A peaceful night passes through Gaia as the group sleeps in Demeter's home.

Although Hippolyta is snoring similar to a bear, she doesn't disturb the others. Echo had prepared herself for that sound by covering her ears with the dirt of her grandmother's floor. She dreams of the possible future with an adult Chrysaor. Feeling his touch again on her body excites the flowers of her crown to bloom and cover her face.

The snoring Amazonian dreams of her and Heracles meeting each other again. In her mind, the pair are having dinner to wish each other well for their lives. The hero's smile captivates her, but she imagines him leaving to be reunited with his family. With a beating heart of a drum, she lets him go. She never wants to see that smile vanish again.

Cadmus and Harmonia's arms are wrapped around each other, refusing to leave each other from their close experiences with death. Her blonde hair is draped over the torso of her dragon husband to serve as his blanket.

Scylla taps Charybdis' arm to let her know it's her turn to keep watch. The taller of the nymphs nods and sleeps near the wooden table of the kitchen. Scylla observes Cadmus and Harmonia's love. Her heart and mind are happy for something she wished she hadn't lost. The memory of being in that same embrace by Glaucus.

The immortal merman had visited Circe's island after discovering Scylla's beauty. The gills on his neck and a tail of a fish made Scylla mistaken him for an Atlantean until they spoke to each other. He recounted how eating a magical herb transformed him into an immortal that can only live in the waters.

Talking led to her fingers stroking through the sea of his brown beard. His muscular arms from swimming wrapping around her body.

His glassy hazel eyes peered into her cerulean irises. Lips looking to unite, but Scylla stopped him.

"I can't right now. My teacher wouldn't approve of this while I'm learning from her," her voice flowed like a pleasant stream.

Glaucus lifted her hand and kissed it. "I will wait forever if it means being with you."

The merman kept seeing her in secret when she was done with Circe's lessons for the day. She would tell him the magic she had mastered with glee. He wished to embrace her for her progress, but kept his hands at his side to respect her wish.

Unfortunately, Circe had peeped on their conversations. She wanted Glaucus all to herself, despite knowing his heart longed for her student. A wicked smile formed on her face from the plan in her head.

Dropping a horrible potion into Scylla's bathing spring is all she would have to do to ruin their love. Scylla's painful screams led Glaucus to the edge of it. His jaw dropped upon seeing his beloved. The nymph took note of the reflection and wished she was dead instead of being seen by her love. Her lips opened, but nothing came out. Her aura channels were severed to prevent any communication.

He sprung onto land to close the distance between them, but her new serpents lashed out in hunger. This single act lead her to run away from his voice that kept calling out to her. She kept running until dropping into a tight passage where Charybdis was active. Thinking she had no place to go to, she stayed with the whirlpool for all those years.

Some nights she would hear Glaucus calling out her name. But she never responded....

With Demeter's help, that could all change. Maybe I can be with him now.

A wisp of aura catches her attention while it startles the others out of their sleep. Takashi squirms while gripping the dirt with white knuckles. Black aura envelops his whole body. It isn't his pain they were feeling, but of someone else. Harmonia and Cadmus hold each other from the familiarity of it. Losing a child.

In his mind, Takashi can hear Nyx calling out to her children with an aching heart. "Thanatos! Hypnos!" She repeats, hoping to hear their voices again.

A disturbing realization hammers his heart. Zeus made them disappear. He reaches out to the 8 foot goddess to comfort her, but the space between them grows.

"I will bring them back! I promise you!" He yells over the chasm.

A black wisp forms in front of him. A blindfolded deity in a black tunic with tears soaking his covering. The aura is familiar to Hypnos, except Nyx "relays" who he is: her grandson, Morpheus.

The god of dreams latches onto him for a deep embrace. "I-I can't find my father nor uncle! What is this?!"

Taki embraces with all that he is. While taking a few steps back, he gently explains with sorrow what Zeus had done. Morpheus' rageful aura spikes. Shadows of haunting monsters form to become his army.

With trembling hands, Takashi grabs his arm. "W-Wait! Don't go after him!"

Morpheus sighs to calm down his vengeful presence. "If something happens to me, then no one can ever dream again. Despite father's removal, his aura is still working to protect Gaia with necessary sleep."

Taki's eyes widen. "What about death?"

Morpheus' eyes look down. "My aunts, the Keries, will now be in charge of that."

Taki's soul shivers from the last encounter he had with them. He imagines an innocent soul coming across those terrible-

He shakes his head. They are important for a reason. I can't be rude to them. "Morpheus, why did your grandmother lead me to Demeter?"

The god of dreams thinks back. "It had to be something she left behind for safekeeping."

"Any idea what it could be?"

"Unfortunately, not. Help Demeter and she should remember."

Taki nods his head. "I will."

"With her on your side, Zeus won't-"

"I won't let her get near him. Sorry. She's strong, but I won't retraumatize her for my sake."

Morpheus smiles at him while wiping his face. "Giagia (grandmother) was right to trust you. Harmonia as well. As of now, I will serve as the middleman of plans you want to enact. I will tell Hades your will and relay information to you day or night."

Takashi bows to him. "We appreciate that."

"What are you planning next?"

The mortal relays his plan to rescue the Trojans through defeating Athena with a planned game.

Morpheus taps his chin while thinking it over. "Alright. Where shall it be?"

"I'm thinking the entrance to the Underworld if that's okay."

"I will inform Hades and Persephone and tell you their answer."

Morpheus' body becomes transparent to cut the connection.

Taki stretches his hand out. "Wait! Do you know where Medea is? She must be worried about me."

The god of dreams pulls out a scroll from the sleeve of his black tunic. Rolling it out, it flattens as if it's sitting on a table. Black and white wisps populate the paper with the entire map of Gaia present.

Waving his hands around, a white wisp from Athens stretches out to him. His dropped jaw makes Takashi's heart pound against his sternum.

"She's captured by Athena."

"What?!"

"She along with Orpheus are being held prisoner for treason against Gaia for helping you."

"Are...they okay?"

Morpheus shakes his head. "Athena's torture is hurting Medea more since she doesn't have a divine healing factor."

"Tell her to stop right away and relay my challenge to her!"

"But when should the game start?"

Taki's right foot taps away. 21 more days for the deadline. But the Trojans need help right away...

He raises two fingers up. "Two days from now at noon."

The god of dreams nods his head. "Alright. I will give you pleasant dreams to aid you."

His physical body stops squirming. His fingers relax against the dirt. From Harmonia to Scylla, dropped jaws accompanied their faces from "hearing" their conversation.

Hippolyta lets out a hushed laugh. "We won't be able to convince him otherwise."

Echo partially chuckles. "You're right."

Charybdis hears movement from Demeter's bedroom. The goddess was watching ever since feeling the black wisp of Nyx.

The Olympian clasps her rough hands together as she gets back into bed. By the morning time, she will be ready to assist Taki's plan in defeating Athena and bringing Nyx back.

----

In a room underneath Athena's temple, screams of torment finally stop. Medea drops down from the squeeze of light with heavy breaths. Crimson iron leaving her lips along with Orpheus' golden ichor to decorate the rest of the floor. No strength to stand back up since both hands are broken from the torture. The tightness in her chest leaves for shaky breaths to come in and out.

Her brown hair covers her sweaty face from the duration. Through strands of hair, her eyes glance up at the goddess of wisdom who's stuck in a trance like state before a red bracelet wraps around her right wrist.

Through the squeeze of hours, Orpheus relied on his healing factor, his goal to avenge Apollo, and the love of Eurydice to carry him through the pain.

With a wave of her hand, Athena changes the light around him to contain him against the wall without hurting him. His healing factor works slowly to stop the internal bleeding. His eyes are bewildered by the goddess' next act.

Athena crouches down to get close to Medea. With a hand of aura, she taps her hands. Bones reform as good as new with her being able to wiggle her fingers. The goddess lifts Medea's head up with a cruel smile.

"Your ally, Takashi, has challenged me to a game in exchange to save both of you from more punishment."

The witch of Colchis gasps out of surprise. No! No! What are you doing?! You idiot! Forget about me!

Athena lets go of her grip on her. "When I win, I get him to keep for father to deal with. My wish will be right in my grasp."

Her smile shrinks from the thought of the demigod's silent question. What if you lose?

Her bright aura almost blinds them. When he opens his eyes, the tip of her spear is aimed for his throat.

"I have never lost a challenge before, and it will continue to be like that."

Athena withdraws her spear and walks away from her prisoners, leaving her owl to keep watch on them. Entering her room, her spear creaks from her grip before it swings through the air.

A perfect cut through her case of scrolls by the bed. The upper half lands with a heavy thud with scrolls scattered about from her rage.

She contains her wrathful golden wisps from the foreigner's challenge. It was a child's game to her, but the rules would work against her if he gains the upper hand.

What she told Orpheus was a lie that she didn't want to admit. She was bested by a talented mortal and she won't let that happen again.