The gates of the citadel shuddered as the first wave of Operas’ army crashed against them. The metal and stone reinforcements, enchanted by Permeus himself at the completion of the citadel’s construction, held firm—but for how long was anyone’s guess.

  Helus turned to his siblings, his crimson armor gleaming in the fading light.

  “Form a line,” he commanded, his voice steady despite the chaos brewing beyond the walls.

  The Origins moved as one, arranging themselves in a semicircle before the massive entrance. Permeus stood at the center, his eyes ablaze with an inner fire that matched the flames beginning to dance along his fingertips. To his right was Darkeus, shadows writhing around his feet. To his left stood Desia, light pooling in her palms like liquid gold

  Beside her, Golobus had already transformed his arms into solid stone, while Aerus hovered slightly above the ground, winds circling around him. Dalia and Helus took the flanks, completing the defensive formation. After what Operas had already managed to achieve so far, none of them were ready to be the one who made the first move.

  The gates exploded inward, shards of metal and stone flying in all directions. Desia quickly erected a shield of light, deflecting the debris before it could harm them. As the dust settled, the first wave of corrupted titans and creatures of darkness poured through the breach.

  “Is there any chance we should offer them mercy?” Desia asked with a teasing grin.

  “Too late for mercy now,” Permeus growled, and launched himself forward.

  His first fireball caught a corrupted titan square in the chest, sending it flying backward into three more.

  The flames spread rapidly, engulfing the creatures in brilliant white fire. Their screams echoed through the courtyard as they disintegrated into ash.

  Helus moved next, unleashing a torrent of crimson flames that cut through the ranks of the invaders like a scythe through wheat. The unique heat of his fire—hotter than any natural flame—left nothing but charred earth in its wake.

  Darkeus didn’t wait for them to come to him. He teleported directly into the midst of a group of shadow creatures, his twin blades of darkness slicing through their nebulous forms with surgical precision. Where his weapons touched, the creatures simply ceased to exist, their essence absorbed into his blades.

  “Incoming!” Aerus shouted, spotting a mass of winged horrors descending from above.

  With a gesture, he summoned a cyclone that caught the creatures mid-dive, spinning them helplessly before hurling them back into the sky. Those that broke free were met with jagged spikes of earth that erupted from the ground at Golobus’ command, impaling them mid-flight.

  Desia worked in tandem with Dalia, the sisters moving with practiced grace despite their obvious estrangement. Where Desia’s light stunned and blinded the encroaching darkness, Dalia’s shadows finished them off, her own creatures of night tearing into their corrupted counterparts with savage efficiency.

  For every enemy that fell, three more seemed to take its place. The corrupted titans were difficult to dispatch—their immortal flames now tainted with Operas’ darkness, their once-familiar faces twisted into masks of hatred and hunger.

  “We can’t hold them forever!” Golobus called out, crushing the skull of a titan with his stone fist before kicking another away. “We have to crush them at the head.”

  “Golo is right,” Permeus screamed while hacking through a feral titan.

  “Where’s Operas?” He growled, tearing a limb off.

  As if summoned by the question, a figure materialized in the center of the courtyard. Operas stood alone, his pale skin luminescent against the chaos surrounding him. At his side, Germaine remained motionless, his eyes empty of all but a faint red glow. With a slight wave of his hand, both the beasts and feral titans stopped, giving their leader time to speak.

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  “Impressive children,” Operas’ voice carried effortlessly over the din of battle.

  “Most worlds I’ve consumed barely had the strength to resist. But this...” he gestured around at the fighting. “This is almost entertaining.”

  “We’re glad you’re amused,” Helus replied, stepping forward to face him. “But your entertainment ends here.”

  Operas tilted his head, a mockery of curiosity on his features.

  “Does it now? And who will end it? You?” His gaze moved to each of the Origins. “Your little family? You barely understand what you’re facing.”

  “Then educate us,” Permeus snarled, moving to stand beside Helus.

  “Before we destroy you.”

  Operas laughed, the sound like breaking glass.

  “Very well. A final lesson before the end.” He spread his arms wide.

  “As I told your brother, I am the void that preceded your creation. The darkness against which your light is defined and your mother before you.”

  “If you’re so all-powerful,” Darkeus called out, “why did you need an army? Why not simply destroy us yourself?”

  “Efficiency,” Operas shrugged.

  “Why exert myself when I can use your own creations against you? Besides,” his smile widened, “watching you slaughter your beloved titans... that’s a pleasure I wouldn’t want to deny myself.”

  “And watching your most beloved titan slaughter your family,” Operas said as if enjoying a good meal. “Who would pass up the chance for that kind of drama?”

  As he spoke, Germaine suddenly twitched, a flash of recognition passing over his face. For a moment, it seemed as if he was fighting against Operas’ control, his hand reaching toward Permeus before dropping limply back to his side.

  “Ah,” Operas noticed the movement. “Your loyal servant still fights. Remarkable willpower for a lesser being.”

  “He’s not a lesser being,” Permeus said, his voice tight with emotion.

  “None of them are. They’re our children, our creations.” Desia added.

  “Children?” Operas scoffed.

  “They’re tools. Their previous leader treated them as nothing more, and now they are mine to do with whatever I please.” His expression darkened.

  “Never in my long life have I ever seen anything so evil,” Dalia began.

  “You say it yourself; you are our father,” she continued. “Why, then, would you wish our destruction? "

  “Spare me your hypocrisy,” Operas replied sharply. “If I were the only terrible father here, then Germaine wouldn’t have been able to combust my grandchildren.”

  Permeus had heard enough. He summoned a blade of flame and ran straight for Operas. Operas sidestepped him and jabbed him straight in the back, knocking him onto the floor. With that, all the titans and monsters previously standing mindlessly frozen sprang back into animation, starting chaos.

  Darkeus ran to back Permeus up, but Germaine interfered, stabbing him with his own immortal flame through the thigh.

  Darkeus, ignoring the pain, backhanded Germaine and then summoned his own blade of darkness, slicing at his hand, causing him to reel back in pain. He then kicked him in the torso, causing him to fall to the ground. Darkeus was about to stomp him on the head, but Germaine rolled out of the way.

  Germaine then rose and kicked at his knees, causing him to fall to them. Before he could even think of stabbing him in the chest, Desia had summoned a string of light and was using it to choke Germaine out, causing the titan to struggle for air. The red glow of his eyes was fading, and his life seemed to do the same, but Operas grabbed her at the back and threw her far into a rock.

  Darkeus had the chance to regain his footing, kicking the titan in the face. When he looked up, he saw both Darkeus and Permeus towering over him.

  He rolled out of the way, stabbing Darkeus in the heel before going further away. Darkeus fell to his knees again, holding his heel. Permeus ran straight for him, but Germaine side-stepped him, able to wound him in the torso.

  Aerus, who was previously occupied versing the other feral titans, took notice of their situation and ran straight for Germaine, summoning spears of air and throwing them towards the titan.

  Germaine could dodge the first but not the second, leaving an open gash in his shoulder. Aerus then lunged at him, crashing him to the floor. He summoned a dagger out of the air.

  He tried stabbing for its throat, but the titan kept writhing so much it was impossible for him to make a strike. When he had finally got a line of sight to dig the dagger into his throat, Germaine had raised his hands in defense.

  Aerus then summoned a second and tried to plunge it into the side of his through but Germaine had smacked his hand, causing him to lose grip and cause it to dissolve. It had not helped him kill the titan but had at least helped him distract him for the final blow, but before he could take it. Operas held him in the air.

  He elbowed the Origin of the chasm and broke his heel. He turned around to stab him square in the chest, but someone had already stabbed him.

  Aerus peered down to look at the blade of fire piercing through. He then fell to his knees as Germaine yanked out the sword.

  All the other Origins could not believe it, but they didn’t have to. An Origin had died, and it had been the Origin of the wind who had been the first to fall.