On Mount Olympus, the Twelve Olympians convened in their grand marble hall, the air heavy with tension. The throne room sparkled with divine light, but it did little to mask the unease that hung between the gods.
Athena stood, her gray eyes sharp and calculating. "This mission grows more dangerous by the day. Kronos' power is spreading. Every shard we fail to recover brings us closer to his return."
"You're preaching to the choir," Ares growled, his arms crossed. "We should've sent an army to deal with this, not a group of teenagers."
"Agreed," Athena said, fixing her gaze on Zeus. "Why entrust such a critical mission to untested demigods? Henry Beckett is skilled, but they are children, not warriors."
Zeus sat back in his golden throne, lightning crackling faintly around him. His voice was calm, yet commanding. "They are more than warriors. They are the only ones who can stop Kronos now. Sending anyone else would only delay the inevitable."
"Is that confidence or desperation?" Hera interjected, her voice dripping with disdain.
Zeus' eyes flashed with annoyance, but before he could answer, a golden light appeared in the center of the room. It shimmered briefly before solidifying into the package bearing Hermes' emblem.
"The first fragment," Apollo remarked, leaning forward with interest. "At least they're making progress."
Athena nodded, though her expression remained weary. "But time isn't on their side. Kronos won't sit idly while they hunt his shards."
The gods fell into a heated debate, their voices overlapping in a cacophony of opinions. Zeus remained silent, his gaze fixed on the fragment. Somewhere in the mortal realm, the Guardians were fighting battles the gods themselves couldn't face—or wouldn't.
The Hikbënk Market buzzed with energy, a chaotic labyrinth of tents and stalls run by goblins hawking mythical artifacts and oddities. The air smelled of sulfur and spices, and the chatter of bartering filled the space.
Henry led the Guardians through the winding paths, his bronze sword sheathed but ready. "Keep your eyes open," he said, scanning the crowd. "Rumor has it one of these vendors has a fragment of Kronos' soul. We can't let it fall into the wrong hands."
Veronica strolled beside him, her hood pulled low. "Goblins are shifty. They'll sell to anyone if the price is right."
Charlie's gaze darted around nervously. "I don't like this place. Feels like we're walking into a trap."
"Probably because we are," Noami muttered, her hand resting on her holstered gun.
They wandered through the market, passing stalls displaying enchanted jewelry, cursed relics, and magical potions. The atmosphere was tense, even shadow and whispered deal setting their nerves on edge.
Finally, they spotted the stall in question—a dingy setup near the edge of the market. A goblin with crooked teeth and a glint of greed in his eyes stood behind the counter, a small glass case in front of him. Inside was a dark crystal that pulsed faintly, unmistakenly a fragment of Kronos' soul.
"That's it," Veronica whispered.
As they approached, a man in a dark cloak stepped forward and slapped a heavy pouch of coins onto the counter. The goblin snatched it up with a grin and handed over the crystal.
"Hey!" Henry shouted, breaking into a sprint.
The cloaked figure turned, revealing a symbol of a clock etched on his wrist—the Mark of Kronos' followers. He bolted, shoving into the crowd and knocking items over to slow the Guardians down.
"Stop him!" Noami yelled, drawing her gun and shooting at the figure. However, all the enchanted bullets mysteriously stopped in place just as they were about to hit him and fell harmlessly on the ground. "The hell?" she muttered as she joined the Guardians in chasing him.
The Guardians gave chase, weaving through the crowded market. Henry was the fastest, fueled by years of training and raw determination. He caught up to the rogue in an alleyway, slamming him against the wall and causing the crystal to fall on the ground.
"Where's the fragment?" Henry demanded, his voice cold.
The man sneered, but before he could respond, Henry's fist connected with his jaw, and he crumpled to the ground. But when Henry looked around, the fragment was gone. It has vanished, leaving no trace behind.
"It's gone," Veronica said, her eyes narrowing as she tried to sense its energy. She closed her eyes, her powers reaching into the shadows, but the fragment was beyond her grasp. "I can't track it."
Before they could regroup, the ground trembled. A deafening roar shattered the relative quiet of the alley, and screams erupted from the market.
Henry spun around to see a massive three-headed Hydra towering over the stalls, its scales glinting in the dim light. The creature lashed out, sending goblins and artifacts flying.
"Kronos," Henry muttered, gripping his bronze sword. "This is his doing. He's trying to distract us."
"We need to stop it," Charlie said, already reaching for his bow.
Noami nodded, her expression grim. "Before it tears this place apart."
The Hydra's heads reared back, roaring in unison as the Guardians prepared for battle. They didn't have the fragment, but they couldn't afford to have Kronos' chaos consume the market.
Once again, the fight for Olympus had come to them.