It's the next morning.
Golden rays spill through the sheer curtains of Kyn's chamber, painting soft patterns across the room. The scent of sea salt and flowers hangs in the air. Kyn, already up and dressed, quietly exits the room, leaving Jasmine buried beneath a cascade of white sheets, her brunette hair tousled from sleep and last night's chaos.
She stirs slightly as the door clicks shut, a small, satisfied smile curling at the edge of her lips. The sunlight catches on the delicate shimmer of her skin, revealing the soft glow that comes from spending the night close .
Meanwhile, Kyn walks through the quiet halls of the temple, the sound of birds and distant waves greeting him. He makes his way to the open-air breakfast lounge, where a table overlooking the Aegean awaits, piled with fruits, bread, cheese, and coffee.
As he sips his drink, his eyes drift out toward the horizon.
Atlantis.
The sun-drenched Athenian air vibrated with a newfound urgency, every golden ray sharpening Kyn's focus. He sat in the quiet of the terrace breakfast nook, the clinking of cutlery and soft wind in the olive trees offering one final breath of stillness. But in the back of his mind, Atlantis pulsed like a distant beacon—a city whispered into his dreams, radiant with coral spires and a bioluminescent heart older than any myth.
Across the waterline, the cerulean horizon shimmered with mystery. Although the journey would take six days by boat, it would only take minutes through Jasmine's divine gate.
With the certainty of a storm, Bertha arrived, her arms crossed and her expression grave. She did not sit; instead, she hovered, sharp eyes fixed on Kyn, as if daring him to dismiss what she was about to say.
"Poseidon will not like this," she said, skipping the pleasantries. "He is always viewed Gaia as a symbol of wild freedom, not someone to be bound to a mortal. "Kyn, you represent a leash."
Her voice was steel wrapped in silk. "He may not strike immediately, but we are not travelling unnoticed. If Atlantis is his chessboard, then we are uninvited guests."
"I'm not going," Chris said flatly, chewing on a piece of toast.
"Yes, you are," Bertha countered, tossing a scroll of binding contract toward him.
Chris grimaced. "You folks always pull me into these glowing hellscapes. First the labyrinth, now Fish City."
"You're the best thief we've got," Kyn said with a grin. "If things go wrong, I need someone who can quickly pick a lock and disappear before anyone notices."
Chris sighed, already mourning his peace. "You owe me a drink. Many drinks."
3 hours later, at the VVIP lounge, the group stood before a gate.
The gateway shimmered like spilt moonlight on deep waters, rippling with bioluminescent energy. Jasmine, now fully awake and radiant in a new white wrap that whispered of constellations, stood between Kyn and Chris, her hands lightly touching their shoulders.
"It's not just a city," she murmured, eyes reflecting the light. "It is a civilisation on the verge—where science and magic coexist—and the most advanced city on Earth."
Chris rolled his eyes. "Great. Glowing fish politics."
Kyn smirked, but his eyes remained fixed on the portal. He could feel it in his bones—the pull of destiny, the roar of unknown oceans waiting to swallow them whole.
"And what of me?" asked the now quite Athena, who had been added to the click. "I could join in ."
Bertha couldn't help but blurt out, "You could join if you can split your persona ... case in point – her," she said, pointing at Gaia.
"Hmm... you're mean," she replied. The problem was that average gods, restricted to a single instance of existence, were unable to create multiple avatars, unlike Gaia. Only Chaos-based entities could split their personas.
"I don't set the rules; you're needed here, and you're at odds with Poseidon. Can't have you in the same room with him," she replied, two valid reasons to leave the said goddess.
"I know..." she accepted.
"Look on the bright side; at least this beast will not have its way with you," Bertha said, pointing to Kyn.
Chris could help laughing at the Beast in question, considering he wasn't the biggest screw-up on the team, which was a miracle.
Ignoring Bertha, Kyn looked back at his link; on it read 'Atlantis, Scientific Sanctum Block A Gate' ... the messenger from yesterday had insisted on his presence, and now he was about to find out.
How was he supposed to convince an old god he was actually a good guy, only after avenging his friend?
"Stop worrying about it; he is a very calm person; you would be surprised," Floras said after reading his thoughts. Unlike Nyx, who'd throw in a wretch , he'll just test your might.
"You're not helping," came a curt reply.
With a deep breath, he took the lead and ventured into the unknown.