CHAPTER 281: CHAPTER 39

Hades calmly adjusted his dark cloak, its edges rippling faintly as though absorbing the surrounding light, before stepping out of the pocket dimension and into the vast marble corridors of Odin’s golden palace.

The echoes of laughter, the melody of lyres, and the clinking of goblets reached his ears long before he arrived at the grand doors of the throne hall.

Behind him, Nyx emerged—her midnight gown glimmering faintly like a fragment of the cosmos, her hair cascading like liquid night as she followed him while walking in silent grace.

When the doors opened, the hall was still drowned in celebration.

Music, laughter, and divine revelry filled the air as gods of two pantheons mingled without care for rivalry or origin.

But the moment Hades stepped inside, the atmosphere subtly shifted, like a ripple through still water—the weight of his presence silencing the noise for a heartbeat before it slowly resumed, though more restrained, more reverent.

Nyx walked beside him, her calm yet commanding aura blending perfectly with his cold composure, forming a sight that even the mightiest gods unconsciously respected.

At the far side of the hall, Odin and Hecate exited from another doorway.

The goddess of magic immediately noticed Hades and, with unspoken understanding, crossed the hall to stand beside him.

They stared at each other’s eyes before Hecate smiled and nodded, only then did Hades took his eyes off.

Their silent exchange spoke volumes, as though both already knew what the other had been through.

At a distance, Freya, her beauty radiant under the divine chandeliers, watched the scene unfold.

Her hand hovered uncertainly over her cup, her gaze lingering on Hades with quiet conflict, as if wanting to walk over to him, but was afraid to do so.

But when she noticed Odin approaching his throne, she composed herself, her expression softening into poise as she decided to stay still and observe.

The Allfather’s heavy steps resonated across the polished floor as he ascended his throne.

With a single motion of his hand, the room dimmed, the golden fires in the braziers lowering as silence blanketed the hall.

The chatter ceased and the music died.

Every god—Greek and Norse alike—turned their gaze upon Odin, who now sat with regal solemnity, his spear resting by his side like a silent witness to what was to come.

Odin’s voice echoed across the chamber, deep and commanding, carrying both the authority of a king and the weight of an unspoken dread.

"The victory we celebrate today," he began, his gaze sweeping across the gathered gods, "was not without its cost, and it must not deceive us. The threat of those that dwell beyond, the Outer Ones, has not ended. Their hunger is endless, their will incomprehensible. We were fortunate that the Greeks arrived when they did, but relying on their aid forever will only lead us to ruin."

At his words, the festive joy drained from the hall like light fading before an eclipse.

The Norse gods shifted uneasily, some frowning, others tightening their grip on their weapons as solemnity replaced revelry.

Odin continued, his tone sharpened by resolve, "that is why I, Odin of Asgard, have made an accord with our allies—the Greeks—to merge our worlds, to bind our fates as one. Just as the Nine Realms are woven together through Yggdrasil’s roots, so too shall our universes intertwine into a single creation."

A murmur spread through the crowd, shock and confusion rippling among gods and giants alike, but before voices could rise, Nyx stepped forward.

The light dimmed subtly as her presence deepened, her eyes glowing faintly with the shimmer of constellations.

When she spoke, her voice was both melodic and vast, carrying a graceful calmness and serenity that silenced even the most restless hearts.

"The void beyond existence," she said softly, "is not empty, it is teeming with those Outer Ones, creatures of hunger and formless infinity. They move without beginning or end, devouring what they find, unmaking what they touch. There are countless universes already lost to them, countless more on the brink of being swallowed. They cannot be reasoned with, nor can they be destroyed by mere gods."

Her gaze swept the hall, pausing briefly on the gods who looked most afraid, before continuing with quiet conviction.

"By fusing our universes, our realities, we create more than unity. We create strength. Bound together, we can share our energy, our laws, our power. The Hyperverse that will emerge shall be vast enough to sustain our kind against the darkness that lurks beyond creation. Alone, we are fragments, isolated and devourable. But together, we become a fortress woven from the threads of infinite worlds."

Her words echoed like divine poetry, reverberating through the halls of Asgard.

For a long moment, no one spoke—the weight of the revelation too heavy to process, the grandeur of the vision was also too immense to comprehend.

Even the ever-boastful Thor stood silent, his brows furrowed in rare contemplation.

And as the silence stretched, Odin finally rose from his throne, lifting his goblet high toward Hades, Nyx, and Hecate.

"Then let this night mark not merely a victory," he declared, "but the dawn of a new age, where gods will no longer cower before the unknown!"

The hall erupted once more, not with wild revelry this time, but with solemn cheers, as though they could already feel the weight of history bending toward them.

And in that moment, beneath the golden dome of Asgard, the first sparks of the Hyperverse began to take root in divine ambition.

*

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*

Seven days.

That was how long the divine revelry endured—the feast that shook the roots of Yggdrasil itself.

For seven nights, Asgard gleamed brighter than the stars above it, its halls echoing with laughter, songs, and the clashing of goblets that celebrated both victory and union.

But all celebrations, no matter how radiant, must fade, and now the light of departure fell upon them like the quiet dawn after a storm.

Before the swirling vortex of amethyst light, the portal that would bridge realms, stood Hades, arms crossed, his dark cloak billowing softly in the breeze.

The portal pulsed with life, spiraling endlessly, its surface reflecting distant constellations that shimmered like fragments of a dream.

Hades’ eyes, deep and still as the abyss itself, watched it in silence.

Behind him floated Nyx, her form aglow with tranquil luminescence, her expression carrying that faint, playful smile.

Not far behind, Hecate struggled with a cart brimming with countless tomes and scrolls, each inscribed with runes that pulsed with faint divine energy.

The sheer weight of knowledge seemed almost alive, whispering faint secrets of Yggdrasil’s creation and the Nine Realms’ architecture.

Athena and Metis hovered beside her, eyes gleaming like children staring at forbidden fruit.

"If wisdom had a scent," Athena murmured with reverence, "this would be ambrosia."

Metis chuckled quietly, her fingers twitching as though resisting the urge to devour a book whole. "Knowledge is the one delicacy we can never taste enough of."

Zeus, standing a few paces away, was already locked in a thunderous handshake with Thor.

The air around them cracked with raw power as lightning arced between their palms.

"Next time we meet," Zeus declared with his trademark grin, "we shall see who truly wields the mightiest thunder!"

Thor’s laughter echoed like rolling storms. "Aye! But don’t cry when you’re on your knees before Mjolnir!"

Their booming laughter filled the air, the two gods exuding such masculine bravado that even the sky above Asgard seemed to rumble in response.

Elsewhere, the gods of both pantheons exchanged heartfelt farewells.

The Giants of Olympus clasped hands with the Norse Jötnar, their camaraderie began in battle and strengthened in the haze of shared ale.

Hephaestus bowed deeply to the Dwarves, who saluted him with admiration for his divine craftsmanship.

Poseidon and Loki stood by the fountain of Gjallarbrunn, shaking their hands in silent acknowledgment of their mutual cunning.

"Farewell," Astraea said softly to Hel at the shadowed edge of the courtyard.

"We will meet again," Hel smiled, a shallow one, but a smile nonetheless.

Their calm, distant eyes meeting in a quiet understanding that words could not express.

"I admit, your sister is beautiful." Apollo nodded in acknowledgement, extending his hand for a handshake.

"Yours as well." Freyr shook his hand, their respect showing.

"Next time, I hope your skills won’t get rusty." Said Artemis.

"Same goes to you." Skadi smiled at her.

Hermes, surrounded by giggling goddesses, performed sleight-of-hand tricks that left them in awe, while also saying his farewell.

While Dionysus shared the last of his celestial wine with any who could still stand to drink.

And then there was Hestia.

Surrounded by a crowd of Norse gods and warriors, her soft laughter filled the air as they begged her to remain.

Some knelt dramatically, others raised cups in desperate tribute, a few even swore they would renounce battle if she would only stay to cook for them again.

She simply smiled with that serene, sisterly grace, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear as she gently declined each confession.

"My hearth burns in another home," she said softly, "but perhaps, someday, our fires shall meet again."

As the last farewells were spoken and the echoes of laughter began to fade, Hades finally unfolded his arms.

His voice cut through the air like a quiet command of inevitability. "It’s time to return."

At his words, the portal flared brighter, its swirling light expanding like a heartbeat that connected two distant realities.

The Greeks, one by one, turned to their newfound friends and allies, offering final nods, smiles, and promises of reunion before stepping into the radiance.

Their forms shimmered, dissolving into the violet current that hummed with the resonance of creation itself.

Hecate entered first, pulling her mountain of knowledge behind her; Athena and Metis followed close, their eyes still lingering on Asgard’s endless skies.

Dionysus staggered in with a lazy grin and a raised cup, while Hermes vanished mid-step with a mischievous wink.

Zeus and Thor exchanged one last clash of lightning before the thunder god laughed and stepped back, watching his Greek counterpart disappear.

When all had entered, only Hades and Nyx remained before the portal.

The silence that followed was heavy, yet not sorrowful, it was the silence of endings understood.

Nyx’s voice came soft as the breath of the stars. "We have finally achieved the first step of our goal. Next, we must convince the other pantheons to agree."

Hades looked into the portal, his reflection rippling across the surface of infinity. His voice was calm, distant, and resolute. "Yes. We must."

Only by uniting can they have a chance to actually resist whatever the author would throw at them.

And with that, he stepped into the light.

Nyx followed, her shadow trailing like the night embracing dawn, and the portal slowly closed, leaving behind only the faint hum of divine memory that lingered in Asgard’s winds.