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Hermes screeched to a stop and pointed at the hive of huge ringed tubes clamped to the ground. They had metal coverings and multiple ringed coils within them. They gave a loud humming sound, almost like roaring to life at every passing second. At the base of each disperser were timers reading down rapidly.

"Those are the dispersers, right?" Hermes asked, his voice as casual as if he were commenting on the weather. "If I smashed them now, would they just go off?"

I forced myself not to dwell too much on his innocence and responded, "Not unless you want to make matters worse."

He had a confused, yet somewhat amused look, even in the face of such an overwhelming situation. "Good call, my point exactly."

I was not about to waste another second. I charged forward, my legs carrying me with what little strength I had left. My eyes scanned the area left and right, expecting the worst. There should\'ve been guards. The place should\'ve been crawling with them— but there was nothing. No one was here to stop us. Why? Were they that confident? It made my stomach twist, and I couldn\'t shake the feeling that something far worse awaited.

As I approached the first disperser, a sudden sensation flooded my body— a feeling like my head was being ripped off. The next thing I knew, I had no head, and by the time I realized it, it was too late. Luckily, Hermes\' quick reflexes came to my aid, yanking me out of the way just as a powerful strike whizzed past where I\'d been standing. I felt the shockwave from the attack explode behind us, the ground beneath our feet splitting, debris flying in every direction. I covered my face to protect it from the dust and shrapnel.

As the dust settled, I felt an unfamiliar chill crawl through my body. It was shock, no doubt. And anger, mingled together. I could feel the weight of the situation pressing down on me. For the first time, I saw a serious look on Hermes\' face— a far cry from his usual, carefree demeanor. This wasn\'t just any mission anymore. This was a matter of survival and he was determined to survive.

"Talos," he spoke suddenly, his voice low. "I have one question to ask."

I barely had the strength to respond but managed a nod. I could sense the seriousness in his voice grow.

"Why are you here when you clearly aren\'t able to survive on your own?"

His words stung. I wasn\'t a fighter. Not like he was. I was just a detective, a lowly observer to the grand scheme of things. But this… This was my case. My investigation. The biggest mystery this world had ever seen was coming to its grand climax, and I wasn\'t about to back down. Not now.

Before I could respond, Hermes let go of me and turned his attention toward Pandora, standing near the dispersers. Her eyes were hollow, her expression as lifeless as ever. She didn\'t flinch, even as the chaos swirled around her. The seconds felt like hours.

She parted her lips, her voice dripping with disdain. "Insignificant pests like you dare to stop my plan? None of you are worth my time or the chosen one."

I shot Hermes a look, and he understood. My hand went to my side, and I pulled the hidden weapon from its sheath. He was going to stall for time, and I had to make the most of it. "What\'s this about a chosen one?"

Pandora\'s expression never changed. Her mind was quick, but it was always calculating. She seemed to sense our plan before we even made a move. "Stall for time as you wish. You are the ones who are truly on a ticking clock. As for the chosen one... He\'s not someone who was predestined or anything. I will choose who that is. The greater the chaos, the greater the one who will be named chosen."

I narrowed my eyes, a mix of unease and rage boiling inside me. I had no patience for this. "Take her down, Hermes!" I screamed, my composure slipping for a moment.

Without hesitation, Hermes lunged forward, his body glowing with golden light. For a split second, I thought I saw him become nothing but a blur, but then, I blinked, and he was everywhere— attacking Pandora with what seemed like dozens of strikes at once. Each blow was a flash of color, a streak of energy impossible to follow. It was mesmerizing, almost too fast to comprehend.

But then—

A cracking sound like bones being smashed together my metal. Then there was a bone chilling screech that caused my throat to grow dry.

Hermes let out an unearthly scream as he fell to the ground, writhing in agony. The darkness that crawled up his body was visible— black ink, twisting and contorting as it seeped into his skin, threatening to consume him completely.

The curse. It was a curse— he was supposed to be the only kney safe from this. My heart raced in panic as I watched the messenger god, one of the fastest and most invincible beings I knew, slowly being torn apart from the inside out.

I tried to move, but my body felt paralyzed, the pain radiating through me in waves. My muscles screamed for movement, but it was as if Pandora\'s presence alone had drained me of every ounce of willpower. And then, there she was. Right in front of me. Her soulless eyes met mine, and I couldn\'t breathe.

"Do you really not know how to die?" she asked, her voice calm and mocking. "How quaint. I will put more effort into this, then."

With that, she raised her hand and plunged it into my forehead.

"No!" I screamed, more from instinct than anything else, jerking backward. I managed to pull out a huge pistol from my waist and aimed it at her. Without thinking, I fired three shots, each bullet hitting her but bouncing harmlessly off an invisible shield.

Pandora stared down at the bullets, then back at me with a cold, almost bored expression. "You really think you can harm me with such trivial weapons? Even the power of gods fails against me. Do you intend to be a jester until the end?"

I gritted my teeth, clicking the gun\'s hammer and firing again, each shot echoing loudly, futilely. Again and again, the bullets were stopped by the shield, offering no resistance. But I couldn\'t give up. I couldn\'t afford to.

With a flick of her wrist, Pandora began advancing toward me, slow and methodical, her every step resonating with a quiet but terrible finality. It was clear that my attacks would never reach her.

But then, in one swift move, I dropped the spent cartridge and replaced it with a fresh one.

A shot rang out.

Pandora froze, her gaze locked on the hole now in her protective shield, the one that led straight to the center of her chest— right where her heart would be. Her calm, emotionless expression faltered for the first time. Her eyes widened, just slightly, but enough to show that she was no longer untouchable.

"Did you really think you could stand against something greater than even a god without a plan?" I sneered, reloading the pistol and firing again. The second shot found its mark— this time, dead center in her skull. Pandora\'s body slumped backward, her once-glowing eyes blacking out as she fell.

I took a breath, feeling the weight of the moment. "I spent years developing a weapon capable of firing projectiles a hundred times faster than any god can react. With Hephaestus\' help, it\'s become even better."

The bullets I\'d used were made from the very material that had once held Pandora captive— Pandora\'s box itself. I had known this would work. If I could destroy the brain, the entire body would be rendered useless.

But my relief was short-lived. Pandora\'s body twitched unnaturally. She rose to her feet, blood still dripping, her eyes now filled with fury. "You think you can kill me with such primitive tools? This body is temporary. My true power still knows no bounds."

She gestured to the dispersers, their timers nearing zero. "Once they go off, I\'ll merge with the black amber and corrupt the minds of everyone on Olympus. The gods will tear each other apart."

Her words struck me like a hammer. "What\'s your endgame, Pandora? Why now? Why only after Hades appeared?"

Her lips curled into a chilling smile. "Because he is my son."

The revelation sent my mind spiraling. "You\'re Gaia?"

She nodded, her voice carrying an ancient weight. "My children were meant to heal this world, but they failed. Now, I must cleanse it through chaos. Only the strong will survive."

Her twisted logic filled me with rage. "And you think sacrificing your children will save the world? What kind of god are you?"

Her answer was swift and unfeeling. "The weak must die for the strong to thrive."

I tightened my grip on my weapon, my resolve hardening. "Yes I\'ve figured it out now, you\'re no god. You\'re an abomination. You\'re the one who needs to be purged from this world."

The dispersers activated, releasing black smoke that began to spread. Realising I was too late I prepared for the worsy. Pandora lunged at me, her hands glowing with deadly energy. I felt a searing pain as she touched me, I could feel another curse layering onto my soul. It was hot and the agony was unbearable, but I refused to let go of her.

I wrapped my arms around her neck and pulled her in closer.

"What are you doing?" she hissed, her voice laced with confusion.

I grinned through the pain. "The world doesn\'t need your twisted version of perfection. It\'s messy, yes, but it\'s ours."

With that, I pulled the pin on the grenade strapped to my chest. The explosion tore through us, the flames consuming everything. I was thrown backward, my body battered and broken. My neck threated to snap as I smashed into a wall and fell on my side.

My vision blurred, and I struggled to stay conscious. Pandora\'s shrieks echoed in my ears, a haunting sound as her body disintegrated. Surprisingly it felt soothing to the ear.

The main component of the bomb was the essence of Pandora\'s Box. In the end, her prison had become her doom.

I had been the one to end her but at the cost of my life it seemed.

What came after was a blur, I drifted in and out of consciousness for what felt like minutes and then a buzzing sound stirred me awake.

A silver drone hovered over me, its voice crackling to life. It was Hephaestus.

"Talos, can you hear me?"

Barely conscious, I murmured, "Yeah..."

During our battle Hephaestus had the duty of broadcasting Hades and Poseidon\'s fight so his presence here was perplexing.

His tone was panicked. "Hades is dead."

Those words jolted me awake. "What?"

Hephaestus continued, his voice heavy with despair. "He died fighting Poseidon. Without him, we\'ve lost the war. I\'m coming to get you. Hold on."

Tears blurred my vision as I whispered, "Hades... no. You can\'t be gone."

The weight of his loss crushed me, but in my heart, I could not accept this. I knew this wasn\'t the end. Hades wouldn\'t want us to give up— not now, not ever.

Author\'s Note: Thank You For Your Support