"For first, Lyrium Blackwood…"
The creature's deep, thunderous voice echoed through the desolate park, rolling like a tremor through the mist.
His eyes, glowing faintly red and blue, locked onto mine with unsettling calm.
"…My name is Hercules."
The name alone made my mind freeze. Hercules.
That name, so familiar, so ancient, rattled around in my skull like a bell that refused to stop ringing.
"Hercules?"
I repeated, half in disbelief, half in awe.
"Wait, the Hercules? The one from Greek mythology?"
The words felt ridiculous the moment they left my mouth.
This creature before me, this towering, horned being with crimson hair and monstrous eyes, looked nothing like the hero carved into marble statues or painted on ancient temples.
He looked more like something pulled out of Norse legend, a titan cloaked in blood and fury, rather than a demigod of valor.
Still, the beast gave a faint nod.
