Recovery did not come easily to Ares.
His body healed faster than most, wounds knitting together with unnatural efficiency, but something deeper lingered. Even as he stood again, even as strength returned to his limbs, there was a tension beneath his skin that refused to settle. The medical wing felt too quiet, too still. In that silence, the familiar echoes returned.
War.
Distant battlefields, clashing steel, dying cries—always present, always waiting. They pressed against his thoughts like a tide, urging him forward, urging him to act.
This time, he did not resist.
The moment he was cleared to leave, Ares did not seek Ignis or the others. He did not rest. He walked with purpose through the halls of Dreadspire, his presence alone enough to part the crowd. Students who once whispered now fell silent as he passed. Some stepped aside quickly, others simply froze.
The rumors had changed.
They no longer spoke of a warrior.
They spoke of something closer to a calamity.
Ares did not notice. Or if he did, he did not care.
He stopped only when he reached the doors of Zeus' office.
He did not knock.
The doors opened under his hand.
Zeus stood inside, as if expecting him. The room felt heavier than usual, lined with artifacts and quiet power. For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Ares stepped forward.
"I need to know where he is."
There was no greeting. No restraint.
"Tell me where Hades is so I can kill him."
The words were steady, but beneath them lay something volatile, something barely contained.
Zeus studied him carefully, his expression unreadable. He did not answer immediately, instead observing Ares as though measuring something deeper than his anger.
"You intend to walk into the underworld," Zeus said at last, his tone calm, "and challenge him alone."
"Yes."
There was no hesitation.
Zeus' gaze sharpened slightly. "You could not even touch him before."
Ares' fists tightened at his sides. "Then I will this time."
Before Zeus could respond, the doors behind Ares burst open.
Ignis stepped in without hesitation, her usual composure edged with urgency. Her eyes moved quickly between the two before settling on Ares.
"You're not going alone."
Ares did not turn fully, but his voice came firm. "It's too dangerous."
Ignis scoffed, stepping closer. "That's exactly why you're not going alone. You think this is just about you?"
Ares' silence answered her.
She shook her head, frustration clear. "We're going to get her back. Not you. We."
Ares turned now, his gaze meeting hers. There was no anger in it—only something harder to argue against.
Resolve.
"You'll die," he said simply.
Ignis didn't flinch. "Then we'll die trying. But we're not leaving her."
The room held still for a moment, the weight of her words settling in.
Then another voice entered.
"Sounds like a proper fight."
Both turned as Heracles stepped into the room, his presence filling the space with quiet confidence. He crossed his arms, glancing between Ares and Zeus.
"If you're heading somewhere dangerous," he continued, "you'll need someone who can actually keep up."
Ares studied him for a moment, measuring. Hercules met his gaze without hesitation, a faint grin pulling at the corner of his mouth.
"You're not the only one who wants a shot at something strong."
Ignis exhaled, relieved. "He's coming with us."
Zeus remained silent for a long moment, his gaze shifting between them all. There was reluctance there, buried beneath something heavier—understanding.
Finally, he turned away, moving toward a table at the center of the room. With a slow motion, he placed his hand against its surface. Light spread outward, forming a map unlike any ordinary chart. It shifted and pulsed, depicting places that did not belong to the living world.
"The path to the underworld is not a single road," Zeus said, his voice quieter now, more deliberate. "It is a descent through thresholds. Each one more dangerous than the last."
The image shifted, revealing jagged landscapes, dark rivers, and gates that seemed to breathe.
"You will not simply walk into his domain," he continued. "You will be tested long before you reach him."
His eyes returned to Ares.
"And once you do… there will be no guarantee you can return."
Ares stepped forward without hesitation. "I'm not coming back without her."
Ignis nodded beside him, her expression set. Hercules simply cracked his knuckles lightly, as if the warning only confirmed his interest.
Zeus watched them, something unreadable passing through his gaze. For a moment, it almost resembled doubt.
Then, quietly, he spoke.
"…very well."
The map shifted once more, locking into place.
"I will show you the way."
—
They left before anything could change.
The academy gates opened just enough to allow them through, the barrier parting reluctantly as if aware of what lay ahead. Behind them, Dreadspire stood silent, its towering walls watching their departure.
Ahead of them, the world darkened.
The path Zeus had revealed was not marked by roads or signs. It was a feeling more than a direction—a pull toward something deeper, older, waiting beneath the surface of the world.
Ares walked at the front, his pace steady, his presence heavy with purpose.
Ignis followed close behind, her usual sharp focus now edged with something quieter.
Hercules walked beside them, unbothered, almost eager.
None of them spoke.
Above them, the sky dimmed as though the light itself hesitated to follow.
And somewhere far below—
Something waited.