energy. And over centuries, humans have given them more and more to feed on."
Lyra exhaled slowly, sinking into the chair. "So… the world itself is breeding them?"
"In a way," Aelric said. "Every war, every betrayal, every greed-driven act, even the small ones, adds to their strength. They're learning, adapting. They're no longer just remnants of chaos, they're entities capable of shaping the world, because the world itself is unstable. And because of your lingering connection, they can sense you. That's why you felt them before they moved. That's why they are drawn to you."
Lyra frowned. "And why do I sense them? Why me?"
Aelric leaned forward, resting his hands on the desk. "Even though the Supreme stripped you of your full divinity, you weren't left entirely empty. You were bound to the system in a residual way. That bond… your lingering connection… allows you to perceive the currents of power, to sense the Neraths and Elyths around you. It also explains your strength,.you're not fully divine, but the system remembers what you once were. It left enough of your essence to survive, to react, to resist."
Lyra let out a bitter laugh. "So I'm a shadow of what I was. Strong enough to feel, but not strong enough to dominate. The very thing that should be mine is locked away… and I'm left to watch these… Neraths grow in power?"
Aelric's gaze was steady. "Exactly. And because of that connection, they can sense you, too. Every step you take resonates in the system. Every display of power alerts them. You're still dangerous, but also visible. That's why tonight, in the alley, they approached so boldly."
Lyra slumped into the chair finally, exhaustion mingling with fury. "And my powers? How do I get them back? The vessel… the one holding them?"
Aelric exhaled, letting a shadow of sorrow touch his features. "The Supreme never intended for you to be handed your strength easily. That vessel may have reincarnated, or it may not exist yet. Or maybe it never will. The system gave you a chance to reclaim your power… but only if you approach it with awareness, humility, and… patience."
Lyra's jaw tightened, defiance sparking in her eyes. "Humble? After everything I've endured? No. I didn't do anything wrong. Kaelith, Lyrana, Dravon, Seraphyne, Erevos, Myrran, Aelora, Soltharthey never understood me. Mortals betrayed the gifts I gave them. I'll reclaim my power myself. Every last fragment. And when I do, I'll face them all."
Aelric studied her quietly. "You're unbroken, but be mindful. The Neraths are evolving faster than ever. Every move you make, every pulse of energy you emit, they feel it. You are no longer invisible, Lyra. And your lingering connection makes you more than a target, it makes you a beacon."
Lyra's eyes burned with resolve. "Let them come. I've survived a million years. I can survive anything. They'll learn what it means to face me."