*Chapter 1: A Dinner of Shadows*
The luxurious suite of the *Nebula Spire* hovered above New Athens, its glass walls offering a panoramic view of the city's twinkling lights. The dinner table, set for two, gleamed with polished silverware and crystal glasses that refracted the soft, amber glow of floating candles. The air was thick with the scent of orchids and an undercurrent of tension.
Diana, Princess of Themyscira, sat poised in a sleek black gavel, her auburn hair cascading down one shoulder. She sipped a glass of chilled white wine, her gaze curious as she watched Nezha, who stared out the window, his expression unreadable.
"N. Z.," she said, her voice gentle but firm, "you've been avoiding the topic. What's really going on? Eternity Industries doesn't just dabble in cutting-edge tech. You're… different."
Nezha turned, his eyes—an unsettling blend of violet and electric blue—met hers for a fleeting moment before he looked away. He took a slow breath and gestured to the empty chair across from him.
"Please, Diana. Join me. This might be easier with food in front of us."
Diana set her glass down and sat, her movements fluid like a river. The suite's AI, *EVE*, smoothly served the first course: seared scallops with a citrus-herb reduction. Nezha picked up his fork but didn't eat.
"The truth," he began, his voice low and reluctant, "is that I'm not just a trillionaire, Diana. I'm… a god. Or at least, I was. Nezha, the forgotten brother of Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon."
Diana's expression didn't change, though a hint of intrigue sparked in her eyes. She leaned forward slightly, her fingers lipped together.
"Go on."
Nezha's gaze drifted to the city below. "I ruled the *Seven Realms*—spheres of balance governing sky, sea, underworld, fire, earth, light, and shadow. I fell in love with a goddess, Nefetheri. She was… everything. But Zeus claimed she fell into corruption, and I… lost her." His voice cracked, and he paused, the pain still raw.
Diana's mask of calm slipped for a moment; her hand reached out, stopping just short of touching his. "I'm sorry, Nezha."
He withdrew into himself, his eyes hardening. "I waged a war against Olympus. The *Creator* intervened, sealed me in a *Prison Void* for 30,000 years. I emerged now, with one goal: end humanity. To erase the corruption it spread, to make the gods remember what we lost."
The room fell silent. Diana's gaze never wleft, though her mind raced. _He doesn't know I know._
"You see," Nezha continued, his words spilling faster now, "I don't want to hurt you, Diana. Or anyone. But I've seen how it ends. The gods will fall, humanity will destroy itself, and I… I'll be the one to stop it."
Diana leaned back, her fingers drifting to the lasso at her hip—a subtle reminder of her own power. "You believe ending humanity is the solution, Nezha? That pain doesn't fix pain."
Nezha laughed, a cold, mirthless sound. "You don't understand. I've lived millennia. I've seen the cycles. *This world needs to burn* so something new can rise."
EVE interrupted, projecting a holographic display of the *Stone of Aeons*, the ancient prophecy scrolling in ethereal script:
_"When the forgotten brother returns, the key to his undoing shall be forged from love, blood, and a soul unchained."_
Diana's eyes flicked to the projection, then back to Nezha. "You think I'm the key, don't you?"
Nezha froze, his gaze snapping to hers. _How does she know?_
A small smile played on Diana's lips. "I've had… hints, Nezha. My mother, Hippolyta, spoke of an old god, one who'd return with shadows. I didn't expect it to be you."
Nezha's composure shattered. He pushed his chair back, the movement sharp, as if the weight of his secrets suddenly crushed him. "You knew. And you still sat here. Why?"
Diana rose, her eyes soft but unyielding. "Because I wanted to understand. And maybe… find a way to stop you, before it's too late."
The candles flickered, casting shifting shadows on the walls. For a heartbeat, they just looked at each other—the god of forgotten realms and the warrior of truth, standing on the knife-edge of destiny.
"I don't want to fight you, Diana," Nezha whispered, the words a plea and a warning.
"Then don't," she replied, her voice steady. "Let's find another path."
The suite's lights dimmed further, as if the universe itself leaned in, curious. The dinner remained uneaten, the shadows growing longer, and the clock ticking toward a war neither wanted.
_To be continued…_