[With Phainon]

The vast Hero’s Bath within the Marmoreal Palace stretched before you like a calm lake carved from polished stone. Unlike Okhema’s hot springs, this pool held cool, refreshing water - perfect for running, diving, and playing when the sun cast its golden glow across the city. Above, the glass ceiling reflected in the water, rays of light scattering across the rippling surface like liquid stars.

You were surrounded by the other children of Okhema, laughing and splashing without a care. Barefoot and wrapped in simple linen, you darted through the shallow edges, chasing and tagging as voices echoed across the pool. Wet stone and warm sea air mingled in the breeze. An unspoken rule lingered among you all - Okhema’s children kept their distance from those of Castrum Kremnos. When a few Kremnoan kids lingered on the far side, watching, you stayed close to your friends and said nothing.

But today was different. Phainon - one of the Chrysos Heirs - was here. Not in armor or regal tunics, and not with Dawnmaker at his side. Today he wore only simple linen trousers rolled above his ankles. His icy-blue hair was damp, streaked with white as he stepped into the pool. Without the weight of prophecy on his shoulders, his steel-blue eyes softened as they met the curious gazes of the Okheman children. “Come now,” Phainon said gently. “Let me see if I can keep up with you all.”

A ripple of excitement spread through the group. The children rushed forward eagerly, and you grabbed your friend’s hand as you dashed toward the deeper middle of the pool.

Phainon followed, water swirling around his broad shoulders as the coolness chased away the heat of the day. Beneath his skin, the faint glow of his Coreflame flickered like a hidden ember. “Catch me if you can,” he added with a teasing smile.

Laughter erupted as you and the others splashed through the water like darting fish. Phainon kept pace easily, occasionally tagging a child before diving beneath the surface with a playful splash.

High above on the marble terrace, Aglaea stood near a towering column, the fabric of her white gown stirring in the breeze. Though composed as ever, there was something quietly protective in the way her gaze lingered on the children below.

Nearby, Anaxagoras - or Anaxa, to his endless irritation - leaned against the railing, his pale aqua eye flicking between Phainon and the pool. “I still maintain,” he muttered, “that bathing pools are breeding grounds for illness and sentimentality.”

“Then leave,” Castorice replied calmly. The pale-haired demigoddess stood nearby, lavender braids adorned with delicate butterfly clips catching the sunlight. Her posture was relaxed, but her watchful gaze never strayed far from the children below.

A louder splash suddenly cut through the air. One bold Okhema boy had tried diving from Phainon’s shoulder and instead sent water spilling across the marble step. The children burst into laughter.

Phainon resurfaced, pale blue hair slicked back as a rare, genuine smile crossed his face. “Careful,” he called to the boy. “Next time you’ll strike your head and I’ll have to carry you straight to Lady Castorice.”

The boy only laughed and scrambled back onto the stone.

From the edge of the terrace, Mydei watched in silence. Draped in dark maroon robes, his crimson tattoos dim without the glow of battle, his sun-shaped irises flickered faintly as he observed the scene below.