The training grounds emptied slowly, the echo of Callistratos' embarrassment still drifting like smoke in the air. Kairo walked with his hands in his pockets, aura tucked neatly under his skin now, calm and unreadable. Selene walked beside him, posture graceful, eyes cool and observant.
Behind them, Lysandros followed—quiet, alert, and absolutely unconvinced.
He watched Kairo's back the way a lion watches another predator that wandered too close to its territory. His aura stayed sharp, controlled, and ready.
"Tell me something," Lysandros said suddenly.
Kairo didn't turn. "If it's about Callistratos, he'll recover. Pride wounds heal fast."
"That's not it."
Lysandros narrowed his eyes.
"You two… who exactly are you?"
Selene smiled politely, as if she were amused by a child's curiosity. "Travelers," she said simply.
"Nobody travels with THAT level of Aether control," Lysandros shot back.
Kairo stopped walking.
He turned slightly—just enough to tilt his chin and meet Lysandros' gaze over his shoulder. His aura didn't flare, didn't surge, didn't roar. It simply pulsed once, like a quiet heartbeat.
But that was enough.
Lysandros felt it.
A controlled pressure.
Like standing before something that chose to be calm.
"Curiosity can kill, you know," Kairo murmured. "And you seem smart enough to avoid dying young."
Lysandros' jaw tightened, but he didn't look away.
"I don't trust people who show up without an origin. Not here. Not in the Greek Village."
Selene stepped forward, mild and serene.
"You shouldn't trust us," she said softly. "Not yet."
Kairo glanced at her, mildly surprised at her honesty.
She continued, "But you should trust your instincts. They're telling you we're not threats. If we wanted chaos, the storm boy would be ash."
That made Lysandros pause.
His instincts were saying something—something confusing.
That these two were dangerous…
But not hostile.
Powerful…
But strangely focused.
He crossed his arms. "Fine. If you're not threats… then what are you looking for in my village?"
Kairo gave him a lazy shrug.
"Knowledge."
"About what?"
"About how you people use Aether," Kairo replied. "How you train. How your hierarchy works. Who your prodigies are."
He tilted his head. "Normal stuff."
Lysandros blinked.
"Normal?"
"For travelers," Kairo added casually.
Selene hid a smile.
He makes lies sound like prophecies…
Still suspicious, Lysandros walked ahead of them, pointing toward the larger part of the compound.
"Follow me," he said bitterly. "If you want to understand the Greek Village… then I'll show you more. But don't think I'm dropping my guard."
Kairo chuckled.
"Wouldn't want that. A lion with no fangs is boring."
Lysandros shot him a glare.
"I'm not a lion."
But the aura behind the glare said otherwise.
THE ZEUS COMPOUND — INNER QUARTERS
The path opened into a massive courtyard. Stone statues of Zeus, Hera, and Athena lined the walls. Two huge lightning rods towered over the space, crackling faintly with blue Aether sparks.
Lysandros stopped and pointed.
"This is where prodigies gather. And before you ask—yes. I am one."
Kairo let his eyes drift across the area, pretending to be impressed even though internally he had seen ten times better from their sensei's training pits.
"So you're elite?" Selene asked, not mocking—just curious.
"One of them," Lysandros admitted quietly.
"Each major clan contributes one. Zeus, Apollo, Ares, Athena, Hera, Artemis."
Selene nodded.
"Six clans."
"And six prodigies," Lysandros confirmed.
Kairo whistled softly. "Decent structure."
Lysandros turned to face them fully now.
"But you two… you're weird."
Kairo raised an eyebrow. "Weird?"
"Yes," Lysandros said firmly.
"You don't act impressed. You don't act threatened. And when Callistratos attacked you, you didn't even flinch."
His voice lowered.
"That's not normal. Not even among prodigies."
Kairo shrugged.
"Maybe we've just seen scarier things."
That line hit Lysandros harder than expected.
He studied Kairo's eyes.
Cold.
Calm.
Depths that didn't belong to someone his age.
Selene stepped closer to Lysandros and spoke gently, "We're not here to harm your village. But we do want to understand it. And maybe… find a place to train for a bit."
Lysandros hesitated.
Training.
Information gathering.
Both sounded innocent.
But something about them still felt wrong.
So he tested them.
"If you really want to understand the Greek Village," Lysandros said, aura tightening, "then fight someone who matters."
Kairo smiled.
"Thought you'd never ask."
A SMALL TEST
Lysandros lifted his hand, summoning a spear made entirely of condensed Aether. It crackled with lightning that danced across the metal.
"Relax," he said, lowering the spear.
"I'm not fighting you. Not yet."
Kairo clicked his tongue.
"Shame. I was in the mood."
Lysandros ignored him and pointed across the courtyard where another figure walked in—a tall girl with golden hair and eyes burning like a miniature sun.
"This is Thaleia," he said.
"Apollo clan prodigy."
Thaleia walked toward them, expression bored, glowing faintly with solar aura.
"I heard someone embarrassed the baby Zeus earlier," she said, smirking. "Was it you?"
Kairo stepped forward.
"Depends," he replied. "You looking to be next?"
Selene facepalmed.
Lysandros exhaled sharply.
Thaleia's grin widened.
"Oh, I like him."
With a flick of her wrist, a sphere of sunlight condensed in her palm.
"Let's see what you are, traveler."
She launched it.
Kairo didn't dodge.
He simply raised his hand, let his Aether swirl into a sleek blue spiral, and caught the attack with his bare palm.
The courtyard fell silent.
Even Lysandros froze.
Thaleia blinked. "You—caught it?"
Kairo tilted his head, letting the glowing sun-ball spin above his palm.
"You call this hot?" he said mildly.
"Try again."
Selene whispered, "Kairo… subtle infiltration, remember?"
"Oh."
He tossed the ball at Thaleia gently—like passing a toy.
"Sorry."
She caught it awkwardly, eyes wide.
Lysandros stepped between them, pulse racing.
They're too strong.
Too controlled.
Too unknown.
But…
He couldn't deny the rising curiosity.
"What are you two?" he breathed.
Kairo smiled—a slow, confident, anime-protagonist smile.
"Just travelers, man."
Selene added softly, "Trying to understand your world."
And Lysandros…
For the first time…
Felt his distrust wobble.
Just a little.