CHAPTER 376: THE PLAN

One by one, the others slowly returned. The first to return after Adam was Aria, who was quickly followed by Greg and then Penny. The last three to arrive were Ethan, Crystal, and Rachel.

The two girls in particular had changed quite a bit in the time they had been gone. It was almost as if they had matured years in the span of hours, their presences steadier, their eyes carrying something deeper.

"Well, aren’t you all a sight for sore eyes~!" Rachel smiled happily, throwing her arms wide as if to embrace them all at once.

Crystal, though less exuberant, still carried a warmth that hadn’t been there before. She stepped forward with a calm grace, her gaze moving from face to face before settling on Adam. "It feels like we’ve all... grown," she said softly, almost as though testing the words.

Aria’s lips curved into a gentle smile. "Maybe that’s the point of all this."

Greg folded his arms, studying them with quiet interest. "You two look different. Stronger."

Penny tilted her head, eyes narrowing with curiosity. "Not just stronger. More... resolved."

Rachel laughed lightly, the sound bright but edged with something more grounded than usual.

"Well when you have to spend years trying to hit a deranged Grandma using my face, stuff happens! Ow!"

From the darkness, a staff appeared and smacked Rachel upside the head with a sharp crack.

She winced, rubbing the spot. "Okay, okay! I didn’t mean it like that!"

The staff lingered for a moment, humming with quiet authority, before fading back into the shadows.

Luna let out a tired sigh and asked "I swear you will probably never change...."

Rachel puffed up her chest as if the Rabbit Girl had given her the biggest compliment in the world.

"Exactly! Consistency is key, after all."

Crystal shook her head, though there was a flicker of amusement in her eyes. "That’s one way to put it."

Greg muttered under his breath, "Or stupidity."

"Hey, I heard that!" Rachel shot back, pointing at him with mock outrage.

Aria stifled a laugh behind her hand, her voice warm. "At least some things are still the same. It’s... reassuring."

Leo cleared his throat, the easy atmosphere quickly draining into silence. "Save the chit chat for later please. We need to talk."

His voice carried a firm weight, sharper than the lightheartedness that had colored their reunion just moments before. Vivian and Ethan exchanged a look. Neither had known Leo long, but the serious expression on his face left no doubt that this was not something to take lightly.

The others did not need convincing. Luna, Lily, Rachel, Crystal, Penny, Greg, and Aria all found their seats again around the massive stone table, the air thick with expectation. Even Morgan, though his mouth tightened in a frown, reluctantly followed along and took his place with folded arms.

Leo scanned the room, his eyes lingering on each of them before settling on Adam. His words came slow, deliberate. "He needs our help with a plan. And before he explains it, I want to make something clear. None of you are bound to this. If you do not want to take the risk, I will not hold it against you. Not this time."

A hush followed, the kind that stretched taut and waited for someone to cut it.

Vivian was the first to break it. She leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs with an ease that seemed at odds with the tension. A faint smile tugged at her lips. "Sounds interesting. Whatever it is, I would like to see where it goes."

Luna was next. Her arms crossed, her gaze locked firmly on her brother. "You do not even need to ask. I will follow you anywhere, Leo."

Her words drew a soft nod from Lily, who sat just beside her. "And where she goes, I go. That has not changed." Her tone was quieter but no less resolute.

Aria’s voice came like a balm after the sharp edges of commitment that had been spoken already. "This group is my family now. I will not turn away, no matter what is asked of me." Her smile was gentle but her eyes were steady.

Crystal leaned forward, her hands folded neatly in her lap. She did not hesitate, her gaze finding Leo’s with clarity. "If you are in, then so am I."

Rachel grinned, her energy bubbling as if she had been waiting for her turn. "Whatever it is, it sounds big. And you know me, I would hate to be left out of something that is going to shake the world."

A roll of the eyes and a sigh announced Penny’s response. She tapped a finger on the table, her expression flat but her tone carrying a playful bite. "If this was for anyone else, I would be long gone by now. But for Adam? Fine. I am in."

All eyes shifted to Ethan, who shifted in his seat. His expression twisted with uncertainty. "I do not know if this—"

Vivian’s sharp glare snapped his words in half. He faltered, coughed, and looked away. "...Fine. I will go."

The silence stretched again as everyone turned to Morgan. His arms were still folded, his expression unreadable. He neither nodded nor refused, simply sat there with his frown carved deep into his features. But his lack of protest said enough. He was not going to abandon them, even if he would not voice the words.

Leo exhaled slowly, his chest tightening with gratitude as he looked around the table. "Thank you. All of you." His voice softened, but the weight of sincerity behind it made his words ring clear. He turned to Adam, giving a firm nod. "Now... tell them what we are walking into."

Adam rose from his seat. The shadows in the hall seemed to cling to him as if the air itself knew the weight of what he was about to reveal. His gaze swept the table, steady and unyielding.

"We are planning to break into the Hall of Judgement," he said, his voice calm, unwavering. "And break out Arachne."

The words slammed into the group like a thunderclap.

Luna was the first to react, her voice sharp with disbelief. "Why? Why would you want to do that?"

Adam turned to face her fully. His expression betrayed no hesitation. "While the rest of you were training, I found something else. There is a connection between the gods and people like me. In my case, I discovered that my mother is a small part of Arachne."

For a moment, the chamber was utterly still. The enormity of his words left everyone frozen in place.

Ethan broke the silence first, his brow furrowed in confusion. "Doesn’t that make you a Demigod or something?"

Adam’s face did not so much as twitch. His reply was flat, deadpan. "Maybe. But that also rings true for most of the people at this table."

The silence that followed was heavier than before.

Aria’s breath caught, her hands curling against her lap. "Most of us...?" Her voice was a whisper, as though saying the words aloud would make them real.

Rachel blinked wide-eyed, her earlier excitement forgotten. "Wait, wait, wait. Are you saying I have some psycho god’s blood in me too?"

Crystal’s lips parted slightly, her usual calm breaking into visible shock. She looked at Adam, searching his face for any sign that this was a cruel joke. But there was none.