---
The silence after the gods' departure was louder than war drums. Even though they had left, their presence still lingered like smoke after a fire—cold and suffocating. Everyone in the Demon Realm knew it. The gods had finally shown themselves. And now, there was no going back.
Inside the great Demon Castle, the war room was lit with soft red flames. Maps, scrolls, and ancient symbols covered the giant stone table. Siya stood on one side, her eyes focused but her heart heavy. Chirag stood across from her, his jaw clenched, the golden flame at his fingertips glowing steadily.
Kael entered, carrying a scroll marked with the symbol of the rulers. "News from Lunara," he said, unrolling it. "She confirms it—another Forgotten God has awakened. He's in the Shattered Wastes, near the ruins of the First War."
"The Wastes?" Siya frowned. "That place is cursed."
Kael nodded. "And protected. By something old… something even Lunara couldn't describe. She warned us—whoever goes must be prepared to lose more than blood."
Chirag looked down at the map. The Shattered Wastes were far to the north, beyond human borders and demon lands. It was where the ground had cracked from the weight of ancient battles. Magic twisted there. Time didn't flow right.
"That's where we're going," Chirag said quietly.
"No hesitation?" Siya asked, watching him.
He shook his head. "No. Every time we face death, I remember why I keep walking forward. You. The people who believed in me. The ones I couldn't save. I won't stop now."
Siya smiled, but it was a sad one. "Then I'm going with you."
Kael sighed. "Of course, I'll come too. Someone has to stop you both from turning every conversation into a love poem."
---
The journey to the Shattered Wastes was not like the others.
The land itself began to change before they reached the edge. The sky darkened, even in daylight. The ground became cracked and sharp, bleeding faint green light. Trees twisted into unnatural shapes, and rivers flowed backward.
Every step closer brought a new challenge.
Illusions.
At first, it was small—shadows that didn't belong, voices in the wind. But then, it became personal. Chirag saw visions of his childhood, the moment his parents abandoned him. He heard their voices saying he was worthless.
Siya saw a future where Chirag died in her arms, again and again.
Kael heard his sister's voice—the one he lost long ago—begging him to come home.
"These are lies," Chirag growled as the ground shook beneath them. "This place feeds on fear."
"And memory," Kael added. "It wants to keep us here."
"We won't let it."
Chirag closed his eyes. Focused. The golden fire within him responded—not with rage, but with calm. A warmth that melted the illusions away.
Light broke through the fog.
And there, at the heart of the Wastes, stood a giant gate made of stone and bone. Marked with a forgotten symbol: a crown broken in half.
The Forgotten God waited inside.
---
The gate opened without a sound.
Inside, the temple was dark—emptier than any ruin they'd seen. Pillars stretched to a ceiling that could barely be seen, and the floor was cracked like a spider's web.
At the center stood a tall figure, cloaked in silence. His back was turned. Hair white as snow. Skin pale like frost. His eyes, when he turned, were not angry—they were hollow.
"I know why you have come," he said in a voice that echoed like falling ice. "But I will not join you."
Chirag stepped forward. "We're not here to beg. We're here to tell you what's coming. The gods have started to move. They've already attacked my people."
"I have no people left," the god replied.
Siya looked at him carefully. "You're Veyrion… the God of Stillness. You were the one who tried to stop the war between rulers and gods, weren't you?"
He nodded slowly.
"And for that," he said, "they took everything. My voice. My world. My light."
"Then don't let their silence be the last word," Chirag said. "Join us. You can still fight back."
Veyrion looked down at his hands. "What makes you think we can win?"
Chirag stepped forward, flames lighting the room gently.
"Because I've already beaten the odds. I'm human. I was supposed to die powerless. But now I carry the fire of a forgotten god. I'm not afraid of the gods. I'm not here to serve them. I'm here to change everything."
The god watched him… then slowly stepped forward.
"The fire in you… is the fire of rebellion," Veyrion said.
Then he placed his hand over Chirag's heart.
"In that case, I will lend you my stillness. My silence. My control."
A mark formed on Chirag's skin—icy blue, right over his heart.
And then Veyrion disappeared into light.
His power… now lived inside Chirag.
---
Outside the temple, as they stepped back into the poisoned winds, Chirag felt it.
A new balance.
Not just flames that raged—but flames that listened. That calmed. That focused.
Siya looked at him, sensing the change. "You feel different."
"I feel… clearer," he said. "Stronger, not just in power, but in purpose."
Kael glanced toward the skies. "We're getting closer, I can feel it. One more forgotten god remains. And after that… the final war begins."
Siya took Chirag's hand.
"Whatever comes next," she said, "we face it together."
Chirag squeezed her hand back. "Together."
The winds howled around them—but inside, they stood like fire and stone.
Ready.
---