The smoldering sigil in the chamber's center pulsed faintly, its presence lingering like a wound in reality itself. The Herald was gone, but the battle had left something behind—something unseen but deeply felt.
Eldric could feel it.
A shift.
The gods were no longer just watching.
They were preparing to act.
Karis groaned as she stood, stretching her bruised limbs. "Alright. That was a lot. Someone remind me why we keep poking at divine hornets' nests?"
Seraphine smirked weakly. "Because Eldric refuses to die."
Eldric, still staring at the sigil, barely registered their words. The Godslayer in his grip hummed with energy, reacting to something beyond the material world. It was a warning.
He finally spoke. "They know we can hurt them now."
Karis raised an eyebrow. "They knew that before, didn't they?"
Seraphine shook her head. "Not like this. Taking down a god's avatar or striking at their influence is one thing. But this? We defeated a Herald. That's a declaration of war."
A cold silence followed.
Karis exhaled sharply, gripping her twin swords. "So… what now? Do we run? Hide?"
Eldric's grip on the Godslayer tightened. His flames burned brighter, his voice steady as steel. "No. We fight."
---
The Divine Council
Far beyond the mortal realm, past the veil of time and space, the gods convened.
The great celestial hall stretched endlessly, adorned with shifting constellations and flowing rivers of divine energy. Here, the most powerful gods gathered—beings who had shaped creation itself.
A lone figure stood before them, bathed in flickering light. He was cloaked in golden fire, his presence exuding unquestionable authority. The God of Judgement.
"This cannot be ignored," he spoke, his voice echoing across the chamber. "The Forsworn Blade has resurfaced. The child of flame has begun to challenge the order."
From the shadows, a voice sneered. "Then we should crush him. Burn his existence from history before he becomes a true threat."
Another voice, softer but laced with ancient wisdom, intervened. "You assume it will be so simple. The Godslayer's power has only begun to awaken. If we move recklessly, we may forge the very monster we wish to prevent."
A ripple of tension spread across the council.
At the far end, a goddess draped in silver robes finally spoke. "If left unchecked, he could bring ruin. But if we act too hastily, we might give him the resolve he needs to reach his full potential."
A murmur of agreement filled the chamber.
The God of Judgment narrowed his burning eyes. "Then what do you propose?"
The silver-robed goddess smiled faintly. "We do not strike him directly. Not yet."
A wave of curiosity rippled through the gathered deities.
She continued. "Instead, we break him from within. We make him question his path. We turn his allies against him. We remind him that fire, no matter how bright, can be extinguished."
For the first time, silence fell.
And then… agreement.
The gods had decided.
The war wouldn't begin with blades.
It would begin with doubt.
---
The First Blow
Eldric and his companions had barely set foot outside the temple when the sky shifted.
A heavy stillness settled over them, unnatural and suffocating. The air crackled with unseen energy, and the world itself seemed to darken, as if the sun had dimmed.
Karis's grip on her swords tightened. "Uh… tell me someone else feels that."
Seraphine's expression turned grim. "We're being watched."
Eldric barely had time to react before a sudden force slammed into his mind.
A voice. A whisper.
Soft. Insidious. Familiar.
"Eldric…"
His breath hitched. The world around him blurred, and for a brief moment, he wasn't standing in the ruins of a forgotten temple.
He was somewhere else.
The scent of burning wood filled his lungs. Smoke curled in the air. The sound of laughter—warm, kind—echoed through the haze.
And then—
Screams.
The memory slammed into him, raw and violent. He saw flames devouring everything. He saw himself, younger, weaker, clutching at something—someone.
A face.
A voice.
"You were never meant to survive, Eldric."
The whisper coiled around his mind like a serpent. "Everything you fight for is a lie."
Eldric gasped, staggering back. His vision swam. The world twisted. He could hear Seraphine and Karis calling out to him, but their voices were distant, barely reaching him through the suffocating fog of the past.
The whisper pressed on.
"You think your rebellion matters? You think you are anything more than another failure? Another pawn in a cycle far older than you?"
Eldric clenched his teeth.
Pain flared in his skull, memories flashing too fast to process. His body felt heavy, like something was pulling him down.
The gods were trying to break him.
To drown him in his past.
To make him doubt.
But—
They had underestimated him.
Eldric roared against the assault, forcing his mind back into focus. The Godslayer flared in response, its flames cutting through the illusion like a blade of pure will.
The whispers screeched as they were torn apart.
The haze vanished.
Eldric gasped for air, stumbling forward. Karis caught him before he could collapse, her eyes filled with worry.
"Eldric! What the hell just happened?"
He shook his head, gripping the Godslayer tightly. His body trembled, but his eyes burned with renewed determination.
Seraphine stepped closer, concern in her gaze. "The gods are moving, aren't they?"
Eldric exhaled sharply, his voice firm despite the lingering weight of the illusion.
"They tried to break me." His grip on the Godslayer tightened. "They failed."
A fire reignited in his chest. The gods had made their first move.
Now, it was his turn.