The stone cell was colder than death. A single torch burned in the corner, casting a flickering orange light that failed to reach the shadows. Chains bit into Kairo's wrists and ankles, not to restrain his body — Hades knew that would be pointless — but to remind him that here, he was prey, not predator.
It began as a low hum in the back of his skull, like distant thunder. Then it split into seven distinct voices, each cutting into his mind from a different angle.
"You are mine," one snarled, its voice deep, guttural, and primal.
"No… he will bend to my will," another said, smooth and commanding like a king addressing his court.
"Break him. Shatter him," a third hissed, sharp and venomous.
"He is already breaking…" a soft, almost tender voice whispered, dripping with false kindness.
"We could rule through him," one voice growled.
"We will not share him," another voice thundered.
"His flesh will carry my name when the world burns," the last one murmured, its tone ancient and unyielding.
Kairo clutched his head, teeth grinding, eyes squeezed shut. The pressure was unbearable. The gods weren't just speaking — they were pulling. He could feel his fingers twitch without his command, his breath hitching in rhythms that weren't his own.
No… I'm not yours… he tried to push the thought out, but the moment it formed, a dozen phantom hands clawed at his mind. He felt them rooting through his memories, tasting his pain, savoring it.
"You can't fight all of us," one voice mocked.
"We are eternity," another said, the words echoing like a tolling bell.
"Give in… let go…"
His pulse spiked. The faint silver streaks in his hair shimmered brighter in the dim light, threads of heat crawling across his scalp. His vision blurred, his muscles tensed, and for a moment, he thought he might actually lose control — that one of them would seize him fully.
Then the cell door groaned open.
Hades stood in the doorway, shadow swallowing his features. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes — dark and cold — were fixed entirely on Kairo. He didn't speak to the guards. He didn't have to.
"Enough for today," he said softly, but the weight behind the words made the torch's flame flicker.
The voices recoiled at his presence, like smoke in the wind. Kairo's head dropped forward, sweat dripping onto the floor.
Hades stepped closer, gaze lingering on the faint glint of silver in Kairo's hair. "Your next punishment begins now. When it is over… you will fight again."
The chains released. Guards took him by the arms, dragging him from the cell. Outside, the arena's distant roar was already building — the next round of the tournament awaited.
And in the depths of his mind, the seven gods whispered in unison, their hunger far from sated.