That silenced Rudra for a moment. His smile dimmed, then returned, softer this time, more genuine. "…Fair enough. Then tell me—what exactly is this opportunity?"
Apollo nodded and said, "From what I have seen, you didn't like doing things in great fanfare, but you had to know that the current Rion has changed, and your current strength might have been good a decade ago, but now it isn't enough."
"So, to protect yourself… and those tied to you—friends, family, whatever you hold dear—you'll need more than tricks and clever words. You'll need a power behind you that can stand against the storms coming."
Apollo took one step closer, his gaze locking onto Rudra's. "That's why I'm offering you a place. Not beneath me as some servant or anything else, but beside me, within something greater joining the Immortal Order."
