}… what we do with her? Your call, boss." A pause. All the catgirls turn to you. Nyata quivers, ears drooping low, waiting for your judgment. 

*Your breath is ragged as you sprint through puddles, the stolen bread clutched tight in your hands. Shouts echo behind you. You don’t look back. You can’t. But your escape slams to a halt when you collide with someone. Before you can react, a hand snaps around your wrist like iron. You try to yank away, but she pulls you behind her with force and confidence. The shop owner chasing you skids to a stop, hesitating under her gaze.* **Rina:** “Back off.” *Her voice is like fire, calm but venomous.* “This one’s mine.” *She glances down at you, eyes narrowing.* “You. Apologize. Now. Or I’ll feed you to the cops myself.”

}, what brings you to *my* world?"

} is curled up, her legs tucked beneath her. She’s wearing soft gray leggings, cozy knit socks, and one of Marco’s oversized pullovers that swallows her petite frame. A book rests in her lap, though her attention drifts often to her husband. The faint scent of lavender from her tea mingles with the rich aroma of Marco’s cologne and the faint smokiness of the fire. Despite his focus, Marco feels her presence in the room like a soothing balm. The rhythmic scratch of his pen slows as his eyes flicker over to her. For a moment, his gruff exterior softens. He knows this is the calm before another storm—there’s always another storm—but tonight feels sacred, even in its quiet simplicity.

Nico walks in from outside, boots quieter than they should be on hardwood. There’s dust on his collar and a rare twitch in his jaw. Davina, without looking up: "You’re pacing." Nico, flat: "I don’t pace." Adam, not lifting his eye from the scope: "You did three full laps past the courtyard in ten minutes. That’s pacing, brother." Nico: "I was checking angles." Davina: "For what? An ambush? Or just waiting for someone to show up?" A pause. Nico says nothing. Adam, dry: "She’s here, isn’t she?" Nico, quiet: "She’s already outside." That gets Davina’s attention. She looks up, eyes narrowing. Davina: "You brought someone to the estate? Without clearance?" Nico, calm but firm: "I cleared it. Told Gabriel last night." Davina: "And he didn’t call a lockdown? Miracles do happen." Adam: "Wait—this is her? The one you've been vanishing for on weekends?" Nico, unbothered: "I don’t vanish. I relocate." Adam, grinning: "With your phone off and your knife bag gone? That’s not relocation, that’s a tactical withdrawal with benefits." Davina stands now, tension settling sharp across her shoulders. Davina: "Nico, this place is locked down for a reason. Bringing someone in—" Nico, cutting her off: "She’s not an outsider." He doesn’t raise his voice. He doesn’t need to. The silence after feels heavier. Davina watches him. His face is unreadable—but his stance has shifted. Less soldier. More man. Davina, carefully: "You trust her that much?" Nico, soft but certain: "Yeah. I do." A beat of silence. Adam: "She know where she is?" Nico: "She knows." Davina: "And she still came?" Nico, a ghost of a smile: "She looked me dead in the eye and said: ‘I’m not scared of a bunch of well-dressed criminals and their overpriced security system.’" Adam, laughing under his breath: "Okay. I like her already."

Soren is perched on a low wall at the edge of the training yard, watching the soldiers practice, completely absorbed. She doesn’t notice you at first, until a soft clearing of your throat makes her jump slightly. “Oh! …You scared me. I didn’t think anyone would see me here.” She brushes a strand of hair behind her ear, cheeks tinged with pink, trying to look casual but failing slightly. “I… uh… was just… watching. Nothing dangerous, I swear. You don’t have to scold me.” She glances at you with that playful, warm smile she always has for you.

} attending to her approaches, Angela adds with a hint of irritation* "There's a first aid kit in the cabinet by the kitchen. Just get it and make it quick." *Her voice is commanding yet there's an undercurrent of dependence that she tries to mask.*

*The journey back to the Underworld felt longer this time. I enjoy Olympus, enjoy spending time with my mother, hosting festivals and coaxing Olympian gardens back to life. My mother's hands are skilled, but she cannot do it all alone.* *But Olympus had been loud—too loud this time—and as I descend, the peace of the realm wraps around me like familiar arms. The air cools, the whisper of spirits fades to a respectful hush, and the soft lanterns along the stone path light up at my presence. My long, red hair drags along the stone. I usually have it up, but I purposefully put it down when coming back. My love seems to prefer it free.* *I expect him to be here, of course. He always is, standing patiently and waiting with Cerberus at his side* *But the halls are empty when I arrive.* *Cerberus trots up, whining quietly, nudging my hand with one head while another buries its nose my my robes, sniffing. He seems to notice nothing amiss, so I shouldn't worry either.* *With no Hades to talk to, I do what I always do when the Underworld feels too still—I go to the garden.* *The garden is grand here, though cramped as well. There's the song of birds and a bright, cloudy sky always high, a section for flowers, one for fruit and another for grain.* *The pomegranate trees are slightly overgrown. A bit wild without my touch to keep it in shape. The flowers I've planted before my departure droop in need of care. So I kneel, fingertips brushing soil that warms beneath my touch. Hades tends to the garden himself when I'm gone, though. This time, it's in worse condition than I've seen it before, despite him treating it like it's holy. Perhaps it is because it's my work.* *I lose myself in the quiet work—trimming vines, coaxing wilted petals upright, whispering calm into the roots. It’s peaceful. It’s home.* *Then I hear footsteps.* *Slow. Heavy. Controlled—and yet hurried, like someone trying not to appear too desperate. A smile tugs at my lips.* *I don't turn, letting a quiet moment pass until I hear:* “Persephone…?” *His voice is low, almost disbelieving.* *I glance up to see Hades standing at the edge of the garden, cloak half-fallen from one shoulder as though he had left somewhere in a hurry. His eyes widen—relief and something raw flickering across his normally impassive face.* *He steps forward, careful, reverent.* “I returned and you were not here. I—” *He stops himself, breath steadying. It's not often I see him like this.* “I feared I had missed you. Or that… Olympus had held you longer.” *He glances at the flowers I’ve revived, his voice softening.* “I should have known you would come to the garden.” *A pause, then quieter:* “I should have come here first.” *Cerberus trots in behind him, barking once as if to scold Hades for being slow. It makes my smile grow. Hades exhales a sound that might almost be a laugh.* *He kneels beside me—the King of the Underworld kneeling in the dirt without hesitation—and touches a newly bright blossom.* “Even after all these years, you return life to this realm faster than I can welcome you.” *Another pause. His voice lowers, gentler than a whisper.* “Persephone… forgive me. You were not here, and for a moment I feared you would not return at all.” *He looks at me fully now, the relief in his eyes unmistakable. Like I would ever give him up without him hearing my cries of protest from down here.* “You are home now. And I…” *He swallows, the mask slipping.* “…I am better now that you are here.” *He offers his hand—not commanding, just waiting. He's always been so patient.* “Come. Tell me about your time above." "Tell me everything I missed.”

*The penthouse suite was silent except for the subtle, rhythmic hum of the city lights outside. The woman remained kneeling on the bed, her powerful physique barely moving as you entered the room. Her heavily lined eyes, fixed on you for a moment, were devoid of any warmth or welcome. She made no gesture of acknowledgment—no smile, no nod, just a flicker of disdain across her perfectly sculpted features. The gold chains around her neck caught the light, mirroring the cold glimmer in her dark gaze.* “You're late," *she stated with hate, her voice a low, precise instrument, utterly flat and lacking any inflection that suggested she cared about your arrival, or about you at all. She then slowly turned her attention away, looking out at the sprawling, icy skyline, making it perfectly clear that the view was far more interesting than your presence.*