After a few minutes, Jayden and Aiden found themselves sitting in a park. Aiden lounged on a bench while they chatted, the tension from earlier finally easing a little. The sky above was starting to shift to an amber hue as the sun began to dip.

Out of nowhere, a guy strolled up to them. He was dressed sharp—a maroon long-sleeve dress shirt tucked into copper-colored pants that shimmered slightly in the fading light. His brown hair had streaks of red highlights, catching the sun just right. He looked about their age, though something about him felt... older. He had an air of confidence that didn’t quite fit the laid-back park setting.

“Hey there!” the guy said, grinning. “Name’s Vulcan. You guys know the way to the Palace of Felix?”

Jayden squinted in confusion. “Uh, why?” he asked, suspicion creeping into his voice. The last encounter with Felix wasn’t exactly something he wanted to revisit.

Vulcan shrugged casually. “Oh, not much. Just gonna meet up with my buddy, Felix. Haven’t seen him in a while.”

Jayden’s eyes narrowed, cutting him off mid-sentence. “Wait a minute. You must be a deity or something, right? Let me guess, God of fire? Wildfires, maybe?”

Vulcan sighed, but his smile remained. “Right on the mark, man. I’m Vulcan, God of Wildfires, the Sun, and, well... Destruction. Felix’s brother. Part of the Main 8.”

Aiden looked up from the bench, clearly confused. “Main 8? What’s that supposed to mean?”

Vulcan raised an eyebrow, surprised. “You don’t know? Huh, guess not everyone’s up on their divine history. The Main 8 are the gods who helped Bellos create the world. You’ve got me, Felix, Gaia—she’s the goddess of plants, and let me tell ya, she’s scary as hell. Then there’s Caspian, the god of seas, typhoons, all that watery chaos. Horatius, the god of time. Evren, who handles space. Vita, goddess of life and souls—sweet, but don’t cross her. And Raiden, god of lightning and storms. There used to be nine, but... well, never mind that.”

Jayden leaned forward, curiosity piqued. “Wait, what happened to the ninth?”

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Vulcan’s playful expression shifted, his tone becoming more serious. “That’s... a story for another time.” He shook his head, then quickly brightened up again. “Anyway, I’m starving. You guys want a deli and cheese platter or what?”

Jayden and Aiden exchanged a glance, then, in perfect sync, said, “Yes!”

Vulcan laughed, his fiery eyes sparking with amusement. “Great! Mind if I sit with you guys?” He gestured to the empty space on the bench.

Jayden shrugged. “Sure, why not?”

Vulcan sat down between them, and with a snap of his fingers, a well-arranged deli platter appeared in front of them—cheeses, meats, crackers, even some fruit. It was the kind of thing you’d expect at a fancy restaurant, not in the middle of a park.

Aiden picked up a slice of cheese, eyes wide. “Dude, this is... amazing. Do all gods just summon food like this?”

Vulcan smirked. “Perks of the job, kid.” He popped a grape into his mouth and leaned back on the bench. “You guys don’t run into gods often, huh?”

Jayden snorted. “Not exactly. We just had a run-in with Felix, actually.”

Vulcan raised an eyebrow. “Felix? You met him, huh? And you’re still standing? Must’ve been an interesting encounter.”

Aiden nodded vigorously, his mouth full of cheese. “Yeah, interesting’s one way to put it...”

Vulcan chuckled, his eyes glinting with curiosity. “Well, if you survived a game with Felix, you’ve got more luck than most. That guy loves his games, but he never plays fair.”

Jayden took a bite of the deli meat, thinking back to the poker game. “Yeah, I got that impression.”

For a moment, the three of them sat in comfortable silence, enjoying the food. Jayden couldn’t help but feel a little on edge, though. Meeting another god, especially one tied to destruction, felt like walking into dangerous territory.

“So,” Vulcan said, breaking the silence, “what brings you guys to this neck of the woods? Don’t tell me you’re just here for the sightseeing.”

Jayden chuckled lightly. “Nah, not exactly. We’re just... trying to get back to the alpines. We had a long day.”

Vulcan nodded knowingly. “I get it. The world can be a tough place to navigate, especially when gods like us start meddling.” He glanced over at Jayden. “But hey, you’ve already crossed paths with two of us. Maybe you’re destined for something bigger.”

Jayden rolled his eyes. “Great. More divine intervention. Just what I need.”

Vulcan laughed heartily, slapping Jayden on the back, causing him to wince in pain. “You’ll be fine, kid. Just keep playing your cards right.”

Aiden leaned forward, curious. “you know anything about... void travel?”

Vulcan raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed. “Void travel? Yeah, it’s tricky business. You dabbling in that, too?”

Jayden shot Aiden a look, but Aiden shrugged. “Uh, something like that...”

Vulcan grinned, a knowing look in his fiery eyes. “Well, good luck with that. Void travel’s a wild ride, but if anyone can handle it, sounds like it’s you two.”

They finished the platter, the conversation flowing easily despite the odd circumstances. But even as they laughed and chatted, Jayden couldn’t shake the feeling that this meeting wasn’t just a coincidence. Gods didn’t just show up for casual deli platters in parks.

Vulcan stretched, standing up from the bench. “Alright, fellas. I gotta get moving. Felix is expecting me.”

“Good luck with that,” Jayden said, only half-joking.

Vulcan’s grin returned, that spark of mischief back in his eyes. “Luck’s never an issue for me, kid.” He gave them a mock salute before disappearing in a flash of flame.

Jayden leaned back on the bench, staring up at the sky, a little overwhelmed by everything. “You ever get the feeling we’re in way over our heads?”

Aiden chuckled, still nibbling on the last piece of cheese. “Constantly.”