The silence after the storm was heavier than the battle itself. The only sounds were the slow, pained breaths of the wounded Beasts and the crackle of dying lightning in the air. Zeus stood, his body a testament to exhaustion. Every muscle screamed. The divine energy that usually flowed through him like a river was now a shallow, muddy stream.
Lucifer watched him, his own form still flickering at the edges, but a cold, sure calm had returned to his eyes. He began to walk forward, his steps slow and deliberate on the scorched earth. There was no hurry anymore.
He stopped before the swaying God of Thunder.
"You know," Lucifer said, his voice quiet, almost conversational. "I thought I was being clever. I thought you were my Father's true rival. A power outside His control. A genuine threat."
