Julie didn’t bother to answer Veydran.
The straw made a faint sound as she drew the liquid up.
Ultris didn’t respond to Veydran either.
He dropped into the chair beside her.
His massive frame contrasted with her relaxed pose, but somehow the two didn’t seem out of place together.
He leaned back, folding his arms, and let the silence stretch.
Veydran’s smile didn’t fade.
He stood comfortably, as if he wasn’t bothered at all by the presence of Ultris.
The easy expression stayed on his face, but his eyes shifted slightly between them.
Finally, Ultris spoke. "Just leave. If you were planning to fight us here, you should’ve not come alone."
"Haha, I have to agree. I came in a hurry and didn’t plan for this. Now I find myself in a rather difficult position."
The words might have sounded like a concession, but the smile on his face didn’t waver.
If anything, it seemed to deepen, as if he found the situation amusing rather than frustrating.
"Sigh," he said softly, though it carried enough for them to hear. "I suppose I can only leave, huh?"
He turned away.
No one tried to stop him.
A few steps later, his figure blurred faintly, and then he was gone, disappearing into the crowded beach as if he had never been there.
Julie still had her faint smile when the space in front of them grew empty again.
She didn’t speak, but she sipped from her drink as if enjoying the taste a little more than before.
Ultris glanced sideways at her, then looked back at the horizon.
"Don’t let this get to your head. He only walked away because fighting both of us right now would’ve been inconvenient."
"I know," Julie said.
She tilted her head back slightly, adjusting the sunglasses against the glare of the sun.
"But what can I do? Years ago, I lost everything to the Eternals, and I had to run away. Now it’s their leader that can’t do anything but leave, even when his goal is standing right in front of him. It feels satisfying."
Ultris looked at her from the corner of his eye, gauging her words, then closed his eyes altogether.
His head leaned back slightly as if he, too, had decided to rest for a moment.
The beach continued its rhythm around them.
People moved, laughed, and shouted.
The waves came and went.
For a short while, there was nothing more said.
...
Arthur’s POV
"I’ll be back as soon as possible," Arthur said.
"Alright," Amelia answered with a small nod.
The holographic projection flickered once before disappearing completely.
The room grew quiet.
Arthur lifted his eyes from the faint shimmer left behind by the hologram and looked at the woman sitting across from him.
She looked human at first glance.
Her face was fair, her posture graceful, and her movements measured.
But the details gave her away.
Two sweeping horns, curved like antlers, rose from her head.
Her irises shimmered faintly, as if small galaxies were spinning inside them.
She was Ilyana Veycoris-Drasthel, one of the nine leaders of the Forgotten Suns.
She was the one who had given Earth her protection.
That was why she was confused.
Who was trying to attack Earth despite her involvement?
Her expression was unsettled.
Amelia’s words had clearly left her worried.
"Earth is in danger. Let me send some reinforcements—"
"No." Arthur’s voice cut her off. "We don’t need reinforcements. We’ll handle it ourselves."
One of the nine leaders of the Forgotten Suns.
The man who had rescued the Supreme Leader of Forgotten Suns.
The man who Arthur hated more than anyone alive.
Ilyana watched Arthur’s body stiffen.
His glare was sharp enough to burn through stone, and his jaw set so tightly it looked painful.
She moved closer, using telepathy instead of speaking aloud.
’Don’t act recklessly.’
Arthur didn’t reply.
His nails dug into his palms until blood threatened to bead against his skin.
’If you act now, he will crush you,’ Ilyana warned telepathically.
Arthur’s teeth ground together.
The memories flashed whether he wanted them to or not.
Zeus was someone he had once looked up to. Someone he had wanted to visit at all cost and hug him.
...Until he found that this very man had murdered Arthur’s grandfather.
Zeus didn’t glance their way, as if he had not noticed them.
He and his group passed along the corridor, voices faint as they disappeared into the far passage.
Only when the last figure was gone did Arthur release the tension in his hands.
His fists loosened, and he exhaled through his nose.
Ilyana didn’t speak.
She only watched him.
Arthur finally moved again, resuming his walk forward.
His stride was steady, though his eyes still burned.
The teleporter bay was waiting.
’I need to save Earth. I will think about Zeus later.’

Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Extra's Death: I Am the Son of Hades