Omen Of The Void

A storm was gathering—one not of wind or rain, but of whispers, betrayal, and fear.

Deep beneath the sacred halls of Olympus, where mortal eyes could never reach, something stirred.

Something wrong.

Olympus – The Forbidden Chambers

The gods had gathered in secret.

The room was a hollow sphere carved from stone that pulsed faintly with magic. Braziers cast long shadows along the walls, where ancient murals warned of forbidden powers even gods dared not name.

Zeus stood at the center, arms folded, face grim.

Beside him, Hera, golden eyes narrowed in distrust.

Athena leaned against a pillar, arms crossed tightly, her usual composure fraying.

Ares paced, his massive frame radiating barely-contained violence.

Hades, silent, cold, watched with calculating eyes.

"This is madness," Athena said sharply, voice cutting through the heavy silence. "You are suggesting we use… him?"

Zeus's jaw tightened. "We have no choice."

"He is not loyal," Hera hissed. "He serves only himself."

"Better to unleash a controlled monster," Ares grunted, "than be slaughtered by one we can't control at all."

The room trembled faintly—an omen.

"You misunderstand," said a voice from the darkness.

They all turned.

The torches dimmed.

And from the center of the room, he emerged—cloaked in black, a crown of broken horns on his head, a grin carved across his face.

Asmodeus.

"You're not controlling me," he said lightly, almost amused. "You're… inviting me."

He bowed mockingly. "A pleasure, my dear Olympians."

Hades took a step forward, shadows gathering at his feet. "Speak quickly, demon."

Asmodeus straightened, golden eyes gleaming with cold amusement. "You have a problem. A Fallen King. A mortal wielding the power of gods and demons alike. One whom prophecy favors. One whom you," he looked at Zeus meaningfully, "fear."

Zeus's fists clenched, the room sparking with static.

Asmodeus smiled wider. "Fear clouds judgment. It makes you vulnerable."

"And what do you offer?" Athena demanded, her voice steely.

"An end," Asmodeus said simply. "Permanent. Total."

The gods exchanged glances.

He walked in slow circles around them, speaking like a snake weaving its coils tighter. "You could fight Megumi Valentine head-on. Risk devastation. Risk Olympus itself falling."

He paused.

"Or you could let me… guide him. Push him. Break him from the inside."

"How?" Hera demanded sharply.

Asmodeus tapped his temple. "Dreams. Doubts. Desires. I will feed him nightmares until he questions himself. Until his precious Ava fears him. Until he believes the only way to protect her… is to abandon everything he is."

He tilted his head.

"And then, when he falls into despair, when his halo darkens fully…" His smile sharpened into something cruel. "You strike."

Athena narrowed her eyes. "If you fail—"

"I won't."

Asmodeus's confidence was unsettling.

"I know mortals," he said softly. "I know their hearts. Their weaknesses. Their endless hunger for belonging… and the abyss they hide inside."

Zeus said nothing for a long moment.

Then, slowly, he spoke.

"Do it."

A heavy silence fell.

Even Athena looked away.

They had crossed a line—and they knew it.

Asmodeus bowed again, mockingly.

"You will regret this," Hades muttered under his breath.

Asmodeus grinned wider.

"I hope so."

Earth – Midnight

The city was drowning in mist.

Ava tossed and turned in her bed, sweat beading on her forehead. Dreams clawed at her mind—dark, chaotic, endless.

In one dream, Megumi stood atop a throne of bones, eyes empty.

In another, she reached for him—and he turned to ash in her hands.

She gasped awake, heart hammering, the image burning into her memory.

Outside her window, the mist thickened, curling in unnatural shapes.

And just beyond the veil, Asmodeus watched.

Invisible.

Waiting.

His fingers weaved delicate patterns in the air, unseen strings latching onto Ava's heart, her memories, her fears.

He planted seeds.

Seeds of doubt.

The Next Day

At the edge of the abandoned park, where rusted swings groaned in the breeze, Asmodeus met with another figure—hooded, ancient, monstrous.

One of his first pawns.

Asmodeus smiled without warmth. "The infection has begun."

The figure bowed. "When shall we move against the girl?"

"Not yet," Asmodeus murmured, eyes gleaming. "Let her think she still has hope. Let her cling to it like a drowning child clings to air."

He turned his gaze toward the distant horizon, where the barrier between realms thinned.

"And when the time is right," he whispered, "we will rip it all away."

The figure bowed lower. "And the boy?"

Asmodeus's smile widened into something predatory.

"The boy will break himself."

Olympus – Throne Room

Far above, on the golden steps of Olympus, Zeus stood before the other gods.

The council had voted.

They would allow Asmodeus's scheme to unfold.

But in secret, Zeus sent a final decree:

If Megumi Valentine rose too far…

If he could not be broken from within…

Then the gods themselves would strike him down.

No mercy.

No trial.

No prophecy would save him.

And so the pieces moved across the board, unseen by the mortals below.

The gods, once paragons of pride and power, had become conspirators in their own downfall.

The dark era had begun.

And in the deepest corners of the universe, something far worse than Asmodeus or Megumi stirred—something watching, waiting for the day the last light would be snuffed out.