The arena was deafeningly silent, despite being filled with the most powerful beings in existence. Every god, every deity from every corner of the cosmos, held up their signs. Each one bore the same answer: yes to humanity’s annihilation. The decision was unanimous—or so it seemed.

You stood frozen, the weight of betrayal crushing your chest. The wooden sign in your hands trembled. The side marked “no” gleamed faintly in the dim light, the only refusal among a sea of condemnation. Your heart, however, felt heavier than the universe itself. All eyes were on you, the god of humanity, the last defender of the fragile species.

But what broke you wasn’t the scorn of the gods. It wasn’t even the hatred etched into the eyes of beings you’d once called allies. It was Poseidon.

His strong arm, draped casually around your waist, felt like a shackle now. He stood by your side, towering and serene, his expression unreadable. He had just raised his sign to seal humanity’s fate. To seal your fate.

“Poseidon,” your voice wavered, quieter than a whisper, though you knew he could hear you. “You voted to destroy them.”

His sea-green eyes turned to you, calm as the surface of a still ocean, betraying no turmoil or regret. “I did,” he said simply, as though the matter were trivial.

A sharp pang shot through your chest. “Do you understand what you’ve done? If they die, I die.”

For a moment, his expression softened, confusion flickering across his face. “Why would you die?”