The city’s darkness was unrelenting, the shadows thick and suffocating as Orion led the way through its labyrinthine streets. The distant hum of the Shades followed us, faint but constant, like the beating of war drums on the horizon.

I kept close to him, my senses on high alert, the serpents hissing softly against my skin. The dagger was a comforting weight in my hand, though I wasn’t sure it would be enough if we were cornered.

Orion glanced back at me, his expression unreadable. “You’re quiet.”

“What do you expect me to say?” I replied, my voice low and bitter.

“Anything,” he said. “Silence lets the dark creep in.”

I tightened my grip on the dagger, my jaw clenching. He wasn’t wrong. The memories of Poseidon, the echo of his cruel laughter, were a constant weight in my mind, pulling me under like a riptide. But I wasn’t ready to share that with Orion—not yet.

“Where are we going?” I asked instead, deflecting the question.

“There’s a place,” he said, his voice softening. “An old part of the city, forgotten by most. It’ll give us some time to figure out what’s next.”

I frowned, my steps slowing. “You mean we’re running.”

Orion stopped and turned to face me, his dark eyes piercing. “Survival isn’t running. It’s strategy.”

The serpents hissed louder, sensing my rising frustration. “I’m tired of surviving,” I said, my voice shaking with anger. “I’ve done nothing but survive for centuries. When do I get to fight back?”

“When you’re ready,” he said simply.

“And who decides that?” I demanded.

“You do.”

His words caught me off guard, the calm conviction in his voice cutting through my anger like a blade. I wanted to argue, to lash out, but the truth in his statement left me momentarily speechless.

He stepped closer, his tone softening. “I know you’re angry. You have every right to be. But anger alone isn’t enough. You need to be smart, or they’ll destroy you before you even get the chance to fight.”

I looked away, the weight of his words sinking in. He was right, but that didn’t make it any easier to accept.

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We continued in silence, the tension between us thick but unspoken. The streets grew narrower, the buildings taller and more imposing, their windows shattered and walls cracked with age. This part of the city felt older, its edges worn down by time and neglect.

Orion finally stopped in front of a rusted metal door, its surface streaked with grime and graffiti. He pushed it open with a creak, gesturing for me to enter.

The air inside was cold and damp, the faint scent of mildew hanging in the air. The room was small and cluttered, filled with mismatched furniture and stacks of old books. A single, dim lightbulb flickered above, casting long shadows across the walls.

“It’s not much,” Orion said, closing the door behind us. “But it’s safe.”

I dropped onto an old, worn-out chair, the exhaustion of the night catching up with me. The serpents coiled loosely, their hisses fading as they began to relax.

Orion moved to a table in the corner, rummaging through a bag that I hadn’t noticed before. He pulled out a bottle of water and tossed it to me.

“Drink,” he said.

I caught it, my fingers tightening around the plastic. The water was cold, and the first sip sent a jolt through me, sharp and invigorating.

“Why are you doing this?” I asked, breaking the silence.

He glanced at me, his expression guarded. “Doing what?”

“Helping me,” I said, narrowing my eyes. “You said it yourself—you’ve been hunted by the Shades. Why risk yourself for me?”

Orion hesitated, the question hanging heavy in the air. When he finally spoke, his voice was quieter than before. “Because I know what it’s like to be alone. To have the whole world turn against you for something you didn’t choose.”

The rawness in his tone caught me off guard. For the first time, I saw cracks in the armour he wore so carefully, glimpses of something broken and vulnerable beneath.

“Who were you?” I asked softly.

His jaw tightened, and he turned away, his hands gripping the edge of the table. “Someone who trusted the wrong people,” he said after a long pause. “And paid the price for it.”

The serpents stirred, their movements slow and cautious, as if sensing the shift in the room.

“I’m not asking for your trust,” Orion continued his back still to me. “But if you want to survive this, you’ll need to start trusting someone.”

I looked down at the dagger in my hand, its blade catching the faint light. Trust wasn’t something I gave easily—how could I, after everything I’d endured?

But Orion wasn’t wrong. The Shades were relentless, their hunger palpable, and I couldn’t face them alone.

Before I could respond, the faint sound of footsteps reached my ears.

Orion froze, his head snapping toward the door.

“They’re here,” he said, his voice low and tense.

My heart raced as he moved swiftly to the window, peering through the cracked glass. “How did they find us?” I asked, rising to my feet.

“They always find us,” he muttered. “But this time, they’re not alone.”

“What do you mean?”

He turned to face me, his expression grim. “Something else is out there. Something worse.”

The serpents hissed, their movements frantic, as the sound of footsteps grew louder. The air seemed to thicken, the shadows in the room growing darker and more oppressive.

I tightened my grip on the dagger, my heart pounding as the door rattled violently.

“Stay behind me,” Orion said, drawing his blade.

The door burst open, and the darkness spilled in, consuming everything in its path.