"Rest now," Hades said in a quiet voice, but one that carried an unmistakable firmness. "The next training session will be much tougher."
She looked up at them, scrutinizing Saruto and Void faces. She found no surprise, no sadness, not even anger in their expressions—only a cold emptiness, a heavy silence, and eyes that had lost their sparkle after all they had endured in the Illusion World. "If they don't regain some of their emotions," Hades thought to herself, "the next training session will be pointless."
After a moment of silence, she suggested, "Go to the palace... the family palace, Saruto."
Saruto eyes widened suddenly, as if the words had pierced his heart. "Will... will I ever see my parents again?"
Hades nodded, then added, "I'll give you a whole month's rest."
At that moment, a genuine smile spread across Saruto face, a smile he hadn't seen in a long time. A whole month with his parents after all the loss and pain he'd endured seemed like a distant dream.
When Floyd saw that genuine joy on Saruto face, he smiled too, without even realizing it. Hades watched them silently, thinking to herself, "Perhaps they won't regain all their feelings… but being with family might bring back some of what they've lost."
She reached out, revealing a small crystal ball in her palm, and offered it to Saruto. "What's this?" he asked, surprised.
"A communication device," Hades replied. "Compensation for what I did to you in the world of illusion… perhaps this will satisfy you."
Saruto hesitated for a moment, then asked, "And who can I contact?"
"Don't you want to check on your fiancées in their world?" Hades said.
Saruto eyes widened with genuine astonishment. "Can… can I really contact Star and Emilia with this ball?"
"Yes," Hades smiled gently.
"And Ethan too?" he asked quickly, as if afraid he was imagining things.
"Yes," Hades said.
He hesitated a moment before asking, "And can I call my friends… Lucien, Kyle, and Ryan?"
There was a brief silence. "No," Hades said.
Saruto froze. "Why?" he asked, surprised.
"My brother Sheeran told me not to let you contact them," Hades replied calmly.
"But why?" Saruto asked.
"I don't know," she shrugged slightly. "Maybe it's because of my brother Umbra… or maybe because Sheeran doesn't want you interrupting your friends' practice."
Saruto took a deep breath, then nodded understandingly. He and Void said goodbye to Hades and prepared to leave. But before they could go far, Saruto stopped abruptly and turned back toward her. "Is there something else?" Hades asked, puzzled.
The next moment, Saruto vanished. He appeared right in front of Hades and hugged her. Hades froze, her eyes wide with surprise. Her face flushed, and her heart raced like never before. "What… what are you doing?!" she stammered.
Saruto quickly pulled away, clutching his head and smiling shyly.
"I couldn't think of any other way to thank you… Thank you, Hades, for everything you do for me."
Hades placed a hand on her chest, her face still flushed, and said sharply, trying to hide her embarrassment, "Don't do that again, understand?! And also… I told you there's no need to thank me."
Saruto waved goodbye and left. He and Void headed for the elevator they had arrived in earlier. "Saruto… what were you doing just now?" Void looked at him curiously.
"Did I do something wrong?" Saruto asked.
"You embarrassed the governor," Void said softly.
Saruto simply smiled, without comment. The elevator descended to Earth. Up above, Hades still stood there, breathing heavily, her hand on her chest. "What was that feeling...?" she whispered to herself. "I've never felt anything like it before... What did that boy do to me?"
In the sky, Saruto and Void were flying toward the palace where Saruto parents lived. Saruto looked at the crystal ball in his hand, his eyes shining with a longing he couldn't hide. "Finally... I'll be able to talk to Emilia... and Star... and even Ethan," he thought.
"I can't wait to call them," he added.