Athena.
Nathan's eyes slowly rose to the sky, and there she was.
Even after nearly a year, her presence struck him with the same force as the first time he'd seen her—during the chaos and ruin of the Trojan War. And yet now, she seemed… more. More regal. More divine. There was a radiant authority in her posture, in the way she hovered above the gathered crowd, as though she wasn't just a goddess, but the very embodiment of wisdom, strategy, and unwavering purpose.
Perhaps it made sense. After all, in Rome, Athena—known here as Minerva—had become the center of worship. Temples bore her name, philosophers praised her intellect, and generals swore by her might. She was, without a doubt, the most revered deity within the empire's marble walls.
But even so, Nathan instinctively pulled his hood a little lower.
