The sea spat them out like broken fragments of a storm.
Luna, Adrian, Achradina, Seraphina, Dorian, and Kratos dragged themselves ashore onto a rugged coastline, the waves still roaring with the aftershocks of Poseidon's death. The sky was gray with thick clouds, and the salt in the air clung to their wounds.
They collapsed onto the sand in silence, each of them bruised, battered, and bleeding.
For a long while, no one spoke. The only sound was the crash of waves and the ragged breaths of survivors.
Finally, Dorian broke the silence, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. His voice was steady but heavy.
"So," he said, looking around at them all, "we've slain Poseidon. That makes two gods. The question is… who is next?"
His eyes lingered on Luna, and despite her weariness, the little zombie girl straightened. Her pale hair was damp, her skin even paler than usual. Yet her eyes—those strange, haunting eyes—glowed faintly in the mist.
"How about…" Luna whispered, "…Hades."
The name hung in the air like poison.
Adrian's head snapped toward her. "Hades?" His claymore dug into the sand as he leaned on it, glaring. "Luna, that's madness. Poseidon was already nearly impossible, and you saw how close we all came to dying. But Hades? The Lord of the Underworld? We can't just stroll into his realm and demand a fight. It's suicide."
Kratos grunted in agreement, his voice gravel deep. "The boy speaks truth. The realm of Hades is not like the sea. It is eternal, endless. Once you step inside, there is no leaving. Unless Hades himself wills it."
Seraphina's brows furrowed as she tightened her grip on her bow. "Adrian is right. Even if we were strong enough, how would we even get inside? None of us can cross into the Underworld without the gods knowing."
The group's tension grew heavier, their exhaustion weighing like lead. Luna's hope flickered in her chest—had she spoken too quickly?
But then Achradina spoke. Her voice was calm, cutting through their doubts like a blade.
"It is not impossible."
The others turned sharply toward her.
Adrian frowned. "What do you mean, 'not impossible'?"
Seraphina narrowed her eyes. "You said it as if you already know a way."
Achradina's gaze was steady, her silver eyes reflecting the stormy sea. She rested her spear against her shoulder, her poise unshaken even after their brutal escape.
"I have a connection inside Olympus," she said. "Someone who can open the path. Someone who has already helped us without you realizing."
The group exchanged wary glances.
Dorian tilted his head. "A connection? Who?"
Achradina's lips curved faintly—though it was not quite a smile. "Athena."
The name struck them harder than any weapon.
Seraphina's eyes widened in disbelief. "Athena? The Goddess of Wisdom? The very daughter of Zeus?"
Adrian nearly choked. "Are you insane? Athena is one of the most loyal Olympians. Why would she help us overthrow her own kind?"
Luna, confused, tilted her head. "But… if Athena wanted us stopped, why didn't she tell Zeus about us earlier?"
At that, Achradina's gaze sharpened. "Exactly."
She stepped closer, her words crisp, deliberate. "Think carefully. When we fought Ares… did any other god intervene?"
The group fell silent.
Achradina continued, her voice growing colder. "When we stormed Poseidon's kingdom, did the skies rain Zeus' wrath? Did Hera send her spies? Did Hermes run ahead with word of rebellion? No. Only Poseidon acted, and only when it was too late."
Her silver eyes narrowed. "Why?"
No one answered.
Achradina's tone hardened. "Because Athena said nothing. She let us move, let us strike, let us kill. She stayed her tongue in the councils of Olympus until Poseidon was already dead. By then, nothing could be undone. Do you not see? She is already with us."
The silence after her words was suffocating.
Dorian's hand tightened around his sword hilt. "You're saying… Athena is part of this rebellion."
Kratos growled low in his throat. "If it is true… it changes everything."
Adrian still looked skeptical, but his voice carried doubt now, not denial. "But Athena? She's Zeus' most trusted strategist. If she's playing both sides—why?"
Seraphina's voice was a whisper, almost fearful. "Maybe… because she sees what the others do not. That Olympus cannot hold its throne forever."
All eyes turned to Luna. She sat silently on the sand, her small hands clutching the gauntlets Kratos had given her. Her lips parted, and her quiet voice drifted like wind.
"If Athena is truly with us… then maybe… we can face Hades."
---
Achradina's spear glowed faintly, catching the dim light of the storm above. She stepped past them, her figure tall and unshaken, even as the ocean winds tore at her silver hair.
"Athena will open the way," she said firmly. "But understand this—her aid comes at a cost. She will not act openly, nor will she expose herself. Olympus must never suspect her hand in this. To the others, she must remain loyal, until the very moment the throne shatters beneath them."
Kratos crossed his arms, his face grim. "Hmph. Deception in the heart of Olympus itself. A dangerous game."
Achradina glanced at him. "The only kind of game worth playing when gods are involved."
Seraphina lowered her bow slowly, her eyes still wide with disbelief. "So Athena is already one of us…"
"No," Achradina corrected. "She has always been one of us. You simply did not know until now."
The wind howled, carrying the salt of the sea across their battered faces. Their path was darker than ever, but for the first time, there was something like a sliver of hope.
A goddess on their side.
And a path into the Underworld itself.
Luna stood, her frail frame trembling but resolute. Her voice was small, but steady.
"Then let's go."
The others looked at her—at the little corpse-girl who had already helped slay two gods. And though doubts still lingered, none could deny the fire burning in her eyes.
Their next trial would be their deadliest yet.
But now, Olympus itself had a traitor in its heart.
And the war for the world was only beginning.