The air smelled of dust and old incense, the kind that clung to stone walls for centuries. The plateau where they had fought the Sky-Bleed Juggernaut now lay scarred, blackened fissures marking the path of divine energy that had collided with the earth. Yet even as the gang tried to gather themselves, the fissures seemed to pulse faintly, as though the world itself remembered the clash.
Ayo's mark glowed softly beneath his shirt, a lingering echo of the energy he had poured into the beast. He could feel whispers stirring, not in words, but in threads of sound and sensation: the gods speaking to him, warning him, guiding him. He hadn't expected such intensity this early in his awakening, yet he also sensed that the world was no longer safe. The gods had noticed him, and with notice came attention—and attention was rarely benign.
Reina wiped the blood from her claws, her crimson eyes scanning the horizon. "We can't stay here. Whatever that thing was, it wasn't alone. Others will come."
Kasai's flames flared, casting golden light over the jagged stones. "Yeah, and I'm guessing this is just the appetizer. Who knows how many more of these… trial beasts exist?"
Kaito muttered something that sounded suspiciously like a prayer. "Great… more unkillable things with twelve eyes."
The Nephilim, who had silently observed the battlefield, finally stepped forward. His silver eyes gleamed faintly in the dim light. "You are correct to be cautious. That beast, the Sky-Bleed Juggernaut, is only one of the ancient guardians left behind to test the heirs of divine blood. There are others—beings born from the remnants of old wars, the scattered power of gods who fell in conflict. Many are bound to temples, shrines, or hidden lands, waiting for the convergence of blood like yours."
Ayo's chest tightened. "Temples? Hidden lands?"
The Nephilim nodded. "Yes. And you will have to enter them. Some contain artifacts older than empires, weapons that can shape reality, and knowledge that is dangerous even to gods. Others are guarded by creatures far more intelligent than the Sky-Bleed Juggernaut. These are beings who remember gods as they were, not as they are. They will not hesitate to kill you."
Reina's gaze hardened. "So… we're basically walking into divine landmines."
Kasai smirked despite himself. "Sounds like a Tuesday."
Ayo felt the weight of the Nephilim's words. His mark pulsed as if acknowledging the danger ahead. He had grown accustomed to the idea of battle, but the thought of facing creatures born from gods themselves—beings who remembered the old wars, the broken pantheons—made even his blood hum with tension.
Their journey led them south, over jagged cliffs and winding valleys scarred by forgotten battles. They moved with caution, knowing that the Temple of Shattered Gods could appear at any moment, hidden behind mountains, forests, or illusions conjured to keep intruders away.
Finally, they arrived. The temple was unlike anything any of them had ever seen. Towering spires of black stone jutted toward the sky, engraved with glyphs and runes that shimmered faintly with divine energy. The entrance was flanked by statues of creatures that combined aspects of multiple pantheons: Egyptian sphinxes with Greek wings, Yoruba orisha forms with Celtic runes, and Hindu avatars with jagged, alien features.
Ayo stepped closer, feeling a magnetic pull from the temple. "The power… it's calling me."
Kasai stepped beside him, flames dancing along his arms. "Just… try not to die before we figure out how to get inside, okay?"
Reina's claws extended slightly, the Oni in her ready to react. "Stay alert. Whatever created this place didn't do it for decoration."
As they entered, the air grew thick with energy. Symbols on the walls shifted and pulsed, reacting to their presence. Kaito muttered, "It's like the temple is alive."
And then, from the shadows of the great hall, the first guardian appeared.
It was a quadruped, larger than a horse, with the body of obsidian and veins of glowing sapphire. Its head was crowned with jagged crystal horns, and from its back sprouted wings of broken mirrors that reflected the room in infinite fragments. Each movement made the reflections twist unnaturally, showing scenes that didn't exist: battles between gods, mortals being judged, worlds burning and rebuilding.
The creature's eyes, two solid pools of molten sapphire, locked onto Ayo immediately. It hissed, a sound that seemed to vibrate through stone and bone alike.
Kasai's flames surged. Reina readied her claws. Kaito prepared his sigils.
The creature leapt, and the hall shook with the force of its landing. Its wings unfurled, scattering reflections that showed alternate versions of reality. Ayo's mark flared. He could sense that this creature was tied to the temple itself, a living extension of the divine artifacts contained within.
The first clash was brutal. The beast moved with intelligence, predicting their attacks and countering them with uncanny speed. Kasai's flames were absorbed by its crystalline wings, Reina's claws barely scratched its obsidian hide, and Kaito's sigils bent around it as though reality itself resisted his magic.
Ayo had no choice. He extended his hand, letting the resonance of multiple pantheons flow through him. His mark pulsed, energy spilling outward, and the air hummed with divine authority.
The beast staggered, and for the first time, it hesitated. Its reflections rippled, showing fear—or recognition. It understood that this child of gods was not a mere mortal.
Together, the gang pressed their advantage. Reina's claws struck, Kasai's flames licked the edges of the creature's wings, and Kaito's sigils carved paths of reality around it. Ayo's resonance encased the beast, restraining it without killing it, allowing them to study it.
The guardian finally fell to its knees, not dead, but subdued. Its reflections shimmered one last time, showing visions of divine battles and ancient conflicts. Ayo realized that each temple they entered would be similar—guarded by creatures infused with knowledge and power of gods, testing their worth, challenging their understanding of the divine blood they carried.
The gang gathered around the subdued guardian. The Nephilim appeared silently, his silver eyes observing. "This temple contains more than power," he said. "It holds history. Knowledge. Weapons that can destroy or save worlds. And it will reveal truths about your lineage, Ayo. Ones you are not yet ready to understand fully. But each trial you survive brings you closer to what you were born to face."
Ayo's mark pulsed faintly, the whispers of gods overlapping in his mind. He knew that the journey ahead would be harsher, that each temple and guardian would test them beyond anything they had imagined. And he understood, finally, that survival was not enough. They had to learn, to grow, to master the powers coursing through their veins—or be erased from the world by forces older and wiser than any mortal could fathom.
Reina, Kasai, and Kaito exchanged glances, understanding without words that the Temple of Shattered Gods was only the beginning. The divine hunt had truly begun, and nothing in their lives would remain simple or safe.
Ayo swallowed. His chest heaved. He looked to the temple, its black spires towering into the sky. Somewhere inside, the next artifact waited. Somewhere inside, the next truth, the next guardian, and the next step of his awakening waited.
And deep inside, he felt it: the thrill of the hunt, the terror of power, and the unrelenting pull of destiny.
The gods had awakened. The world had awakened. And now, Ayo would face what lay