The mansion Helios bought from Ophelia stood like a polished relic against the rising sun. Its once-crumbled facade now glead with fresh marble, the cracks and weathered decay magically restored. The gardens had been trimd, statues uprighted, and the air held the scent of fresh stone and arcane polish.
Inside, Zack was busy flipping dough in a pan that hissed with heat, humming a vaguely off-key tune. Cloud sat silently at the table, still as a statue. Thalen stood by the window, his posture straight, hands folded behind his back like a soldier awaiting orders. Neither said a word. They didn't need to. They weren't the expressive types.
Zack, however, more than made up for it.
"Okay, that's another one," he said, sliding a perfectly folded baked bread onto a plate. "And that makes three. One for you—" he pointed to Thalen "—even though I have no idea if you even want to eat. One for you—" he waved a spatula at Cloud, who blinked but didn't move "—and one for , the chef extraordinaire."
He was about to sit down when the front doors creaked open.
Helios, Kurai, and Sephiroth stepped through the threshold. Their armor had vanished, but the air around them still buzzed faintly with lingering magic—residue from the realm they had just exited.
Zack's grin widened. "Hey! Welco back, dark and broody crew. I made breakfast! Oh Helios hey bud! I thought I'd be seeing you soon once these two appeared here randomly a few days ago."
Helios arched an eyebrow. "You cooking is both a surprise and a minor miracle."
Kurai didn't respond—just walked to the table and sat down, her silence heavy and deliberate.
Sephiroth said nothing either, as usual, but his eyes flicked to Thalen briefly in acknowledgnt before he took a seat near the far end of the table.
Zack raised a brow. "Okay… I was expecting more cheer. You all look like soone told you there's no afterlife."
Helios pulled out a chair and sat across from Zack. "Close. We t Hades and got trapped into helping him out. We also t a goddess who goes by the na Hecate."
Zack blinked. "Oh. Huh."
Cloud looked up slightly. Thalen didn't react.
"Let guess," Zack said, gesturing with his fork, "crazy goddess, big ego, wants to rule the Underworld?"
"Almost word for word. She's power-hungry and ambitious to boot, so I found her unpleasant," Kurai said dryly.
"And Helios made a deal with her," Sephiroth added, voice cold.
Zack's fork froze halfway to his mouth. "Wait—you made a deal with her?"
"I make a lot of deals. Besides if I didn't we all be dead right now, or did you see another way out that I didn't see," Helios said simply.
Kurai turned toward him, arms folded. "Too many deals. As for the way out you didn't give either of us any chance to say if you did."
Zack put the fork down. "Okay, explain. Slowly. Preferably with footnotes."
Helios leaned back in his chair, exhaling. "Hades wanted an item returned and a problem removed. Hecate wanted Hades dethroned. I promised both sothing—"
"Contradictory promises," Kurai cut in.
Helios ignored the interruption. "—But never specified how I'd deliver."
Zack blinked. "I'm not following."
Kurai glared at Helios. "He made deals he can't keep. That's what you're missing."
"Can't?" Helios tilted his head. "Have a little faith in ."
"Playing both sides can get you killed you know," Sephiroth said. "If you have a death wish be sure to leave out of it. I want no part of this deal."
"I'm aware."
"Then why do it?" Kurai asked sharply. "Why act like we can walk away from this clean?"
Helios t her eyes. "Because we can. Trust on that."
The room went silent.
Zack scratched the back of his head. "You're seriously gonna try and outmaneuver two gods at once?"
"I've done it before and I already am doing it now," Helios said.
"And what about your 'word'? You're always going on about keeping it," Kurai said, her voice low now, more displeasure than angry. "So do you know what Zeus will ask in return for this favor you plan on asking?"
Helios didn't answer right away.
Then he leaned forward, resting his arms on the table.
"Wording matters. Like I said I can keep all my words without breaking a single promise. The thing I'm more worried about is when more than likely when Hecate betrays us can we fight back. She has another goddess serving her aning we'd have to with the two of them. Even if we could get past the Underworld curse I don't like our odds."
Kurai narrowed her eyes. "Yes, I believe so. I don't think she was all that powerful. Without that idiotic curse, I would have ended her then and there."
"No," Helios said calmly. "If you did that we'd be dead, so please restrain yourself when we next et her."
Zack gave a low whistle. "That's either genius… or suicidal. You guys really don't ever take it easy do you."
Thalen, who had been quiet the entire ti, finally spoke. His voice was low, distant, but steady. "Be… careful."
Helios nodded. "Yes. I don't plan on dying so soon. I have things to do and if these two gods stand in my way I'll end them."
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