Chapter 34: Deception

They say deceit doesn’t always come from evil—
sometimes it’s born from fear, from pain, from a broken promise.
Sometimes, lying is the only path left when the truth becomes unbearable.

But even in the cleverest lie, there’s always a crack—
a fracture so small it threatens to bring everything down.

Isaac learned that far too soon.

In a world where gods toy with the lives of men and shadows disguise themselves as allies,
it’s hard to tell who’s the executioner and who’s the victim.
Deception becomes an art—
a trap even the purest heart can fall into, if the price to pay is saving the one they love.

How far would you go for the truth?
And if reaching your goal meant becoming the very thing you swore to destroy—
would you still walk that path?

Sometimes, the greatest danger isn’t being betrayed…
but having to become the betrayer.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Isaac Yoi, son of Ares,” said Loki with a crooked smile, emerging from the shadows as if the air itself had shaped him.

Isaac took a step back, startled.
Who is this guy? I didn’t even sense his presence until he spoke... His aura... it’s dangerous.

His fingers instinctively reached for the sickle on his back.

“I’d advise against using that thing,” murmured Loki without moving.

Isaac didn’t answer. He lunged like lightning—
but his weapon was stopped by a single finger.

“I warned you.”

With a subtle motion, Loki shattered the sickle as if it were glass.
Isaac gasped as the air was ripped from his lungs, collapsing to his knees.

“W-who… are you?” he managed to ask.

“Loki. Norse god of lies. A pleasure,” he said mockingly.

“A god…?” Isaac glared up, rage boiling in his eyes.

“You don’t seem surprised,” Loki noted with amusement. “I suppose you already know one.”

“Yes. My father. Ares.”

Loki let out a dry laugh.
“A responsible god with his children… now that’s a rare case.”

Isaac frowned.
“What do you want from me? If you came here, there’s a reason. All gods are the same.”

“All the same?” repeated Loki, narrowing his eyes. “Perhaps you’re right.”

Isaac forced himself to stand.
“So? What do you want?”

“I didn’t come to ask you for anything… I came to offer a deal.
Well, more like… to extort you.”

A smirk crossed his lips as he raised his hand slightly.

Then came Loki’s words—sharp as blades, each one cutting deeper than the last.
The truth he revealed was merciless.
Threats. Images. Blackmail.
Everything crashed over Isaac like a tidal wave.

“Damn you…” he whispered, trembling with fury.

“I’ll be looking forward to your magnificent results,” murmured Loki before vanishing into thin air.

Days passed.
The trials at GODS began, and Isaac cleared them with ease.
His expression remained calm—
but inside, he carried the unbearable weight of an impossible choice.

During Edén and Shu’s battle, he sat among the crowd, silent, unmoving.
At first, he scoffed inwardly.
I don’t get why they care so much about some weak kid…

But when Edén’s demonic power awakened,
a chill ran down his spine.

No… it can’t be. Is this… what Loki wants?

That same night, outside the city, Isaac held the Ether Mirror in his hands.

“The test was a success,” he whispered.

“Excellent,” came Loki’s voice from the other side. “Have you located the target?”

“Yes… He’s here. In GODS.”

“Perfect. The boss plans to pay a little visit. We’ll need your assistance.”

Isaac nodded silently.

The night of the attack arrived.
The air was heavy, though the guards barely noticed.

“It’s been a long day… I hope they pay us what we’re worth,” one of them muttered.

A knife flew from the shadows. Silence. Blood. The guard fell.

“I’m inside,” Isaac whispered, slipping through the corridors.

“Good,” replied Loki, meditating beneath the starlit sky.
“Now.”

A dark, imperceptible energy spread across the headquarters of the Divine Council, forming an impenetrable web.

Isaac looked up, stunned.
How fast did he do that? No one even sensed it…

“Stop spacing out,” growled a voice beside him—it was the Unknown 29.
“We have to move.”

“Yeah, yeah,” muttered Isaac, snapping back to focus.

A second guard appeared.
“Who are you? What are you doing here—?”

He never finished.
Unknown 29 severed his hand and slit his throat in one fluid motion.

“So damn annoying,” he hissed.

The air grew heavy. A sinister presence approached.
Someone began clapping in the darkness.

“Leave the rest to me,” said Unknown 30 with a smug smile.

Dark spores burst from his body, filling the corridor.
Isaac fell to his knees. So did 29.

“How fragile humans are…” whispered the being before stepping into the central chamber.

The streets were still blanketed in dust.
The echo of rubble dragged by the wind mingled with the hammering of the rebuilders.
After Black Lights’ assault, the city itself seemed to breathe with difficulty.

Among the crowd of weary faces, a new one stood out.

What a mess, thought Drake, staring at the remains of the western tower.
Those bastards wiped out hundreds… and still, no one detected their entry.
Even if they hid their power, someone like Zeus should have sensed them miles away.
That can only mean one thing… Someone helped them.

Night fell slowly.
Inside a modest residence, Isaac was reviewing training reports when a sharp knock pulled him out of focus.

Who could it be at this hour…?

He rose cautiously and peered through the peephole.
On the other side waited a broad-shouldered man with a piercing gaze—Drake.

“Come in,” Isaac said calmly.

The visitor stepped inside without hesitation.
“Sorry to bother you this late,” he began formally, though his tone was anything but cordial.
“My name is Drake, member of the Grek police force.
We need your cooperation for a few questions.”

“Of course,” Isaac replied, closing the door behind him.

“I’ll be direct,” the officer said, eyes locked on his.
“Were you the one who helped Black Lights?”

Isaac kept his expression steady.
“What makes you think that?”

Drake didn’t avert his gaze.
“I’ve looked into you—your background, your family, your academy record.
Everything points to someone forcing your hand.
If you know something, tell me now. No one will blame you.”

Isaac folded his arms, composed.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.
I have nothing to do with what happened.”

The air thickened.
Without warning, Drake unsheathed his sword and placed the blade at Isaac’s throat.

“I’m not here to play games,” he said coldly.
“If I have to beat the truth out of you, I will.”

Isaac didn’t even flinch.
“Do as you please,” he answered flatly.
“Like the rest of the students, I was unconscious.
I have no useful information. I don’t know what you expect to hear.”

At that moment, a small winged creature landed on Drake’s shoulder—a tiny dragon with ancient, knowing eyes.
It stared straight at Isaac, as if reading his soul.

“This is your last warning, kid,” Drake muttered.

Isaac met his gaze, unshaken.

After several seconds of silence, the officer finally smirked, satisfied.
“Seems you really don’t know anything.
Sorry for the trouble. Have a good night.”

He turned on his heel and left without another word.

Isaac remained by the door for a while, listening as Drake’s footsteps faded into the distance.
Then he closed it slowly.

I almost killed him, he thought, brow furrowing.
If he’d made one suspicious move, he’d be dead by now.

In a dark alleyway, Drake lit up a communicator while stroking the tiny dragon perched on his shoulder.

“You’ve trained a very loyal dog,” he said mockingly.
“Even when I revealed my true power, he didn’t flinch.”

“Let’s just say he’s got someone he’d die for without hesitation,” came Loki’s voice from the other end.
“So it’s no surprise.”

“I’ll keep you updated on the situation, Captain,” said Drake.

“Perfect. Keep me informed. Farewell.”

The transmission cut.

Back in his room, Isaac sat before his desk.
In his hands he held an old photograph—
the face of a young woman with eyes identical to his own.

“Hang in there a little longer… I swear, I’ll bring you back, sister.”

The image trembled slightly between his fingers—
not from the cold, but from guilt.