The ways of discord

Pride often leads to doing stupid things.
Nico realizes this when it is already too late, when his beloved Athens is in flames and he finds himself one step away from death because he refused to run away. He is a priest who decided to dedicate his life to the cult of Ares; fleeing was never an option.
Pride, however, is also what keeps you alive when everything else is stripped away from you.
When, in fact, at the hands of the Persians he finds not death, but a rope around his wrists and the title of their prisoner, his attachment to his own dignity proves to be his only lifeline, while he ponders over the god by whom he feels abandoned, but to whom he cannot stop being faithful.

Pity is not part of divine nature.
Ares has no interest in safeguarding the life of any mortal just because Athena asks him to. It is not worth risking Zeus's wrath for someone who might not be worthy of it.
A merciful gesture, however, can be triggered by a moment of curiosity.
Because when Hermes pushes him to take at least a look, he does not find the weakness he expected, but two eyes full of rage and hatred, which he cannot help but find interesting.

Their paths collide and are destined to remain united, but a timeless and nameless grudge, harbored morbidly and cunningly, threatens their lives and the lives of those they care about.

This is the story of a man who touches the divine, of a god who will never be human again, and of a love whose boundaries blur with those of war.

These are the ways of discord.

N.B.: CONTENT WARNING
The story contains explicit descriptions of violence, blood (graphic violence), and explicit sexual content. The narrative touches upon dark and obsessive relationship dynamics.
Reading recommended for a mature and conscious audience (18+).