The silence in the courtyard was heavy, broken only by the low, persistent hum of the obsidian portal. Hades finally turned from the ominous gateway, his dark eyes sweeping over the four Olympians.
"This is beyond a skirmish," he said, his voice cutting through the exhausted quiet. "We cannot guard this wound alone. Come with me. We go to Zeus."
He didn't wait for agreement. He simply turned and walked toward the great hall, his form seeming to draw the shadows with him. After a shared glance, the others followed—Apollo helping a limping Hermes, Artemis with her knives still drawn, and Persephone, her hands still trembling slightly from the exertion.
