The world around Elias seemed to crack open as the temple's walls buckled, stone and debris falling in every direction. The divine figure's presence pulsed like a wound, causing the very air to vibrate with its impossible power. Elias could barely stand, his body aching from the immense strain of the magic he had just unleashed. The light from the collapsing temple flooded the room, casting harsh shadows and bright flashes of color that danced over the shattered stone.
Rhea screamed, but her voice was barely audible over the roar of the destruction. She grabbed Elias's arm, trying to pull him to his feet, but he was unsteady, his limbs trembling under the weight of exhaustion.
"Elias!" Rhea shouted, her voice filled with fear. "We have to go, now!"
But Elias could hardly hear her. The gods were awakening, and their presence was a suffocating weight pressing down on him. His mind, still clouded by the divine power he had tried to wield, felt as though it were being torn apart. For a moment, it was as if he were being pulled in a thousand different directions—toward death, toward the gods, toward an eternity of servitude.
"I can't stop them," Elias murmured, his voice hollow with defeat. His hands shook as he struggled to regain his bearings. "I tried. I really did."
Rhea was already pulling him forward, not giving him a chance to succumb to despair. "No time for that!" She snapped. "We don't die here. Not today. Come on!"
Elias blinked, her words breaking through the fog in his mind. She was right. They still had a chance. The temple was falling apart around them, but there had to be a way out—there had to be.
"We need to find a way out before the whole place collapses," he said, finding his feet beneath him again. He grabbed Rhea's hand, his fingers curling around hers with desperate urgency. "This place is a tomb. If we stay, we'll never make it out alive."
Rhea's eyes flashed with determination. "Then let's make sure we get out of here."
They ran. The collapsing temple seemed to open up in front of them, revealing new paths as the stone around them crumbled. Elias's heart pounded as he forced his body to move faster, every instinct screaming for them to escape the growing storm of divine power that threatened to consume them.
But as they reached the exit, they were met by something far worse than the collapsing stone. The ground beneath them buckled, and with a blinding flash, a swirling vortex of light erupted from the center of the temple, pulling everything toward it. Elias could feel the pull of the vortex, a magnetic force that seemed to tear at the fabric of reality itself. The gods were pushing through the veil, their power seeping into this world.
"Elias!" Rhea's voice broke through the roar of the vortex as she reached out to him. "We're being pulled in!"
Elias fought the force, his arms outstretched as he struggled to stay grounded. But the vortex was relentless, its pull stronger than anything he had ever felt. He could feel the heat of the divine energy, the power of the gods themselves, ripping at him, consuming him.
For a moment, Elias's mind shattered, and he saw visions—flashes of gods, their faces twisted in fury, their power radiating across vast, impossible spaces. He saw entire worlds burning, the sky breaking apart, and the earth itself tearing asunder. The Heart pulsed, sending waves of magic through him, and Elias realized that it was no longer just a source of power—it was a doorway, a gate between worlds. And the gods were coming through.
"We have to fight it," Elias gritted out, his voice barely above a whisper. "We can't let them take us."
But Rhea was already ahead of him, her sword drawn and glowing with a strange light. She slammed the blade into the ground, the magic of the sword reacting with the energy of the temple in an explosion of light. The vortex faltered for just a moment, and that was enough.
"Now!" she shouted, pulling Elias toward her.
They dashed through the swirling energy, barely avoiding the tendrils of divine power that lashed out at them. As they ran, Elias's mind raced. He could feel the pull of the vortex weakening, but he knew it wouldn't be long before the gods pushed their way through completely.
Finally, they reached the far side of the temple, and before them stood an enormous, cracked doorway. The exit was close. But the vortex was closing in on them, and Elias could hear the deep, rumbling laughter of the divine figure behind them.
"You cannot escape," the figure called, its voice shaking the very ground beneath them. "The gods will return, and you will bow to them or perish."
"Not today," Rhea growled, pulling Elias toward the doorway.
They dashed through the door just as the vortex reached its peak. The explosion of divine power sent a shockwave through the air, and for a moment, everything went black.
---
Elias awoke to the sound of the wind, the cold air biting at his skin. His eyes snapped open, and he realized he was lying on the ground outside the temple, the ruins of the structure stretching out behind him. The world was silent for a moment, and then a strange, unfamiliar feeling washed over him—an oppressive presence that lingered in the air like a storm waiting to break.
"Rhea?" Elias croaked, his voice weak. He pushed himself up, feeling the residual power of the gods in the air, their energy still swirling around them.
Rhea was kneeling beside him, her face pale but determined. She didn't speak right away, her eyes scanning the ruins of the temple. "We made it out," she finally said, her voice low and tense. "But we didn't stop them. The gods are still coming."
Elias stood slowly, his heart sinking as he looked back at the temple, now a pile of rubble. The vortex had vanished, but the feeling of divine power lingered in the air, a heavy weight that threatened to crush him.
"I thought we had time," Elias muttered. "But now… now they know we're here."
Rhea stood beside him, her expression unwavering. "Then we fight. We have no other choice."
Elias nodded grimly, his hands trembling as he touched the pendant of the Heart around his neck. The gods were not just a threat—they were coming for him, for everything. And now, there was no escaping it.
They had awakened the gods, and now they had to face the consequences.