Izel was afraid.
But the more fear she felt…
the more furious she became.
It was a dirty emotion. Uncomfortable. Contradictory.
As if something inside her was being forced out of place.
The fear hadn't completely disappeared…
but it was no longer in control.
Anger had pushed it into a corner.
And now…
it burned.
Zeus watched her.
Standing. Perfect. Impeccable. Untouchable.
And that…
made her sick.
Because she didn't see a god.
She saw her father.
Her mother had been left weak since the day Izel was born.
It had been a difficult childbirth, one that left physical consequences—her body never truly returned to what it once was.
The doctors couldn't explain it, no matter how many she consulted.
In the end, some suggested it might be psychiatric…
but no one ever gave a clear answer.
They simply said she needed to take care of herself.
—
And she did.
For me.
—
For six years.
She loved.
She smiled.
She lived for her daughter and her husband…
But her body couldn't endure it.
She needed constant rest, so she went from being a mother…
to only being able to be a wife.
Her father began to disappear over the years, like the taste of chocolate diluted to make it last.
He faded like air, little by little, so subtly it was almost imperceptible.
—
Until the home was empty of his presence.
He was distant.
—
Because watching her die…
or witnessing the destruction of his wife…
was more than he could bear.
—
And the little time her mother had left…
she gave it to her.
—
Until one day…
she didn't wake up again.
Like a dream, like a flower in winter… she remained asleep.
Just asleep.
Breathing.
They took her to the hospital as if she were only resting…
as if she might wake up at any moment.
—
One year.
—
A whole year waiting for a miracle that never came.
—
And when she died…
he didn't attend her mother's funeral.
He forgot about her too.
He saw her less and less over the years.
She never knew what became of his life.
Now… she only saw him once a year, on her birthday.
—
"Izel—"
The kind, deep voice echoed through the speakers.
It was Mictlantecuhtli.
"Continue the interview. Look at the number of viewers we have."
She glanced at the tablet.
They had already reached over 700,000 live viewers.
Everyone was fascinated by the special effects…
But Zeus's voice pulled her back to reality.
Zeus smiled.
"Are you saying I'm irresponsible?"
His voice was soft.
Dangerous.
"What an interesting accusation…
coming from someone who doesn't understand what it means to carry a world."
A strange energy began leaking from her mask.
Marigold petals started falling over Zeus's skin.
Lightning began to form around him, trying to break free.
But he didn't shout.
He simply… changed.
"Tell me… why did you hurt so many people around you?" Izel asked, interrogating him, forcing herself to continue the interview.
"I enjoyed it," Zeus replied. "Do you know how boring it is to be a god? So… what's wrong with turning this world into my playground?"
Zeus froze, as if he hadn't meant to say that.
"Then… don't you think your power and your name are sustained only by ancient stories?
That your power exists only because of a memory of the past?" Izel said, as the petals began to glow again.
"What are you talking about? I maintain order.
I keep the titans imprisoned.
I rule the skies that allow your world to exist, nourishing you with my water and my clouds…"
Izel realized something.
The petals… were speaking her thoughts without a filter.
The mask Mictlantecuhtli had given her… was not normal.
Zeus leaned forward slightly, breaking free from his restraints.
Fire absorbed the lightning.
"You… are only alive because I allow it."
Silence.
Izel felt a chill run through her.
But she didn't want to stop.
She couldn't.
Her anger drove her like a raging flame.
"Don't lie," she replied.
And her voice no longer trembled.
"Even the crops don't depend on you. Nor the rain.It's your brothers who do that work."
Zeus smiled.Cold. Cruel."Adorable."
The green ribbons turned into chains.The fire of the underworld grew, devouring the lightning.
"Mictlantecuhtli…" Zeus said, annoyed but still elegant."Do not interrupt when I'm teaching something you should have taught her yourself."
Izel retreated into a corner, feeling that a battle between gods was about to begin.
"I am not interrupting," the voice replied. "I am simply protecting what is mine."
"You know I already paid the price for this interview," Zeus said."You know the consequences of breaking a pact between gods."
"I am not breaking anything," the voice answered."These are merely defensive measures within my territory.Besides…"
"My territory does not tolerate violence… without permission."
"Izel," Mictlantecuhtli said. "Continue."
The viewers exploded.
Comments flooded endlessly.Admiration.Chaos.Morbid fascination.
And something inside Izel…
settled.
She couldn't go back.
"Not anymore."
"Zeus…" she looked straight at him."With all that power… why couldn't you protect your own?"
The world stopped.
Zeus looked at her.
And for the first time…
his smile faltered.
"Do you think I didn't try?"
The flowers glowed brighter.
"It was only once… I went out to enjoy myself…"
He blinked. Confused.
"Everything got out of control…It was supposed to be simple…"
His voice cracked slightly.
"It always was…"
Silence.
"Being a god is boring."
He breathed.
"But when I tried to change something… everything got worse."
He closed his eyes.
"It wasn't my fault…Everything was weak… fragile…Everything was fine…and then everything broke."
The chains loosened.The petals burned.
"Why did all of this happen…?" Zeus whispered, staring at his hands.
Izel didn't move.
"Because you're a narcissist."
The silence was absolute.
"One who believes the world revolves around him."
And then…
Izel stepped back.
For the first time…
fear returned.
Izel realized that, for some reason, the petals were speaking what she truly thought, without any filter.The mask Mictlantecuhtli had given her was not normal.
Zeus leaned forward slightly, breaking further free from the bindings as the fire dimmed while absorbing the lightning.
"You… are only alive because I allow it."
Silence.
Izel felt a chill run through her, but she didn't want to stop. She couldn't.Her anger pushed her forward like a raging flame.
"Don't lie," Izel replied.
But her voice no longer trembled.
"Even the crops don't depend on you… and neither does the rain," she said, pressing him harder."It's your brothers who do all the work."
That irritated him even more, causing lightning to spread throughout the room.
Zeus smiled, but now in a cold, cruel way.
"Adorable."
And in that moment…
the green ribbons turned into chains.
The fire of the underworld grew stronger than before, devouring the lightning.
"Mictlantecuhtli…" Zeus said, annoyed but still composed."Do not interrupt when I am teaching something you should have taught her."
Izel retreated again into a corner, feeling that a battle between gods was about to begin.
"I am not interrupting," Mictlantecuhtli's voice replied."I am simply protecting what is mine."
"You know I already paid the price for this interview, don't you?" Zeus said, calmer now."You know the consequences of breaking a pact between gods."
A pause.
"I am not breaking anything. These are merely defensive measures within my territory… and I'm using it as a battery now, besides—"
"My territory does not tolerate violence… without permission."
"Izel," Mictlantecuhtli said through the microphone, his voice firmer now."Continue."
The viewers exploded.
More than 700,000… quickly approaching 1,000,000.
Comments poured endlessly.Admiration.Chaos.Morbid fascination.
And something inside Izel…
settled.
She couldn't turn back now.
"Not anymore."
"Zeus…" she looked straight at him."With all that power… why couldn't you protect your own?"
The world stopped.
Zeus looked at her.
And for the first time…
his smile faltered.
"Do you think I didn't try?"
The flowers began to glow brighter, as if about to burn from the pressure.
"It was only once… I went out to enjoy myself…"
He blinked, confused.
"Everything got out of control…"
"It was supposed to be simple…"
His voice cracked slightly.
"It always was… it went wrong…"
Silence spread across the entire room.
"Being a god is boring."
He breathed.
"But when I tried to change something… everything got worse."
He closed his eyes.
"It wasn't my fault… everything was weak… fragile… everything was fine… and then everything broke."
The chains loosened.The petals burned.
"Why did all of this happen…?" Zeus murmured softly, staring at his hands.
Izel didn't move.
"Because you're a narcissist," she whispered.
The silence was so deep it seemed to echo through the space.
"One who believes the world revolves around him."
Izel stepped back.
For the first time since all of this began… fear returned.
It wasn't sudden or paralyzing like before.It didn't steal her breath or cloud her mind.
It was different.
Deeper.
Heavier.
Like a presence settling inside her chest, reminding her that she was still human… but no longer the same.Or that something else now lived within her.
Her heartbeat felt different.Slower.More aware.More… clear.
Before she could process it, the narrator's voice cut through the air like a clean blade:
—"We hope you enjoyed this electrifying interview…"—"Midnight Frequency ends for today."
Too late.
Zeus broke free with all his strength.
The remaining restraints snapped with a sharp crack, and the air tensed instantly.
He took one step forward. Then another.
His presence changed.
There was no longer any spectacle.No charisma.No game.
—"Child…" his voice dropped, cold and heavy. "You don't understand who you're playing with."
Izel felt the world shrink around her.
And then…
she felt as if she had died.
There was no explosion.No sound.
Only an absolute sense of silence.
As if everything had ceased to exist for a moment.
Then…
Mictlantecuhtli appeared.
Not as the man who smiled calmly behind a desk.Not as the elegant host of a radio station.
He appeared as what he truly was.
A god.
His form was imposing and unnatural.
Ancient bones, covered in shadows that did not belong to this world.Living darkness flowing across his body as if it breathed.
And in his eyes…
green fire.
It did not burn like ordinary flames.It was deeper.Older.
As if it had been burning since before time existed.
A headdress and precious stones engraved with ancient symbols adorned his presence.
—"Zeus…"
His voice did not sound.
It was felt.
Like a weight pressing directly on the soul.
—"Do not mistake my kindness… for weakness."
Zeus smiled.
But this time… it was not natural.
It was a tense smile.Measured.
—"Do you think you can stop me?"
Mictlantecuhtli tilted his head slightly, as if considering the question.
—"Normally… no."
Then the world changed.
The floor vanished.
A dark river surged beneath them, dragging shadows that whispered in forgotten tongues. Figures moved within the current—unfinished shapes, creatures that belonged neither to the past nor the present. On both sides, beasts watched in silence, their eyes glowing in the darkness.
A kingdom.
His kingdom.
—"But here…"
His eyes shone brighter.
—"you are in my territory."
The silence that followed was heavy.
Zeus tightened the lightning in his hand.
For a moment, it seemed like he would throw it.
But he didn't.
His expression changed.
He calculated.Measured.
And finally…
he smiled.
—"I will withdraw…"
A portal opened behind him, tearing through space like fabric.
Before stepping through, he looked at Izel.
Directly.
—"But remember this, child…"
His smile grew thinner. More dangerous.
—"That place you are in…"
He paused.
—"is a desperate ship."
The air turned cold.
—"And desperate ships… always sink first."
He disappeared.
The world returned to normal.
Silence.
Izel could no longer hold herself up.
Her legs gave out as if they no longer belonged to her.
But before she fell…
she understood something.
There was no going back.
And then… everything went dark.
She collapsed.
But she never touched the ground.
Mictlantecuhtli caught her.
He looked at her in silence, as if trying to see beyond what was visible.
—"You've crossed the point… of no return."
His voice was lower now.
More… human.
He sighed softly.
—"And I was the one who pushed you."
A portal opened behind him. This time, the darkness unfolded gently, without violence.
—"But now…"
He adjusted Izel in his arms.
—"you are my responsibility."
He held her firmly.
Carefully.
And in a whisper that almost faded into the air, he said:
—"Even if one day you become something I no longer recognize…I will protect you."
He looked at her one last time.
—"Because now…"
The portal swallowed them.
—"you are part of this world."