Athena was still staring at the floor, lost in fragmented thoughts, when the sound of measured footsteps approached from the corridor behind us. A regal presence swept into the room like a silent wind. I didn't even need to turn to know who it was—her aura was unmistakable.
"Darling," Hera's voice came like silk over steel, calm and commanding. "There you are. I've been looking everywhere."
I turned around slowly to face her.
She looked radiant—too radiant, even for a goddess. Draped in flowing robes of emerald and gold, her crown shimmered with tiny stars that blinked in and out like the night sky. Her beauty was flawless, almost unnatural. She smiled at me warmly, her eyes gleaming with maternal affection. But beneath that softness, I saw something else. A glint. Something cold.
"I hope I'm not interrupting," she said, glancing sideways at Athena with a polite nod. "But I'd like a moment with my son."
Athena tensed. "We were talking—"
