[Third Person Pov]
Lucian wielded his spear with practiced ease, stepping forward as he thrust it straight toward Markus' chest. Markus reacted instantly. With a sharp twist of his wrists, he brought up his crescent blades, deflecting the spear's shaft downward. Using the momentum, he planted a foot against the weapon itself and vaulted upward, flipping cleanly over Lucian's head. He landed behind him in a low stance, one blade pressed firmly against Lucian's throat.
For a brief moment, Markus thought he had won.
Lucian merely glanced over his shoulder, a faint, knowing smirk tugging at his lips. Then, without warning, his form shimmered—and vanished entirely, as though he had never been there at all.
Markus' instincts screamed. He leapt forwards just as a lightning-fast strike tore through the space where his legs had been a heartbeat earlier. He hit the ground hard, rolling to absorb the impact, and came up on one knee. His blades rose just in time to intercept an overhead attack. Steel clashed against steel with a sharp, echoing clatter that rang through the training ground.
Lucian reappeared a few steps away, his expression calm and almost amused. He took a step back, resting his spear upright as he extended a hand toward Markus.
"Your reflexes have improved," Lucian said, his tone approving.
"Thank you," Markus replied, breathing hard but sincere. He accepted the offered hand and allowed himself to be pulled back to his feet.
Lucian leaned casually against his spear, studying Markus for a long moment, his sharp eyes taking in every detail. "While you catch your breath," he said, "why don't you tell me how your meeting with your mother went?"
Markus' expression twisted, uncertainty and conflicted emotions flickering across his face. He looked away briefly before answering. "I don't even know where to begin…"
"I always recommend starting from the beginning," Lucian replied smoothly. "What happened after she came and picked you up from school?"
Markus hesitated, then exhaled. "Well…"
…
Markus had been waiting outside the school gates, his backpack slung over his shoulders and a duffel bag resting at his feet. The afternoon sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the pavement as students gradually filtered away.
Eventually, a car pulled up in front of him.
It wasn't anything extravagant—just a modest blue car, the kind meant for a small, practical family. When it came to a stop and the driver's door opened, a beautiful Black woman stepped out. Her long dreadlocks were tied into a messy bun, with two loose strands framing her face.
"Markus!" she called out, her face lighting up with a radiant smile that made it impossible to doubt her joy.
"Mom," Markus greeted, his lips curling into a stiff, strained smile. Despite the complicated emotions twisting in his chest—especially now that he knew the truth about so many things—he couldn't deny the happiness he felt at seeing her again after so long.
"What's wrong?" she asked gently as she pulled him into a tight embrace. She held him at arm's length afterward, studying him closely—his face, how much he had grown, the muscle he had built since the last time she'd seen him. A mother's intuition told her immediately that something wasn't right.
Markus looked up at her, forcing an awkward smile. "It's been a long year," he said softly. "I'll explain later."
After their reunion, Markus grabbed his bags, his mother helping him load them into the back seat before he climbed into the passenger side. As they pulled away from the curb and merged into traffic, Faith glanced over at him repeatedly, her smile warm and full of relief.
Since Markus didn't seem eager to start the conversation, she eventually did. "So," she said lightly, "how was the school year? Anything interesting happen? New friends? Maybe a girlfriend?"
Markus stared at her for a few seconds. "Seriously?" he asked flatly.
She raised an eyebrow. "Boyfriend?"
"Oh my god," Markus groaned, slouching back in his seat as he reached for his seatbelt.
"I'm just saying," Faith laughed. "I wouldn't judge you either way."
He rolled his eyes and straightened up. "Thanks… I think. But no. None of that. I'm not really interested in dating."
After a moment, he continued answering her earlier question. "I did get a new roommate, though. He was cool. His name was Lucian. He's a bit weird—"
…
"The fuck you mean weird?" Lucian cut in sharply, interrupting the story.
Markus scoffed and shot him an unimpressed glare. "Have you seen yourself?" he shot back. "Now let me continue—and don't interrupt me."
Lucian raised his hands in mock surrender, though the smirk never left his face.
Markus huffed before continuing, "As I was saying, I didn't want to just come right out and tell my mother about meeting my father. So I started with the smaller things first… like how I gained a weird roommate."
…
"I did get a new roommate, though," Markus said casually, a faint grin tugging at his lips. "He was cool. His name was Lucian. He's a bit weird. Pretty messed up in the head, honestly. I'm fairly certain he has a few screws loose and more than a couple mental issues—but he's not a bad guy."
Faith stared at him for a moment, her brow furrowing with curiosity. "Just what kind of roommate did you end up with?"
"Honeslty," Markus replied with a small shrug, "if there's ever a chance for you to meet him, I think you'd actually like him." He went on to talk about the simpler, more mundane aspects of his school life—classes, routines, small moments that felt almost normal—carefully avoiding anything too complicated.
Eventually, they arrived at the apartment complex.
The building was tall and well maintained, its exterior clean and modern, clearly designed to house families comfortably. Spacious windows lined the structure, and the lobby was softly lit. Their apartment was on the fifth floor. As they stepped into the elevator and the doors slid shut, the silence between them grew heavy.
The elevator began to rise.
Markus stared straight ahead, his eyes tracking the glowing numbers as they climbed—first floor… second… third. The soft hum of the elevator filled the space.
"I met with Dad," Markus suddenly said as the elevator reached the fourth floor.
"What?" Faith turned toward him sharply, the color draining from her face as disbelief overtook her expression.
Markus didn't look at her. He kept his gaze fixed forward, his face eerily calm. "Yup," he said flatly. "Imagine my own surprise when I found out my father is the God of Death."
The elevator reached the fifth floor and stopped with a small jolt. The doors slid open.
Without another word, Markus bent down, grabbed his bags, and stepped out, walking down the hall without looking back.
Faith remained frozen inside the elevator, her heart dropping straight into her stomach. A cold sweat slid down her temple as panic set in. For a moment, she wanted to believe Markus was joking—that he had misunderstood something, or that someone had lied to him, impersonated his father. But the moment he'd said God of Death, she knew he was telling the truth.
Before the doors could close, she forced herself forward and stepped out, her movements heavy and unsteady. Anger surged through her veins as she clenched her fists, muttering under her breath, "That bastard… I thought we had an agreement—"
"Don't be mad at him," Markus said calmly, unlocking the apartment door with his spare key. "He wasn't the one who sought me out. I was the one who found him."
"Damn it, Markus!" Faith snapped, at a loss for words as she followed him inside and slammed the door shut behind her. "How the hell did you even find him?!"
Markus set his bags down near the wall before turning slightly toward her. "Remember how I told you about Lucian, right?"
Faith blinked, confused by the sudden shift. "What does that have to do with any of this?"
Markus exhaled slowly. "Here's a little fun fact about Lucian that I forgot to mention. Turns out that, aside from being a demigod, he's also the Son of Hades." He paused. "And the Prince of the Underworld."
Faith swore under her breath, running a hand through her hair as dread settled deep in her chest. Of all the possibilities, this was the one she'd feared most. "Markus…" she said quietly. "You weren't meant to find out this way."
"Oh yeah?" Markus shot back, his voice rising as frustration finally broke through his calm exterior. "Because it seems to me I was never meant to find out at all."
Faith met his gaze, her expression stern and tense, though pain flickered beneath it. "If it was for the best," she said firmly, "then no."
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