The ruins sprawled before them like the skeleton of a forgotten world. Moss-covered stone columns rose from the forest floor, etched with ancient glyphs that glimmered faintly in the filtered sunlight. The Pantheon moved carefully, their steps echoing across broken floors. Kairo's Aether thrummed along his veins, alerting him to the faint energy lingering in the ruins.
Selene glided beside him, her silver hair catching stray light as she traced the glyphs with delicate fingers. "These runes… they're older than anything Akairo has shown us," she murmured. Her voice carried both awe and a quiet reverence.
Kairo nodded but didn't speak. His eyes scanned the group. Again, he noticed it: subtle patterns in Raijin's strikes, hints of dual god energy in Darius' water manipulation, and shadows dancing around Kali and Orion that seemed almost… independent. Something about this place amplified their power in ways that shouldn't be possible. He felt it in the pit of his stomach, a strange mixture of awe and unease.
"Focus," Akairo's voice rang cold and clear from above the ruins, though his figure remained hidden in the treeline. "Learn from this place. Understand the balance between power and control."
The Pantheon split into pairs, examining glyphs, practicing subtle bursts of Aether, and learning to read the runes' energy patterns. Kairo worked with Selene, combining Voltis and Luna in quiet drills, their powers weaving light and electricity through the air. Each spark revealed new possibilities, new depths of control—but also new questions. How could these energies resonate with each other so perfectly? Why did some members seem to draw strength from more than one god lineage?
Kairo's thoughts drifted as he watched Raijin manipulate lightning with a faint shadow aura. He remembered the forest encounter yesterday and the way minor creatures seemed almost… guided. The realization gnawed at him. Something about these powers… something about the Pantheon… it's not natural.
Hours passed, and the ruins tested them. Illusions of ancient guardians emerged, crafted from Aether and divine energy. They weren't mere constructs; they reacted with instinct, anticipating attacks, forcing the Pantheon to coordinate perfectly. Kairo's mark throbbed violently as he pushed himself to maintain control, keeping pace with Selene and the others.
When the last guardian dissipated, silence fell over the ruins. The Pantheon gathered in the central courtyard, catching their breath. Laughter returned softly, but it was measured, lighter than before. Raijin clapped Kairo on the shoulder, teasing, "Storm boy, you finally stopped overthinking… almost."
Kairo only offered a faint smirk. His mind was elsewhere, tangled in the mystery of dual powers and the nagging unease that something in this group—and perhaps in Akairo himself—was hidden.
Akairo's shadowy figure appeared at the edge of the ruins, silent and imposing. His gaze swept over the Pantheon, sharp and calculating. "The ruins are a reminder," he said, voice cold, "that power without understanding is meaningless. You may wield abilities you do not fully comprehend, but only those who master them will survive in the world beyond these walls."
Kairo's stomach tightened. He said nothing, but the unease lingered. Mastery. Control. The words felt like both a challenge and a warning. And deep down, a question began to form, quiet but persistent: Why do some of us have more than we should?
As they left the ruins and the sunlight faded behind them, the forest seemed to hum with hidden energy. The Pantheon returned to the mansion, their camaraderie light but fragile, laughter like a fragile shield against the unknown. Kairo walked beside Selene, his mind restless. The storm inside him, subtle and restrained for now, was only beginning to gather strength