Ch. 101: Forming A New Alliance
The morning was quiet, almost unnaturally so, as I finished preparing a light breakfast with whatever decent ingredients I could scrape together. Most of what she had in the fridge was junk food. I couldn’t help but shake my head at the thought of Talos living off such garbage. How did her brain manage to survive on this? I had freshened up and found some clothes— a plain black shirt and some fine jeans that surprisingly fit. Talos had more male clothes than female ones for some reason. Strange.
It wasn’t long before she stirred from her slumber. Her eyelids fluttered as she dragged herself from the bed, looking like a creature dragged from another realm. “I didn’t fancy you as a late dreamer,” I said, a faint smile playing on my lips, though it quickly faded as I observed her.
She groaned, eyes barely open, and mumbled, “Will you shut up? What time is it?”
I leaned back against the wall, watching her with mild amusement. “Do you want me to shut up or tell you the time?”
Without a word, she dragged herself to the bathroom, her movements sluggish and heavy, like she carried the weight of a thousand lifetimes on her shoulders. “If possible, both,” she called from the doorway, her voice muffled by the walls. “And what is that smell? What kind of god makes their own meals anyway?”
I raised an eyebrow at the remark. “A smart one.”
While I waited for her to finish, I couldn’t help but glance at my surroundings. The place was barely livable, a far cry from the brilliance and efficiency Talos usually carried. It wasn’t just her home that seemed disheveled. It was her. She was quieter, darker, more withdrawn. When she finally emerged from the bathroom, dressed in one of those oversized shirts she often favored, I could sense something off in the way she moved, like a shadow lingering behind her, dragging her down.
We sat down on her unmade bed to eat; she did not even have a dining table but yet again, she was never one to fancy such manners of etiquette. Her eyes were glued to the plate as she ate in silence. That silence was thick, suffocating. I wondered if she’d ever get back to her old self— or if the events of the past had hollowed her out completely.
“Talos,” I broke the silence after what felt like hours, “can you recover the data from my phone? Mr. Anonymous wiped it clean right before I was reborn here, I was thinking you could do it since you were a tech expert.” I tossed the phone her way, which she caught with ease. She looked at it as if deliberating whether she would actually help me or just toss it back at me.
For a moment, she just stared at me with those blank, hollow eyes. There was something in that gaze— a battle raging within her, between the Talos I once knew and this detached version of her. After a long, unnerving pause, she started to tap away at the phone, her fingers moving in that familiar, precise way. “Password?”
“Death.” I said it too sharply, the word cutting through the air like a blade.
She didn’t even flinch. Her expression remained neutral, almost mocking. “How original, you could not come up with something even better. At least add a number or a special character. It’s people like you that give smartphones a bad name.” she muttered under her breath.
I was not sure if the was trying to badmouth me or the previous Hades. But she wasn’t done just yet. “This model isn’t even up to date. You would think with your deep pockets you could afford something better but you are just a stingy rich lord.”
I felt the irritation bubbling up inside me. “If you want to insult me, do it to my face, Talos. Quit being such a coward.”
She raised an eyebrow and gave me a sideways glance. “You know I’m talking to your face right now, don’t you? And coward? Please, I did not need saving from my little brother, unlike you. He severed your friggin’ arm and your baby brother had to come save you, I even had to step up. So do not even begin to lecture me on cowardice, Hades!”
Her words were sharper than her usual sarcasm, cutting deeper than I expected. I clenched my jaw, biting back the retort on the tip of my tongue. I watched her as she worked, wondering if she could actually recover the data or if this was just another game to her. She had changed so much.
Thinking back to the day when we first met I never liked her, she carried this air of importance and relevance. She became one of the very few people that challenged me mentally and a integral part in my growth here in this world, I think that was why I was drawn to her in first place.
“Done,” she finally said, tossing the phone back to me on very little notice. It spun through the air, but I caught it easily. “Looks like your phone was under security backup. I’m guessing your assistant did that. Clever girl.”
“Hecate?” The name tasted bitter in my mouth. Memories of her death crashed into me like a wave coming to shore with full force, and for a moment, I could barely breathe. I tapped through the phone, confirming what Talos had said. My contacts, my messages, everything was back. But I’d go through it all later. There was something else I needed to address. Something more urgent.
“Talos,” I started, my voice steadier now, “I’ve been thinking.”
She didn’t even look up. “Yeah, you’re always thinking. So what is it this time? Just spit it out.”
I took a deep breath, trying to hold onto my patience. “I want to prevent the events of the future as much as you do, but we can’t do it alone. I’ve learned that the hard way.” I hesitated, watching her closely. “I will be forming a new allaince.”
She finally looked at me, her eyes narrowing. “You want to form a new boy band, huh? I guess I’d just end up being the brains, as usual.” She rolled her eyes, but there was something darker in her tone, something heavier.
“I’m not joking, Talos. This time, it’s different.” I paused, letting my words sink in. “This time, it’ll be with people I know I can trust. No secrets. No lies. I want you to be the first member. This time, we do it right.”
For a moment, she didn’t respond. She just stared at me, the weight of her gaze almost suffocating. Then she let out a long, drawn-out sigh. “I’ve gone in too deep already, haven’t I? But I’ll say it again— I don’t work well in packs.”
I darkened my gaze, letting the threat slip out in a low voice. “Then I’m afraid I’ll have to kill you.”
Her eyes gleamed, and a twisted smile crept onto her face. “As if you could, god. You need me. I’m the only one who thinks like you, and you know it. Besides, you would not risk losing such a valuable asset.”
“Better to lose a valuable asset than let the enemy use it against me, don’t you think?” My tone was even darker now, each word dripping with intent.
She sighed again, flopping back down onto the bed, burying her face in the mattress. I could hear her muttering curses under her breath. When she finally turned over, her eyes met mine again, softer this time. She stretched lazily, her shirt riding up to reveal the smooth skin of her stomach. The sight of her like that— vulnerable, beautiful— caught me off guard for a moment.
Her top half cloth crumbled around the curves of her breast, did she know how erotic she looked in that position? I guessed living alone for so many years would make her forget her manners but outside she was stuck up as usual.
I snapped out of it quickly. Focus.
“I’ll also look into your curse,” I said, trying to steer the conversation back to where it needed to be. “I’ll research curses in general and find a way to break them. If you want to stay on the sidelines and work as a partner, that’s fine too.”
She let out a slow breath, her chest rising and falling rhythmically. “It’s fine. I was going to follow you wherever you went anyway.” There was a pause, and then she added, “I’ll join your alliance.”
That caught me off guard. “Not to be impartial,” she continued, “but does this alliance have a name? And do I get the role of senior supervisor?”
What the— “I haven’t thought of a name,” I admitted, feeling defensive now. “That part didn’t seem relevant.”
She rolled her eyes. “Do I get paid, at least? You emptied my fridge, so I need to stock up again.”
I closed my eyes, trying to keep my temper in check. A vein throbbed at my temple. “You really are a bitch, aren’t you?”
She smirked. “You wouldn’t have me any other way.”
If I revive a magic castle I will mass release 10 chapters
