Alpha Theo Westwood, favoured by Hades, the Keeper of Secrets,
Alpha Ares Westwood, favoured of Poseidon, the Warden of Strength,
Alpha Carter Westwood, Holder of the Scriptures, and
Alpha Renji Westwood, Bringer of the Order.
Let all bear witness, the duel shall end only when the god’s mark is fractured, or when one falls beyond the reach of return.”
The second one now lifts his head.
“Yet… we see what is in play. You are branded by the Lord of the Dead, a pact inked in the Underworld’s flame. Should the deathless fall, his fate shall rest upon the judgement of the Order, even if he defies death itself. For even the gods are curious to see if death itself dares defy a god.”
The air shivers as the last words fade, as they all disappear, but I can feel their presence lingering – watching.
So, they know about the deal with Hades.
We might not be able to die here, but that doesn’t mean we’ll survive this. The gods always find a way to collect.
Helios steps forward, his aura bending around him like armour, a cruel smile cutting across his face. His power rolls over us in waves, searing the ground beneath our feet.
I draw in a breath, readying myself.
If this is how gods play, then we’ll show them how alphas fight.
“Let it begin,” Helios commands.
The arena erupts into cheers.
Blinding light surges forward, a wave of fire tearing through the arena. I raise my arm, aura flaring, and then my dazzling blue energy meets gold in a violent clash that shakes the very realm. Behind me, thunder roars, the echo of my brothers’ combined fury.
Through the chaos, I catch a glimpse of her, Sienna, standing, eyes wide, lips parted. Her hand hovers at her chest, and for a heartbeat, I swear I feel it – that same pull, that tether between us, thrumming across the light.
Helios smirks, stepping through the blaze untouched.“You think your mortal rage can challenge a god?”
I lift my head, meeting his golden eyes, my voice low but cutting through the storm.
“No,” I say. “I think it can destroy one.”
ThePower of a God
Jayce
Our eyes burn into one another’s. I’m no longer struggling to meet Helios’ full-on. The divine mark is our goal. I can see it, glimmering on his left breast. Destroy it, and we win.
The Divine Mark sits on his left breast. That’s the goal,I tell the others.
I am Jayce Westwood, I am the Deimos King, I am my parents’ son, and I am an alpha.
The very air around me feels alive. The burning floor beneath me hums, trembling under the weight of Helios’ divine power. Above, in the stands to the left of Sienna, the Divine Order watches. I can’t see their faces, but I can feel their gaze upon us: silent, cold and all-seeing.
The crowd is silent. The weight of what feels like eternity presses down on us all as our auras clash against each other’s in a battle of wills.
Theo cracks his neck beside me. “Someone’s a right bloody ray of sunshine, init? I should have got Blondie to whip me up some shades,” he remarks, sounding bored.
Ares scoffs, flexing his knuckles beside me. Carter and Renji stand silent, their auras swirling around them, their claws out, ready to shift at any moment.
I take a breath, my eyes blazing. In the last few months, I have trained like a madman, with Dante, with Dad, and with Grandma. I have pushed myself beyond my limits. Zeus has given me strength and these artefacts, but he didn’t give me a weapon amongst them because he had other plans for it.
