"People of the Solar Kingdom!" His voice boomed across the city, amplified by wind magic that made it echo from every surface.
"Your deity is dead! Not meditating—dead!" He threw his head back, arms spread wide. "Four decades of silence? That's not meditation, that's a corpse rotting on a throne!"
Screams erupted below. People stumbled, fell, trampled each other trying to flee.
"But fear not!" Hyrin's grin was all teeth, feral and wild. "I, Hyrin of the High Currents, will take his place! I'll rule you! Guide you! Protect you!"
He punched the air, wind exploding around his fist. "And you'll worship me like you should've from the beginning!"
He paced across the deck of his ship, energy radiating off him in waves.
"Your sleeping bastard of a deity abandoned you!" His voice rose, cracking with manic energy. "What kind of god meditates for four decades? Huh? Answer me!"
He kicked the railing. "He's weak! Pathetic! And now he's gone! So I'm taking over, and anyone who has a problem with that can—"
"Can what?"
The voice cut through the air, casual and amused.
Hyrin spun around so fast his tail whipped behind him.
Aurex stood on the deck of the airship—just appeared there like he'd been there all along, hands in his pockets, that lazy smile on his face.
His coat flared gently in the wind Hyrin was generating. His hair caught the light and burned gold.
"Sorry, I missed that last part." Aurex tilted his head. "What can they do, exactly?"
Hyrin's face went through several expressions—shock, fury, and then a grin that was equal parts excited and murderous.
"Oh, dammit." But he was laughing. "Fuck you, Aurex. Go back to sleep, baby sun, while I take care of your people."
Aurex's smile widened. "Are all cats this stupid, or are you just a bad breed?"
"Are all dogs this silly," Hyrin shot back immediately, cracking his knuckles, "or are you just an awful breed?"
Aurex laughed—genuine and delighted. "There he is. Miss me?"
"Like a migraine." Hyrin rolled his shoulders, wind gathering around his fists. "You gonna fight me or just stand there looking pretty?"
"Can't I do both?" Aurex spread his hands peacefully. "Come on, Hyrin. You flew all this way. You're clearly tired. Why don't we skip the posturing, have some wine, talk this out—"
"Talk?" Hyrin's eyes blazed. Wind whipped around him violently, making the sails crack like whips. "I didn't fly here to talk!"
He lunged.
Aurex sidestepped lazily, hands still in his pockets.
Hyrin's fist—wrapped in compressed wind—slammed into the deck, cracking the metal.
"Really?" Aurex yawned. "We're doing this dance again?"
"Fight me, you coward!" Hyrin spun, throwing a barrage of wind blades.
Aurex raised one finger. Golden light flared. The attacks dissolved before reaching him, evaporating like mist.
"Not a coward," Aurex said pleasantly. "Just bored."
"Bored?!" Hyrin's voice climbed higher, almost hysterical. "I'm challenging you for your territory! Your throne! Your entire realm!"
"Mm." Aurex examined his nails. "Still not interested."
Hyrin roared, wind exploding around him in a vortex. The entire ship lurched.
Aurex didn't even sway.
"You know this never works," Aurex said, almost kindly. "Why do you keep trying?"
"Because one day it will!" Hyrin threw punch after punch, each one wrapped in enough wind pressure to level a building.
Aurex dodged them all without looking, moving minimal distances, making it look effortless.
"This is embarrassing, Hyrin."
"For you!" But Hyrin was panting now, sweat dripping down his temples.
Aurex sighed, long and theatrical. "Are we done?"
"You won't fight!" Hyrin stabbed a finger at him. "You're scared! You know I'll win! Scared dog!"
Aurex's expression didn't change, but something in his eyes glinted—dangerous and amused.
"If I'm a dog," he said slowly, "and you're a cat... shouldn't you be the one running?"
Hyrin froze. His mouth opened. Closed. His brain visibly tried to process the logic.
Then his face went red.
He pressed both palms over his face, groaning so loudly it echoed across the city.
"I hate you."
"I know."
Hyrin lowered his hands, glaring. "I'm gonna drink a few cups in your palace before I leave."
Aurex's lazy grin returned full force. "You're invited. Come on in."
From a rooftop several blocks away, Wish watched the entire exchange with her mouth hanging open.
She'd heard the commotion—the screaming, the booming voice threatening death and destruction—and curiosity had dragged her out despite Vish's orders to rest. Now she crouched behind a chimney, eyes locked on the two deities.
The Solar King looked exactly as he had in the throne room—powerful, lazy, devastatingly handsome with that wild orange-gold hair and open coat showing off way too much tanned skin and muscle.
But this new guy...
Hyrin was completely different. Where Aurex was warm and golden, Hyrin was storm and silver.
Muscular in a way that was almost aggressive, all that untidy grey hair, those wind marks glowing across his bare chest and arms.
He moved like violence barely contained, like a street brawler who'd ascended to godhood and never bothered with the refinement part.
Okay, brain. Who's more handsome?
She squinted, comparing them despite herself.
Aurex had that sun-god thing going—the warmth, the lazy confidence, those abs that could probably grate cheese—
But Hyrin had raw power, that wild energy, the bad-boy aesthetic that screamed danger—
Stop. Stop it right now. You're supposed to be planning survival, not ranking hot deities like you're browsing dating profiles.
But her brain wouldn't stop. It ran completely wild, imagining scenarios she had absolutely no business imagining, comparisons she definitely shouldn't be making between two literal gods who could obliterate her with a thought—
"I wouldn't want to marry that wind man now, would I?"
Wish jumped so hard she nearly tumbled off the roof.
She spun around, heart in her throat.
Standing beside her—also crouched on the rooftop with perfect, elegant poise—was a girl about her age.
She had refined features, long pink hair pulled into an intricate braid, and fox ears a pink shade darker than her hair.
Her outfit was expensive—a fitted dress in deep royal blue with silver embroidery that screamed nobility.
Her eyes were sharp and assessing as they watched the two deities, a small smile playing at her lips.
Princess Nyla.
The protagonist.
Wish's heart stopped completely.
Nyla turned to look at her, one eyebrow raised in amusement. "Well?" Her smile widened slightly. "Would you want to marry him? He seems rather... exhausting."