An honest working man sighed within his car, the frustration of the traffic jam weighing heavily on him. Rush hour had fallen upon the city of New York as office workers returned home after a long day. He yawned, irritated by the lack of movement in the queue.
Suddenly, he felt something; a force settled over the area. His eyes drifted to the side as the ground began to tremble across the road, accompanied by a sudden chill in the air.
Focusing on a corner ahead, he watched in disbelief as an object slammed violently into the earth beside the road. Dust and debris rose in a plume, and from the crater, a figure slowly rose--rocks and rubble breaking and tumbling from every part of his body.
Beside the strange being, a vortex of ice began to whirl and twist until it took the shape of another figure composed of ice. In moments, the ice morphed into flesh, which then hardened into a suit of armor.
The two beings were clad in divine-looking armor. Their wings stretched outward, and their eyes glowed pure white, leaving no doubt in the man's mind as to what they were.
"Oh my…" he whispered, breath catching in his throat, "gods."
He scrambled out of his car, awe written across his face, with several other drivers following suit to witness the surreal spectacle.
"A real god," the man muttered in amazement as he stepped closer. "Two, even…"
"Is this the location Father bade us await his arrival?" asked the blue-haired god, Tundra, to his companion.
"Affirmative," replied the brown-haired god, Tremor.
Their exchange shortly came to a pause as they noticed the approaching man and the gathering crowd that followed behind him.
"These are the so-called humans of whom the others spake?" Tundra questioned.
"I would assume so," Tremor replied coolly, his gaze sweeping the area.
Tundra's expression soured. "They dare fashion these imitations of our form?" he questioned. "Such insolence."
"Disgusting," Tremor spat.
By now, the man had drawn near, a wide smile spreading across his face. "I… I don't believe it," he stammered joyfully. "You're real. You're actually real."
Tundra turned to face the man. A slow smile crept across his face as he leaned in closer.
The man blinked, his joy fading to confusion, then to horror. A sudden sensation overtook him, and he screamed in agony. The crowd froze where they stood, witnessing the sudden change in the man's reaction.
From the ground up, the man's body began to crystallize suddenly, transforming into a pillar of ice. His screams echoed across the road until they stopped altogether, silenced as the rest of his form froze solid.
Tundra exhaled lightly, and the frozen man shattered into countless icy shards that scattered on the wind.
At the sight of what had just transpired, every onlooker turned and fled in terror, panic erupting across the entire vicinity.
"That is it," Tundra said, a smile playing across his face as he watched the scattering mortals. "Fear becometh them far better."
He soon turned his gaze to meet Tremor's disapproving glare.
"We were not bidden to interfere with these creatures," Tremor said flatly.
"What?" Tundra replied, his grin widening. "Father intends to exterminate their species anyway. We may as well enjoy ourselves ere his arrival."
Tremor's expression did not change, his disapproval unwavering. Tundra's grin faded slightly at the sight.
"Oh, still thyself, sibling," Tundra added. "Even if only within a small proximity, we may find some amusement. We may not have such a chance again."
His gaze remained fixed on Tremor as his smirk returned. "Thou couldst use the opportunity to test some new summons," he said. "Since thou art the strongest summoner, after all."
Then his grin widened. "Well… now that Abyss is no more, that is."
Tremor shot him a sharp glare. "Do not provoke me," he spat.
Tundra shrugged, unfazed. "A mere jest," he said. "One meant to motivate thee."
Tremor's glare lingered for a moment longer before he turned away. "Very well," he muttered, raising his hands toward the sky. "But if Father asks, you will be the one abandoned."
"That is what I like to see," Tundra said cheerfully, watching as Tremor pressed his hands to the ground, causing the earth to tremble.
Back in Under World, within a chamber in the Facility, the demigods sat and stood idly, awaiting further instruction. Suddenly, Quinn dropped to her knees with a loud grunt, tears welling in her eyes as she clutched her head in pain.
"Quinn!" Link shouted, rushing to his sister's side as her breathing grew erratic.
A few other demigods followed, gathering around as Quinn's eyes opened wide in shock, her chest rising and falling with sharp gasps. "He... he felt my presence," she said between breaths. "And I... saw everything. I saw him... kill them."
Link's expression softened with concern. "I told you not to interfere," he said. "It's too dangerous."
"I know," Quinn replied as she let him help her up. "He warned me… not to interfere again."
She took a moment to steady her breathing. "But I still learned something," she added. "Something very important."
Just as her words ended, the door to the room swung open, catching the attention of all present. There, Klaus and Shade stepped in slowly, their expressions hollow as they came to a halt at the entrance.
Upon seeing Klaus, Rose stood and began to approach. "Kla--"
But before she could finish, Riley rushed past her, eyes wide with concern as she hurried to Klaus's side.
"Klaus," Riley called softly, drawing closer. "Oh my gods..."
She reached him and wrapped her arms tightly around him, her worry plain to see. Then, rising onto her tiptoes, she placed her palms on his face and pressed her forehead to his, her breath quickening.
Klaus said nothing, overwhelmed by the echo of his father's final words. The weight of them pierced deeper than he had expected. He leaned into Riley's touch, letting her drop back down to her feet as their foreheads remained pressed together.
"You're okay," Riley whispered, sensing his anguish as tears slipped from his eyes and onto her cheek.
She then turned to Shade, seeing the pain in his face as well. "Shade," she murmured, extending a hand.
But Shade gave a faint smile. "I'm fine," he said. "It hurts... but I'll be alright."
Riley nodded with a smile of her own before turning her gaze back to Klaus, still cradled in her arms.
What wounded Klaus most was the guilt. Unlike the others, he had spent so long resenting and rejecting his father. Just as they had begun to rebuild what was lost, the crisis began.
He blamed himself for being too proud and stubborn to connect with Sol. For not sharing more moments beyond duty. For not seizing the chance to call someone 'father' again.
Yet amid those spiraling thoughts, his eyes found Riley's, her quiet gaze watching him.
"Are you... okay, too?" Klaus asked at last. "Your dad as well..."
"I know," Riley replied, her voice gentle, a small smile on her lips despite the redness around her eyes. "But like Shade said... I'll be alright."
After Riley's words, the other demigods slowly inched closer.
"Where were you guys?" Rose asked, her expression soft.
"We had to head to Flage's world," Shade explained, "to see if he could help us."
"And?" Tyler asked.
Shade shook his head. "No luck," he said quietly.
"What about Nekro?" Klaus asked, his gaze sweeping the room.
"He had something he needed to handle," Iris answered. "When we told him about the situación, he said we should stay here in the meantime while he confirmed something important."
Klaus's expression softened; the weight of everything pressed heavily on him. Slowly, he turned to fully take in the presence of the other demigods.
He noticed Ash and X sitting in separate corners of the room, their silence concealing their concern well. He then caught sight of Arthur and Lance, whose deeply sorrowful expressions made it clear that they, too, had likely received a farewell message from Siege, just as he and Shade had from their respective parents.
But Klaus's eyes eventually stopped on one more person, someone seated alone in a corner with immense grief in her eyes.
It was Mia.
Noticing this, Klaus stepped past the others and walked over to her.
As Mia lifted her gaze, she met Klaus's somber expression, and the tears began to fall. The moment everything came back to her, she broke.
Klaus crouched before her and pulled her into an embrace, an action that even drew X's attention from across the room.
"I'm so sorry," Klaus whispered, "about Trent."
All the demigods bore sorrow in their eyes, revealing they had already been told of their friend's sudden death. They remained quiet a moment longer as Mia wept in Klaus's arms, until that silence was gently broken.
"Klaus?" Quinn called softly from the side, her hand still pressed to her head as she looked toward him.
Klaus didn't respond at first, before his eyes slowly opened. "You saw it, didn't you?" he asked, still facing away from the others.
"Yeah," Quinn answered softly.
The weight still clung to Klaus, but he knew he had to push through it. There was no time to mourn.
"I was also able to learn how The End was released," Quinn continued, drawing Klaus's attention as he turned back around. "He told them everything before they passed."
Klaus and the others focused on Quinn as she steadied herself, her mind still recovering from the backlash of facing The End mentally without his consent.
"He came from the future," she revealed promptly. "He was released by one of the gods. And if I had to guess… I'd say it was Limbo, the banished god. But Limbo only managed to release about one percent of The End before dying from the strain of opening the Void."
"Wait, this is only one percent?" Riley asked, startled.
"Yeah, but that doesn't really matter," Quinn quickly clarified. "With what we know about his power, even a single percent of him is still him. Meaning he's still stronger than all the gods combined."
"But if he's from the future," Klaus said with confusion, "how the hell did he get here?"
Quinn already knew the answer, and she understood it would not sit well with everyone. "It happened when Ace ran into the future," she revealed, shocking them all. "When Ace returned to the present, that journey back alerted The End of that timeline. He realized he wasn't existing in the Occurring Timeline, so he chose to return to the correct flow of time."
Upon hearing Quinn's words, Ace's eyes widened in terror.
"I'm not sure what this time travel stuff means for the version of The End still imprisoned in our timeline," Quinn added, "but I doubt it matters anymore."
"It's... my fault," Ace muttered, the weight of realization clear in his voice. "I did this."
"Well... yes and no," Quinn replied, drawing everyone's attention. "While it's true that you brought that version of The End into our timeline, in a twisted way, it's actually better than the alternative."
"How can that possibly be true?" Ace asked, baffled.
"The End said that the moment he was released, he slaughtered all the gods and destroyed everything in reality in a blind rage," Quinn explained. "But now that he's gotten a second chance, he's choosing to take his time and savor every moment instead."
She paused briefly before continuing, "Also, I have a theory that even though that future was just one of infinite possibilities, The End's release was likely inevitable. Especially since that future was only a year ahead of when you traveled."
"So what does that mean?" Tyler asked.
"It means..." Quinn said slowly, "that all Ace did was bring us a version of The End who isn't consumed by bloodlust over the betrayal of his creation. Something highly improbable."
As the demigods processed her words, a loud beeping sound suddenly rang out. All eyes turned in unison toward Link, whose mask had begun to emit the noise.
"What's going on, Pixel?" Link asked urgently.
"Scans on Earth detect a multitude of unfamiliar, sentient lifeforms manifesting," the digital voice responded. "Location: New York. A high number of civilian casualties has already occurred. Law enforcement is attempting to respond, but their efforts are proving ineffective against the hostile force."
"You've got to be kidding," Riley said, exasperated.
Without hesitation, Link's mask projected a live feed of Earth onto a flat wall. The footage showed chaos, civilians fleeing in terror as terrifying creatures marched through the streets.
These beings came in different forms, where some wore jagged armor resembling stone, and others moved on all fours, their claws and teeth disturbingly sharp. The armored variants wielded stone-forged weapons, carving through everything in their path.
"You're kidding," Rose uttered, her eyes wide in disbelief. "What even are those things?"
"They're sentient constructs... made of stone," Klaus said grimly, turning to Quinn. "Which means..."
"They were created by Tremor," Quinn confirmed. "The god of Stone."
"Then the other evil gods still live?" Iris asked.
"Not all of them," Klaus answered. "My father said he managed to defeat one of them. So only two should remain."
"Yes," Quinn nodded. "Tremor and Tundra, the god of Frost."
"But how do we stop this?" Piper asked, her gaze fixed on Quinn.
The other demigods turned their attention to Quinn, silently waiting for her answer. However, her response caught them completely off guard.
"I'm... not sure," she admitted.
Quinn appeared visibly rattled, her mind racing to grasp the situation. "We can't travel between worlds anymore since Sol shattered their connections," she revealed. "And I can't interfere with the minds of these creatures since I'm not in suitable proximity or haven't marked them beforehand."
The others stared in stunned silence, watching as Quinn desperately searched internally for a solution.
"I can help."
All eyes immediately turned toward the voice. It was Link, who had just turned off the projection feed from his mask, revealing his digitalized face once more.
"During the Human Extinction crisis," he began, "I made it my mission to be prepared if anything like that ever happened again. So, I started developing drones--ones that could defend Earth even if I was off-world."
"Really?" Piper asked, her eyes fixed on him.
"Yeah," Link confirmed. "I'm not sure how many I've made in total, but I've been running the process technopathically every moment since that day, so I'd guess it's in the millions by now."
"Millions?" Tyler echoed before focusing on another point. "Wait... technopathically?"
"It just means the process continues automatically even without my direct input," Link explained. "So they build themselves even when I'm busy."
"We don't have time for explanations," Klaus interrupted firmly. "If you can help, then you need to do it quickly."
"Right," Link responded, already turning back to his seat.
As he sat down, he exhaled slowly. "This... kinda takes a tremendous amount of energy," he admitted. "And I've never tested it on this scale. So... here goes nothing."
Soon, Link's mask lit up with a booting sequence, and an illuminated bar slowly filled across the screen. As it completed, a cogwheel icon appeared with the phrase "Connection Established" underneath.
At that exact moment, back in New York, the stone creatures continued their rampage through the streets. Then, without warning, drones began to emerge from countless hidden compartments across the city. From the tops of skyscrapers, beneath bridges, and deep within alleyways, thousands upon thousands surged forth.
Each drone was roughly a foot tall and four feet in length, forged from celestial metal and coated in sleek black armor. They came armed with blades, guns, and an array of heavy weaponry designed for maximum efficiency.
As the stone creatures rushed toward the surrounding humans, Link's drones flew into the fray, dealing heavy damage to the summons and working quickly to ensure the safety of as many people as possible. The drones also gathered civilians together, instructing them to stay in groups to maximize their protection and keep them safe in batches.
Link's network of drones protected the city with near-perfect efficiency, and with the added support of government military forces, the effort to defend the terrified citizens moved along steadily. But soon, things began to take a turn.
Without warning, some of Link's drones started to freeze midair, their responses delayed just enough to allow the stone creatures to destroy them. Glitches spread quickly through the network, and within moments, errors and malfunctions became widespread.
Back in Under World, the display on Link's mask began to distort and glitch. The demigod let out a sharp grunt, clutching his head in pain as his voice crackled with a digital distortion. The word "Malfunction" abruptly replaced the usual text on his mask, blinking and flickering erratically.
"Link?" Piper called, quickly crouching in front of him as his body trembled with strain.
She turned to Quinn, panic beginning to show in her eyes. "What's happening to him?"
"His mind…" Quinn answered, her voice low and steady. "He's pushing himself far beyond normal limits. He's controlling millions of drones simultaneously--functionally multitasking at an incredible level--and it's overwhelming his brain."
Piper looked back at Link, then gently took his hands in hers. "Link," she said calmly, "I don't know if you can hear me, or if you're even able to focus on this moment... but I know you. If you built this system, then you're strong enough to control it. The world needs you to hold on, so you have to be strong and stay calm. Please."
To everyone's surprise, the glitching display suddenly began to stabilize, and Link's strained breathing slowly evened out. Siren's eyes widened in disbelief as she watched the demigod regain control. Despite still being connected to the drones, he was clearly recovering. The text on his mask shifted back to its prior message, and with steady motion, Link lifted his head once more, sitting upright.
"It… worked," Piper whispered, blinking in awe as her heartbeat quickened.
"Uhh… what just happened?" Riley asked from the side, confused but curious.
"Her voice," Iris answered gently. "She was able to compel him to tranquilo with her words like a siren."
"It's... also kinda more than that," Quinn added, her tone thoughtful. "Piper's ability definitely helped, but I think it was mostly her voice, specifically, that influenced him."
Hearing this, Piper's gaze lingered on Link, her expression softening as a quiet blush crept across her cheeks. She hadn't fully realized how deeply he cared about her.
Meanwhile, back on Earth, Link's drones returned to full function. With their systems stabilized, they resumed their mission, swiftly and efficiently continuing to protect civilians alongside the military forces across New York.
In Higher World, The End remained in the meeting room for a moment, hovering in place as he took in the sight of all the fallen gods.
He recognized that he felt no emotion toward what he was witnessing, as though something within him was missing. Regardless, he prioritized his own entertainment and chose to ignore the sensation.
His gaze soon fell upon Sol's petrified body, a smile still resting on the god's face despite his passing.
The sight agitated The End. "Thy actions will not stop me," he said softly, referring to Sol's severance of the connection between the worlds.
Soon enough, he turned his head to the left. "It is about time I depart," he muttered.
Immediately after, The End stretched out one leg, and upon moving it forward, the entire scene shifted in an instant, transporting him to another location far from the meeting room.
The expanse of white fog still stretched across every inch of the area, meaning The End had not yet left Higher World. However, this scenery was merely a false representation of where he truly stood.
Viewed from the third dimension, it appeared as though he stood at the center of an infinitely expanding realm, but with a shift in dimensional perception, it was revealed that The End had reached the edge of Higher World itself, a location visible only to divine beings.
Shortly after, while his feet still hovered above the ground, The End moved forward once more. Suddenly, he began to phase through the surface beneath him, descending into nothingness and plummeting at an unimaginable speed away from the realm of the gods.
Back on Earth, the majority of the stone creatures had been defeated by Link's drones, and a few by the dispatched military forces. A vast number of humans had also been safely gathered in various isolated locations to minimize casualties. Despite the odds, humanity continued to fight for their world and survival, showing a tenacity that refused to falter in the face of devastation.
Taking in this reality as they stood at their point of descent, Tundra turned to Tremor with a grin.
"It appears the humans are prevailing against thy forces," he teased.
"I underestimated their resistance," Tremor admitted calmly. "No matter. An easy fix."
With those words, Tremor raised his hands once more and then struck the ground with both palms. Across the battlefield, as the remaining stone creatures clashed with their enemies, a sudden transformation began to take place.
Before the eyes of all present, the knightly creatures morphed. Their stony forms reshaped, replaced by gleaming black metal, eerily similar to the material of Link's drones. The monstrous variants among them underwent an even more harrowing change; their rugged stone skin crystallized into a gem-like substance that appeared to be denser than diamond. Their claws sharpened and lengthened, giving them an even more menacing appearance than before.
A wave of dread passed through the human forces. What had once been manageable foes had now become something far more dangerous. But just as the creatures finished their metamorphosis, they abruptly froze in place, motionless and silent.
The confusion on the battlefield was palpable, but the reason soon became clear.
Far off, at the point of command, Tremor stood motionless, his expression shifting. After a moment, he slowly rose to his feet.
"He approaches," Tundra said, his grin fading. "Seems our time of mirth is ended."
Tremor exhaled quietly, then snapped his fingers.
And with that single command, every transformed creature across the entire state suddenly crumbled to pieces and collapsed where it stood, turning to dust on the wind.
Back in Under World, Link's mask shifted once again, reverting to his usual face as he gasped for air.
"Link!" Piper called from his side, her hands clinging to his. "Are you alright?"
"I'm... fine," Link managed to say.
"What happened?" Shade asked, stepping closer.
Link took a moment to collect himself. "The constructs," he said. "They all just... suddenly broke down."
"What?" Rose asked. "Why?"
Before Link could respond, a sudden, overwhelming presence began to swell around them. Every demigod present felt it--something vast and suffocating. They instinctively turned their gaze upward, a chill running down their spines.
"It's... him," Iris said, eyes fixed above. "He's drawing closer... and fast."
"Which means..." Quinn whispered, her eyes widening.
"He's heading to Main World," Klaus completed grimly. "Oh no."
Two children played outside, kicking a ball with wide smiles on their faces. The morning sun bathed the neighborhood in a gentle warmth, a stark contrast to the dusky light back in New York. It was the comfort of a day just beginning, and they relished it as they played in front of their home.
"You boys better wrap it up and come in for breakfast," a woman called from the window, her voice tinged with a certain accent.
"Yes, Mama," one of the boys replied.
They continued to play for a moment longer before one of them suddenly paused, his gaze drawn skyward. He pointed up with awe in his eyes.
"Mama, look! A shooting star!"
But as the object drew closer, the sky began to darken unnaturally. The woman's eyes followed her son's gaze, and horror swiftly overtook her face. Without hesitation, she rushed outside, shielding her children as a massive projectile hurtled toward them. And moments later, the strange object crashed into the Earth.
The impact was catastrophic. It did not merely strike, it obliterated. A devastating force rippled outward from the point of collision, consuming all in its path. This was no ordinary explosion, but an overwhelming destruction that only intensified with each passing second.
A deep purple wave radiated from the center of the crash, its strange hue blanketing the landscape. Like the aftermath of a nuclear detonation, it spread rapidly, swallowing the entire city in a haze of ruin and leaving nothing behind.