FlASHBACK CONTINUES.
The evening air around the palace pond was calm. A stone chariot stood near the edge of the water, polished carved out as a decoration and viewing area. Not far from it, five warriors of Daansara had gathered. Rajraj stood closest to the pond. He crouched near the water, skipping stones across the surface one after another. Plak… plak… plak… The stones jumped across the water before sinking.
Behind him, a few steps away, Dhira stood with Jigya and Raavi. Vijay stood beside them, quiet. Jigya folded her arms while looking at Dhira. "So it's true?" Raavi leaned forward slightly. "You actually got the invitation from Gods?" Dhira casually pulled out the golden letter. He held it up between two fingers.
"This."
The gold surface caught the sunlight. Both women leaned closer. Raavi blinked.
"…That's real gold." Jigya frowned. "And that symbol…"
Dhira turned the letter so they could see the seal. The mark of Mount Olympus was carved into the metal. Raavi slowly looked up. "You're serious?" Dhira grinned. "Told you." Jigya took the letter carefully and inspected it. Her eyebrow slowly rose.
"…This actually came from Olympus." Dhira folded his arms proudly. Raavi let out a small laugh. "Okay, now I'm impressed." Jigya handed the letter back but still looked suspicious. "So how exactly are you planning to go there?"
Dhira twirled the letter once between his fingers. "Simple." He held it up again. "I just tear this letter. And they'll show up to grab me." Raavi blinked. "…That sounds way too easy." Jigya tilted her head slightly. "Why would they call you though?" Her tone carried a hint of doubt. Dhira shrugged. " Maybe some beauty there liked me." Both Jigya and Raavi spat on the ground hearing his narsesistic remarks .
" Liking you ? What's in your to like?" said Jigya .
Raavi nodded .
" Only innocent animal could like you."
Dhira froze, his smile stiffening and an anger marked appeared on his head .he looked at his brother who tried to calm the situation down.
" …They….Probably some task or somthing, Maybe they want his help on mortal affairs that they couldn't interfere." This sounded way more convincing.
Behind them—Plak. Another stone skipped across the pond.
Rajraj spoke without turning around. "You should be careful." Everyone looked at him. Rajraj threw another stone. Plak… plak… "The Olympians aren't known for their generosity." Raavi rolled her eyes. "Oh please." She crossed her arms. "Are you jealous?" Rajraj snorted. A quiet, humorless sound. "You don't know anything about them." He tossed another stone. This one sank immediately. He stopped throwing after that. Then slowly stood up.
"Why do you think my people live underground?" The question hung in the air. Everyone went quiet. Rajraj turned around now. Ready to say something, when Raavi said. "To keep your fur clear from dust." That ticked him, but he controlled himself, he forced himself to calm down. But it wasn't his usual calm. The calm look he usually carried was gone. His eyes were serious. "We weren't always like this." He looked out over the pond. "A long time ago, my people lived everywhere. Mountains. Forests. Plains. Our numbers were the same as humans." He paused. "Maybe even more."
Jigya's expression shifted. Rajraj continued quietly. "We built cities. Stone halls carved into mountains. Bridges strong enough to hold armies. Our warriors fought beside humans in old wars." His jaw tightened. "Then something changed." Raavi lowered her arms. Rajraj looked at them one by one. "They started hunting us." He didn't say the name. But no one needed him to. The Olympians. "No one know why, but they did. Our warriors were strong. But they had gods. Lightning. Fire. Storms. Cities fell, entire clans vanished in a single night."
He looked down at the water. "Our numbers kept dropping. Village after village disappeared." Somewhere in the distance a bird called. No one spoke. Rajraj continued.
"Some of our people surrendered. They bent the knee. They agreed to live under their rule. Some lost there mind and become whay they think we are." His voice hardened. "Others refused. They chose to hide. So we went underground." He tapped the ground lightly with his foot.
"Deep under the earth. Where their eyes couldn't reach." His gaze moved back to the group. "We were nearly wiped out. For a long time we thought we would disappear completely." He paused again.
"Then things… changed. Someone stood up for us. The wars ended. But the scars didn't."
Silence settled around the pond. Even Raavi didn't argue this time. Dhira looked down at the golden letter in his hand. His excitement had faded slightly. The golden ticket that he thought seems less golden now. He stared at the seal… and something started to build in his mind. For a moment, no one spoke. Then Dhira suddenly smiled again. A sharp grin.
"Well." He lifted the letter. "Let's see what they have then." Before anyone could react—He tore the golden letter in half. The moment the paper split—A beam of blue light crashed down from the sky. It struck Dhira directly. The light swallowed him instantly. Vijay shouted—But before anyone could move—Dhira vanished. The beam disappeared. The pond returned to silence. Only the torn pieces of golden paper drifted slowly to the ground.
MOUNT OLYMPUS — HOME OF THE OLYMPIANS
Dhira felt the world twist. For a moment there was no ground, no sky, no direction.
Then, His feet touched solid stone. White marble stretched beneath him, polished so smooth it reflected his shape like water.
Dhira steadied himself and looked around. He stood inside a vast hall.
The ceiling was impossibly high, supported by enormous pillars carved from pure white marble. The surface shined like mirrors, reflecting the light that poured in from the open sides of the structure.
He looked out.
Beyond the pillars, clouds drifted slowly. They didn't look distant. They moved right outside the hall, brushing past the edges of the marble floor like waves against a shore.
Dhira stepped forward slightly. His footsteps echoed softly. People were walking through the hall. Men and women dressed in long white robes, their clothes flowing lightly as they moved. The fabric looked thin and elegant, decorated with golden threads and small ornaments. Some carried scrolls. Some spoke quietly among themselves. Some simply walked past.
A few of them glanced at Dhira. Their eyes paused on his unfamiliar clothing. Then they returned to whatever they were doing. No one seemed particularly surprised.
Dhira scratched the side of his neck. "So this is Olympus…" He turned slowly, taking it all in. The place felt unreal.
Statues stood along the walls—massive figures carved from marble that rose all the way to the ceiling. Each one depicted a god or goddess in powerful poses. Warriors. Kings. Figures holding swords, spears, shields. The craftsmanship was so detailed it felt like they might move at any moment. Dhira tilted his head up at one of them. "…Big egos. I want one mine too."
A voice spoke behind him. "Visitor." Dhira turned. A creature approached. Its upper body was that of a man, broad shouldered, with long hair tied behind his head. But below the waist, A horse's body. He recognised it, he is a Centaur. He hasn't seen them much before.
The centaur stopped a few steps away. He gave a respectful nod. "Dhira of Daansara you have arrived at Mount Olympus." Dhira looked him up and down once.
"…Yeah." The centaur spoke calmly. " My name is Sarang, i have been sent to guide you." Dhira shrugged. "Alright."
The centaur turned and began walking. "Please follow me." Dhira fell into step behind him. As they moved through the hall, Dhira kept glancing around. More statues passed by. Some showed warriors battling giants. Others showed gods standing over fallen enemies.
Outside the pillars—The clouds parted briefly. Dhira slowed for a moment. Beyond the cloudline, a city stretched across the mountain. Wide marble roads. Tall white buildings with golden rooftops. Bridges connecting towers. Crowds moving through open plazas. It was alive. Bustling. Nothing like the kingdoms Dhira had seen. The clothing. The architecture. Even the way people carried themselves. Everything felt… elevated. Refined. Above.
Dhira looked down at himself. A loose cotton cloth wrapped across his chest. A small pendant of Shiva resting against his neck. Simplest arm bracers. His Antariya, the traditional warrior garment he always wore. Except for that, No armor. No ornaments. No weapon. He hadn't even thought to bring one. Dhira rubbed the back of his head. "…Probably should've brought something."
Dhira followed the centaur through the long halls of Mount Olympus. The place felt endless. Tall marble pillars stood on both sides, rising so high that their tops disappeared into the ceiling light. The floor beneath them shined like still water, polished so perfectly that Dhira could see his own reflection following him with every step.
Above him, Statues. Every few steps, another one appeared. Each statue was enormous, reaching almost to the ceiling. The figures were carved from white marble, their armor, weapons, and crowns decorated with pieces of gold that glimmered softly in the light. Dhira slowed his walk. He looked up at one statue of a tall warrior holding a spear shield and weird bird on her shoulder.
The centaur spoke beside him. "That is Lady Athena. Goddess of wisdom and knowledge." They walked further. Another statue stood ahead, a calm figure holding a bow.
" Lady Artemis. Goddess of hunt and farming." Dhira nodded slightly and kept looking around. The next statue carried a lyre, carved with delicate details.
" Lord Apollo. God of music and prophecy."
They passed another one, a powerful figure with wings carved in his golden Boot. " Lord Hermes. God of travel and messengers." Dhira tilted his head up at each one as they passed. "Those are… big statues." The centaur simply continued walking.
They moved deeper into the hall. More statues followed. Some stood calm. Some stood proud. Some looked like they were about to walk out of the marble. Dhira's eyes moved from one to another as he walked. Then the centaur slowed. One statue stood slightly apart from the rest.
Dhira noticed it immediately. It didn't shine white like the others. It was black. Deep obsidian stone.
The centaur stopped beside it. "This is lord Ares." Dhira looked up.
"The God of War." This statute was different, just by the state alone Dhira could feel the majesty of the person. He looked closely, this statue was just as large as the others, but it carried a different feeling. The other gods stood still, calm in their poses. This one did not. One arm was raised high into the air, fingers stretched open like it was trying to grab the world itself. The other arm hung lower, the fist clenched tight. There was no gold on it. No decoration. Just smooth black obsidian reflecting the light like dark glass.
It looked less like a statue… and more like a warrior frozen in the middle of movement. Dhira stared at it a little longer than the others. "…That one looks like it wants to fight someone." The centaur gave a small nod. "Lord Ares rarely represents peace." Dhira gave the statue one last look before walking again.
Ahead of them stood two massive marble doors. They were taller than any gate Dhira had seen before. Without anyone touching them—The doors slowly opened. The sound rolled through the hall like distant thunder. Dhira stepped inside. The throne room of Olympus was vast.
He stepped further into the throne chamber. The room was quiet. Servants moved through the hall carrying trays of food and drinks for the people gathered there. Their white robes flowed softly as they walked between the tall pillars. One woman passed near him with a silver tray.
Dhira didn't hesitate. He casually picked up one of the cups. The woman blinked once but said nothing and kept walking.
Dhira sniffed the drink. "…Smells expensive." He took a sip. Sweet. Cold.
The best drink he ever had and probably ever would. He nodded to himself and continued walking slowly across the marble floor. His eyes moved toward the three giant statues standing behind the thrones. They were even more imposing from this close.
The first statue stood in the center. Zeus. It was carved from pure white marble. Whiter than any statue Dhira had seen in the halls outside. The stone almost seemed to glow under the light of Olympus. But something was wrong. Dhira narrowed his eyes. The statue was broken. Its head was gone. The neck ended in a jagged edge of shattered marble. One of its arms was also missing, broken off at the shoulder. Only the lower part of the body and the remaining arm still stood intact. Dhira tilted his head slightly. "…Well that's awkward."
He took another sip of his drink.
Then he looked toward the second statue. Poseidon. This one was carved from blue and white marble, the stone swirling like frozen waves. The figure held a long trident in one hand, pointed toward the sky. Unlike the first statue—This one was perfectly intact. Not a single crack. It stood tall and complete behind the throne placed before it. Dhira nodded slowly. "Someone here takes better care of their statue."
His gaze moved to the third. The statue of Hades. This one was carved from red and dark brown marble, the colors blending like dried blood and old earth. But this statue was broken too. Its head was missing.
One arm had also been shattered away. Dhira frowned slightly. "…What happened here?" Then he noticed something else. There was no throne in front of the statue. The platform beneath it stood empty. The other two statues had thrones placed before them. But this one—Nothing. Just bare marble floor.
And just as Dhira was pondering why is that , the doors behind him violently pushed open.
Someone violent has entered.