Her smile didn't falter, but I could tell she caught the shift in my expression. Whatever game she thought she was playing, she'd find out soon enough I wasn't going to fold.
Not for the first time, I wished I had someone to bounce ideas off. Back at camp, I could throw half-baked plans at Annabeth all day, and she'd tear them apart and rebuild them into something practically unbreakable. She didn't just challenge me—she made me better. And, well…I liked the company. Sue me.
But now? A grim reality settled into my soul like a heavy stone sinking into deep water: I can't trust a single soul down here.
My dad's been subverting my expectations at every turn, playing the role of a father I never really knew, but with enough ambiguity to keep me guessing. Delta is a wildcard—he's training me, sure, but there's an edge to his lessons, like he's trying to radicalize me or push me toward something I can't quite see. And Amphitrite? She's not even subtle. Every glance, every word, every touch is designed to pull me away from my destiny, to make me question what I'm fighting for.
I came to Atlantis expecting paradise. A utopia of crystal waters, gleaming towers, and endless opportunity. But now it feels like I've stepped into the opposite—a beautiful trap dressed up in the guise of perfection.
On the surface, it's easy to believe this is the dream. Hades, on paper, it is paradise: beautiful women, rigorous training, a superstar brother to spar with. People doting on me at every turn, offering me respect and adoration like I'm the heir to some grand throne. An entire city revering me—no, worshiping me—like one of the heroes of old. They watch my life like a blockbuster movie, cheering me on as if my victories belong to them.
But that's just the surface. That's the illusion.
Beneath the glimmering lights and polished smiles, something else is lurking in the shadows. There's a plot at work here—something I can't see yet. A hidden friend? A benefactor? An enemy, maybe. Or all of the above. And somehow, I'm at the center of it. Not by choice, but by design. Maybe I always was, even back in the overworld. It's like this was set in motion long before I ever set foot in Atlantis, and now I'm just playing catch-up.
The thought made my stomach churn, but one thing was clear: I needed to figure out the truth, and fast. Because in this place, paradise or not, every step could lead to my downfall.
Anyway. Time to put my training to the test.
The first rule of information gathering is finding a way to get a steady stream of knowledge. That part's common sense, I'm sure. It just makes sense. When you know nothing, the smartest and most logical thing to do is establish a channel of information—a means to tether yourself to some form of knowledge. Anything, anyone that can make the situation clearer.
I glanced at Amphitrite, who was applying some lipstick. "How do I look?" She asked in a low tone of voice, smacking her lips a few times.
"Beautiful," I returned, smiling brightly at her. She seemed to revel in the attention, licking her lips slowly.
I steeled myself, the pleasant warmth of Amphitrite's hand on my thigh not as distracting anymore. I have goals. I have motivation. I need to do this. I will do this.
The easiest way for me to extract information is to take it from someone close to me, someone who likes me. Brute force is out of the question—I have too much heat on me at all times to use that sort of tactic without immediately being outed. A pleasant tactic was just about the only way to go. I would have to be sneaky, still, but it was my best bet.
Who to work on, though?
My dad? No, no. He seems like the most convenient person, but I don't think even he knows everything going on behind the scenes, here. If it was that simple, it wouldn't be a problem to start with.
Delta? No. Definitely not. I can't use that man's own tactics against him—that's like Harry shooting off a sectumsempra at Snape. Besides, I don't even fully trust him. For all I know, he's just as guilty as anyone else.
Amphitrite? My eyes widened as I snuck another glance at her, a small smirk forming on my face.
That…just might work.
She has no love for Poseidon, but her allegiance lies with the people of Atlantis. If something is going on, I might be able to get it out of her.
I took a deep breath, pushing all of my negativity back into my veins. By now, this was all too natural to me. I poked around in my own body a bit, slowly activating the mana flowing through my veins. There were a few ways I could glean information from her. My methods were limited, seeing as she was a deity and the queen of the sea, but they weren't all shot out.
Fear wouldn't work. Violence wouldn't work either. Like I said before, a pleasant method was my best and only bet.
The smartest thing I could do was use a method centered around flattery and seduction—a taste of her own medicine.
My veins came alive with power. It was intoxicating. Underwater, my mana refilled at a much faster pace. Every drop I expended was filled back almost instantly—accompanied by an electric feeling. It was like a waterfall of energy.
Seduction, then. She's already getting all kinds of touchy-feely with me, so as long as I operate within that sort of sphere, I can try to get bits and pieces of information from her.
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[Serenity Inducement]
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