Mercury turned to Venus with a curious look. "Venus, do you know where Neptune is?"

Venus shrugged. "No, I haven't seen him. But if I had to guess, he's probably watching over that fish of his."

Mercury chuckled. "He really loves that fish I made for him. Never lets it out of his sight."

"Well," Venus replied with a smirk, "I did make you design him to be that way."

"Yeah, I know," Mercury sighed. "But I never expected he'd become that obsessed."

Their conversation was abruptly interrupted by a loud, explosive boom that echoed from the sky. Mercury's eyes widened as he turned to see a blinding flash far above, in the depths of space.

"What the hell was that?" Mercury exclaimed.

One of his followers rushed over, panic in their voice. "Lord Mercury! What just happened?"

Mercury's expression darkened as he scanned the distant sky. That blast came from deep space... It must be Kamaria.

High above the planets, in the cold expanse of space, Kamaria and Gengnar were locked in an intense battle. Gengnar now wielded two fearsome weapons: his massive sword, the Earth-Spitting Sword of War, and his deadly spear, the Pinpoint Trident. Across from him, Kamaria stood poised, her weapon—a mighty polearm known as the Planet-Cutting Lance of Eight Planets—glowing ominously. Three celestial summons hovered behind her, ready to strike.

Their movements were a blur, so rapid they appeared like two streaking comets, clashing in the vast void. Sparks and shockwaves erupted with each blow, shaking the cosmos.

Gengnar roared, summoning thousands of ethereal spears that streaked toward Kamaria like falling stars. She spun her polearm gracefully, deflecting the barrage with a series of fluid movements. In the blink of an eye, she surged forward, closing the gap between them.

The space around them crackled with energy as their weapons collided again, the impact sending waves rippling through the stars. The sheer force of their battle was enough to distort the fabric of reality.

Suddenly, Mercury appeared, materializing between them in a flash of golden light. "Enough!" he commanded. The clash of weapons halted.

“What are you two doing up here?” Mercury demanded, his voice stern as he hovered above the battlefield.

Gengnar gave a carefree grin. “Just a little sparring, that's all.”

Mercury narrowed his eyes. “Are you sure? Because I heard a massive explosion all the way from Earth.”

Kamaria stepped forward, bowing her head slightly. “It was my fault, Mercury. I turned my moons into neutron Stars, and Gengnar sliced through them.”

Mercury sighed but kept his composure. “It's fine, Kamaria. But both of you need to stop this. Come down to the palace—I need to speak with you two and the rest of the gods.”

Without waiting for a reply, Mercury vanished in a flash of light.

Kamaria and Gengnar exchanged glances, and with a synchronized motion, they desummoned their weapons.

“Looks like we'll have to postpone our battle... for now,” Gengnar said with a smirk.

Kamaria nodded, a small, determined smile tugging at her lips. “Agreed. But next time, no holding back.”

The two warriors turned and began their descent toward the celestial palace. As they entered the grand hall, they saw Mercury seated at a long table filled with other divine beings. Among them were the formidable Dragon Lord Jupiter, the legendary Great Musician, Mars, and Venus the Mountain Breaker. Beside them sat the Holy Divine Sword, Neptune, with his small golden fish swimming gracefully beside him. These four were known collectively as the Celestial Vanguards of the Holy Heavens.

Seated further down the table was Korizma, the Frostborn Monarch and God of Frost, ranked fourth among the deities. Her icy presence emanated an aura of cold command. Beside her sat Ritika, the Radiant Goddess, the God of the Sun, whose scorching radiance could burn through anything—even the heavens themselves. She held the prestigious sixth rank in the celestial hierarchy. Next to her was her brother, Vatrolius, the fifth-ranking God of Fire, also known as the Inferno Sovereign. With the power to reduce entire kingdoms to ash, he commanded flames with absolute mastery.

Across from them sat Leonidrax, the God of Strength, known as the Beast King. Ranked fourth among the divine, his boundless might allowed him to lift mountains with ease, and a single blow from him could shatter the very earth beneath his feet.

Next to Leonidrax, however, was an empty seat—one reserved for Aerolios, the God of Weather, also called the Stormbringer, whose presence was notably absent. Gengnar and Kamaria soon took their seats, and the hall fell into an uneasy silence as the gods gathered. The atmosphere was thick with tension until Mercury. Standing at the head of the table, finally spoke.

"I have brought you all here for one reason," he announced, his eyes darkening as a menacing aura enveloped him. The sudden shift in his presence sent shivers down the spines of those seated. In a voice that boomed through the palace, he demanded, "Where the hell is Aerolios?!"

The force of his words echoed through the vast hall, shaking the very walls.

“It’s been days since he vanished,” Mercury continued, frustration clear in his voice. “What could he possibly be doing?”

Korizma leaned back in her chair, her voice calm but laced with uncertainty. “Perhaps he’s simply on a long vacation somewhere,” she suggested.

“Well, if it’s a vacation, it’s long as hell,” Mercury retorted, folding his arms. “Besides, Aerolios isn’t the type to disappear for this long without a word.”

“He could be searching for the missing shards,” Ritika Said. “He might have found several already and is simply taking his time to gather more.”

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“That’s a possibility,” Vatrolius agreed and said “But even if he’s on such a mission, he should have returned by now. This silence is... troubling.”

“The last time I spoke to him was just after he stormed out of your office,” Korizma said, her tone accusatory. “He was furious, claiming you never gave him the respect he deserved and that you treated him differently from the rest of us.”

Vatrolius nodded in agreement. “Yes, he did mention something along those lines,” he added. “He seemed more frustrated than I’ve ever seen him.”

Korizma leaned forward, her voice growing sharper. “I believe your constant jabs at him pushed him over the edge,Vatrolius . That’s probably why he left and hasn’t returned.”

Vatrolius said “It was just some light teasing—I didn’t mean anything by it,” he defended himself, though his voice wavered slightly. “Besides, it’s not my fault he’s so sensitive. Aerolios has always been the weakest among us. The rank of seven that Mercury gave him was generous.”

Mercury said, “Weak or not, he's still one of us. I might even share some blame for his disappearance. Whether he left because of a bruised ego or for some other reason, we need to find him.”

Neptune spoke up, “I might know where he went.”

“Really, Neptune? Then spit it out,” Mercury urged.

“When he was leaving the palace, I ran into him,” Neptune explained. “I asked where he was heading, and he replied that he was going to a vast desert.”

“A vast desert... that's a lead,” Mercury said with renewed determination. “Alright, everyone, we'll search the desert tonight and bring him back. Now dismissed.”

Back in the city, Zander and Leo were playing with a cat.

“Come here, kitten,” Zander cooed, holding out his hand. The cat licked his fingers affectionately. “Leo, try playing with the cat.”

Leo extended his massive hand hesitantly. “What do I do?”

“You have to say, ‘Come here, kitty kitty,’” Zander instructed with a grin.

“Come here, kitty kitty,” Leo repeated. But the moment the cat saw his towering, intimidating figure, it hissed and bolted away.

Zander chuckled. “I don’t think it likes you.”

“Well, maybe I’m just not a cat person,” Leo muttered.

Zander thought to himself, But you're a tiger, which technically makes you a feline…

Aster walked up to Zander and Leo, curiosity in his eyes. “What are you two doing?”

“Playing with a cat,” Zander replied, “but it ran away.”

“That’s a shame,” Aster said with a shrug.

Zander turned to him. “So, Aster, what do you need?”

“I came to ask if you two would help me set up for Leon’s celebration.”

“Celebration?” Zander asked, tilting his head.

Aster nodded. “Yes, it’s for Leon. The ruler is organizing it to honor his bravery and dedication to the city. Plus, tonight’s his birthday.”

“A birthday party?!” Zander’s eyes lit up. “Absolutely, I’ll help!”

Leo, however, looked confused. “A birthday party? I’ve never heard of that.”

Zander blinked in surprise. “You don’t know what a birthday party is, Leo?”

“Never,” Leo admitted, shaking his head. “I never got a chance to experience it.”

Zander’s expression softened. “You’ve never had a birthday party before?”

“Just like I said,” Leo replied.

“Well, this could be your first one,” Zander said with a grin. “You’ll have a great time.”

“You sure?” Leo asked, still uncertain.

Zander nodded enthusiastically. “Yep! Birthday parties are fun. There are games, cake, and lots of food to eat.”

“Sounds... interesting,” Leo mused, intrigued.

Aster chuckled and said, “That’s what a generic birthday is. Here in the Scorching Wastelands, we celebrate differently.”

“Like how? Eating sand cake instead of real cake?” Zander asked, teasing.

Aster laughed. “No, we don’t eat sand cake. We have a grand feast, filled to the brim with food. It’s really nice, and both of you will get to see it.”

Zander replied, “Okay, so what items do we need to make this birthday celebration happen?”

Aster said, “Well, we’ll need decorations, food, and entertainment. I’ve got most of the basics covered, but I could use your help with gathering a few things. We need colorful banners and special ornaments for Leon. His favorite color is a rich gold-yellow, so ornaments that symbolize him as a hero would be perfect.”

“Alright, we can do that,” Zander agreed.

“And we also need a music performer,” Aster added.

“Okay, but what about the games and food?” Zander asked.

Aster smiled. “The ruler and I have those taken care of. We just need you to handle those three simple things.”

Zander and Leo nodded and dashed off to gather the items. “Let’s go, Leo! I believe Leon will be really happy with this,” Zander said with a grin.

Meanwhile, inside a dark jail cell within the palace, Jasra the Killer—known for murdering Hasbo and attempting to slay Leon—sat chained in the dim light. she muttered to himself, pacing restlessly.

“Jasra, how are you going to get out of this?” she whispered, clenching his fists. “And why am I even doing this again? No, you fool... you know why. Remember her.”

the cell darkened, shadows swallowing the dim light. Jasra looked up, her breath hitching as a figure began to materialize—an ethereal woman made of shimmering light hovering above her.

“Come on, sister. Climb up the mountain,” the glowing figure urged softly, her voice like a distant echo.

Jasra's memories flooded back, her heart aching.

“As long as we are together, we’ll never fall apart,” the figure continued, her voice gentle and reassuring.

Jasra reached out, desperation in her voice. “Sister, please don’t go!”

But just as suddenly as the vision appeared, it began to fade.

“Why did you have to go... why did you have to die?” she muttered, her voice shaking with grief. But as she raised. she was jolted back to reality. In front of her stood the Liege of Wishes.

“You... You're here?” she stammered “How did you not get caught?”.

“I have my ways,” the Liege replied coldly. “But that’s irrelevant now. Listen, you and Vayu failed the plan. I’ll be handling things from here.”

“Vayu?” she asked “Was that the rat-cat creature Leon was fighting? Why did you need him?”

The Liege of Wishes narrowed his eyes. “In case you were either captured or killed, he was my contingency. And it appears both of you have failed miserably.”

Jasra pleaded, "I'm sorry, my Liege, but you have to understand... they were incredibly powerful beings. I truly believed they could best you."

The Liege of Wishes' eyes flared crimson. "What did you just say?"

"I-I didn't mean to offend you, my Liege," Jasra stammered, panic seeping into his voice. "I take it ba—"

"You know what?" The Liege's voice turned cold and dismissive. "You're not getting that wish. You can rot in this pit, or face execution by the ruler himself. Frankly, I couldn't care less what happens to you."

Jasra fell to his knees, desperation etched across his face. "No, please, my Liege! I've done everything you asked! I need that wish... for my sister’s sake!"

The Liege paused, looking down at Jasra with disdain. "No."

As he turned to leave, he sneered, "I'm no Liege of Wishes. I am Aerolios, the god of weather. Soon, the entire world will bow to me. I don’t need you, Vayu, or that bastard Mercury. I can be my own god."

He had always believed that, upon ascending to godhood, he would be treated equally. But he was wrong. All he ever received were backhanded insults: "Oh, he's not that strong." "He's so weak—how did he even become a god?" "So you're a god, and you couldn't even kill a mortal? I don’t care how 'tough' they are. Either kill them both or find more shards. Do something useful! Do something useful! Do something useful! Do something useful! You're the weakest of us all.

“I'm the better god."