As Thalia made her theatrical entrance, Chronos felt an internal tug-of-war between amusement and exasperation.
'Sigh… I can't even get a night off? Even when I died and lost my memory, I was put through hell... literally.'
He darted a glance toward Heracles, who was just a table away, as if inquiring through his eyes,
'Who's this? Can I just ignore her?'
Heracles caught the unspoken query and chuckled.
He shook his head slowly as he rose from his seat, he turned to the boisterous crowd.
"Alright, the grown-ups got business to handle~"
Heracles' words cut through the drunken tension like a well-aimed dagger, leaving Chronos with a knot of dread.
As Heracles snagged Chronos's arm and began guiding him out of the tavern, Chronos couldn't help but groan,
"Ughhh..."
Thalia's heel thudded against the wooden floor as she followed them out, her voice laced with indignation.