The tunnel was damp and reeked of mildew, but that was the least of my worries.
A Minotaur—a creature I had only read about in mythology books—was charging straight at me. Its massive frame, towering at least eight feet tall, barely fit in the underground passage. Muscles rippled beneath its leathery hide, and its blood-red eyes locked onto me with the kind of hunger that promised only one thing: death.
I barely managed to roll out of the way as its massive fist slammed into the wall, shattering stone and sending debris flying. Dust clouded the air, making it hard to see, but I didn't need sight to know I was in trouble.
Somewhere behind me, three figures stood in the shadows, watching with interest rather than concern.
"Well, this is interesting," Zeus mused, his piercing blue eyes fixed on the Minotaur. He cracked his knuckles, his voice laced with amusement. "Kid's got himself a Minotaur problem. Perfect for a little lightning demonstration."
"Maybe if he were fighting clouds," Poseidon quipped, arms crossed. "Brute strength won't help here. Water is subtler, precise. Just let me handle it."
"Oh, for the love of Tartarus," Hades groaned, rolling his eyes. "Amateurs. This is clearly in my domain. Death, darkness—you know, underworld? I could wrap this up before you can blink."
I scrambled to my feet, glaring at them. "Uh, hello? Maybe instead of arguing, you could actually help me?"
The Minotaur's massive hooves clomped forward, and I barely ducked as it swung its horned head at me.
But the gods continued their bickering.
"Oh, please," Zeus scoffed. "Lightning is pure, raw power. One bolt and this thing is toast."
Hades smirked. "If it's dead before you strike, what's the point?"
Poseidon rolled his eyes. "Both of you are ridiculous."
The Minotaur lunged, its massive hand closing around me before I could react. I gasped, feeling my ribs groan under the pressure.
"Any time now!" I yelled, struggling against the iron grip.
Zeus sighed dramatically. "Fine. Stand still, kid."
Like I had a choice.
Then, everything changed.
A bolt of electricity surged through me, searing white-hot power into my veins. My vision flashed, and suddenly, I wasn't just Alec anymore. I felt taller, stronger—every cell in my body buzzing with raw energy. I was a conduit, a weapon, and Zeus held the strings.
The Minotaur raised me higher, ready to finish me off. But before it could react, I lifted my arm, and a violent streak of lightning erupted from my fingertips.
The blast struck the Minotaur square in the chest. It howled, stumbling back, smoke rising from its burned flesh. I felt Zeus pull away, his essence leaving me hollow and weak.
Zeus appeared beside me, smirking. "See? That's power."
I collapsed to my knees, panting. "That—was—insane."
Poseidon snorted. "Power? You call that power?"
The Minotaur shook itself, its rage intensifying. Its red eyes blazed hotter, and it charged again.
Zeus held up his hands. "Sorry, kid, I need time to recharge. Since you're not my vessel, using you takes a toll on me."
"Great," I muttered.
Coldness washed over me next—deep, infinite, like sinking beneath the waves of a relentless ocean.
Poseidon had taken control.
Water surged from a broken hydrant behind me, twisting in midair like a living thing. The Minotaur lunged again, but Poseidon made me move faster, smoother. I sidestepped effortlessly, lifting a hand as the water obeyed my unspoken command.
A flood slammed into the Minotaur, coiling around its limbs, dragging it down. The creature thrashed, trying to break free, but the water only tightened.
"Not bad, right?" Poseidon's voice echoed in my mind, full of pride.
Then, as suddenly as it had come, his power slipped away, leaving me shivering.
I could barely stand.
Poseidon grinned. "Stay too long, and my godly essence would fry you. You're only human, after all."
"I think I preferred lightning," I muttered.
The Minotaur wasn't done. It tore through the watery binds, bellowing with renewed fury.
Hades sighed. "You're both useless."
Darkness wrapped around me like a cloak. This was different—colder than Poseidon, heavier than Zeus. The air around me seemed to still, the temperature dropping to near freezing. Shadows oozed from my hands, and from the ground, skeletal arms clawed their way up, gripping the Minotaur's legs.
Then came the hellhounds.
Massive, spectral beasts with glowing red eyes and bone-white fangs leapt from the darkness, their snarls echoing in the tunnel.
The Minotaur swung wildly, but there were too many. They bit, clawed, and dragged it to its knees.
Hades grinned. "Impressive, right?"
Before I could respond, he pulled away, and the weight of all three gods left me feeling like an empty shell.
I swayed on my feet. Mat—who had been hiding behind a pillar—finally stepped forward.
"Alec… what the hell did you just do?"
"I… I don't know," I admitted.
But the Minotaur wasn't finished. With a final, deafening roar, it tore free of its bonds.
It charged.
Straight at Mat.
Time slowed.
I reached for him.
Too late.
The Minotaur's massive hand wrapped around Mat's body. And then—it crushed him.
Just like that.
I screamed.
Something inside me snapped.
Zeus. Poseidon. Hades. They didn't argue this time. They agreed.
They entered me together.
And I unleashed everything.
The air crackled with electricity. A hurricane of water surged around me. The ground beneath my feet split open, revealing a pit of fire and darkness. The world trembled as the Minotaur turned to face me—its red eyes filled with something new.
Fear.
I raised my hand.
Lightning slammed into the Minotaur.
Water wrapped around its limbs, holding it in place.
Flames roared from below, consuming it.
The creature howled in agony. It fought, but it was over.
The gods' wrath was absolute.
The Minotaur let out one last, terrible cry before it was dragged into the abyss.
And then—silence.
I collapsed, my vision swimming, the gods' presence fading.
The last thing I saw was the empty space where Mat should have been.
Then—darkness.