THE GOD WHO BREAKS HEAVEN

Gabriel's breath came heavy, his pulse a steady drumbeat in his chest. The crackling storm that had nearly torn apart the sky had faded, leaving behind a silence so thick that it threatened to choke him.

His hands trembled—not from fear, but from an emotion he hadn't felt in a long time: rage.

This was no longer about survival. No longer about finding his place. No. This was about control. About choosing to wield power for himself. And no divine being—no matter their throne, no matter their realm—would dictate the terms of his existence.

The taste of the gods' judgment still lingered in his throat, like poison he couldn't swallow. The events of the past days—Medussa's capture, the interference of the Olympian angels—had all been the final crack in the dam that held his fury back.

Merlin, ever the calm in the storm, stood by Gabriel's side in the aftermath. He hadn't said a word when Gabriel had returned to their camp, burning with unspoken tension.

But now, as the night air cooled, the silence between them grew unbearable. 

Gabriel finally spoke, his voice low, controlled—but the rage still burned beneath.

"They'll pay, Merlin. Every last one of them."

Merlin's eyes flickered with a brief, sorrowful understanding. He'd seen the storm rising in Gabriel for weeks. He'd known this day would come, even though he had hoped for a different path.

"You can't fight all of them, Gabriel. Not yet. Not without risking everything."

Gabriel's gaze hardened. His fingers clenched at his side, flame and shadows flickering between his knuckles.

"They took her from me. They think I'm just another puppet in their game. But I will not bow to them. I won't."

Merlin sighed, his face weary but resolute. He had been prepared for this moment, yet it still weighed on him.

"What will you do? Challenge Zeus? Poseidon? They hold the power of the heavens themselves."

Gabriel's eyes blazed with determination.

"I'll show them what it means to face someone who doesn't care about their titles or their thrones."

Merlin placed a hand on his shoulder, his touch surprisingly gentle.

"I've seen you face many trials, Gabriel. But understand—this is different. The gods may bend the laws of the universe, but they will not hesitate to burn you to ash if you challenge them directly."

Gabriel's jaw tightened. His thoughts drifted back to the moments before he was torn away from Medussa—before the angels of Olympus had interfered.

He could feel her words echoing in his mind: "If they make you choose between me and the world… choose you. Choose truth."

Her sacrifice had unlocked something in him. A strength, yes—but also a harsh clarity. The path he would walk now would be one of destruction and rebirth. No longer would he be the boy who fought for survival. He would fight for the right to choose his fate.

"I won't let them take her," Gabriel muttered, his voice fierce. "And I won't let them take anything else from me."

Merlin watched Gabriel closely, his face unreadable. Slowly, he nodded, acknowledging the burning resolve within him.

"Then you must face them. But beware, Gabriel. There is a cost to such defiance. The gods will not forgive easily. And neither will the angels who serve them."

Gabriel turned toward the horizon, his eyes narrowing, sensing the storm approaching. He knew what was coming. The gods would want to confront him. And when they did, he'd be ready.

His power had always been a spark. But now… now, it would become a wildfire.

Later that night, as the moonlight glinted off the jagged rocks around them, Gabriel stood at the edge of a cliff. Merlin and Nyra stood by, silent but watchful.

The winds howled in the distance, but all Gabriel could hear was the voice of the Final God—the one who had once been his mentor, his guide. That voice now seemed like a distant memory, an ancient echo.

"Remember who you are, Gabriel. The final power resides within you," it whispered.

Gabriel closed his eyes, and in that moment, he understood. It wasn't just about him anymore. His choices had consequences. And for the first time, he was ready to pay the price.

He turned back to Merlin and Nyra, a grim resolve on his face.

"The time has come."

Merlin nodded.

"It has."

Gabriel stepped forward. His heart pounded like a war drum, his thoughts clear: he would face the gods. And if they tried to take her from him again, they would not live to see the dawn.

The stage was set. And Gabriel's wrath—once controlled, once hidden—was about to be unleashed.