I made my way across the marble courtyard, every step echoing against the white stone. The gods conversed like old friends in the sun, laughing and smiling as if eons of grudges had never existed. The breeze carried the soft chiming of harps and the scent of nectar. No tension. No conflict.
My instincts screamed at me that none of this was right.
Hermes turned and approached me first, arms open wide.
"Akhon! There you are," he said, grinning with an easy charm. "You disappeared after the last Council session. Dreamwalking again, huh?"
"Dreamwalking…?" I repeated slowly.
"You always get like this when you meditate too deep," Hermes said, chuckling. "Seriously, one of these days you're gonna forget where you are."
I didn't respond. I was too busy scanning his expression, looking for any sign of recognition. Any flicker of memory from the battlefield, from the war, from reality. But all I got was a wink and a friendly pat on the shoulder as he walked past.
Then came Zeus.
