As Alex and Zack prepared to leave, Hercules appeared before them, a small, intricately carved stone in his hand.
"Take this," he said, his voice low and serious. "It's a teleportation stone. It will take you back to Earth."
Alex and Zack exchanged a grateful glance before taking the stone.
"How does it work?" Zack asked, turning the stone over in his hand.
"Simply focus your thoughts on your destination, and the stone will do the rest," Hercules instructed. "But be warned, the stone can only be used once. After that, it will be depleted of its power."
Alex nodded, tucking the stone into her pocket. "We understand. Thanks, Hercules."
Hercules' expression turned stern. "One more thing. Keep your wings hidden. The mortals on Earth are not ready to see the true nature of the gods. Keep your identities secret, and stay safe."
Zack and Alex nodded in unison, their faces set with determination.
"We will," Alex promised. "We'll keep our wings hidden, and our identities secret."
With that, Hercules stepped back, a small smile on his face.
"Before we go can I ask a question ?" Alex said "Sure you can" Hercules answered almost immediately as if he knew what was on Alex's mind.
"Hercules, what about Earth?" Alex asked. "What happened while we were here?"
Hercules chuckled, a knowing glint in his eye.
"Time works differently in Olympus, my friends," he explained. "There is no time here, not in the way you mortals understand it. Even if you spent years in Olympus, not a single second would pass on Earth."
Zack's eyes widened in amazement. "What? That's impossible!"
Hercules shrugged. "Impossible for mortals, perhaps. But for the gods, time is fluid. We can manipulate it, bend it to our will. And Olympus exists outside of the mortal timeline."
Alex's brow furrowed in thought. "So, when we return to Earth... it will be as if no time has passed at all?"
Hercules nodded. "Exactly. You will return to the moment you left, as if nothing had changed. But for you, my friends, much will have changed. You have experienced the gods' realm, and you have been forever changed by it."
Zack and Alex exchanged a stunned glance, their minds reeling with the implications.
"Whoa," Zack breathed. "That's heavy."
Alex nodded, her eyes sparkling with wonder. "We've got a lot to process."
With that, Hercules smiled and nodded, his expression benevolent.
"Then go, my friends. Return to your world, and may the gods watch over you."
With the teleportation stone clutched in Alex's hand, they focused their thoughts on Theo's apartment, the place where their incredible journey had begun.
As they activated the stone, a blinding flash of light enveloped them, and they felt themselves being pulled through space and time.
When the light faded, they found themselves standing in the familiar surroundings of Theo's apartment. Everything looked exactly as they had left it - the same furniture, the same decorations, even the same faint scent of pizza lingering in the air.
Alex and Zack exchanged a disbelieving glance. It was as if no time had passed at all.
"Whoa," Zack breathed. "This is trippy."
Alex nodded, her eyes scanning the apartment. "It's like we never left."
They looked around, taking in the familiar sights and sounds of Theo's apartment. The TV was still on, the same show playing in the background. The clock on the wall still read 3:47 PM.
Zack chuckled. "I guess Hercules wasn't kidding about time standing still."
Alex smiled, feeling a sense of wonder and awe. "I guess not."
As they stood there, taking in the familiar surroundings, they couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia wash over them. Their adventure in Olympus had changed them, but it was good to be back home.
But as they looked around, they noticed something odd. A piece of paper on the coffee table caught their eye. It was a note, scrawled in Theo's handwriting.
"Welcome back," it read. "I knew you'd return. Meet me at the old clock tower at midnight. -T"
Alex and Zack stared at the note, their minds racing with questions.
"How did he know?" Alex wondered, her brow furrowed in confusion.
Zack shook his head. "I have no idea. We didn't even know we were coming back."
Alex's eyes scanned the note again, as if searching for hidden clues. "This is weird. It's like Theo knew we'd return all along."
Zack's expression turned thoughtful. "Maybe he did. Maybe he's more connected to the gods than we thought."
Alex's eyes widened. "You think he's...?"
Zack shrugged. "I don't know, but I think we're about to find out."
They looked at each other, a sense of excitement and trepidation building between them.
"Midnight at the old clock tower," Alex repeated, her voice barely above a whisper.
Zack nodded. "We'll be there."
As they stood there, pondering the mystery of the note, they couldn't shake the feeling that their adventure was far from over. In fact, it might just be beginning.
After discussing the mysterious note, Alex and Zack decided to go their separate ways, each lost in their own thoughts.
Alex headed home, her mind whirling with questions about Theo's note and the secrets he might be hiding. She couldn't shake the feeling that her friend was involved in something much bigger than she had initially thought.
As she walked, the familiar streets and buildings of her neighborhood seemed to blur together. Her thoughts were a million miles away, stuck in the world of gods and monsters they had left behind.
Zack, on the other hand, went to his favorite coffee shop, hoping to clear his head and process everything that had happened. He ordered a coffee and sat down at a small table by the window, watching as the world went by outside.
His mind kept wandering back to Olympus, to the friends they had made and the adventures they had shared. He couldn't believe it was all over, that they were back in the real world.
As the sun began to set, casting a golden glow over the city, Alex and Zack both found themselves lost in thought, each wondering what the future held.
The clock tower loomed in their minds, a constant reminder of the mystery that awaited them at midnight. What would Theo reveal? And what lay ahead for them now that they were back on Earth? Only time would tell.