Twilight of the Gods ✔️

Chapter 4: An Impulsive Decision

"I'm not going," she said, crossing her arms. "Not even if all seven Elysians gave me their crowns and all their magic. I won't step foot in Otherworld."

    "Look, I don't want to go back either," Haydn said. "But there's a reason why they invited us."

    "Yeah, to kill us," she retorted, glaring daggers at him. The handsome, injured man who had shown up on her doorstep was already proving to be an annoying companion. To her right, Uriel didn't seem to be too pleased with the man's presence in their home either. In fact, he barely tolerated it, his jaw clenching ever so often with repressed rage.

"Think about it. No mortal or God has survived past the gates of Otherworld without the permission of an Elysian. They'll be inviting us to their homes. We can destroy them from the inside," he said, eyes shining.

She narrowed her eyes, suspicious of his enthusiasm. The three of them were sitting on cushions, gathered around the fireplace. For all of Myrania's warm days, it had nights that rivaled the cold of Ylivia.

Haydn was patched up now, wrapped in bandages that Uriel had skillfully placed over his wounds. All traces of the injured, fragile man who showed up on her doorstep were gone. A strange energy thrummed through his body. It was like seeing a corpse gain virility: intensely disturbing.

"You haven't gone through the Trials or gained your Right of Existence. You show up at the gates of Otherworld and the Elysians will put you through hell." She kept her eyes on him, watching to see if her words would spur any reaction. He didn't deflate like she expected him to. If anything, he seemed more emboldened to take the invitation to Otherworld.

    "I am a God," he said. "I dare the Elysians to destroy me." For a moment, his eyes turned pitch black. The air around him grew thick, crackling with electricity. She scoffed. If he wanted to attempt suicide, who was she to stop him?

    "Then you can go by yourself," she said. She pulled out the invitation and tossed it over to him. He caught the paper, his eyes eagerly skimming over the words. But something made him frown.

    "You need to come with me. The invitation is addressed to you, not me. We both need to be there." He tossed the invitation back to her. She didn't bother to catch the paper, letting it fall to the ground. Daeva knew what the letter said.

"She doesn't need to do anything," Uriel interjected. "You aren't dragging her into your mess." He said this calmly, but she sees his jaw twitch again. The angel wasn't normally this protective of her. He knew she could fend for herself and that if she saw fit, she could end Haydn's life in a second. Or, could she? He was the only other God she had met. Maybe he could kill her.

"She should speak for herself. A lowly angel like you mustn't speak for her." Haydn turned towards her, his gaze softening. "Please, come to Otherworld with me. We are powerful enough to make the Elysians bow to us. Trust me."

She frowned, a high pitched ringing hitting her ears. There it was again, that compulsion he had used on her before. Haydn's figure becomes blurry as he slowly starts to morph into a more attractive version of himself. She looked away, remembering what happened the last time she looked at him directly.

"Trust you?" Uriel spoke up again, this time laughing a little. "You are the Original Traitor, Odi. You're the reason the Elysians are in power."

Original Traitor? She faced Uriel, hoping that he would give her an explanation, but he was still staring Haydn down, daring him to say something back to him.

"I am not Odi. I may have his powers, but I won't make his mistakes. Consider me a reincarnation of him, new and improved." He smiled, the air in front of him sparkling. The gears in Daeva's head spun, trying to dissect his words.