Kashi’s eyes flickered open, greeted by the soft glow of light streaming through a nearby window. The gray sky beyond was shrouded in thick clouds, hiding the rising sun. It was too quiet. His alarm clock wasn’t ringing, a small detail that immediately unsettled him. Groggy and disoriented, he glanced down, noticing an IV line taped to his hand. As he reached toward it, his breath hitched, and his chest tightened when he realized his right arm was gone. Panic surged through him, and he bolted upright, only for a sharp, searing pain to shoot through his abdomen. He froze, gripping the edge of the bed as his vision blurred momentarily.

  He wasn’t in his body suit either, replaced with a t-shirt and sweatpants and it finally dawned on him that he was in the medical wing. “What?” He said before lifting the shirt to see the bandages on his right side.

  “Ah, you are up.” A female voice said quietly. He looked to his right seeing Vixen take a seat in a chair, her hair thrown in a messy bun. “Try not to be too loud, Sam’s sleeping.” She gestured behind her to where Sam was slumped over on his desk, head on his arms. Dirty blonde curls fell on his cheeks covering his brown freckles.

  “He looks uncomfortable.” Kashi said. He knew from his own time sleeping at a desk, the back pain wouldn’t be fun. He noticed that his cape was folded at the end of the bed.

  Vixen snorted. “I would move him, but I did it once and he flipped out so I’m just going to leave him.” She pulled out a clipboard, jotting notes down. “It seems most of the drug is out of your system. What do you all remember?”

  “Looks like you got your ass kicked,” the voice in his head mocked. Kashi ran his hand lightly through his hair trying to think back on the night. It felt like a blur, but those silver eyes bore into his mind. He remembered the fear he felt, and he supposed his mental shield slipped sending his panic down the bond. Unconsciously he ran over chest where underneath the fabric lay a tattoo of a stabbed heart having lightning around it with a half sun crest wrapped in vines. How he felt the tug at his chest before another demon joined the fight.

  “We were investigating the vials, and we ended up finding a hatch.” He said before lightly massaging his jaw. “There was a file.” He remembered Carnage injecting him with something.

  “Yes, Ryan gave it to me last night.” She said, “You seem alright, no moving around right now as I'm sure your healing will kick in.”

  “What about my arm?” He said. He felt weird without it but figured it was damaged. “Ah, right, it'll be back tomorrow. I think.” She spoke. “Do you need anything?”

  Kashi nodded. He needed something to do. “I would love it if you got me the file and some books from my nightstand.” Kashi said, changing the bed to rest against his back. Vixen looked him up and down and left. He looked down at his shoulder, where metal was infused in his skin, and he hated it.

  He knew how to use his left hand, but it wasn’t that neat or clean, even with years of practice. He clenched his hand because he kept seeing the blade coming down on him, the blood spilt on the training floor, and the look of shock in the bystander’s eyes. There was so much rage in the dark blues eyes that had stared at him before they raised an ax to him. He shut his eyes hearing his own screams ringing in his ears. His shoulder started to throb.

  “Kashi?”

  He looked up seeing Vixen staring at him concerned. His throat felt constricted. “I’m fine.” He whispered. She set down the books on the side table and offered him a sweatshirt. She swallowed when her eyes landed on his shoulder. “Let me help you get it on.” She said watching him struggle. She took out his IV before pulling it over him and attaching the tube back to his hand.

  “Thank you, V,” he said. She smiled, placing a hand on his shoulder, giving a light squeeze. “We’ll get the report later but for now just try and relax, yeah? Let me know if you need anything else.” She said leaving.

  Kashi was left in silence and looked over at the books where the file rested. He picked it up and brought it to his lap.

  “Brr?”

  Kashi looked over to see Felix watching him. “Oh, hey... I'm ok.” Felix came over and crawled into the bed. He tapped the file and looked at Kashi. He opened it. “It's something I found and need to finish looking over.” Felix just settled resting his head on his lap. Kashi played with Felix’s hair as he looked back over the file.

  Experiment 7: - The serums mixed with certain properties makes a new substance. The vials on this table are color coded as follows:

  Green - A truth serum of sorts - tested on multiple demons and hybrids

  Purple - My favorite color, helps control my subjects (Subject 4)

  Blue - Figured out it works on hybrids and the lose their abilities rendering them human for several hours (Control substance 0 - From government trucks)

  Red - Revealing the true nature of any hybrid

  Some vials I'm still experimenting with and mixing more for new ones. The goal of all this: to reclaim the lost power of the Divine and take back what is rightfully mine. The Gods, in their arrogance and flawed judgment, caused a fallout so catastrophic in their Pantheon that it shattered the balance of the world, and no one can tell except them. Their mistakes gave birth to the prophecy. If I can find both Gods reincarnated, I'll be able to make the Divine fall because I've learned from my mistakes. Nothing will stop my plan.

  Carnage knew of the prophecy. How was that possible?

  “See what I mean? You can’t escape Fate,” the voice echoed, cold and unrelenting. “The prophecy must be fulfilled.”

  Kashi shook his head, his voice barely above a whisper. “I can’t…” Just hearing the word made his skin crawl, a nauseating reminder of the secret he’d buried deep for so long. He’d never told the team; he couldn’t burden them with it.

  The voice scoffed. “Why do you think you were drawn to them? Stop denying it, you're just as bad as your half-brother.” Kashi dug his nails into his palm as the voice went silent. He looked at the books on the side, he’d looked through them for any answers. He wondered which Gods they were.

  Felix tugged at him making Kashi look down. “What?” Felix sat up and pushed Kashi back against the bed. “Don’t.” Kashi said, watching Felix’s arms. He reached up to touch Kashi’s head, but he pulled away. Felix frowned before signing “He wants to talk.” Kashi froze. He? Felix touched Kashi’s temple.

  “Felix wh-” He stopped short as he saw the Void around him. Great. He looked around not seeing Felix or Fate. He froze when he saw the familiar face of his oldest team member standing there. Silver eyes met his. “Hello Kash.”

  Kashi just stared at him unsure how to feel. Long silver hair fell past his broad shoulders, he was still built like a beast, towering over Kashi.

  “Zander,” He whispered. The name felt foreign on his tongue. It's been so long. “Is this real?” Kashi asked, watching Zander. He was happy to see him but could feel the underlying anger towards him.

  His pale face was a real contrast to the Void. “Yes,” Zander said. Kashi walked over cautiously and noticed how tense Zander got as if he was trying not to frighten Kashi. There were quite a few questions running through his head because this situation was strange. He rolled his left arm and then sucker punched Zander’s arm. “Ow! What the hell Kashi.” Kashi took a few steps away. “I had to check.” He spoke. “How are you even here?”

  Zander looked away. “I have my ways.”

  “Felix.” Kashi said.

  Zander was silent for a moment. He sighed. “Kash, listen, you realize what he is right? A Voidling, connected to Fate and the shadows.” Kashi just stared at him, unsure but he also had had that thought. “What is he to you?”

  “All I’m going to say is we have a past.” Zander said, crossing his arms. “That’s why I’m here and I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

  “I’m fine,” Kashi said bluntly. Zander eyed his missing arm, the sweatshirt arm hung limply and then looked at him dead in the eye. “Sure…. whatever you say.” Kashi rolled his eyes. Zander took a step forward trying to read him.

  “What were you even doing in Carnage's lab?” Zander questions, not quite mad but not letting Kashi off the hook.

  “Stop stalking me,” Kashi hissed, trying to put more distance between them but it felt no different in the Void. “It's none of your business anyway.”

  “You got hurt and the panic you sent didn’t help,” Zander challenged and moved closer. “It sure didn’t look fine when I showed up.”

  Kashi flinched, his gaze dropping to the ground. His fingers clenched into fists at his sides, but his voice softened, laced with frustration. “It was a mistake, ok? I was trying to find evidence.”

  “On what?” Zander asked, his tone sharp with irritation.

  “The vials; the ones we never even knew existed! Everything’s falling apart, and it’s all happening at once,” Kashi shot back, his voice rising with frustration. He gestured wildly, barely holding himself together. “And now, out of nowhere, you decide to show up? Why now, Zander?”

  “Don’t turn this on me,” Zander growled, his voice low but laced with a dangerous edge.

  “Oh, I will,” Kashi snapped, stepping closer, his eyes blazing. “Because of what you did to me, Zander. You don’t get to just show up and act like nothing happened!”

  Zander ran a hand through his hair, his frustration evident. “It’s not like that,” he said, his voice trembling slightly. “I came here to make sure you don’t get yourself killed! Do you think I don’t regret leaving you? I absolutely hate myself for it.”

  “So why didn’t you come back?” Kashi shot back, his voice sharp, but there was a crack of vulnerability beneath it. “Cause you're proving to me you still haven’t changed your ways even after eight years.” He saw the way Zander flinched, words driving deep.

  Zander’s eyes darkened, and he took a step closer. “I was protecting you,” he said firmly, his tone both defensive and pleading, as if trying to justify something even though he wasn't fully accepting his own answer.

  Kashi let out a humorless laugh, shaking his head. “Protecting me? Really? Well, it didn’t help, Zander. I’ve been out here, alone, handling everything just fine without you.” His gaze locked onto Zander’s, his voice quieter but no less pointed. “I didn’t need your protection. I needed you.”

  The words hung in the air like a blow, and Zander froze, guilt flickering across his face. He opened his mouth to respond but faltered, unable to find the right words.

  “I found a team and we threw ourselves on the line and somehow I'm still standing.” Kashi continued, his voice rising as years of pent-up anger poured out. “So don’t stand here now and act like disappearing was some kind of noble sacrifice. It wasn’t. It left me to clean up the mess you walked away from.” He’d been so heartbroken discovering the small note Zander had left on the table. No goodbye and no explanation, just that he needed to leave.

  Zander’s shoulders sagged slightly, the weight of Kashi’s words hitting him hard. “You think I wanted to leave? That I didn’t want to come back every single day?” His voice softened, his earlier bravado crumbling. “I stayed away because I thought it was the only way to keep you out of danger from you know who. Every choice I made... it was for you, Kashi. Even if it was the wrong one.”

  Kashi’s expression wavered, a flicker of hesitation crossing his face, but his defenses stayed firmly in place. “Well, congratulations, Zander,” he said bitterly. “You saved me from one danger and left me to face a hundred others.”

  Zander’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t argue. He couldn’t. The truth was written in every scar Kashi carried, both the visible ones and the ones beneath the surface. For a moment, neither of them spoke, the silence filled with unspoken pain and a divide that felt impossible to bridge.

  “Does the Voidling help you feel better?” Zander asked, his voice cautious but curious, as if treading carefully over fragile glass.

  Kashi blinked, caught off guard by the sudden change in topic. “What? Felix?”

  Zander gave a small nod, his expression softening. “Yeah. I sent Felix to you after I discovered him in the lab. For a while, he stayed with me, but…. I think he sensed there was more to my emotions.” He hesitated, as though choosing his next words carefully. “Felix seems to help with emotional pain. I figured... maybe he could help you.”

  “Yes.” Kashi said, feeling wearier after yelling. He supposed he never really questioned it when Felix showed up. “Felix helps. He’s... different. A calming presence.” The thought that Zander had sent him, even after everything, left Kashi feeling conflicted.

  “Why didn’t you just come back yourself?” Kashi muttered; his voice low but laced with exhaustion rather than anger now.

  Zander sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I... thought I’d only make things worse. Felix seemed like the safer choice and….it would keep you safe.”

  Kashi let out a humorless chuckle. “Safe. Right. That’s your answer to everything, isn’t it? Stay away, keep safe.”

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  Zander didn’t deny it. He just looked at Kashi, his expression unreadable. “I made mistakes,” he admitted softly. “But I’m glad Felix was there for you when I couldn’t be. I didn’t deserve to be.” And yet Kashi still longed for him to be near even if he fucked up.

  “Felix has helped me more than you’ll ever know,” Kashi said at last, his voice quieter now. “But it doesn’t erase what you did or didn’t do”

  Zander nodded slowly, as though accepting the weight of Kashi’s words. “I didn’t come here expecting forgiveness, Kashi. I just needed to see for myself that you were okay.”

  Kashi sighed, looking around the Void. “I’m not okay, Zander. I haven’t been okay for a long time, but Felix helps.” They sat in silence for a long time till time ran out.

  “Kashi?”

  His eyes snapped open, forgetting for a moment where he was until he saw Sam standing in the doorway holding a mug. His hair was tangled, still looked tired. “Sorry,” Sam said, clearing his throat. “Didn’t mean to wake you.” Sam seemed to study him before moving back to his chair.

  Kashi waved him off. “It's fine.” He took in that Felix was curled next to him and the dark gradient that was starting to creep up his arms. He ran his fingers through Felix’s soft hair and soft rumble started up as Felix stretched his lank body out, his toe beans flexing. “Mmmr,” Felix grunted. Kashi picked at Felix’s feathered neck; he rubbed open the pin feathers he saw.

  The door slid open, and Azar walked in. “Oh hey.” She said, “How are you doing?”

  “I’m doing fine,” Kashi said, adjusting the sweatshirt. Sam snorted. “That's a lie.” He came over checking his injuries. “It seems you can’t go a day without getting injured.”

  “That's what being a hero is, I guess.” Kashi said. Sam just shook his head, taking the IV out of his hand. He pulled a table closer to Kashi, shooing Felix away who bounced off the bed, making his way to Sam’s unused cot curling up once more.

  “Vixen’s bring your food.” Sam said, placing down a red drink with a purple swirl in it. Kashi kept his mouth shut when he saw Sam wasn’t going to listen to his protests.

  Ryan walked in with Aaron hovering beside him and Azara pulled up a chair for him to sit in. Kashi realized they were going to have a team meeting. Ryan’s arm was bandaged up and it was the most Kahi could see of his injuries although with how stiff Ryan sat, he assumed he broke a rib.

  “How are you doing Ryan?” He asked. Ryan didn’t meet his gaze, and he saw the way Aaron looked at him.

  “I’m fine, I'll be healed in no time.” His voice sounded strained, but Kashi didn’t push him. He supposed the weight of the mission still was affecting Ryan.

  Vixen came in carrying a plate of food, setting it down on his tray. “Eat, we need to discuss.” She turned away grabbing a clipboard. Kashi stared at his plate, two eggs, a cup of assorted fruit with a slice of fish. Vixen knew him well. He ignored what the team was discussing because he still tried to raise his non-existent right arm. He stared at his right shoulder frustrated because eating with his left arm was awkward.

  He managed to get the egg on the fork after brutally stabbing it a few times. He looked up seeing the team watching his attempts. “What.” He spoke.

  A few looked away. “Do you need help?” Vixen said. Kashi shook his head and shoved the egg in his mouth, wincing at his busted lip but motioned for her to continue talking.

  “Anyway,” Vixen began, drawing their attention back, “it seems the vials are more important than we initially thought. The ones we’ve encountered don’t seem to be the direct issue with the Chaoshold, but there’s something bigger at play here. Carnage clearly has the means to craft something that could weaken the barrier. The real question is, why is the mayor bringing these in?”

  Azara’s expression was thoughtful yet laced with tension. “Do you think it has something to do with hybrids?” she asked. “We’ve only seen the blue vials so far, and we know they render powers useless.” She gestured toward Kashi. “It’s either targeted at hybrids or The Elementals. Either way, it’s a calculated move.”

  Vixen pulled out the vial and set it on the table. There was a label on it, showing numbers with a small mayor stamp on it.

  “You think the mayor is trying to get rid of us?” Sam said, eyeing the vial. It did make sense from what the mayor had been spewing.

  “Or worse, make us as normal as possible,” Ryan pointed out, “The outskirts of Amshire harbors lots of hybrids, people are still scared of having them roam free and not in the Elemental program, but the supply though is being destroyed possibly by the anti-heros which helps us out.” Ryan cast a fleeting glance at Kashi, his expression unreadable.

  Kashi found it difficult to gauge what Ryan was feeling, his demeanor was unusually calm, almost subdued. It may have been because of yesterday's mission, bits and pieces he remembered and Ryan’s apology. It explained a lot.

  “Well, the file you guys found explained how they are indeed trying to take down the Chaoshold and in general it didn’t exactly make sense.” Vixen started. “It mentioned a prophecy with the Divine which is interesting to say the least.” Kashi remained silent, his appetite vanishing as he stared at his half-finished plate. The mention of the prophecy tightened the knot in his chest. He knew he should speak up, that he had the chance now to explain everything to the team. But the weight of it all kept the words lodged in his throat. Deep down, he knew he couldn’t outrun Fate.

  Aaron frowned, crossing his arms. “A prophecy? Since when do prophecies even exist in this world? I thought the Divine stopped interfering with mortals and hybrids.”

  Azara tilted her head, tapping her fingers on her arm. “The Divine has always been a bit… abstract, though. We don’t fully understand its power. Maybe this prophecy is connected to the Chaoshold?”

  “That wouldn’t really make sense. The Chaoshold was created from the war during The Ago of The Divine.” Sam stated.

  “Maybe we don’t need to worry about it, maybe it's just for the villains.” Ryan said. “I guess in hindsight that might be bad.”

  Kashi lowered his gaze to his untouched food, hoping they’d move on before anyone noticed the tension in his posture. But Vixen caught it, narrowing her eyes.

  “Kashi?” she asked, her voice gentle but probing. “You’ve been awfully quiet. Do you know something about this?” All eyes turned to him, and for a moment, he froze. He could feel the weight of their stares, their curiosity teetering on the edge of suspicion. “No,” he muttered, avoiding eye contact.

  “Can we please talk about the two demons now?” Ryan blurted out, cutting through the tension.

  Vixen grabbed her tablet and shoved it towards Ryan. “I did some research on Carnage and came across this article.” She said, “Apparently there’s always been another demon, the reports consider this figure as an anti-hero literally just called “The Demon” because he interfered with the Phantoms.”

  “Oh yeah, there is. The one that no one wants to mess this with and well… his kills aren’t exactly pretty either.” Aaron said.

  Ryan gripped the tablet staring at the screen, his face unreadable. “I want to know why it interfered and how it knew we were in trouble; I don’t trust them either way.” Ryan said, handing the tablet back. “They're dangerous and it just feels like we're missing information.”

  “I suppose you're right,” Vixen said, looking over her tablet. She looked at Kashi hoping for some input, but he didn’t say anything. “We can focus on finding any information on them then.”

  “We should also keep tabs on The Phantoms.” Aaron said. “Because they might be more alert considering yesterday's mission.”

  Kashi noticed how Sam was fidgeting and kept glancing at Felix who was curled under some blankets. “What is it Sam?” He asked, finally picking up the healing potion to drink. Sam had never been good at lying or keeping secrets because something was bothering him.

  “I had an encounter with a demon last night.” He said quickly. Kashi choked on the drink. Oh. The team was silent as Ryan sat up straighter.

  “Oo the plot thickens,” the voice said amused. “What do you mean?” Kashi finally got out trying to ignore the voice. Sam kept playing with his sleeves. “Uh, he just appeared.” Kashi could tell Sam didn’t want to give that much information up, at least not to the team. Sam looked at Felix again and then back at Kashi. He understood it had to do with Felix, his powers.

  “What did it want?” Ryan said, gripping the armchairs. Sam looked weary, leaning away slightly and Aaron shoved Ryan back, glaring at him. They seemed to have a silent conversation as they just stared at each other before Ryan grumbled something. Sam bounced his leg from where he sat on his stool.

  “I’m not really sure, there didn’t seem to be any bad intentions but more curiosity at best.” Sam said. “I’m not dead at least.” Vixen frowned. Kashi had an inkling on why he visited Sam.

  “That seems ominous.” She said, “Considering everything.” Silence filled the room. He understood the team's opinions and he himself never would have trusted a demon either. They were confusing, one moment saving you and then next, trying to kill you. He ran his hand through his hair. “Anything else?” Kashi asked the team.

  Vixen sighed, avoiding eye contact with Kashi as she spoke. “Andreas is coming tomorrow.” Kashi tensed, he knew it was coming but he wasn’t prepared. “Bailey’s bring your arm back and I guess Andreas took the opportunity to come.”

  He ran a hand down his face. “Great.” He hadn’t even told his team that Andreas wanted a fight, but it was more about beating Kashi. “He wants to spar to boost his ego.” Ryan looked away upset, which was understandable. He was a former Elemental that was taught to disrespect hybrids so Ryan would be more unbearable tomorrow. Azara pushed off the wall. “I’m sure tomorrow will be fine.” She said, trying to be optimistic but clearly, she had her doubts.

  Ryan got up with Aaron who was saying something to him. Ryan sneered at Aaron, his eyes lighting up. Aaron smacked him in the head and led him out of the room. Kashi was grateful that Aaron could get Ryan to listen and keep him under wraps. Their relationship was interesting.

  “I worry about him.” Azara said, taking a seat. Vixen pulled up a stool putting the vial away. “Considering he doesn't talk much about his past, I think it's eating away at him.”

  “Aaron’s helping him though.” Kashi said, resuming eating his fruit. He could tell how iffy Ryan was when he joined the team. The Elemental Force had beaten him down a lot and it appears Ryan can't shake the horrors he went through. The Elemental Forces were brutal to hybrids especially when they were figuring things out. From what Kashi gathered, Oliver was still in command, and he was a terrible leader. It was no wonder Ryan liked to challenge Kashi a lot, testing him to see if he should respect him. Kashi hoped he was a good leader.

  “Well,” Vixen said, flipping her papers down from her clipboard. “I suppose Andreas will not play by the rules tomorrow.” Vixen pulled out her scanner, running it over Kashi checking him out. “For the most part you’ll be fine, just be careful today.” Kashi gave her a thumbs up as she walked over to Azara dragging her out.

  “Do you need something, Sam?” Kashi asked, sensing his stare but not feeling inclined to move. Sam scrunched his face up. “So…. What exactly is Felix’s power?” Felix poked his head up at his name, ears twitching with interest.

  Kashi thought back to what Zander told him, Voidling. “He’s from the Void,” Kashi began, choosing his words carefully. “He has connections to Fate. The pattern I’ve noticed is that Felix tends to show up when someone needs to talk or sensing high emotions to comfort. He has a way of invading your thoughts, but it’s not malicious.”

  “The demon visited me in the Void,” Sam admitted cautiously, his voice dropping. “Then it came here, physically. It mentioned my eye. How does it know?” Kashi stilled, his heart sinking at the question he wasn’t prepared to answer. He had suspected Felix might unintentionally stir some revelations, but this? This was more than he anticipated. He didn’t want to lie to Sam, but the truth felt like a burden too heavy to share. Kashi had been desperate to make sure Sam survived.

  Kashi leaned back, his gaze dropping to the book in his lap as he mulled over his words. “Desperate times call for desperate measures,” he finally said, his voice low, cryptic. He didn’t elaborate, and the weight of his response hung in the air. Sam studied him for a moment, clearly dissatisfied but too tired to press further. With a quiet sigh, he moved to the cot, Felix curling up beside him as if sensing his unease.

  Kashi didn’t want to lie to the team, but it felt like he was the only one to handle everything. He should have asked for help and was just digging himself in a deeper hole. Kashi shifted uncomfortably; the room was heavy with unspoken truths. As Sam’s breathing steadied, Kashi’s thoughts wandered back to the decisions he had made and the risk he’d taken to keep Sam alive.

  It was terrifying and he begged for help from his former teammate to save him. The process had been long, and Kashi didn’t even remember exactly what happened. Just that the three of them were sprawled on the ground in a pentagram by the next morning. The fact is, neither of them expected Sam to pull through and now he was terrified of losing Sam again.

  Kashi shook his head and stared at the book he’d picked up, seeing it titled as the Divine Stories of Myths and legends. He’d read some of it before in the medbay when Ignatius took him in. He was curious about hybrids during that time as Ignatius didn’t seem to know how to explain his eyes or why he was born that way.

  Kashi flipped through the pages absentmindedly, not entirely sure what he was supposed to be looking for. His fingers brushed against the worn paper until something tugged at his attention, a faint, inexplicable urge to stop on a specific section. The title at the top of the page caught his eye: Echoes of Eternity. It was a relatively new addition, written after the War that had ravaged the world some 400 years ago. According to the notes, it chronicled events that occurred a century after the War, centering around two pivotal figures: Azrael and Luminous.

  ‘Read it to me,’ the voice whispered.

  High above the cliffs, where floating mountains pierced the heavens, the Divine Gods reigned supreme, their watchful gaze ever fixed on the world of mortals below. Normally very cheerful and full of life, today though, the air was tense, their servants could even sense it. Vivian, known for her role of Life, was particularly worried as she walked into the meeting room where the rest of the Divine waited, minus the one they waited for.

  Angels scurried around, born by the power of light, from Kyrant, serving drinks to the Divine. She took notice that Kyrant had his general in the room too, an exception to their strict code. His name was Luminous, and he was ranked high enough as an angel to be in this meeting.

  She walked around, taking her seat at the head, staring at the empty chair across from her. Kryant was to the left of her and next to him sat Zira, Blaine, and Nekoda. The Divine Gods of the moon, Magic and Time. To her right sat Catur, Veta, Raiden, Reverie, and Keres. The Divine Gods of Elements, Love, Spirits, Chaos, and Fate.

  They were all coming together to discuss the recent concern of how normal mortals are changing to somehow be Minor Gods. Things were not going well, and they called this meeting to figure out how to deal with the situation. “Do we even know if he’s coming?” Raiden drawled out, clearly bored. “Yes, give him time, he will come through.”

  She heard a few women snicker and Vivian kept her cool by gripping her arm rests. Keres cleared her throat, and the laughter stopped. She adjusted her dress, the flowing pastel silks pooled on the floor. The door opened and the new Azreal stepped through, a mortal she picked to replace the old one. A mortal turned into a Divine God. Extremely rare.

  “Thank you for waiting.” He said quietly. He pushed back the crown adorned on his head, made of black bones and red gems. Ruler of Death. An angel approached with a drink on a platter but was trembling. She watched how his green eyes flickered to Kyrant who was watching him as he took the glass.

  “Let us begin this meeting now.” Vivian said, taking the attention off Azrael. “We are here to discuss the recent spike in Minor Gods, and we need to do something about it.”

  “Isn’t it because of the war, it doesn’t make sense how our own powers would be doing that?” Veta spoke up.

  “Some of us tried helping and those who did had a fraction of their power lost. Unlike me who lost a good chunk of it.” Catur spoke up. “They went dormant and now all of the sudden are attaching to mortals.”

  “We can only hope not many more are made because in the end, they have our powers. We should end them and take it back.” Kyrant said roughly. There were a few murmurs of agreement, but Vivian was unsure. “It would paint a bad picture to the rest.” she said.

  “We can vote on it.” Keres said, trying to be helpful. Vivian shot her a look. They did need to be dealt with, but she hadn’t planned to slaughter them. “Why can’t we just extract the power from them, and they can return to being a mortal like, you know who.” She said desperately. All eyes suddenly shifted to Azreal who didn’t seem bothered.

  “But that’s boring.” Kryant said loudly.

  “Geez and I'm supposed to be the sadistic one.” Azrael muttered. Vivian sighed, it was a better idea. “We wait for all the power to be absorbed and then we can extract it.” She said, there were murmurs of agreement because the Gods knew Vivian made the final decision. “Meeting dismissed.”

  The Gods disappeared one by one, and she noticed how Azrael tracked Kyrant’s general. They were the last two in the room. “Who was that?”

  Vivian rose. “That's Luminous, a general and should stay away from. Kryant doesn’t need another reason to hate you. Have a good day.” She left hoping Azreal went back to the Underworld. Tension was already high, there didn’t need to be another reason for fighting.

  “I hate this story already,” the voice murmured, and Kashi couldn’t help but agree seeing the next section was in Azrael’s point of view.