Divine Awakening

Chapter 26 - A Meeting in the Shadows

Zeus stood at the edge of Olympus, where the light of the heavens met the inky darkness of Nyx's realm

The transition was abrupt because the golden, sunlit skies of his domain giving way to the cool, star-flecked night that clung to the air like a velvet shroud

Though he was the King of the Gods, even he held a measure of respect for the ancient, primordial forces

Nyx was not like the other gods because she was older, more mysterious and her power was as endless as the night itself

He had come to tell her what had befallen their daughter, Piper

The wind howled softly as Zeus waited, his mind replaying the events of Piper's injury at the hands of Hades's creation

Though he had confronted his brother and given a stern warning, something about this moment about meeting Nyx felt different

She was not a goddess to take lightly, and her reaction would likely mirror the storm brewing in his chest

The shadows shifted, and from the night itself, Nyx emerged

Her presence was as fluid as darkness itself, her form almost intangible as she stepped into view

Her black hair flowed like the endless sky above, and her eyes, the color of midnight, shimmered with a thousand hidden stars

Zeus watched as she moved toward him, her face unreadable, a calm and quiet storm in contrast to his thunderous nature

"Zeus," Nyx greeted him, her voice like a whisper on the wind, both soothing and dangerous "I felt your approach from afar so what brings you to the boundary of my realm?"

Zeus took a deep breath, steeling himself

There was no easy way to begin

"It's about Piper," he said, his voice measured but carrying the weight of his concern "Something happened"

Nyx's expression remained still, but her eyes darkened and the stars within them flickering like faraway fires

She stepped closer, her presence cool and commanding as she asked "What happened to our daughter?"

Zeus exhaled, feeling the tension between them thicken

Nyx had always been fiercely protective of Piper, even if she hadn't always been present in her life

The moment he had dreaded was here

"Hades," he began, his voice edged with frustration "He sent a monster after her and this one was crafted from the shadows of the Underworld, infused with his dark magic and Piper fought valiantly but she was injured"

The night around Nyx seemed to deepen as she absorbed the words, her face remaining calm, though her eyes betrayed her rising fury

She didn't speak immediately, letting the silence hang between them, her presence growing heavier with each passing moment

"How badly?" she finally asked, her voice icy and low, like the calm before a storm

Zeus hesitated before answering, knowing how much she valued honesty before saying "Badly enough and if Hephaestus hadn't intervened, she might not have survived"

The night around them seemed to pulse with Nyx's anger, though she remained eerily composed

Her fingers curled slightly, shadows gathering around her as though responding to her emotions

She looked away for a moment, staring into the vast night that stretched beyond Olympus and her mind clearly calculating her next move

"And Hades?" she asked after a long pause and her voice quieter but sharper, like the edge of a blade "What did you do?"