[Third Person Pov]
"NOOO!!" Persephone shouted in pure distress as she was forcibly dragged backward by Demeter, her fingers desperately clawing at the edge of the office doorway. Her nails scraped against the polished surface as she struggled to hold on, her entire body leaning forward in resistance while her mother's grip around her arm remained unyielding. "Don't let her take me!! I beg of you!" Her voice cracked with desperation, her wide eyes locked onto Hades as though he were the only anchor keeping her from being ripped away completely.
"Stop being so stubborn!!" Demeter snapped with a furious snarl, her expression tight with frustration and authority as she tightened her hold. "It's my turn of the seasons to have you with me! This is what we agreed on! This is the balance that must be maintained! You have to obey!"
Demeter yanked harder, but in her anger her grip slipped just enough. That single moment of loosened control was all Persephone needed. She tore herself free without hesitation, stumbling forward before immediately breaking into a desperate sprint. She practically dove across Hades' desk, papers scattering and sliding off the polished surface as she grabbed him firmly by the collar and pulled him down into a sudden, urgent kiss, pouring every ounce of longing and defiance into it as if trying to leave a part of herself behind with him.
Demeter reached them almost instantly, her patience completely exhausted. She seized Persephone again and pulled her away with a sharp, forceful motion. "Just what is your obsession with your corpse husband!?" she demanded, her voice filled with outrage and disbelief. "What kind of spell did he place on you!? What magic did he use to twist your heart like this!?"
Persephone's heels dragged loudly against the marble floor as she was pulled away once more, her body resisting even as she was overpowered. "NOOOoooooo!" she cried out, her voice echoing down the corridor as she stretched her arm toward Hades, her fingers reaching for him even as the distance between them grew. Her voice grew fainter with each passing second, filled with sorrow and dramatic despair.
Even as she was dragged farther away, Persephone continued blowing kisses toward him, pressing her fingers to her lips and sending them in his direction with exaggerated devotion. Her expression was dramatic and heartbroken, yet still filled with affection. Demeter, thoroughly fed up, flicked her hand sharply through the air, and the massive office doors slammed shut with a loud, final bang that echoed through the halls.
Persephone continued to be dragged down the corridor like a misbehaving child being forcibly removed from somewhere she refused to leave, her arms now crossed in protest and her cheeks puffed out in a stubborn, adorable pout as she glared in the direction of the now-closed doors.
Inside the office, Lucian and Medea stood quietly near the corner, both having witnessed the entire spectacle unfold. Their expressions were ones of clear amusement and entertained fascination.
Hades let out a slow, heavy sigh that carried both contentment and longing as he leaned back into his chair, his posture relaxing despite the emptiness left behind. A faint, wistful smile tugged at his lips. "I miss her already," he admitted softly.
Lucian immediately rolled his eyes and scoffed loudly, making absolutely no effort to hide his lack of sympathy.
Hades turned his head toward him and frowned in mild annoyance. "Snitch."
"You're welcome," Lucian replied dryly, resisting the urge to roll his eyes again as he crossed his arms. "Ungrateful old man."
"You really have no fear or respect when you talk to me," Hades said, his mouth twitching slightly as his gaze lingered on Lucian. His expression shifted into one of thoughtful consideration, as though he were seriously debating whether or not to follow through with his earlier promise to spank him with a belt as punishment for his attitude.
Meanwhile, Medea stepped closer and gently ran her hand over Lucian's head, her fingers moving slowly through his strands of raven hair with clear affection. Her touch was gentle and comforting, her expression warm as she looked down at him. "Now that you're here," she asked softly, "are you going to stay for dinner?"
Lucian shook his head apologetically. "I'm afraid I can't. I promised Annabeth I'd be back before then." He noticed the faint disappointment that appeared in her eyes and immediately offered a reassuring smile. "But don't worry, I can stay a while longer before I have to leave."
Medea's expression softened further, unable to resist leaning down and pressing a gentle kiss against the top of his head. Lucian blinked in confusion at the unexpected gesture and looked up at her questioningly, but she simply smiled and shook her head without offering an explanation.
"Anyways," Lucian continued casually, shifting his posture slightly as his expression brightened with confidence, "while I'm here, let me tell you the story about how I managed to single-handedly defeat a Duke of Hell."
Hades immediately snickered under his breath, unable to resist adding, "He's calling it a story because it's fiction and didn't actually happen."
Lucian slowly turned his head and gave him a flat, unimpressed side-eye, choosing not to acknowledge the comment at all as he continued speaking as though he hadn't heard a thing.
…
Lucian plopped down onto his bed the moment he returned to his room, his body sinking comfortably into the mattress as the lingering warmth of dinner left him in a lazy, satisfied state. His feet dangled off the edge, gently kicking back and forth in an absent rhythm as he stared blankly at the ceiling above him. His stomach was full, his body relaxed, yet his mind refused to rest.
His thoughts remained completely occupied with the events of earlier that day, replaying every moment of his confrontation with Agares in relentless detail. Every exchange, every movement, every decision he made repeated over and over again in his mind like an endless loop. He analyzed himself mercilessly, thinking of the openings he missed, the mistakes he made, and the decisions he could have handled differently. He imagined alternative scenarios, better outcomes, faster reactions. Each imagined correction only made him more aware of how far he still had to go.
He had been so deeply lost in thought that he barely registered the faint sound of movement coming from the window.
A soft creak.
A gentle shift of weight.
He turned his head slightly, his focus sharpening as his eyes landed on the familiar sight of Annabeth carefully climbing through his window with surprising stealth, as though she were trying to avoid detection despite the fact that this had become something of a habit for her. Her movements were light and precise, yet completely unnecessary.
Lucian raised a brow, and a faint snicker escaped him when he noticed what she was wearing.
She was dressed in owl-themed pajamas, the soft fabric decorated with small, elegant owl patterns that matched her aesthetic perfectly. The outfit was both adorable and very distinctly Annabeth.
"Nice PJ's," he said teasingly, his lips curling slightly with amusement.
Annabeth immediately lit up at the compliment, taking it completely seriously without detecting even a hint of mockery. She did a small, proud twirl in place, the fabric shifting gently around her as she presented herself.
"Thank you," she replied sincerely.
She walked over without hesitation and plopped down right beside him on the bed, her body relaxing instantly as she made herself comfortable. Her long blonde hair fanned out beautifully across the sheets, spreading like strands of golden silk against the darker fabric. She turned her head slightly toward him, her sharp eyes studying his expression.
"So what's got you so deep in your thoughts?" she asked curiously.
Lucian exhaled slowly, his eyes drifting back toward the ceiling.
"I was thinking of the reality check Agares gave me today," he admitted honestly.
"Well that certainly explains it," Annabeth replied with an awkward grin, clearly unsure whether to comfort him or tease him about it.
Lucian remained quiet for a moment before continuing.
"At first, I was planning on going to the church before going back to Lady Hecate and having her help me create my spells," he said, his expression growing more complicated as he spoke.
Annabeth tilted her head slightly. "But now…?"
"Now I'm planning to do the opposite," Lucian answered. "I'll stay with Lady Hecate until your birthday. We'll celebrate it together, and afterwards I'll check the church."
His tone was calm, but firm. He had already made up his mind.
Annabeth nodded slowly. "I was planning on doing something similar. I was thinking of going on the quest for the grimoire after my birthday."
Lucian turned his head toward her, immediately noticing the subtle hesitation in her expression. Her body language betrayed a quiet uncertainty.
"Just say what you need to say," he said plainly.
Annabeth hesitated for another moment before finally speaking. "I'm planning on having Nico and Bianca accompany me."
Her eyes watched him carefully, studying his face for any sign of disapproval or dissatisfaction.
"And not Thalia?" Lucian asked, his confusion evident. He knew very well how close Annabeth and Thalia were, and it was unusual for her to exclude her.
Annabeth shook her head.
"I'm doing this as a way to prove myself," she explained. "If I take either you or Thalia, it would feel like cheating. Like I'm taking the easy way out."
Lucian stared at her silently for a few seconds, his expression completely unreadable. His voice, when he spoke, was flat and dull. "So what you're saying is that you want to risk the lives of my little brother and sister because you want to prove yourself?"
Annabeth flinched slightly at the bluntness of his words. She looked down briefly, guilt flickering across her face.
"I know it's incredibly selfish," she admitted quietly. "But I have to do it like this. I don't have much of a choice."
There was a moment of silence between them.
Then Lucian smiled.
The tension in Annabeth's shoulders immediately eased at the sight of it.
"It's fine," he said calmly. "I trust you to take care of them. And honestly, it'll be a good opportunity for both of them to test themselves and gain real experience."
Annabeth let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.
"Thank you," she said softly.
"Oh right, I forgot to ask," Lucian added, turning onto his side so he could face her properly. "You advanced, right? That's what you did while I went to the Underworld, right?"
Annabeth grinned, a spark of pride appearing in her eyes.
"That's right. I was waiting for you to mention it," she said. "Despite losing to Agares, I managed to survive the encounter, and that helped me fully digest the potion."
Lucian's interest immediately sharpened. Learning about the abilities gained after advancement had always been one of his favorite aspects of the potion system.
"So what abilities did you get?" he asked expectantly.
Annabeth's expression shifted into something more serious as she began listing them.
"Well, as a Tomb Raider, I gained several abilities."
She lifted her hand slightly, as though organizing the information in her mind.
"First, my Strengthened abilities. Astral Projection became Astral Ejection. Instead of only separating my own astral form, I can now forcibly eject someone else's astral body from their physical form. It allows me to temporarily separate their consciousness, leaving their body vulnerable."
Lucian's brow lifted slightly in clear interest.
"My Spirituality and Spiritual Energy also increased significantly," she continued. "My resistance to mental interference, spiritual corruption, and metaphysical pressure has improved."
She shifted slightly on the bed.
"I also gained Authority Override. It allows me to suppress or bypass ownership restrictions placed on relics by ancient kings, gods, or previous wielders. Even relics that normally reject outsiders can be forced into submission."
Lucian's eyes narrowed slightly at that one. That ability alone was incredibly dangerous.
"I also gained Curse Disassembly," she went on. "I can identify curses and dismantle them piece by piece instead of simply resisting them."
She raised another finger. "Trap Creation. I can create magical traps using spiritual energy, allowing me to prepare ambushes or defensive zones."
Another finger.
"Relic Creation. I can now create minor artifacts. They won't be legendary or divine, but they can still possess useful supernatural properties."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"And lastly… Mythic Survival."
Lucian tilted his head slightly.
Annabeth smiled faintly. "It gives me supernatural luck in life-threatening situations. The kind that allows Tomb Raiders to survive things they absolutely shouldn't."
Lucian stared at her silently for a moment, then he smiled, "Not bad, not bad, they're all pretty interesting"
Annabeth smiled back, clearly pleased with his reaction.
A/N: I know y'all probably want me to update the Auxiliary chapter but I've been procrastinating it and with each procrastination the things I have to add increases which just makes me procrastinate more
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