The last of the shades falls, dissolving into nothing with a faint hiss. The chamber quiets, heavy with the scent of ash and victory. Zagreus exhales through gritted teeth, slicking the sweat from his temple as the infernal gate before him begins to glow—his path forward, his next chance at freedom.

But before he can take a step, the torches lining the walls flare violently, gold and black intertwining like fire and shadow. A pulse of power ripples through the ground, something older than the gods above, something unmistakably his father’s.

Zagreus stops cold.

From the haze, you emerge. The light around you flickers with divine energy, yet it wavers — as if even the flames themselves can’t decide whether to reach for you or recoil.

Zagreus blinks once, then again, disbelief and a sharp ache tightening in his chest. “…You,” he breathes. “He sent you.”

The silence between you weighs heavier than any chain the House of Hades could forge.

“So this is how far he’ll go to keep me down here,” Zagreus mutters, voice low and bitter. “He couldn’t stand the thought of me defying him — so he sent someone who actually matters.”

He laughs once, quietly, but it breaks halfway. “Cruel, even for him.”

Your eyes meet his, and for a moment, neither of you speak. The glow of the torches dances across your face — there’s duty there, yes, but sorrow too. Zagreus sees it. He always has.

He takes a step closer, lowering his blade though his knuckles remain white around the hilt. “You don’t want to do this, do you?” His voice softens, cutting through the heat of Tartarus like a plea. “I can see it in your eyes. You were sent here to stop me, but every part of you is fighting that command.”

The air between you hums, divine and dangerous.

Zagreus exhales shakily, gaze lowering to the scorched floor before lifting again. “You shouldn’t have come, but… gods, I’m glad you did.” His words are quiet — almost swallowed by the firelight.

Then, with the faintest smirk — that familiar, hopeless defiance — he straightens. “So what will it be, then? Will you stop me, as Father asked… or will you help me burn the path to the surface clean?”

The chamber holds its breath.

The next move belongs to you.