CHAPTER 109: TRIP TO OLYMPUS

Zeus was already turning toward the exit.

The path back up through the Underworld wasn’t long for him—it was a straight line when you could bend space with a thought.

Hades stayed behind, silent, one hand on the scythe, eyes still following Lucifer like he expected him to disappear and reappear behind his back.

Lucifer didn’t. He was leaning against a pillar, hands in his pockets, watching Zeus move toward the gates.

"You’re leaving already?" he asked, his tone lazy, but the way it cut through the quiet made it feel sharper than it should.

Zeus didn’t look at him. "I didn’t come here to drink wine and make friends."

Lucifer tilted his head. "Good. I’m terrible company anyway."

Zeus was halfway through the archway when he heard boots behind him—slow steps, unhurried, but definitely following.

He glanced over his shoulder. "You’re not coming with me."

Lucifer’s brow lifted like he’d just heard a bad joke. "Why not?"

"There are other realms. Pick one," Zeus said, not stopping. "You’ll find more entertainment than hanging around me."

Lucifer smirked. "That’s the problem. You’re the entertainment."

Zeus stopped walking, finally turning to face him. "You’re trouble."

"And you’re not?"

"I don’t want trouble," Zeus said flatly.

"Then why did you wake me up?" Lucifer asked. His voice was calm, but there was something behind it—a weight Zeus couldn’t ignore.

Zeus’s jaw tightened. "I didn’t wake you up. I just didn’t stop you from walking out."

Lucifer shrugged. "Same difference. Either way, here we are. And I like you."

Zeus gave him a long, unimpressed look. "I don’t do boys."

Lucifer laughed—loud enough that the sound echoed off the marble walls. "Neither do I."

"Then what’s your point?"

"My point," Lucifer said, stepping closer, "is that I’ve been in a hole for far too long, and the first person I meet is someone who can actually make me curious. I don’t care about the Underworld. I don’t care about the other realms. I want to see what you’re going to do next."

Zeus turned away. "You’ll get bored fast."

"I’ve been bored for centuries. You think I’m going to walk away from the first interesting thing I’ve seen in ages?"

Zeus started walking again. "I don’t need a shadow."

"You already have one," Lucifer said, matching his pace. "I’m just better looking."

Zeus sighed. "Do you ever stop talking?"

"Do you?"

They passed through the first set of gates, the ground shifting from black marble to jagged rock. The air here was thinner, colder—the kind that clung to you no matter how fast you moved.

Zeus kept walking, but the silence didn’t last long.

"You’re wasting energy trying to get rid of me," Lucifer said.

"I’m not wasting anything," Zeus replied. "I’m telling you to find somewhere else before I put you there myself."

Lucifer’s grin widened. "That almost sounded like a threat. Careful—you might make me think you enjoy my company."

Zeus didn’t look at him. "You mistake tolerance for interest."

Lucifer stepped in front of him, forcing him to stop. "You’re strong, Zeus. You can end most people with a flick of your wrist. But you’re not getting rid of me. So either you tell me to walk beside you, or I’ll keep following behind you until you get used to it."

For a moment, they just stared at each other.

Behind them, Hades still hadn’t moved from the shadows near the gates. His voice drifted over, dry and cold. "Take him. He’s already driving me insane."

Zeus’s eyes narrowed. "You want him gone that badly?"

"Yes," Hades said without hesitation. "Preferably today."

Lucifer smirked. "You’ll miss me, Warden."

"Not in this lifetime," Hades replied.

Zeus exhaled through his nose, turning back to Lucifer. "If you come with me, you keep your mouth shut unless I ask you something. You don’t start fights unless I tell you to. And you stay out of my way."

Lucifer’s smile didn’t fade. "You forgot the part where I agree."

Zeus’s brow twitched. "Do you?"

Lucifer tilted his head like he was weighing it. "Sure. For now."

Zeus gave him one last hard look, then turned and kept walking. Lucifer fell into step beside him without hesitation, hands still in his pockets, looking far too pleased with himself.

The second set of gates opened ahead—massive slabs of iron and stone that shifted like they were alive. The wind from the mortal realm rushed in, cold and biting after the heavy heat of the Underworld.

Lucifer inhaled deeply, like the air itself was worth the trip. "Better already."

"Don’t get comfortable," Zeus said.

Lucifer glanced at him. "You sound like you think I’m planning to stay forever."

"You sound like you are."

Lucifer didn’t answer, but the grin was back.

They stepped out onto the narrow bridge that connected the Underworld to the cliffs beyond. Below, an endless drop vanished into mist. The sky above was a dull grey, streaked with cracks of distant light.

Zeus moved fast, his steps almost silent despite the weight of his boots. Lucifer kept pace easily, the long coat shifting with the wind.

"You’re quieter than I expected," Lucifer said.

"You’re louder than I hoped."

Lucifer chuckled under his breath. "You’ll warm up to me."

"I won’t," Zeus said.

"You will," Lucifer replied. "Everyone does."

Zeus didn’t answer. The bridge ended at a jagged arch of stone, the threshold between realms. The air here buzzed faintly—thin, invisible threads of power woven between the two worlds.

Zeus raised a hand. The threads split apart, parting like water. The archway shimmered, revealing the faint gold light of the realm beyond.

Lucifer slowed, looking at it. "Where does that go?"

"Somewhere I didn’t invite you to," Zeus said.

Lucifer’s grin deepened. "Perfect."

They stepped through together.

The shift was instant—the heavy air of the Underworld replaced by open wind and the scent of rain. They stood on a cliff overlooking an endless ocean, waves smashing against black rock far below.

Lucifer took it in for a moment, then looked at Zeus. "Better view than Hades’s prison."

"Don’t make me regret this."

"You already do," Lucifer said, smiling.

Zeus started walking down the cliffside path, and this time, he didn’t bother telling Lucifer to stay behind.

The sound of the ocean filled the silence, but every now and then, Zeus could feel Lucifer’s eyes on him—watching, measuring, waiting.

It was going to be a long journey.