The Shattered Constellations Between Stars

Nyx gasped for breath as the Snake God of Pride coiled tighter around her. His scales pressed into her skin, cutting off her air, and the malicious gleam in his eyes only made it worse. She knew she’d made a mistake by coming back here, but she hadn’t expected this level of fury from the snake.

“How dare you come back, and mock me, little girl?” the Snake hissed, tightening his grip further.

Just when Nyx thought she couldn’t take another second of the suffocating pressure, a voice broke through the tension.

“Let her go, Snake.”

It was the Fanged Tiger, God of Envy, stepping out from the shadows, his gaze steady but sharp. He’d been watching Nyx for some time, admiring her ability to survive despite being visually impaired. But this time, his usual quiet observation had shifted—he couldn’t stand by any longer. He knew the Snake was taking out his anger for another reason entirely, and Nyx had just gotten caught in the middle of it.

The Snake hissed in annoyance. “You again. Shouldn’t you be lurking in someone else’s shadow, Tiger? This one is mine.”

“You’re angry because of me, Snake,” the Tiger said calmly. “She has nothing to do with it. Let her go.”

But the Snake’s coils only tightened further. “You expect me to just let her walk away after disturbing my domain and you provoking me earlier?”

Back at Drac’s cave, the Tiger had made an unexpected visit just that morning. It wasn’t often he appeared in the Dragon God’s territory, and Drac had been less than pleased to see him.

“What do you want?” Drac asked, his irritation clear as the Tiger approached.

The Tiger didn’t seem fazed. “Something’s brewing, Dragon. It involves you, but I can’t say what yet. Just… be prepared.”

Drac had barely acknowledged the warning, frowning as the Tiger turned to leave without offering any specifics. He was growing tired of gods and beings entering his territory without warning. “I need to tighten security,” he had muttered to himself after the Tiger left, his irritation rising.

Now, that same warning echoed in Drac’s mind as Len returned to the cave, frantic.

“She never showed up at Griff’s cave,” Len said, his eyes wide with worry.

Drac’s stomach tightened. He knew something was wrong. Nyx always kept her promises. He remembered the Tiger’s cryptic words and wasted no time, taking to the skies, heading toward the Snake’s territory.

Meanwhile, back in the Snake’s domain, the tension was mounting. The Tiger had stepped forward, preparing to intervene physically if necessary.

“Don’t make this worse for yourself, Snake,” the Tiger warned, his claws flexing in preparation for a fight. “You kill her, and you’ll have the Dragon at your throat before the day’s out.”

The Snake smirked, his voice dripping with venom. “I can handle the Dragon.”

“You’re not thinking straight,” the Tiger growled, moving closer. “This isn’t about her, and we both know it. You’re angry because of what I did to you earlier.”

The Snake’s eyes flashed with rage, and he seemed ready to strike the Tiger next. The air around them grew heavy with the threat of violence, and the Tiger tensed, prepared to fight.

But then, before anything else could happen, Drac descended into the Snake’s territory, his landing shaking the ground beneath them. His eyes immediately locked on Nyx, her body still wrapped tightly in the Snake’s crushing grip.

“Release her, now,” Drac’s voice thundered through the forest, filled with unbridled fury.

The Snake sneered but hesitated for just a moment, loosening his coils. “And if I don’t?”

In a blur of motion, Drac was in front of the Snake, his eyes blazing with the fury of a thousand storms. “If you don’t, I’ll end this now.”

The Snake sneered, but the sheer intensity of Drac’s gaze made him hesitate. Slowly, he loosened his coils, letting Nyx fall to the ground. She gasped and coughed, struggling to catch her breath.

Drac knelt beside her, his voice gentler but still firm. “Are you alright?”

Nyx nodded weakly. “I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have come here.”

Drac’s gaze softened, but his tone remained stern. “We’ll discuss this later. For now, you’re coming with me.” He turned to the Fanged Tiger. “Keep her safe. I need to deal with this.”

The Tiger, who had been watching the confrontation with a mixture of admiration and guilt, nodded. “Understood. I’ll take her.”

Drac’s attention snapped back to the Snake. “And you, stay out of trouble. If you dare provoke me again, you’ll regret it.”

The Snake’s eyes narrowed as Drac stepped forward, his posture radiating menace. “You think you can just waltz in here and make demands?”

Drac’s eyes flashed dangerously. “I’m not making demands. I’m giving you a choice: leave Nyx alone and stay out of my way, or face the consequences.”

The Snake’s hiss was a low, dangerous growl as he coiled back, preparing for a fight. “You’re making a grave mistake.”

Without another word, Drac and the Snake clashed. The forest erupted into chaos as their powers collided—Drac’s elemental fury meeting the Snake’s serpentine strikes in a brutal, vicious battle. Trees splintered and the ground shook as they fought, each blow more destructive than the last.

In the midst of the carnage, the Fanged Tiger swiftly moved to Nyx’s side. “We need to get out of here,” he said urgently, lifting her with ease. “Follow me.”

As the Tiger carried Nyx eastward, through the dense forest of his own territory, he thought to himself, This is what I wanted all along. His domain lay to the east, and he had maneuvered the situation to bring Nyx here, away from the Snake’s rage.

Once they were safely hidden in the Tiger’s territory, he set Nyx down gently. “You’re safe here,” he said, his tone softer now. “Away from the Snake’s wrath.”

Nyx looked up at him, her eyes filled with gratitude and exhaustion. “Thank you. I didn’t know…”

The Tiger waved off her thanks. “Don’t mention it. You were brave to come here, but next time, heed the warnings.”