The night sky above Chrona Salvàta shimmered with an unnatural stillness, stars frozen in their eternal dance. Alessandro sat by the bonfire, its crackling flames offering an anchor to reality. Bianca and Nico di Angelo sat beside him, their expressions curious yet cautious.
"Do you ever get tired of this place?" Bianca asked, her voice soft, cutting through the quiet. Her dark eyes studied Alessandro, who seemed lost in thought.
He glanced at her, his gaze steady. "Tired isn't the right word. It's... empty. No matter how much time I spend here, it doesn't feel like living."
Nico poked at the fire with a stick, his youthful energy barely contained. "Why don't you just leave? I mean, you're super strong and all."
Alessandro's expression darkened, shadows dancing across his face. "It's not that simple. The gods—Zeus especially—would kill me the moment I step out. They think I'm dead, and I need to keep it that way. For now."
Bianca leaned closer, her curiosity mingling with concern. "And your father? What does he think about all this?"
A bitter laugh escaped Alessandro's lips. "Kronos? He doesn't care. He's the reason I'm here in the first place. He sowed the seeds of this chaos and left me to reap the consequences."
The siblings exchanged a glance, sensing the weight of his words. Alessandro, despite his strength and determination, bore scars that ran deeper than any physical wound.
"Then why train so hard?" Bianca pressed, her tone gentle but insistent. "What's the point of all this if you're stuck here forever?"
Alessandro stared into the flames, his stormy gray eyes reflecting their glow. "Because one day, I'll leave. And when I do, I won't just survive—I'll fight back. I'll make sure no one else suffers like I did."
Nico's eyes widened. "You're gonna take on the gods?"
Alessandro smirked, his resolve hardening. "If I have to."
The three of them sat in silence for a moment, the crackling fire filling the space between their unspoken thoughts. In the distance, the faint howl of a monster echoed, but none of them flinched. This place had forged them all in ways they were only beginning to understand.
Bianca placed a hand on Alessandro's shoulder. "We'll help you, however we can. You're not alone."
For the first time in years, Alessandro felt a flicker of something he'd almost forgotten—hope.