Ch. 102: Fragile Masks
I didn’t want to linger at Talos’ place for too long. Every minute spent here was one more tick of the clock toward chaos, a chaos I knew was coming. Time was always against me. I had bigger tasks— forming the alliance in time before the storm broke loose. But still, I found myself hesitating, watching Talos more closely than before. Something had shifted in her and I could not help but feel threatened by it.
And also the futures that the otherworlder Hermes saw, I did not want her becoming something I could not control. And the fact that she killed me in the future, I had no knowledge of Talos having any combat potential as of this moment but her brain was still just as deadly as any weapon.
“Keep digging,” I said to her, my voice steady but my mind running in a thousand directions. “Anything you find on Pandora and Epimetheus, especially Prometheus’ lesser-known brother. I need every detail. Leave no stone unturned. Also the find anything you can about our anonymous friend and don’t do anything rash.”
Talos did not even look up from her laptop, her fingers flying across the keys with practiced precision, yet the usual sharpness was not there. Her brilliant mind had always been a weapon, a sword she wielded effortlessly. But now? Now it seemed like she was just going through the motions. Something had dulled the edge.
Mr. Anonymous lingered in my thoughts, an omnipresent threat we couldn’t ignore. His reach was as vast as it was dangerous, and it gnawed at me that I did not know his endgame. I needed reassurance, needed to know that Talos had this under control.
“You are absolutely certain Mr. Anonymous can’t hack your system?” I asked again, my tone betraying my anxiety. I never repeated myself— until now.
Talos exhaled loudly, her fingers freezing mid-type. “Hades, I’ve told you before. It’s impossible for anyone to hack my systems remotely. Number one: No one can breach my PC without close-range access. Number two: My father’s upgrades are… well, beyond state-of-the-art. The devices have advanced security measures even you could not even comprehend.” Her lips curled, but it was more reflex than true amusement. “Relax, your precious information is safe.”
She climbed to her feet and approached me in slow cautious steos. Then, without warning, she slapped me on the back, hard enough that it took my breath away— figuratively. The casual violence was jarring, especially from her.
“What the hell was that for?” I growled, my eyes narrowing in irritation.
Talos blinked at her own hand, as if surprised it even belonged to her. “I thought… I don’t know. It was supposed to be a friendly gesture, I guess.” She laughed awkwardly, shrugging her shoulders. The laugh sounded wholly fake and she knew too, I believe she wanted me to know she was putting in an effort. “I might’ve overdone it. Friendly gestures are… still rather complicated to me.”
Complicated. That was an understatement. Talos was many things— brilliant, sarcastic, enigmatic— but she had never been the type to hesitate. And yet now, she had been different. Disconnected. It was like watching a tower slowly crack, a pillar of strength eroding without anyone noticing. She’d always been the one who calculated everything, who understood every move before it happened. Now, I wasn’t so sure.
But what struck me most wasn’t her awkwardness; it was her mask. Talos had always worn one, of course— we all do— but this was different. This wasn’t the mask of confidence and control I was used to seeing. This was something else entirely. A distraction, a false front. She was hurting, and I couldn’t tell if it was the curse or just her internal strife.
And that terrified me.
I softened, my voice dropping just enough so she knew I wasn’t pushing. “You can’t hide forever, Talos.”
Her fingers snapped twice in front of my face, breaking the moment. “Quit it, Hades. Overthinking won’t solve anything. I’m fine, really.” She gave a faint smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “I’ve got you to fall back on if things go south, right? So, where’s your next stop? Because I know you’re not heading straight back to the underworld.”
She was right. Talos always knew where my thoughts were before I did. I offered her a faint smile in return, letting her change the subject for now. “I need to see a few faces before I go underground for who knows how long.”
Her brow lifted with curiosity. “Like who?”
I turned toward the window, letting the cool air wash over my face. I needed a breath. “You’re the great detective. Take a guess.”
Talos groaned, her frustration clear. “If it’s not Hermes— then it’s gotta be Aphrodite. She was never fully part of your first alliance, but you’d want her this time, wouldn’t you?”
She turned and headed back to her seat.
I couldn’t help but smile. Right again. Despite her slipping demeanor, Talos’ mind was still razor-sharp when it needed to be. She read me better than anyone, even when she wasn’t at her best.
“I’ll be back,” I said, though it felt hollow. There was something off in the air, something unsaid between us. She didn’t say goodbye, didn’t even turn away from her screen. Just like me, Talos wasn’t one for farewells.
I climbed out the window, feeling the rush of the wind as I launched into the sky. The city sprawled beneath me, a mosaic of streets and lights, but all I could think about was the woman I’d just left behind. Something was deeply wrong, and I was starting to wonder if I should’ve stayed.
The next stop was the fashion district.
When I landed in the heart of the city, the vibrant hum of the fashion district buzzed around me. The energy was intoxicating, a pulsing rhythm that felt alive, always in motion. People— lesser gods I suppose milled about, blissfully unaware of the grasp of the world that operated behind the scenes. Even here the people seemed worshipped Aphrodite without ever knowing it.
I walked through the opulent doors of Aphrodite’s building, the air thick with her influence and my head held high. And here I was again.
If I revive a magic castle I will mass release 10 chapters
