(5 days till the start of the War...)
The underground hall bore no resemblance to any corner of Olympus. There were no golden columns or gleaming marble. Only old black stone, marked by runes that almost no one remembered. A purple flame burned in the center of the round table, casting shadows that seemed to move on their own. The meeting place had been provided by Hecate, who resided in the Underworld, as Olympus was no longer safe for gatherings.
Hesperia leaned with both hands on the table. Her robe, dyed in shades of blue and black, seemed to float in the heavy air.
"Hades already knows. I showed him the recording of how Zeus made a deal with Demeter to get Persephone out of the Underworld. He was furious, so you could say the plan was a success."
The silence lasted a couple of seconds.
Hecate, sitting to her right, nodded calmly, as if she had foreseen everything.
