Chapter 332: Magic castle reward 21
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The gates of Olympus loomed high above Nikolas, their golden edges shimmering with the light of the divine. The air was thick with power, the very essence of the gods radiating from the marble halls and crystalline towers beyond. Yet Nikolas stood unshaken, his grip on the hilt of his blade firm, his heart pounding with the fury of a man wronged by those who deemed themselves untouchable.
Behind him stood his children, their faces resolute despite the fear that lingered in their eyes. Mortals with divine abilities, cursed yet powerful, they were united in their father's quest for vengeance. Aphrodite stood at his side, her once-glowing aura dimmed by the weight of what was to come. Her beauty was undiminished, but her heart was heavy. This was madness, and yet she could not abandon Nikolas—not now, not ever.
"This is your last chance to turn back," she whispered, her voice trembling.
Nikolas shot her a glance, his expression hard. "They've taken everything from me. I won't stop until I make them pay."
Aphrodite closed her eyes, a single tear slipping down her cheek. She knew there was no stopping him. Her love for him, twisted as it was, burned too brightly for her to abandon him now.
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The siege began with fire.
Nikolas and his children surged through the gates of Olympus, their combined strength and abilities cutting through the lesser guards with ease. The halls of the gods, once untouched by mortal hands, were stained with the blood of their servants. Statues of Zeus and Hera were toppled, their grandeur reduced to rubble.
Nikolas fought with the fury of a man possessed, his blade cutting down all who stood in his way. His children, each wielding powers that rivaled the lesser gods, tore through Olympus like a storm. Lightning crackled, flames roared, and the once-pristine halls were thrown into chaos.
At the pinnacle of Olympus, beneath the thundering skies, Nikolas climbed the steps of Zeus's throne. His steps were slow, deliberate, each one resonating with the fury that consumed him. As he stood before the grand seat of the king of gods, he raised his bloodied blade high.
"I am no longer the mortal you cursed!" His voice reverberated across the heavens, drowning out the cries of battle below. "I reject the name Nikolas, the name you used to chain me to your will!"
The skies seemed to hold their breath.
"From this moment forth, I am Adonis—the god of retribution, forged in pain, and tempered by rage!" He drove his blade into the golden throne, cracking it down the middle. "Your reign ends here, and a new age begins—my age!"
The heavens themselves seemed to tremble at his declaration, the clouds swirling with divine fury. Zeus appeared in a burst of lightning, his thunderous voice shaking the foundations of Olympus. "You dare claim divinity? You are but a speck, an affront to the order we created!"
Adonis—no longer Nikolas—turned to face him, his eyes glowing with an unearthly light. "You call yourselves gods, yet you hoard power, tormenting those beneath you. Today, I show you what a true god is!"
The battle that followed was unlike any Olympus had ever seen. Adonis, fueled by his newfound purpose and his children's loyalty, clashed with Zeus in a storm of lightning and steel. He fought with a strength that defied logic, each strike forcing even the king of gods to retreat.
But the gods were many, and their power vast. One by one, his children fell, their mortal bodies unable to withstand the might of the divine. Despite their gifts, they were no match for the combined wrath of Olympus.
Aphrodite fought alongside them, her divine powers unleashed in full force. For the first time, she turned against her kin, her beauty and love transformed into weapons of destruction. But even she could not protect them all.
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As Adonis fought, something deep within him began to shift. His body burned with a golden light, his movements growing faster, stronger. It was as if his very essence was transforming, fueled by the mortal and divine blood that coursed through his veins.
The gods realized too late what was happening. Adonis, born of both mortal and divine, possessed something unique—a core of power that connected him to both realms. This core, a spark of creation itself, was what gave him his strength.
But it was also his weakness.
Hecate, the goddess of magic, was the first to act. Chanting ancient words, she wove a spell that bound Adonis in chains of light. He roared in defiance, the chains straining against his power, but they held firm.
"Remove his core!" Zeus commanded.
Ares stepped forward, his blade glinting with malice. With a single, precise strike, he drove his sword into Adonis's chest, piercing the core that pulsed with golden light.
Adonis screamed, the sound reverberating across Olympus. The light within him flickered and died, his strength fading as he collapsed to his knees.
Aphrodite ran to his side, her hands trembling as she cradled him. "No," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Not like this."
Zeus descended from the sky, his expression cold. "You have brought chaos to our realm, Adonis. For your crimes, you and Aphrodite will face judgment."
The declaration of his divinity, though short-lived, was etched into the annals of both mortal and divine memory. And though Adonis was cast into Limbo, the name would endure, whispered with reverence, fear, and defiance. A god forged in rebellion. A name that even the heavens could not erase.
The gods convened, their thrones encircling the broken forms of Adonis and Aphrodite. The halls of Olympus were silent, save for the murmurs of the divine council.
"Your actions have defied the natural order," Zeus declared. "For this, you will face a punishment befitting your crime."
Hecate stepped forward, her hands glowing with otherworldly energy. "A place shall be created," she said, her voice echoing with power. "A realm where neither life nor death exists. There, you shall dwell for eternity, stripped of your power and your connection to the mortal world."
Aphrodite's eyes widened. "You can't do this," she pleaded. "You're condemning us to a fate worse than death."
Zeus's gaze was unyielding. "You brought this upon yourselves."
With a wave of his hand, the gods combined their powers, weaving a new realm from the void. Limbo was born—a place of endless twilight, where time stood still and existence was a hollow echo.
Adonis and Aphrodite were cast into this forsaken realm, their screams swallowed by the void as the gates of Olympus closed behind them.
The new realm was bleak, its skies a perpetual shade of gray. The air was thick with an oppressive silence, and the ground beneath their feet was cold and unyielding.
Adonis stumbled as he tried to rise, his strength gone, his core shattered. Aphrodite knelt beside him, her tears falling silently as she cradled his face.
"This is our punishment," she said softly. "To exist here, together, but forever apart from the world we knew." Find exclusive stories on m_v l|e-NovelBin.net
Adonis clenched his fists, his rage simmering beneath the surface. "They think they've won," he said, his voice hoarse. "But they haven't broken me."
Aphrodite looked at him, her heart aching. "Adonis, please. Let it go. This is our fate now."
But he shook his head. "I'll find a way back," he said, his eyes burning with determination. "I'll make them pay for what they've done."
While Adonis and Aphrodite were banished to Limbo, their children and descendants remained on the mortal plane, their lives forever marked by the curse.
The XY virus, as it came to be known, spread through their bloodline, rendering them infertile with mortal women. Yet their dark inheritance drove them to seek out one another, perpetuating the curse through forbidden unions.
These descendants, mortals with divine abilities, carried the legacy of Adonis's rebellion. They were both gifted and cursed, their lives shadowed by the sins of their forebears.