Prologue: Jupiter

“Olympus, curse you.”

The world around me is a blur, darkness shrouding just about everything in my cone of vision. Every corner of my body is pulsating with pain – a new, otherworldly type of pain. It feels as if my

Wringing through the hole, I pull myself up onto a nearby rock. Reaching into the pockets of my cloak, I take out my journal and pencil.

“You’ll wish you hadn’t messed with me,” I whisper, frantically writing as my vision worsens by the second. “I may pass, but the enemies you’ve made will end your ego-fueled reign. You’ll regret everything, Jupiter, every-” A sharp, stinging pain recoils through my spine. “Shit…” My journal and pencil fall from my hands as my body stiffens up and collapses onto the floor. “Not yet,” I whisper, as I feel my throat closing. I pull myself back up to the rock, pressing my palm tightly against my body as a Magic Circle engraves itself onto my chest.

“Time, time is all I need.”

A frantic symphony of footsteps echo through the small hole I crawled through. I hold my breath, trying to keep my heartbeat as slow and steady as possible. It feels like the weight of the world is on my shoulders as my body starts to tremble in fear. Like prey to a predator, my heart jumps at the sound of a low-pitched growl on the other side of the hole. My instincts were telling me it was an Arcantalia – the manufactured pet species of the Olympians, fueled by Magic and the fragile ego of the gods. Normally, I’d be well fit to take on just one. With my body struggling to hold itself up, however, I am in no condition for any fight. A bright, orange streak of light suddenly burrows through the hole. The Arcantalia emerges just a few feet in front of me, standing firmly on all fours, its appearance reminiscent of a lion with dull fur. Its mane was flared, coated in an aura that danced like flame. Our gazes would interlock as I remained completely still, hoping it would mistake me for a statue of some kind.

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

It pounces towards me with paws outstretched – swiping its claw across my face. Adrenaline fuels me for what, I pray, is my final battle. As the creature lands on top of me, I reel my hand back and send a fist flying forward into its torso. With an audible grunt, it flies back and crashes into the wall of the cave. I reach into my cloak and pull out the remains of my old, worn dagger, dried blood still coating the jagged edges. Jumping down from the rock, I bend my knees slightly to take a lower stance, holding the dagger steadily.

“Just how much prejudice have the gods embedded into you?”

The Arcantalia stands up on all fours again, slightly dazed from my attack but still capable of fighting. Its jaw opens wide, an orange Magic Circle forming between its jaws. A beam of fire erupts from its mouth, hurling towards me like an arrow from a bow. With my head low, I slide underneath the fire and thrust my dagger into the creature’s neck. A stream of blood squirts out, turning what’s left of my tunic into a bloody red canvas. The Arcantalia retaliates, digging its sharp teeth into my shoulder. An ear-piercing scream escapes me as my vision is nearly gone. Even as the world turns dark, I held the dagger as tightly as I could – dragging its serrated edges to rip through the creature’s neck. I can hear my blade tearing through its muscle as blood pours down onto me like a river.

Suddenly, it loosens its grip on me and I watch as the Arcantalia’s body goes limp. I collapse down onto my back as the corpse drops down on top of me.

With the little strength I had left, I rolled its dead body over to the side and lifted myself up. I place my hand on its torso, using a Magic Circle to siphon all the Magic Energy from its body before it fades. Though my body is still fragile, I have more than enough energy to complete the ritual.

“Count your days, Jupiter. My revenge will bear its fruit in my next life.”