---
The moment Chirag stepped out of the sea temple, the world felt heavier.
The sky was no longer still. Clouds raced across it like angry beasts. Thunder rumbled from the heavens, and golden cracks of light split the sky. It wasn't natural weather. It was a message.
The gods were no longer just watching.
They were preparing to act.
Chirag, Siya, and Kael stood on the back of the dark-winged beast as it soared across the black sea, heading back toward the Demon Realm. None of them spoke. Each one could feel the change in the air. Power hummed like a low note around Chirag, deeper and stronger than before. His eyes glowed with a soft white flame. His heart beat like a war drum.
Siya finally broke the silence. "What did they do to you down there?"
Chirag turned to her. "They gave me a piece of what was forgotten. A truth that was buried when the gods took control. And with it… a cost."
Kael looked up. "You okay?"
"I don't know," Chirag answered honestly. "I feel stronger. But I also feel like something is missing. Like part of me stayed behind."
Siya reached out and took his hand. "Then we'll find it again. Together."
---
Back at the Demon Castle, alarms rang before they even arrived.
Red flames lit up the sky from the watchtowers. The demon guards were rushing into battle formations. The ground trembled slightly beneath their feet. Something was coming—and fast.
Raegor met them at the castle gate. His face was grim.
"They've started," he said. "One of the gods has come."
Chirag's eyes sharpened. "Who?"
"His name is Orion," Raegor said. "The Sky Warden. He rules the winds and watches over the stars. He controls the sky routes between realms—and now, he's using them to attack."
"Where?" Kael asked.
"The Northern Mountains," Raegor replied. "He's already turned the skies black. Storms are crushing the peaks. Villages are crying out for help. If we don't stop him now, he'll wipe the north off the map."
Chirag didn't hesitate.
"I'll go."
Raegor looked at him. "Alone?"
Siya stepped forward. "He's not going alone. We're going with him."
Kael grinned. "I was hoping you'd say that."
---
The Northern Mountains were known for their beauty—snow-capped peaks, quiet villages, and forests that stretched across the horizon.
But when Chirag and his companions arrived, everything had changed.
The mountains were hidden under black clouds. The snow was gone, replaced by boiling steam. Villages had been turned to ash. And in the center of the storm floated a man with silver wings and eyes like stars.
Orion.
He was tall, with a body carved like marble and robes made of moving clouds. In his hand, he held a spear of lightning that pulsed with godly energy.
He turned slowly as Chirag approached, floating toward him on wings of flame.
"So," Orion said. "The boy who was not meant to rise. I've heard your name spoken in the halls of heaven. You burn too bright, little flame."
Chirag hovered in the air, eye-to-eye with the god.
"Then maybe it's time the heavens got a little scorched."
Orion smirked. "You're bold. But you are still a mistake. A ripple in the perfect plan. I came to erase that ripple."
Without warning, he threw his spear.
Chirag barely dodged it. The spear exploded behind him, shattering a mountain peak into dust.
Kael shouted from below. "Go, Chirag! We'll cover the village!"
Siya spread her wings of dark energy and began guiding survivors out of the danger zone, using shields of magic to protect them from falling debris.
Chirag turned back to Orion.
"I'm not here to die," he said. "I'm here to end your storm."
Orion laughed. "Then show me what the Council gave you."
---
The battle that followed was like nothing the world had ever seen.
Orion summoned hurricanes with a snap of his fingers, turned winds into blades, and called stars from the sky. But Chirag matched him—step for step. He moved with speed and power, cloaked in flames that shifted with his thoughts. His fists struck like thunder. His voice echoed like the gods.
They clashed in the sky, over the mountains and above the forests. Each strike sent shockwaves across the realm. Lightning and fire collided. Magic and will battled like titans.
But something had changed in Chirag.
He wasn't fighting with rage anymore. He wasn't just trying to protect—he was trying to understand. Every move he made was precise. Every strike was guided not just by power, but by purpose.
Finally, Orion faltered.
Chirag flew close, his eyes glowing brighter than the stars above. "This is your last chance. Leave this realm. Or fall."
Orion raised his hand for another strike—but Chirag was faster. He wrapped the god in chains of memory magic, tying him with the weight of truth, regret, and forgotten history.
"You gods fear prophecy," Chirag said. "But you forgot one thing. Prophecies don't choose the end. We do."
With a final burst of fire, he sent Orion crashing to the earth.
The storm began to break.
---
Hours later, the sun finally shone over the Northern Mountains again.
Villages were rebuilding. Survivors cheered as Chirag landed, his body tired but his spirit stronger than ever. Kael greeted him with a wide grin and a bruised shoulder.
"Next time, try to finish faster," Kael joked. "These villagers throw hard rocks when they panic."
Siya walked over, her face glowing with pride. "You did it. You beat a god."
"No," Chirag said quietly. "We did. And this was just one."
Siya looked at the horizon, where golden light still flickered in the distance.
"There will be more," she said.
Chirag nodded. "Then let them come. I'm ready now."
---