Rex arrived before the gates with a confident look on his face.
Despite the grim surroundings, Rex wore a confident smirk, but underneath it was a storm of doubt and frustration.
He couldn't forget the recent fallout with Lucius and his gang, the memory of his helplessness burned in his mind. If it hadn't been for Hercules and Jefferson, he'd have been another casualty of Lucius' growing shadow.
The thought lingered, sour and heavy, but Rex refused to let it show. He clenched his fists, feeling the faint hum of Aether beneath his skin, and took a steadying breath.
"So, Cronus," Rex began, his voice carrying a forced bravado that barely masked his unease. "Should I be expecting a fancy key to this gate, or can I just smash through it? Because, honestly, that'd be way more satisfying."
The silence around him felt oppressive, broken only by the faint creaks of the spectral chains shifting in the nonexistent breeze.
