Chapter 19

Reazel turned sharply toward Ares. His golden eyes burned with intensity. "There should be a way to stop Barmigia?"

Ares clenched his jaw. "You think if there was a way, I wouldn’t already be running toward it?"

Before anyone could respond, he took a deep breath and muttered under it, "Before Perseus got himself nearly killed, everyone thought he would erase Medusa from existence."

Silence.

The air grew heavy.

Then, one by one, every pair of eyes turned toward Ares.

Ares blinked. "What?"

Karlios crossed his arms, staring at him with a raised eyebrow. "What then? Should we be proud of our mother? Should we take this moment to show wrath against the gods? Or… are you suggesting something else?"

Ares took a step back. "Hold on. That was not—"

Nythren clapped his hands together. "Oh, this is rich. The god of war himself just gave credit to Theia—as the key to stopping a force that erases existence itself!"

Nyssa, who had remained silent, smirked. "So even you acknowledge the powers of our Mother, Ares?"

Finally, he groaned, dragging his hand down his face. "Fine. Maybe I am saying that Medusa’s existence alone is proof that things can defy what should be erased. Maybe. Possibly. UGH!"

Nyx finally stepped forward, her gaze calm but unreadable. "If Medusa is the answer, we must understand why. What makes her different?"

Reaze’s voice was quiet, but firm. "Because she survived what was meant to erase her."

Karlios muttered, "She was supposed to be erased, yet she remained. A contradiction in existence itself."

Nythren, "So… if we figure out why Theia remained, maybe we can understand how to stop Barmigia?"

Ares ran a hand through his hair. "That’s a nice theory, but tell me: how exactly do you plan to test that? Go ask the storm itself?"

Nythren's eyes gleamed. "That’s an excellent idea."

Ares screamed. "THAT WAS SARCASM, YOU IDIOT!"

Reazel turned to Medusa.

"Mother, if there is any truth to this, we must find out before Barmigia move forward."

Medusa studied her son, then glanced at the swirling, silent storm forming above them. Her smirk was gone. In its place, something far colder.

"Then let me see if I am truly the defiance of fate."

Reazel turned sharply toward Ares, his golden eyes burning with intensity.

"There has to be a way to stop Barmigia."

Ares clenched his jaw.

"You think if there was a way, I wouldn’t already be running toward it?"

Before anyone could respond, he took a deep breath and muttered under it—

"Before Perseus was killed by Medusa, everyone believed he would be the one to kill her."

The air grew still.

No one spoke. The flickering torches dimmed ever so slightly, as if something unseen was listening.

Then—one by one—every pair of eyes turned toward Ares.

Ares blinked. "What?"

Karlios crossed his arms, his expression unreadable. "What then? Should we be proud of our mother? Should we take this moment to show wrath against the gods? Or…" he narrowed his eyes, "are you suggesting something else?"

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Ares stepped back instinctively. "Hold on. That was not—"

Nythren clapped his hands together, "Oh, this is rich. The mighty god of war himself just gave credit to Theía—as the key to stopping a force that erases existence itself!"

Nyssa, who had remained silent until now, smirked. "So even you acknowledge our mother’s power, Ares?"

Ares groaned, dragging his hand down his face. "Fine. Maybe I am saying that Medusa’s existence alone is proof that things can defy what should be erased. Maybe. Possibly. UGH!"

Nyx finally stepped forward, her gaze calm but unreadable.

"If Medusa is the answer, we must understand why."

Her voice carried weight—like a goddess who had already begun to consider the ramifications.

Reazel’s voice was quiet, but firm.

"Because she survived what was meant to erase her."

Karlios muttered, "She was supposed to be erased, yet she remained. A contradiction in existence itself."

Nythren exhaled sharply. "So… if we figure out why Theía remained, maybe we can understand how to stop Barmigia?"

Ares ran a hand through his hair, exasperated. "That’s a nice theory, but tell me: how exactly do you plan to test that? Go ask the storm itself?"

Nythren’s eyes gleamed.

"That’s an excellent idea."

Ares screamed internally. "THAT WAS SARCASM, YOU IDIOT!"

But Reazel didn’t react to their bickering.

Instead, he turned to Medusa.

"Mother…"

The room shifted.

The silent storm above them churned.

Reazel’s voice was steady.

"If there is any truth to this, we must find out before Barmigia moves forward."

Medusa studied her son for a long moment. Then, slowly, her gaze lifted toward the swirling sky.

Her smirk was gone.

In its place, something far colder.

A pause.

Then—

She spoke.

"Then let me see… if I am truly the defiance of fate."

Ares stood frozen, staring at Nyx as if she had just declared herself the creator of the universe. His mind refused to process her words.

"Wait… what?" Ares stammered. "You're actually going to fight Barmigia?"

Nyx’s expression remained unreadable, her glowing eyes steady.

"Yes, Ares. I will stand with Medusa."

Ares took a slow step back. "You can’t be serious! Nyx, you are the goddess of night! You command the darkness! Even you know that fighting Barmigia isn’t just dangerous—it’s suicide!"

Medusa stepped forward, her voice slicing through Ares' panic like a blade.

"It’s inevitable. You do not control the storm, Ares. You learn to exist within it."

Reaga smirked, leaning lazily against a pillar. "Relax, Ares. You’re not alone in your existential crisis."

Ares turned on him, exasperated. "You two are out of your minds! We’re talking about Barmigia! That thing doesn’t destroy kingdoms—it erases reality itself! This isn’t some war to win. It’s the end of everything!"

Nyssa, who had been silent until now, crossed her arms. "So what? You’d rather cower and let it happen? Because you think we’re too weak?"

Ares' frustration boiled over. "I’m not saying that! I’m saying you can’t fight something that—" he gestured wildly, "—doesn’t even exist in a way we understand!"

Raezel stepped forward, his golden eyes unwavering. "Then we learn. We adapt. We fight."

Ares almost snapped back—but he stopped.

Because the truth was, he didn’t care about Velmor.

He didn’t care about the mortals.

He didn’t care about fighting some noble battle to save reality itself.

But he did care about one thing.

His own survival.

And if Nyx and Medusa—two of the most powerful beings in existence—were choosing to fight…

Then maybe, just maybe… there was a chance.

Ares exhaled sharply, jaw clenched. "Fine. I’ll fight."

Nyx raised an eyebrow. "To stand with us?"

Ares scoffed. "No. To make sure I don’t die here."

Reaga burst out laughing. "At least he’s honest."

Nyssa smirked. "Cowardice and strategy are the same thing in his mind."

Ares glared at her but said nothing.

Medusa’s expression remained unreadable, but there was the faintest glimmer of amusement in her gaze.

Nyx nodded. "Then let us prepare. The storm is coming. And we will be ready."

The ground rumbled beneath them—a warning. A promise. The first whisper of Barmigia’s approach.

A dark wind swept through the hall, carrying with it a presence that should not exist. The air turned thin, reality itself bending under the weight of what was to come.

Karlios murmured, his voice tinged with something between awe and fear.

"We are about to stand against the most destructive force in the universe. And yet… we choose to face it together. Is this truly the only way?"

Raezel’s voice was steady.

"I don’t know. But for now, it’s the only way ahead of us."

Ares let out a long breath, steeling himself. "Then let’s make sure the storm knows it picked the wrong fight."

The battle was no longer a question.

Barmigia would come.

And when it did—

It would face us.

Those who refused to be erased.