For the first time in what felt like an eternity, the air of Chrona Salvàta felt different. The stillness that had defined Alessandro's existence cracked like fragile glass, replaced by an unsettling tremor that reverberated through the very fabric of his sanctuary. He sat by the campfire, the familiar scent of burning wood filling the air, yet his mind was elsewhere—caught between the echoes of Hades' warning and the burden of what lay ahead.
Bianca sat across from him, her dark eyes reflecting the flickering flames. "You're leaving." It wasn't a question.
Alessandro sighed, leaning back against the rough bark of a towering pine tree. "I have to. If Zeus is truly searching for his father's children… I can't stay hidden any longer."
She hugged her knees to her chest, a shadow crossing her face. "I hate this. I hate that the gods keep playing games with our lives, moving us like pieces on a board."
A wry smile tugged at Alessandro's lips. "You think I don't?" He exhaled, his breath visible in the cool air. "I spent centuries—centuries—trapped here, Bianca. Do you know what that does to someone?" He paused, his voice quieter now. "For the longest time, I thought I had escaped the gods. That maybe, just maybe, I could live without their interference. But it was just a delusion."
Bianca's fingers curled into the fabric of her sleeve. "Then why go back? If you leave, you'll be walking straight into Zeus's path."
Alessandro studied her for a moment before answering. "Because you and Nico are in danger. You need to reach the Lotus Casino. Hades made that clear."
Bianca frowned. "That's what he wants. But what do you want?"
Silence hung between them, stretching longer than it should have. Alessandro tilted his head, gazing into the fire as if it held the answer. "I… I want to see the world again." His voice was quiet, almost hesitant. "I want to feel the wind that isn't conjured by my own will, hear voices beyond those of passing demigods and spirits. I want to stop running and face the gods on my own terms."
Bianca's lips parted, but no words came out. She looked down, exhaling softly before whispering, "You won't be alone, you know."
Alessandro's eyes flickered toward her. "What?"
She met his gaze, determination burning in her expression. "You won't be alone. I may not have powers like yours, but I know what it's like to be trapped by something bigger than yourself. And I meant what I said before—I trust you."
A lump formed in Alessandro's throat. He had spent so long believing he was alone, that solitude was his only companion. But now… now there was Bianca. And Nico. People who saw him for more than his cursed bloodline. He nodded, a rare softness in his expression. "Then I'll make sure you both make it to safety."
A sudden shift in the air made them both tense. Alessandro's fingers instinctively curled around the dagger at his waist, his eyes narrowing. The space around them rippled—an unnatural disturbance in the stability of Chrona Salvàta.
"The breach," he muttered. "Zeus and Kronos… they're trying to find me."
Bianca stood abruptly, her breath hitching. "What do we do?"
Alessandro rose to his feet, the weight of centuries pressing against his shoulders. "We move," he said firmly. "For the first time in forever… we leave."
And with that, Alessandro Drago, son of Kronos, took his first step out of the sanctuary that had been both his prison and his refuge, into a world that had long since left him behind.