Ch. 70: Talos’ Big Secret
Some believe there are things that should be known to only a select few. They call these things secrets. And some secrets are far more dangerous than others.
“Hermes?” I said through gritted teeth. “How the hell are you alive?”
Hermes stood before me, very much alive and looking exactly the same as I remembered him. I was sure there was no such thing as resurrection in Greek mythology, and yet here he was. I couldn’t bring myself to believe it.
“I attended your funeral,” I said slowly, my mind racing to make sense of it all.
Hermes jumped back, waving his hands in the air. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, dude. You did not attend my funeral because I’m not dead, at least not in the traditional sense. But, you know, I might be a zombie or something. Hard to tell these days. Anyway, who’s this guy, Tally?”
Talos, seated at her desk, let out an exaggerated groan. “Tally? Seriously? You keep coming up with the most ridiculous names for me. Now, you’re fixing that wall and shelf, by the way. I’m running low on cash, and repairs aren’t cheap. It’s not like I work at a private agency or something. Damn, I hate gods.”
Wait. What was going on? Why was Talos suddenly so casual with Hermes? They were talking like acquaintances or old friends. Was there something between them? And why was Hermes, who had always been talkative with me, acting like I was some kind of stranger?
“I know what you’re thinking, Hades,” Talos muttered without looking up from her laptop. “Use your head, genius, and figure it out.”
Before I could respond, Hermes knelt down to pick up the scattered books from the broken shelf. He didn’t even glance my way, focusing entirely on the mess as if I didn’t exist. When he finally looked at me with his usual bright eyes, he asked, “You wanna lend a hand or just stand there?”
I tore my eyes away from him, frustration boiling inside me, and approached Talos. She was absorbed in whatever she was typing on her laptop, and I knew her too well to trust it. Without hesitation, I slammed the laptop shut, forcing her to look up at me with a sharp glare.
“Is that body still Hermes?” I asked, my voice low but intense.
She understood the weight of my question and responded with a slight nod.
So, my suspicions were correct. “He’s not Hermes, is he? He’s an otherworlder, like me.”
Talos sighed, her eyes drifting to where Hermes was still grumbling about the mess. “You’re not wrong. I wanted to test your power against his, see how much of Hermes’ original abilities he still possesses.”
“Is that why the investigation has stalled? How long has this been going on?” I demanded, crossing my arms.
“About a month,” she replied, rubbing her temples. “I was still following what you wrote in that makeshift book of yours. I theorized that if I could find the antidote to the poison, it would lead me to the source— and possibly to the culprit. So, I went to the Temple of Hermes to extract a sample of his blood for testing. That’s when he… woke up.”
Why did she say that so casually, as if the dead would just rise up like that….
“Oh, and she freaked out!” Hermes chimed in with a smirk, earning a sharp look from Talos. “What? It’s true.”
I almost wished I had been there to witness her panic. But that wasn’t important right now. This was why Talos had been distant, why she had forgotten about me—she’d been busy studying Hermes, or whatever he had become.
If Hermes was truly an otherworlder, I might be the only one who could confirm it. More importantly, I needed to figure out how he ended up here and what it meant for me. I glanced at Talos, who was still eyeing Hermes like a scientist observing a rare specimen.
“Is that why you brought me here?” I asked. “Surely, you’ve already extracted everything you could from him.”
Talos snorted. “I saw you on the news, and I came to your aid. How sweet of me, right? Speaking of the news, there’s something you should see.”
She opened her laptop again and pulled up a live broadcast. The headline read: **CHAOS ON OLYMPUS.**
The reporter’s voice was frantic as the camera showed scenes of destruction. The place where I had been earlier was now a smoking ruin. The fight had clearly escalated after I left.
“… IT IS ABSOLUTE CHAOS HERE AS THE GOD OF OLYMPUS GOES ON A RAMPAGE AFTER SLAYING THE BAI AGENCY’S MOST ELITE. MOMENTS AFTER THE DISAPPEARANCE OF HADES, WITH HELP FROM AN UNEXPECTED ALLY, ZEUS HAS BEEN UNSTOPPABLE. THERE IS NO CONCLUSION YET, BUT SPECULATIONS ARE THAT THE GODS ARE AT WAR…”
“… ZEUS LEFT THE SCENE SCREAMING AND IS CURRENTLY TEARING DOWN THE TEMPLE OF THE GODS. UPPER GODS WHO HAVE RETURNED TO CALM HIM HAVE NOT BEEN SEEN SINCE, AND THE SKY OVER OLYMPUS HAS TURNED DARK. PEOPLE FEAR A GRIM FUTURE AS WE ASK: ARE OUR DAYS OF PEACE OVER?”
Hermes clutched his head in disbelief. “Why is Olympus about to be destroyed? I just got here!”
I turned to him, my patience wearing thin. “Enough. Tell me how you got here, and who you really are. What did you see after you supposedly died?”
Hermes backed away, eyes wide with alarm. “No way, man. You beat me to a pulp, and I don’t like you. Talos says you’re some kind of criminal mastermind.”
Of course, she did. I grabbed Hermes by the collar and pulled him close. “Listen, idiot. I’m just like you—an otherworlder. What are you, nineteen? Twenty?”
He blinked, confused. “What are you, Detective Conan or something?”
“I’m telling you the truth. Now spill.”
Realizing he didn’t have much of a choice, Hermes sighed in defeat. “Fine. I’ll tell you my story.”
The room fell silent, save for the faint hum of Talos’ laptop. I could feel the tension in the air as Hermes prepared to speak. Whatever he was about to say, it would either change everything— or confirm my worst fears.
Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!
If I revive a magic castle I will mass release 10 chapters
