Blood dripped from my lips as I struggled to breathe, my ribs aching with every shallow gasp. My knees were pressed into the dirt, my arms bound behind me by thick, rusted chains. The stink of sweat and blood hung heavy in the air, mingling with the metallic tang of ichor—the divine essence the ruling families wielded like a badge of superiority.

"You're pathetic, Kael."

Eryk Vore stood before me, his golden hair catching the sunlight like a halo. His grin was wolfish, his piercing blue eyes full of contempt. He was the scion of the House of Zeus, a wielder of lightning, and heir to a throne forged in storms—a ruler of the modern age.

Me? I was just the boy they used to sharpen their claws. A slave. A dog.

"Do you even feel the power in that mark of yours?" Eryk asked, grabbing my chin and forcing me to look up at him. His hand crackled faintly with static.

The mark on my chest burned faintly as if it were mocking me.

The mark of Hestia.

A mark that had brought me nothing but pain.

"Enough talking," said Cai Drakos, leaning casually against the fence of the training ring. His muscled arms were folded, his grin sharp and expectant. The heir to the House of Ares, a family of warriors who wielded immense strength. "Let the whelp stand. Maybe he'll surprise us today."

I stumbled to my feet, my legs shaking, but I said nothing. Words only made things worse. I'd learned that long ago. I was born to the fallen House of Hestia—once one of the Twelve, now disgraced as the Thirteenth. A house that stepped aside to avoid conflict, only to be exiled for its weakness.

My blood was tainted. My mark? A curse.

"Surprise us?" Eryk laughed, a cruel sound that echoed through the ring. "Please. He can barely hold his ground, let alone fight. Let me show you what real power looks like."

He raised his hand, and bright and hot lightning crackled to life in his palm. He didn't even need effort—this was child's play for him. My chains rattled as I instinctively stepped back, the sting of lightning already burned into my memory.

"Run," Eryk said, his voice dripping with mockery. "It's the only thing you're good at."

I didn't run.

I charged.

The air erupted with laughter as I lunged at him, fists swinging wildly. I knew it was pointless. Eryk sidestepped easily, his hand slamming into the side of my face. My vision blurred, and I hit the ground hard, coughing up blood.

"You're not even worth the effort," he said, standing over me.

Something in me snapped.

The laughter from the others rang in my ears, blending with the roar of blood in my head. I thought of my mother, Callia, beaten to death. Of Elias, who had taught me the history of our house only to die defending me from our captors. I thought of every lash, every jeer, every moment I'd spent chained like a dog.

I hated them. I hated their families. I hated the mark.

With a roar, I surged forward again, catching Eryk off guard. My fist connected with his jaw, and he stumbled, his eyes wide with shock.

"You little—"

I didn't let him finish. I slammed into him, fists pounding against his chest, his face, his throat. Something inside me awakened—a wild fire surged through my veins. His strikes no longer stung as they should have. The laughter stopped, replaced by stunned silence.

"Enough!" Cai roared, but I didn't stop. I didn't care.

Eryk's perfect golden face was bloodied, his features ruined. I didn't stop until I felt the searing heat of lightning pierce through my chest.

The pain was blinding, an all-consuming agony that stole the air from my lungs. Lord Vore, Eryk's father, stood at the edge of the ring, his hand raised, lightning still sparking from his fingertips. He looked at me like I was a speck of dirt.

"You should know your place," he said.

I fell to my knees, my body trembling. I could feel my life slipping away, but the anger inside me wouldn't stop. My vision swam, and I raised my head to look at them.

"Is this what you wanted?" I spat, my voice raw and broken. "To make me suffer? To make me hate you?"

No one answered.

"You play at being gods," I snarled, my voice growing louder despite the pain. "You wield their power like children with fire while the rest of us burn. If I ever get the chance..." My voice cracked, but I forced the words out. "I'll take it all from you. Everything."

The mark on my chest flared as I collapsed, the world fading to black.

And then, there was silence.