Leo woke up in the darkness. This wasn't like his soul space.

  The system rang again, but this time it spoke with a booming voice.

  [You have delayed long enough, little prince]

  [It is time you knew what you are]

  [What you have ALWAYS been]

  Leo whirled back.

  "What are you?" Leo asked, but the system ignored him.

  "Where am I?" Leo asked, gulping.

  System: [Your father's domain. Death's threshold.]

  Suddenly, the darkness shifted. An obsidian throne room.

  Two thrones: one empty, one occupied.

  The occupied throne held a FIGURE.

  Tall. Robed in absolute black. Face hidden except for eyes—twin voids that END things just by looking.

  "Hello there, son," the man, Thanatos, said.

  Leo stumbled back.

  "Who—what are you?" Leo asked.

  "Well, son, I am your father. Well, biologically speaking."

  Thanatos stood from the throne, impossibly tall.

  "I am Thanatos. Death incarnate. Sovereign of the Underworld alongside Hades."

  "Wait—wait—what? That's not possible. That shouldn't be possible. My father is Cecil. King of—"

  "Cecil is your GUARDIAN. Not your father," Thanatos said with a harsh laugh. "I gave you to him seventeen years ago."

  "A gift. A living weapon wrapped in mortal flesh."

  Thanatos walked closer, each step making Leo's heart skip.

  "You are my son with Nyx. Primordial Night."

  "Our union was forbidden by divine law."

  "Our children are born too powerful—threats to cosmic order."

  "So when you were born, I had two choices."

  "Kill you."

  "Or hide you."

  "So you hid me?" Leo said.

  "No. I chose to seal you," Thanatos said.

  He placed his hand on Leo's chest.

  Leo could feel a small glow. One that had been blocked for several years.

  "I sealed 85% of your divinity to make you pass as a human. I gave you to Cecil with instructions. He was never to tell you of your past."

  "I thought the seal would hold forever. But something changed."

  "You DIED. In your previous life. As Timi. When your human soul left that body, it should have faded. Instead, it found MY son's sleeping divine body. The body I'd hidden in the mortal realm. The reincarnation broke the seal."

  "I'm not... I'm not human at all?" Leonidas asked.

  "But the body you wear? Divine. Always has been."

  "You're a fusion now. Human mind, divine flesh."

  "Neither one nor the other. Something NEW."

  "Why are you telling me this NOW?"

  "Because your siblings have noticed you."

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  Thanatos suddenly raised his hands. Black and red flames, the same as Leo's, swirled from them.

  A screen made out of fire manifested, showing the Princes.

  Leo saw the Second Prince: tall, regal, eyes burning. (Son of Hades & Persephone)

  The Third Prince was shadowy, indistinct. (Son of Hades & Hecate)

  The Fourth Prince was a WOMAN, beautiful and terrible. (Daughter of Thantos & Styx)

  The First Prince lay dead on the empty throne, blood staining it. (DEAD)

  Thanatos waved his hand, the flames disappearing.

  "They have been fighting each other for centuries, fighting for the throne."

  "Hades and I rule together, but we're ancient. Weakening. One of our children will inherit. You were hidden because you threatened them ALL."

  "How could I threaten them?"

  "Let me show you," Thanatos said.

  Thanatos waved his hand again. Black and red flames danced around the darkness, illuminating it.

  It wrote:

  "When Death and Night bear a son,

  He shall end the Underworld,

  Or rule it eternal.

  Five shall become One.

  The throne shall break or bind."

  "I am that son," Leo said, gasping.

  "The prophecy says you either destroy the Underworld or rule it. And your brothers see you as a threat."

  Leo asked, "What do YOU want?"

  Thanatos stayed silent for a long moment.

  "I want you to SURVIVE. Not because I love you. Gods don't love like mortals. But because you're MINE. My blood. My legacy. And I will not let Hades's whelps end my line."

  Thanatos raised his hand. A scythe formed, then he broke a quarter of it, and it swirled into black energy.

  It was metal. It was death. Not metaphorically. Not rhetorically. Not hyperbole. It was literal death.

  Death, only the children of Thanatos could wield.

  "This is my gift to you. To help you in the war. It is a fragment of my authority. Use it well."

  He pressed it into Leo's chest. His chest rose and fell as Leo screamed. It felt as if every soul he had ever been was being written into something stronger.

  The system exploded.

  [DIVINE GIFT RECEIVED: FRAGMENT OF THANATOS]

  [Divine Heritage: 34% → 50%]

  [New Ability Unlocked: DEATH'S TOUCH]

  [New Ability Unlocked: SHADOW SOVEREIGNTY]

  [WARNING: Divine presence now UNCONTAINABLE]

  [All Underworld entities can sense you]

  [The Second Prince KNOWS where you are]

  "Six days until your brother arrives. He will not be testing you. He will be trying to KILL you. Master what I've given you. Or die permanently. Divine souls don't reincarnate twice."

  Leonidas was slammed back into his body.

  Bharati was screaming his name, shaking him awake.

  His shadow had grown massive, covering half the garden.

  Leonidas was still in the garden, yet changed.

  Bharati yelled, "Leonidas! Can you hear me?!"

  Leonidas opened his eyes.

  His left eye was fully black with red cracks.

  His right eye was still normal, but dimming.

  His PRESENCE had changed. Bharati instinctively backed away.

  "I-I'm fine," Leonidas said, his voice deeper.

  Bharati's eyes scanned his body. "No, no, you're not. Your signature just went from 'divine-touched' to 'GOD.' What HAPPENED?"

  Leo sat up and looked at his hands.

  His left hand: black marks had formed a complete pattern. It was Thanatos's scythe.

  His right hand: golden marks from Karna, now wrapped in black.

  "I met my father."

  "Cecil?" Bharati asked, tilting her head.

  "No. My REAL father."

  "Thanatos. God of Death."

  Bharati went silent.

  Leo explained everything.

  He's the son of Thanatos and Nyx.

  Hidden as an infant. Raised by mortals.

  Reincarnation broke the seal on his divinity.

  His four siblings are hunting him.

  A prophecy says he'll destroy or rule the Underworld.

  The Second Prince arrives in six days.

  Bharati processed everything.

  "OK, OK, let me get this straight. So. You're a god," Bharati said, pressing her head.

  "Technically half-god. My soul was human."

  "And you have four divine siblings who want you dead?" Bharati asked.

  "Yes," Leo replied.

  Bharati paused before speaking. "Well. That explains why you're terrible at Rift energy control. You weren't using Rift energy. You were using DIVINE power. No wonder nothing worked right."

  "That's your reaction?" Leo said, almost smiling despite everything.

  "I'm the princess of Brahman. I deal with supernatural politics daily," Bharati said. "At least now I know why you're worth an international marriage alliance. Father wanted a divine bloodline in the family."

  "Show me your new abilities," Bharati said.

  Leo stood up, focusing on his left hand.

  Black energy flowed. Not wild, but controlled.

  His shadow rose behind him like wings.

  Ability: Shadow Sovereignty

  "You're controlling your shadow like it's alive," Bharati said in awe.

  "It IS alive. It's part of me. Always has been," Leo said.

  He focused on his right hand.

  Golden light plus black energy. Eclipse power

  A sphere of black light formed.

  Ability: Eclipse Manipulation

  "That energy... it feels like it erases and creates at the same time," Bharati said.

  He closed his hand. The sphere vanished instantly

  "I have six days to master this. Or the Second Prince kills me."

  Suddenly, the garden's temperature dropped.

  A rift tore open. Purple.

  A figure stepped through. It was not Mordain.

  Short. Female. Eyes like frozen rivers. A dress of liquid shadow.

  It was the Fourth Prince.

  Her voice rang melodic but terrifying.

  "Hello, little brother."

  "I am Acheron. Daughter of Hades and Styx," Acheron said, smiling wickedly.

  Leo and Bharati tensed.

  "Oh, relax. I'm not here to kill you."

  She smiled. It was not comforting.

  "But I'm here to warn you."

  "The Second Prince—Moros—he's not coming in six days."

  "What?" Leo asked.

  "He's coming TONIGHT," Acheron said.

  "He felt Father's gift to you. He's accelerating his timeline. You have six HOURS, little brother. Not six days."

  She stepped back into the rift.

  "Survive tonight, and we'll talk about the real war."

  "The one between Thanatos and Hades."

  "The one we're all pieces in."

  The rift closed like a gate.

  Silence.

  Bharati spoke after a moment. "Six hours?"

  "Six hours," Leo said, looking at his hands.

  A system notification rang out.

  [EMERGENCY QUEST: SURVIVE THE SECOND PRINCE]

  [Time Remaining: 5 HOURS, 47 MINUTES]

  [Recommended Power Level: Divine Heritage 75%+]

  [Current Power Level: 50%]

  [Survival Probability: 23%]

  [PREPARE YOURSELF]