The journey back to Portentia was a slow, weary march. The victory at the Sunken Temple felt less like a triumph and more like they had barely survived a natural disaster of their own making.
Nox was quiet, his mind replaying the Administrator's message. 'A third Royal Flag. A dragon.' It was a breadcrumb, a deliberate nudge from the game's puppet masters to push the narrative forward. But it was a breadcrumb he couldn't ignore.
They arrived back at their city to find it in a state of quiet, tense readiness. Vexia had sent a magical message ahead, and the city was prepared for the inevitable fallout.
"Olympus will not let this insult stand," Vexia stated as they gathered in the throne room. "Zeus will retaliate. It is only a matter of when and how."
"Let him come," Elisa grunted, polishing a massive, slightly-melted axe she'd 'liberated' from Hephaestus's forge.
