Chapter Thirteen

I woke to a horrible headache.

I felt it right down my spine and spreading through my chest. I kept my eyes closed, afraid of waking up to a bright light, even though I'm sure there wasn't judging from the darkness behind my closed eyelids. I could hear an occasional drip, and the sound of papers fluttering somewhere and shifting shoes on a stone floor...

No, marble, I realized, managing to lift a heavy hand to place on the floor out in front of me, feeling the smoothness of it. The air was cold and damp. I wrinkled my nose at the smell of moth balls, well water, dirt, and just general ancient funk. I forced my eyes open, grimacing at how heavy and sore they felt.

I found myself laying sprawled out on my side, one arm thrust under my head across the floor, my other resting on my side. I was still wearing a blood stained t-shirt and jeans. I frowned at it, confused for a moment before everything came rushing back at once, along with a wave of nausea that had me rolling over to vomit on the floor.

I panted hard, reaching up to grasp at my chest, but the bloody gaping hole was already healed. I felt so hollow and empty inside, though. It hurt and for no reason, I wanted to cry. I slumped back on the floor, pausing to tilt my head up to see long steel bars cutting my cell off from what looked like a huge round room.

My eyes widened in recognition. It was the room in the labyrinth, the center of it all. I remembered the huge round table at the center with a model replica of the labyrinth. There were a few other desks in the room, all piled up with papers and scrolls. And much to my shock, Epimetheus was standing in the room with his back to my cell, flipping through a file folder with a serious frown on his face. His dark hair was swept back from his face, eyes narrowed on the pages. He wore black jeans and a torn army jacket over a camo tank top.

I blinked a few times. He hadn't seemed to notice I was awake. I pushed myself up slowly and quietly when I heard something behind me shift. I sucked in a sharp breath and whipped around, then froze at the sight in the corner of my small cell.

Hannibal was tightly bound by the familiar glowing gold rope used by Alexion to restrain gods and their powers. But he looked awful. His hair was wet, from what I wasn't sure, but swept back from his face to reveal the painful forked scar that ran through his eye and down his cheek, one of the forks sweeping into the corner of his mouth. He only wore a torn, wet sleeveless black turtleneck, revealing all the deep white and puckered scars decorating his arms, and a pair of tight leather pants with chains wrapped through the belt loops.

I glanced back out at Epimetheus, who had thrown down his file folder and was making his way toward one of the many rooms that lined the outside of the round room. I watched him leave, then turned back to Hannibal.

"Hannibal?" I whispered, trying to get his attention. His mismatched eyes flickered open slowly, and he was obviously dazed at first before his vision seemed to clear and he furrowed his brow. He gave a lazy tug at the restraints around him, then slumped back against the wall, tilting his head back.

"How did you get here?" I asked. He frowned a little more.

"That's what I'd like to know." He muttered dryly. I frowned curiously at that. So he had no idea why he was brought here. I remembered Prometheus saying something about a host, about needing a host to finish the ritual, and yet... Were they really going to use Hannibal? Why did they bring me? They had my heart, that was all they needed from me...

Or did he need two hosts because there were two Khalian? If that was the case, we were both in trouble. I wasn't sure what went along with being a host for two Khalian, whatever that meant, but I wasn't going to enjoy it. That I knew already.

Part of me wanted to take the restraints off Hannibal and have him assist in escaping, but I couldn't trust him. Not after everything he'd done to Abel and Cain, as obnoxious as those two were, they were still my brothers and Hannibal was the enemy as well. No matter what deal he made with Abel. Hannibal seemed to know that, though, because he didn't ask me to untie him. He just sat slumped against the wall, eyelids heavy as he stared straight ahead. I may not be able to untie him and have him help me, but I could at least get some information out of him.

"Hannibal, what does being a host mean? A host for the Khalian?" I asked. Hannibal glanced at me, then looked away. He looked very reluctant to speak to me, but he finally sighed, tilting his head back against the wall.

"To make a potion, you need cauldrons, or bowls. Right?"

"Yes."

"We're the bowls."

"Wait," I managed, "We? Both of us?" So I was right, I realized with a grimace. Prometheus was going to use both of us to host the ritual, the concoction that will leash the Khalian to Prometheus as his servants. Hannibal nodded, as if he knew what I was thinking, then turned his eyes away. I frowned.

"You don't seem to desperate to escape." I pointed out.

"I don't care." Hannibal replied flatly. He wasn't going to be helpful at all. I had to get out of here and if he wanted to damn himself to being the holder of a psychotic ritual for Atlantean gods, he could be my guest, but I had to get out of here and I had to find Alexion. I had to get him away from Hades. I couldn't let him suffer. It was my fault Alexion ended up in my home in the first place.

But he betrayed you.

The little voice in my head made me go still. That's right, I realized in agony, sinking back down onto my knees. According to Prometheus, they couldn't take my heart before because it had turned black due to Kyros's death. They had to rejuvinate it to make it useful again, so they used Alexion to do so, then took my heart when it was probably at its brightest. I tried to convince myself that Alexion didn't know what he was doing, that it was all an accident, but... I found it so hard with Hades's voice cutting into my head, telling me it had all been a lie.

Had Alexion truly betrayed me?

The only way I would truly know is if I asked him up front. I had to go to him and ask if all those days we spent together had only been a huge lie, a trick to brighten my heart for some stupid ritual.

"He did," Hannibal said suddenly, making me stiffen and snap my head to stare at him as he watched me through the shadows, "Alexion knew what he was doing. He always knows what he's doing." I clenched my teeth.

"I'm going to ask him myself." I snapped impatiently, struggling to my feet again. Hannibal watched me, his expression bored, only his eyes following me as I scanned the bars on the cell, trying to find a way out. I tried to squirm between them, but despite all the weight I'd lose, I still couldn't squeeze through them. I cursed under my breath, clenching my teeth as I searched for another way out. The entire time, Hannibal's eyes followed me. He didn't move, just his eyes. That milky white one was a bit unnerving. It looked like it couldn't see me at first, but then I saw it moving when I turned to face him with a glare.

"How do I get out of this?" I demanded, gripping one of the bars. Hannibal gave me a droll stare.

"If I knew that, I wouldn't be trapped here. And judging from the fact that you asked me instead of blowing the bars off, I take it Prometheus took your magic." He commented. I looked away, frustrated, giving the bars a useless tug.

"My magic is infused with my heart. That's the whole reason everyone was desperate to make sure it stayed where it was, but now Prometheus has it." I muttered bitterly. Hannibal just nodded before going still again. I turned away from him. He obviously wasn't in the mood to try and escape. Given the deal he made with Abel, for Abel to destroy him from existence and Hades's comment about Hannibal's disposition, Hannibal had less self-preservation than I did. He didn't care if he was used or killed anymore, and I almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

I shook my head, peering through the bars after a moment. There had to be a way out. I couldn't just sit here and wait to be used. I wasn't an object. I was a person. I was a god. And I'll be damned if I'm going to be locked in a cage again.

I'd been locked in a cage my entire life, and the worst part was that the cage door was technically opened that entire time. I was just too afraid to go out the door and do what I was born to do. To be a god. I wasn't a half-blood. I wasn't a demigod, like my brothers. I was a god too. Practically a primordial god, actually. I had been so strong this whole time, but so scared of turning into the other gods. Of getting a big ego, of hurting people, of making people angry, of disrupting the balance.

And I didn't need to be afraid. I didn't have to be locked away anymore.

I whirled on Hannibal angrily, making him glance up at me with just his eyes.

"If I let you go, you open this cell for me and let me out. After that, you can return to doing what you want to do, so long as you don't hurt my brothers." I added sternly. Hannibal lifted his head, staring at me directly.

"I know when I'm not wanted. I have no reason to bother your brothers anymore." He murmured. I frowned at that, but accepted his words as an agreement. I walked over and knelt down, untying the knots in the rope before letting them fall to the floor. Hannibal looked down at them for a while before he slowly got to his feet, and I took a few steps back. Hannibal looked a bit unbalanced.

"Were you drugged?" I asked, frowning. Hannibal shook his head.

"I was drinking at a bar when I passed out and woke up here." He answered briefly. I didn't ask anymore. I had a feeling he was just drinking because he was depressed and I wasn't going to touch that with a ten foot pole, so I remained silent. Hannibal held his hands up and blew the bars off the door, sending them flying. I nodded my thanks to Hannibal, expecting him to at least leave with me, but instead, he stumbled back, fell against the wall and slid down until he was sitting on the floor again.

"You're not going to leave?" I asked. Hannibal stared at me.

"Why would I go out there where it could take me months to die when I can stay right here and die in a couple of hours?" He asked. I didn't know what to say to that. Part of me felt like I should encourage him to live, but Hannibal had done awful things in his lifetime and I couldn't trust him at all, even if he did open the cell for me. He was dangerous. I just nodded and walked out of the cell, leaving Hannibal behind. I looked around the room with a frown, trying to find where they may have hidden my heart.

But then again, we were in the Labyrinth.

They could have hidden it anywhere.

In fact, they probably did. Getting out of that cell had been way too easy. If they had been serious, they would have tied me up as well, to prevent freeing Hannibal, who they knew would probably help me because he hated them and enjoyed angering them. They used that to their advantage.

Something felt wrong now, definitely wrong. I shouldn't be out here. It gave me chills that made the emptiness in my chest hurt even more. I swallowed at my dry throat and returned to the cell to find that Hannibal had passed out again, laying on his side with his hair hiding his face, his arms drawn to his chest. I frowned, walking over to him and kneeling down beside him.

"Hannibal?" I asked. He didn't move. I could still tell he was alive, but it still concerned me that he had passed out so quickly. Hadn't it just been alcohol? The thought barely crossed my mind when I heard someone clear their throat behind me, making me whip around to see Epimetheus standing where the bars had once been. He smirked at me and I gritted my teeth, watching him cautiously.

"Nice glare," Epimetheus drawled, stepping into the cell, "Too bad you're too cute to look threatening. Why don't you come here and we can get started before your calvary decides to show up?" I scowled at him in confusion until he grabbed me by the wrist and tore me to my feet with an ease that scared me. I wasn't sure what worried me more, his strength or my weight. He dragged me out of the cell by my wrist, making me wince and try to twist my wrist away, but he clenched his grip so tight that I felt like my bones would splinter.

"What about Hannibal?" I managed as Epimetheus pulled me toward the center of the room, pausing to peer at the labyrinth model. He frowned for a moment, then glanced in the direction of the cell before snorting.

"What about him? I'll pay attention to him later. Right now, I want to get you out of the way because that's just what you are. In the way." Epimetheus deadpanned. I glared at him and tried to rip my wrist away again, but he just jerked me closer to him, a wicked smirk on his face. I hissed at him, hating how close he was, so much so that I could smell the cigarette smoke wafting off him like toxic fumes.

"Hey, stop getting so close to him like that!" A woman's voice cried angrily. Epimetheus laughed, shoving me back roughly so that I almost fell, but managed to catch my balance on the table. I looked up to see a petite young African woman walking in, her dark eyes flashing angrily. Her short black hair cut in a V-bob, with feathers laced in here and there. She wore a tight black halter top and matching leather pants.

"Rara," Epimetheus greeted her innocently, "I was just teasing him. I'm not into men, promise." Rara curled her lip at that and shot me a dirty glare, giving me a quick scan from head to toe before scoffing, turning her nose up and narrowing her eyes at Epimetheus.

"He's too scrawny and too damn white for you. Know that you are mine." She warned, coming up to Epimetheus, who let a wicked grin cross his lips as he put an arm around her waist and pulled her close for a kiss that made my stomach churn. This was downright disgusting. As if sensing my thoughts, Rara snapped her head around and pinned me with a deadly glare. Epimetheus gave her arms a squeeze and leaned in to nuzzle her.

"Pay attention to me. Prometheus will be here any minute to take care of him." He purred. Rara smirked and turned to rub her nose against Epimetheus's. I grimaced and scooted back, only to see Hannibal emerging from the cell. My eyes widened as he appeared quickly behind Epimetheus. Rara shrieked in surprise and leapt back as Hannibal wrapped the god restraint around Epimetheus's throat and tugged. Epimetheus choked, reaching up to claw at the restraints.

Rara didn't do anything, much to my surprise. I expected her to rip Hannibal apart, but she just stood there and screamed angry curses for Hannibal to stop, but Hannibal ignored her and squeezed tighter. Epimetheus finally pulled all his weight forward. He used enough strength to fling Hannibal over his head and onto his back on the floor, causing the ropes to release his throat.

"Son of a bitch," Epimetheus gasped, rubbing at his bloody throat, glaring down at Hannibal, who just laid there and stared up at Epimetheus blankly, "You homicidal shit!" Hannibal looked bored, just laying on the floor on his back. It was any wonder he wasn't in complete agony after being body slammed to the hard marble floor. Even I had flinched when Hannibal's body connected with it.

"How were you not expecting that? You think several shots of Bourbon could incapacitate me? This is why you're the god of afterthought and stupidity." Hannibal responded flatly. Epimetheus fumed and lunged down, grabbing Hannibal up by the front of his shirt and swung him onto his feet. He slammed Hannibal down back against the table, shoving his arm against Hannibal's throat, but Hannibal still didn't react, just stared at him.

"Remember who you're talking to, baby brother, or I swear to the gods, I'll kill you." He threatened dangerously. Rara came up behind him to touch his shoulder.

"Come now, darling, you can't kill him. We need him, and the ferryman. Don't waste your time getting mad at them. Just get them prepped for the ritual. That's what Prometheus told us." She pointed out. Epimetheus ground his teeth together, a tic throbbing in his jaw before he roughly let go of Hannibal, stepping back and glaring down at me. I scrambled back to get to my feet and run, but he reached me first and jerked me to my feet before slinging me against the table beside Hannibal, making me hiss in pain, rubbing at my bruised ribs and hip. Hannibal just leaned back casually on the table, watching Epimetheus rub his throat.

"Aw, my poor baby," Rara crooned, reaching up to stroke the sides of Epimetheus's neck, making the Titan purr like a content kitten, completely ignoring the fact that Rara would have let him die, "Let me make it all better." She leaned in and started laying kisses on the bruised, torn flesh. Epimetheus allowed her, smiling contently. I glanced at Hannibal, who averted his eyes.

"Can't you use your powers?" I asked. Hannibal shrugged.

"I could."

"Then why don't you?"

"Because I don't feel the need." Hannibal deadpanned. I glared at him, wondering if he was truly that selfish or if he was still intoxicated. Either way, he was useless in this situation. I glanced back at the couple that were still showering each other with affection. I could try to make a run for it, but what about my heart? I couldn't leave that behind. I would be defenseless, and not to mention, they could still go through with the ritual if Prometheus decided to use Rara or even Epimetheus, or maybe they had back up hosts? I couldn't be sure. And while that shouldn't be my problem, it just was.

They couldn't do this. I couldn't let it happen, and I couldn't parttake in it either. Innocent people would be destroyed under Prometheus's iron fist. And then enslaving two gods that obviously just want to be left alone? There was no way I could allow that to take place.

But what could I do? The only thing that made me powerful were, well, my powers, and they were infused with my heart, which was probably hidden somewhere until they decided to begin the actual ritual.

"Okay, baby," Epimetheus sighed at last, retreating from Rara, who pouted, "I have to get these two ready. And you're not helping by necking me. Either help or go get everything else ready. The last thing I need to hear is Prometheus going on a tangent." Rara nodded and hopped up to give him another kiss before leaving the room. Epimetheus watched her go wistfully before he turned to us and his eyes hardened. He held out both his hands toward us and summoned two goblet filled with a disgusting green liquid.

"Drink this, both of you. You have to cleanse your system of anything that could interfer with the ritual. Once you're done, I'm going to take you somewhere to clean off your outer physical layer." He commanded. Hannibal and I took the goblets, grimacing at the liquid inside.

"You don't honestly expect us to drink this?" I asked in disbelief, looking up at Epimetheus, who shrugged.

"That was a courtesy thing. Drink it or don't drink it; Either way I can get it into your system." He added, a dangerous flicker in his eyes. I swallowed at that, glancing at Hannibal out the corner of my eye. He was finally showing a little emotion, a cross between absolute disgust and contemplation. He brought the goblet tentatively to his lips, then glanced at me and raised an eyebrow. I chewed my bottom lip, turning to look at Epimetheus, who took a threatening step toward me, so I quickly took a gulp of the liquid, then hissed past clenched teeth, dropping the rest of it to the floor.

It felt like acid in my throat, burning a hot path down into my stomach. Even worse was when it split off into the rest of my system. It was like liquid fire running through my veins. The pain was so intense it drove me to my knees as I clutched at my stomach. I couldn't even try to vomit through all the blinding pain.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Hannibal hesitate, but Epimetheus went to grab him and he took two gulps before he dropped his goblet and hit the floor, seething in pain as he clutched at his stomach.

"You could've wait until a day I wasn't hungover." Hannibal hissed. Epimetheus smirked.

"Nah. It's fun watching you squirm. Like the time Atlas branded you with that cattle prod." He added, making Hannibal wince. The pain lasted for another five minutes, but it felt like years before it faded and we were both gasping on the floor. Epimetheus clapped his hands and did a fist pump, making us glare at him.

"Awesome, now that you're both done wishing you hadn't drank from the rivers of hell, let's make you not a couple of filthy rat hobos." He added under his breath, then snapped his fingers. We vanished from the room at the center of the labyrinth before reappearing in a large bathroom with two showers. Of course, Epimetheus impatiently snapped his fingers and our clothes vanished. I hissed at the cold air and covered myself and Hannibal shot Epimetheus a dirty look for it.

And, my eyes accidentally wandered to Hannibal's body and my eyes widened, mouth falling open.

There were even more scars beneath his clothing. A giant scar went down the center of his chest as if someone had attempted to cut him open, burns marring his left side, more criss-crossing cuts, and I saw the brand mark Epimetheus had mentioned earlier; a Greek symbol for "cattle" imprinted just below his left hip and dangerously close to his groin. I quickly looked away before he could catch me staring. We stepped into the showers and they turned on, soaking us to the bone with cold water.

By the time the shower was finished, we were both shivering and Hannibal even had his arms wrapped around himself, glaring through his wet strands of hair at Epimetheus, who smirked, his eyes raking us from head to toe.

"Niiice. All right, and here's something that'll keep you from shivering like wet kittens." He added and snapped his fingers again. A heavy white and red robe fell onto my shoulders and tied itself around my waist. The robes were made of three layers, the bottom layer made of white cotton, the next of white transparent silks, and then a tranparent red silk that wrapped around from our waists down. It had a Japanese touch to it. Almost like the yukatas that Zelios wore on occasion.

Epimetheus teleported us from the wash room back to the main room where a few of the desks had been pushed aside to make room for the ritual. One desk had been left behind and on it was everything they had gathered, including a gold ornate box encrusted with blood diamonds and rubies. My eyes widened.

My heart was in that box.

There was no doubt about it. However, when I took a step toward it, Epimetheus caught me by the hair of the back of my head, making me hiss in pain as he drew me back, giving me a warning glare.

"Stay back. That's not yours anymore. It belongs to us." He said in a steely voice. Hannibal wrinkled his nose, tucking his hands into the sleeves of his robe.

"Trust me, brother," Could there be anymore venom in a word that was meant for affection? "I think he'd sooner give his heart to a dead rat than you." Epimetheus went over and backhanded Hannibal so hard that his head snapped to the side. He went to grab Hannibal by the throat, but a bright light flashed in the room and we turned to see Prometheus appear in the room.

Epimetheus's handsome, but deadly twin. Prometheus was the god of forethought and cleverness. He'd been punished by Zeus for giving man fire, so Zeus had him chained to a boulder and forced to relive the horrible agony of having his innards torn out by vultures. Suffice it to say, Prometheus did have a reason to be quite bitter. Appearing in the room, he was dressed in a black suit, as if he'd walked out of a Men in Black movie.

"What's with the get up?" Epimetheus asked. Prometheus gave Epimetheus the kind of look a parent would give their child for saying there was an elf in the closet. He gave his cuffs a little tug and adjusted his tie as he approached the desk with all their ritual items.

"We're about to meet two of these oldest gods in existence. Atlanteans have existed far longer than we have, brother," He responded, to which Epimetheus merely rolled his eyes, so Prometheus continued, "I see that you've prepared our guests for them as well. Good job. I've set up a barrier and have Rara outside keeping watch over it when Charon's rescuers come." I frowned at that, confused. Rescuers? If he was assuming my brothers would actually take the time out of their day to risks their lives for me, he was wrong.

My brothers may have wanted to join me in my attempt to release Alexion from Hades's clutches, but they wouldn't fight until the bitter end. And they surely wouldn't put their own lives at risk to come save me, not even Hades would. I was trapped on my own.

And seconds away from being a part of one of the biggest mistakes in history.

"Is everything ready?" Epimetheus asked eagerly, coming over to watch over Prometheus's shoulder as he worked.

"Just about," Prometheus informed as he opened the gold box and pulled out my heart, making me grimace, "I need to finish the concoction you need to feed our guests. Once that's over, I'll say the rite and the gods should appear." Epimetheus accepted that. I didn't. I wasn't in the mood to drink more of their disgusting drinks. Hannibal didn't look too excited for the idea either. He narrowed his eyes and a shudder filled the room, making me stiffen and look at him. Epimetheus and Prometheus immediately whirled around to glare daggers at Hannibal.

"I only agreed to this because you said it would kill me, you sons of bitches." Hannibal said icily.

"And you," Prometheus said calmly, "After, of course, we're done with what we have planned."

"And how long will that take?"

"As long as it takes."

"That's not a good answer." Hannibal said past clenched teeth. He sent another blast of power through the room, knocking Epimetheus back into the desk and causing the two goblets of bluish white liquid to slosh around. Prometheus hissed and caught them before they could fall over. He shot Epimetheus a glare.

"Restrain him." He ordered. Epimetheus nodded and went for Hannibal, who met him head on and caught him around the waist, throwing him down on the floor. My eyes flickered to Prometheus, who had his back turned to me. My eyes flickered to the box where my heart had been replaced, after Prometheus squeezed drops of blood out of it and into the goblets.

I had to move fast.

If I didn't, I wouldn't be able to get it back.

I ran over to it and gave Prometheus a shove, making him shout angrily and struggle not to spill the goblets as I snatched my heart out of the box and went to bite into it, in order to send it back into my body, but Prometheus caught me around the waist before I could even bring it to my mouth. He slammed me hard into the desk, knocking everything else aside and causing my heart to hit the floor. I cursed and rolled over to try and reach over the desk for it, but Prometheus caught me by the ankle and tore me back across the desk, flipping me over onto my back.

I gasped as he grabbed me by the jaw and forced my head back, pouring the thick soupy bluish liquid into my mouth. I went to spit it back at him, but he clamped his hand over my mouth and nose, making me cringe. I squirmed and kicked at him, but he barely budged.

"Drink it!" Prometheus ordered. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to hold on as long as I could, but my body wouldn't let me. My throat opened up and the liquid poured through my throat. Unlike the last drink that burned my insides, this one made me cold. I gasped and choked for breath as Prometheus let go of me and I fell on the floor, clutching at my throat, then my stomach.

"Charon!" Hannibal barked, lunging for me, but Epimetheus caught him around the waist and slammed him into the floor, grabbing him by the hair and wrenching his head back. I tried to find the words to yell for Hannibal to get out while he could, but my tongue felt numb and heavy. I panted for air, trying to speak. My vision blurred and shifted, twirling for a moment as I sat back on my knees, trying to suck air in as I tilted my head back.

I could hear Hannibal coughing nearby, making choking noises, which assured me that he too had been forced to drink the disgusting concoction.

And suddenly, the most unimaginable power tore through the air.

Wind picked up out of nowhere and screamed around the room, faster and faster. My senses returned to normal in time to see bright lights flashing through the room. I winced as the wind stung my cheeks and whipped my hair around in my face. I turned to see Hannibal laying across the floor, unconscious. I wasn't sure what had done it, but I was most certainly not going to let that happen to me. I crawled over to him and sat down, breathing hard and looking up as the wind abruptly halted.

Prometheus and Epimetheus stood side by side, looking around the room frantically. I gave Hannibal a shake, but he didn't move. I frowned, leaning down, then seeing the source of it. A pool of blood was under his head from here his skull had been cracked, but as a demigod, it would heal quite quickly. I jerked my head up when I heard an unnatural click sound

A second later, Xenon appeared in the room. Xenon, an information broker, was incredibly tall and devilishly handsome. His long black and red streaked hair fell over one shoulder, a pair of wraparound shades hiding his eyes, a long black coat over some Gothic attire that Cerberus would appreciate, and tall buckled boots.

"Shit." Xenon cursed. My eyes widened in realization.

"You're a Khalian?" I asked. Xenon snapped his head when he spotted me, his eyebrows shooting up behind his sunglasses.

A second later, there was another click and another man appeared beside him. The man was unnaturally beautiful. He managed to look feminine and masculine at the same time. He bled sexuality from every pore. His hair was bright red, like Zelios's, and was tied up in a long ponytail decorated with gold tinsel like the gold band holding his ponytail up. His bangs framed a pretty face with delicate green eyes, skin like smooth ivory. He wore a transparent red silk robe, and that was it. He looked horrified to be here. He saw Xenon first.

"Xenon?" He asked in confusion. Xenon glared at him, which surprised me. I hadn't seen Xenon that hostile with anyone before.

"For once, it's not your fault, Callias. Congratulations. The Sons of Hades just fucked us over."