The sky split open.

Thunder didn’t roll—it roared, howled, like a beast wounded by fate. The heavens bled crimson as celestial lightning arced through the skies, searing the firmament. Rain poured down, not water, but something heavier—mixed with ash and divine residue. Olympus itself trembled.

High upon the *Altar of Judgement*, chained by glowing celestial runes, knelt a boy.

*Kyrillos*.

Barefoot, beaten, and broken—not by combat, but by betrayal. His once radiant robes were in tatters, his body scorched with marks of restraint, divine bindings pulsing against his skin.

He was seventeen.

The boy once praised as the Prodigy of the Silver Flame, the Heir of the Celestial Phoenix Sect… now a heretic, condemned by those who once toasted his victories.

Around him stood the *Twelve Grand Houses*, their banners flapping wildly in the divine storm. Faces half-shadowed under golden helms and jeweled crowns, yet none dared look him in the eye. Only one figure, hidden in the rear, wept silently behind a silver veil—*Aphrodite*.

The calm after the storm was deceptive.


Though the Leviathan had withdrawn, Thalorion was still a city on edge — its wounds fresh, its trust fractured.


In a dimly lit chamber beneath the palace, Dimitri and Niko exchanged tense glances.


"We can't trust everyone, especially not after the Leviathan's assault," Dimitri whispered.


Niko nodded. "There are whispers... that some within our own ranks seek power, even if it means betrayal."


Meanwhile, in a shadowy tavern, a group of cloaked figures gathered.


Thanos, Vasilis, and Aris sat around a table, their eyes cold and calculating.


"The Leviathan's retreat is our chance. We move quickly, strike at their weakest point — from within," Thanos declared.


Vasilis smirked, "Divide and conquer. The perfect plan."


Kyrillos, sensing the growing unrest, confided in Sophia.


"There's more at play here than just the Leviathan. Someone is pulling strings... and it's closer than we think."


Sophia's eyes narrowed. "Then we must find them before they find us."


An Unexpected Visitor, That night, a mysterious envoy arrived at the palace gates — bearing a message sealed with the emblem of the forgotten city of Alethea.


"We have news... and a warning," the envoy said, eyes scanning the guards.


As the city braced for new storms, Kyrillos and Sophia prepared to uncover the truth.


But little did they know, the greatest betrayal was yet to come — one that would shatter alliances and test their resolve like never before.


Chapter 24: Whispers of Betrayal