Darkness again.
But this time, it wasn't empty.
Aiden felt the familiar weightlessness — the strange peace that came whenever he slipped into this place between life and death, between mortal and divine. The air shimmered faintly with golden dust, like sunlight trapped in shadow.
Only now, the figure that had once been just a voice in the dark… had taken form.
The man stood tall and broad-shouldered, his presence almost suffocating. Bronze skin marked with faint scars of countless battles, eyes glowing like molten gold. His aura was quiet but infinite — a storm hidden behind calm seas.
Across his back rested a massive club carved from a lion's fang, and around his neck hung a fragment of celestial chain.
Aiden stared in awe.
"You're… him, aren't you?"
The man smiled faintly, a warmth in his eyes that didn't match his monstrous strength.
"Hercules. Though some once called me Heracles. I've gone by many names — none matter now."
Aiden swallowed hard, trying to steady his voice. "So this… place — this void — is where you've been?"
Hercules glanced around, the golden light rippling softly with his movement.
"Not quite. This is your soul's threshold — where mortal and divine converge. I am the echo within your blood. A fragment of what I once was, bound to your Mythos."
Aiden frowned, looking down at his own glowing chains, twelve in total, circling him like halos made of light and metal. "Then this… power — these chains — they're yours?"
"In a way," Hercules said, his tone calm but weighted. "They are the seals that keep my essence from consuming yours. Break them, and you grow closer to what I was… but further from what you are."
Aiden looked up sharply. "You mean… human?"
Hercules nodded. "Every chain you shatter awakens a piece of divinity — but it takes something from you in return. Strength always demands a price."
Aiden clenched his fists. "Then tell me—does this happen to others? Do other people talk to their Mythos like this?"
The demigod's eyes softened — almost pitying.
"No."
Aiden blinked. "No?"
"You are different, Aiden Cross," Hercules said. "Most who wield a Mythos touch only the surface — fragments of our strength, filtered through their mortal form. But you…"
He stepped closer, the air trembling under his presence. "You carry my entire echo — body, spirit, and burden. You are not a Vassal. You are a successor."
The words hit Aiden like thunder. "Successor…? But why me?"
Hercules looked distant, gaze heavy with memory.
"Because you bear my curse."
The golden light around them flickered — showing flashes of Hercules' past: the lion slain, the Hydra burning, the blood-soaked labors that made him legend.
"I carried the weight of my sins and the will of gods. I fought to prove I was more than Zeus's mistake."
He looked down at Aiden, eyes hardening. "You fight for something else — for love, for purpose, for people who see you as more than a weapon. That is why my strength answered you."
Aiden's throat tightened. "But what if I can't handle it? What if these chains… break me first?"
Hercules smiled faintly, resting a massive hand on his shoulder. The weight was grounding, steady — like a mountain's reassurance.
"Then stand anyway."
The golden light pulsed stronger, the chains humming softly in rhythm with Aiden's heartbeat.
"You will face trials far greater than mine," Hercules continued. "The gods are not gone — only sleeping. And some… would see your power as the key to their return."
Aiden's eyes widened. "You mean the Obsidian Order—?"
But before he could finish, the world around him began to flicker, the golden light fading into darkness. Hercules's voice echoed, deep and distant now.
"Awaken, successor of strength. Protect what you love… before the gods reclaim what's theirs."
And with that, Aiden's eyes snapped open.
He was lying in the infirmary bed at Helios Academy — sunlight filtering through the tall windows. His body ached, his chest was bandaged, and sitting beside him — asleep in the chair, her hand still resting on his — was Lyra.
For the first time since the battle, Aiden let out a slow breath.
Guess I wasn't dreaming after all…
He shifted slightly, and the sound made her stir. Her eyes fluttered open, confusion fading into relief as soon as she saw him awake.
"Aiden!" she gasped, sitting up straight, hand tightening around his. "You're awake!"
He winced slightly as he sat up. "Barely. Did I… pass out again?"
Lyra exhaled, half laughing, half scolding. "You didn't just pass out, you nearly died. Kael and Mira carried you back, and you've been out for two days."
"Two days?" Aiden groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. "Guess I overslept again."
Lyra rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her smile. "Still making jokes after getting impaled. Typical."
He met her gaze — and for a heartbeat, neither looked away.
There was something in her eyes now — not just admiration or worry, but something warmer. Something neither of them wanted to name yet.
Before either could speak, the infirmary door slid open.
Professor Orion stepped in, his long coat swaying softly behind him. His expression, as always, was unreadable — calm eyes that somehow saw everything.
"I see our sleeping demigod has finally returned to the realm of the living," he said, voice even but carrying a hint of approval.
Aiden blinked. "Professor… you were there?"
Orion moved to the side of his bed, hands clasped behind his back. "I arrived shortly after your team returned. The battlefield's residual energy was… remarkable." He looked Aiden over carefully. "You broke the second Chain."
Aiden hesitated. "Yeah. Hydra's Wrath."
"Hmm." Orion's eyes narrowed, studying the faint golden glow beneath Aiden's skin. "And tell me, Cross… did he speak to you?"
Aiden froze. "You mean… Hercules?"
Lyra's eyes widened slightly, looking between them. "Wait — you talked to him?"
Aiden nodded slowly. "He appeared to me again. Said I wasn't just a Vassal — that I'm his… successor."
Orion was silent for a long moment, his expression thoughtful. Finally, he sighed, turning toward the window.
"I suspected as much."
Lyra frowned. "You knew?"
Orion glanced back at them, his eyes colder now, sharper. "The Mythos of Hercules is unique. While most Echoes are fragments — scattered pieces of divine memory — his remained nearly whole after the Great Sundering. For centuries, it was believed too unstable for any mortal vessel."
He looked at Aiden. "Until you."
Aiden swallowed hard. "So I'm… some kind of anomaly?"
"In every sense of the word," Orion said softly. "But also a beacon. If the Obsidian Order learns that a complete Mythos has awakened… they will come for you."
The room went still.
Lyra's hand tightened around Aiden's. "Then we'll stop them."
Orion's gaze softened slightly, but only for a moment. "Bravery suits you, Miss Vale. But this is larger than either of you realize. The Order seeks to resurrect the gods themselves — and Aiden's chains may very well be the key."
Aiden frowned, staring down at his hands. The faint glimmer of gold still pulsed under his skin.
"Hercules said the same thing. That every chain I break brings me closer to the gods… and further from being human."
Lyra turned toward him, her voice steady but soft. "Then we make sure you don't lose that part of yourself. No matter how strong you get."
He met her gaze — and for the first time, something like resolve burned in his eyes.
"Then I'll fight it. The power, the Order, whatever's coming next — I'll fight it all."
"Because I'm not done yet."
Orion gave a faint, knowing smile. "Good. You'll need that fire soon."
He turned to leave, pausing at the door. "The headmistress wants to see you both when you've recovered. There's a new mission — and this time, the stakes are higher."
The door closed behind him, leaving only the quiet hum of mana and the faint sound of their intertwined breathing.
Lyra leaned back in her chair, exhaling softly. "You really don't get a break, do you?"
Aiden chuckled weakly. "Guess not."
She smiled faintly. "Then I'll make sure you survive the next one too."
He looked at her — and for a moment, the weight of gods and destiny didn't matter. Just the warmth of her hand still resting in his.
For her… I'll break every chain if I have to.
And somewhere deep inside his soul, a faint sound echoed —
the third chain trembling.