[Third Person's PoV]
"Hades, if I were you, I would think carefully about what you say," Zeus said in a cold tone, his eyes flashing with warning. "You seem to have forgotten just who you are speaking to. I will not be spoken to like that in my own kingdom."
Lightning crackled and danced across his skin, his eyes glowing an intense blue, pulsing with electricity and raw power. Thunder roared above them, shaking the skies, while a powerful gale swept over everyone.
Zeus continued, "You like to wield your seniority as if it grants you power, yet you have done nothing but disgrace yourself. You have shamed the name of the gods, clinging to that dead mortal woman like a child refusing to let go of his toy."
Standing tall, his posture radiating authority, Zeus looked down at Hades with open disdain. "You defied me once for that woman. I allowed it because I understood—grief makes one weak, irrational. But I will not allow it a second time. For the survival and betterment of Olympus, those two will stand trial, and you will do nothing but comply."
His voice grew sharper. "One of them could be the child of prophecy. A threat to us all. A danger to the gods cannot be ignored. I will not allow it. So I will tell you this once, Hades—stand down. You won't get another warning."
The shadows around Hades thickened, swallowing the light as his presence darkened the very air. His face was obscured, black as night, save for his glowing eyes—burning with an unnatural, menacing light. A suffocating pressure radiated from his body, warping the space around him, plunging the surroundings into perpetual darkness.
Then, in a voice thick with restrained fury, Hades spoke.
"Lucian."
His son stiffened, instinctively recognizing the weight behind his father's words. This was rage unlike any other, and Lucian respected how much restraint Hades was showing.
"Cover their eyes. Close your own."
Lucian acted immediately, shielding Bianca's and Nico's eyes with his hands while shutting his own tightly. "Do not open them. No matter what." His voice left no room for argument.
Nico and Bianca, sensing the danger, obeyed without hesitation.
The darkness surrounding Hades deepened, thickening like a living void. Then, it shifted—glowing with an eerie, unsettling energy. His form grew larger, expanding with power beyond mortal comprehension.
Zeus's expression twisted with fury. "HADES!" he roared, his body exploding with divine radiance. Blinding light engulfed him, crackling with raw, unrestrained electricity. The sheer force of his presence sent shockwaves through the air, rupturing Lucian's eardrums despite his best efforts to shield himself. He gritted his teeth, using his own darkness to block the sound for Nico and Bianca, though they still trembled under its force.
The two gods had unveiled their Divine Forms.
Hades was an entity of pure darkness, a towering specter of shadow and flame. His presence devoured the light, casting an oppressive void around him. He stood taller than a mountain, a crown of horns and bones circling his head, his body featureless save for his burning, hollow eyes. The flames that wreathed him were not ordinary fire but the infernal essence of the Underworld itself.
Zeus, in contrast, was the embodiment of sky and storm. His form was sculpted from pure lightning, crackling with boundless energy. His body pulsed with the concept of absolute power and authority, as though he was the sky itself. His beard, formed from swirling clouds, gave him the presence of an omnipotent force. He radiated divinity in its purest, most terrifying form.
Hades growled, his voice deep and distorted, carrying the weight of millennia. "Do you think I fear war, brother?" The sound alone was enough to instill terror, even without his Helm of Darkness. His power twisted the air with the raw essence of fear itself.
His eyes burned brighter as he stepped forward. "Let's see who has more to lose in this war—you or me? For once, your paranoia is justified. You've always feared that I would rise against you, which is why you've spent eons suppressing me. Well, here I am. Your fears have come true."
Then, in a voice almost taunting, he added, "You have a talent for making self-fulfilling prophecies."
Zeus's fury ignited, his form flaring brighter, his power teetering on the edge of destruction—until another voice cut through the chaos.
"THAT'S ENOUGH, BOTH OF YOU!"
The storm and darkness recoiled as a third divine presence surged forward. The sea itself rose, coalescing into a towering figure of undeniable authority.
Poseidon had entered the fray.
His Divine Form was a paradox—calm yet violent, tranquil yet unyielding. His body was composed of swirling, turbulent waters, shifting between the serenity of still seas and the devastation of raging tempests. His power rivaled both his brothers, emanating a force that demanded respect.
Hades narrowed his eyes. "I told you this does not concern you."
Poseidon stepped forward, his voice steady. "Normally, I wouldn't involve myself in your petty squabbles. But I cannot allow the two of you to destroy each other—not now."
He pressed his hands against both their chests, pushing them apart with undeniable force.
Turning first to Zeus, Poseidon's gaze was sharp. "Must you antagonize Hades at every opportunity? No one here wants war, least of all me. We still haven't even held the trial, and you speak as if those two are already sentenced to death."
Then, his gaze shifted to Hades. "I understand your anger, brother. More than anyone, I understand. But you must remember what's at stake. If we fight among ourselves, we weaken Olympus. We make ourselves vulnerable. And that is exactly what He wants."
The tension between the three brothers crackled like a storm on the brink of chaos.
"Do not order me around, Poseidon!" Zeus said angrily. "I have been lenient enough with this ungrateful brother of mine. He needs to learn that he cannot act as he pleases."
"Your efforts are pointless, brother," Hades said coldly, directing his words toward Poseidon. "You see how he behaves. I've tolerated his actions because I didn't care to deal with him, but it seems he's forgotten that I am not someone to be trifled with. He needs to be taught humility."
Poseidon sighed heavily. "You're both acting like children—"
Before he could continue, a new voice joined the conversation, cutting through the tension like ice. It was cold, devoid of emotion.
"It is the three of you who need to stop."
Silence fell.
Every god in the throne room widened their eyes in disbelief—even those who had been silently observing from their seats. No one could believe what they had just heard.
All eyes turned toward the small child standing by the hearth, her gaze locked onto the three gods, while they stared in astonishment.
Hestia had spoken.
Normally, she quietly tended the Hearth, away from the thrones, during meetings like these. She never involved herself in the squabbles of the gods, content to simply watch over the flames with a peaceful smile. Even when her family gathered during the winter solstice, she remained apart from their conflicts.
But now, for the first time, Hestia had spoken up—with a frown on her face.
Her eyes glowed a deep, burning red as she looked at her three younger brothers with a cold, unblinking stare. They froze. Sweat beaded on their brows.
"H-Hestia?" Poseidon called out hesitantly, his voice tinged with unease.
Even the other gods shifted uncomfortably in their seats, worried that her piercing gaze might turn on them next.
"In case you've forgotten," Hestia said, her voice as cold as the void, "there are mortals present. When three gods unleash their divine forms at once, the sheer force of it is enough to kill someone."
She tilted her head, subtly directing their gazes.
Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades turned—and froze in shock.
They had been so caught up in their argument that they had forgotten about the three demigods standing nearby.
But that wasn't why they were stunned.
Lucian's armor was cracked and scorched under the weight of their divine might. He was leaning over Bianca and Nico, shielding them with his body from the oppressive force of their presence.
His helmet was shattered, and most of his armor had crumbled away. Blood streamed from his ears, his closed eyes, his nostrils, and his mouth. His skin was drenched in red, the sheer pressure making his very pores bleed.
And yet, despite the horrific sight, Lucian's expression remained eerily composed. His eyes stayed shut, his face emotionless, as if he were merely taking a nap.
Hestia's voice rang out again, just as frigid as before.
"Know this—I am very fond of that boy. If anything happens to him, I will be very upset."
She arched a single brow at her three younger brothers.
"Well?"
Poseidon and Hades immediately shrank back, dispelling their divine forms and returning to their mortal guises. Only Zeus remained unchanged.
"Zeus?" Hestia's voice turned even colder.
Hades and Poseidon flinched. Then, realizing Zeus wasn't moving, they turned on him with alarm.
"Change back! Change back!" Hades urged in a near panic.
"What are you doing?! Hurry up!" Poseidon snapped through gritted teeth. "Now is not the time to act tough! If we suffer because of you, I will never forgive you!"
Hestia didn't say another word. Instead, she slowly raised three fingers.
And then, she lowered one.
Zeus tensed, immediately shrinking back and awkwardly averting his gaze. He could still feel her burning stare boring into the side of his head.
"...Sorry," he muttered.
Hestia scoffed before turning her gaze toward Lucian. Her frown softened into a gentle smile, her eyes filled with warmth and familial affection.
"Lucian, honey, are you okay?"
Lucian weakly raised a thumbs-up. "You worried about me, Aunty?"
As he spoke, a fresh cascade of blood poured from his mouth, splattering onto the ground between Nico and Bianca. Both shuddered at the sight.
Lucian then cracked open one eye, almost like he was winking, and smiled—his teeth stained crimson.
"Don't be. The divine might of three gods? Is that what that was?" He grinned wider, his voice hoarse but teasing. "I barely even noticed."
Hestia chuckled. "What a terrible liar you are. You shouldn't lie to your aunt, you know."
Lucian let out a raspy, exaggerated gasp. "Me? Lying to you? My poor heart couldn't take it—the guilt would eat me alive."
They both chuckled.
The other gods, still reeling from what they had witnessed, could only stare in bewilderment.
What, exactly, had they just seen?
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