Chapter 62

Asclepius Point of View

As soon as I entered the portal, I felt a rush of cold air hit me. The next thing I knew, I was falling through the sky. I panicked for a moment before I realized that I was wearing my flying suit. I activated the suit and slowed myself down, taking in my surroundings.

I was in a vast, icy wasteland. The sky above me was cloudy and gray, and the ground below was covered in snow and ice. I shivered as a gust of wind passed by, making my hair whip around my face.

I couldn't see any sign of life around me, except for a few trees scattered in the distance. I decided to fly towards them and see if I could find any clues about where I was.

As I got closer to the trees, I spotted something that made my heart skip a beat. It was a cave, and it looked like it had been recently visited. There were tracks leading into the cave, and I could see signs of a fire flickering inside.

I landed by the cave entrance, still unsure of what to expect. I cautiously made my way inside and found myself in a small room, lit by a fire burning in the center. On the other side of the room, I could see a figure sitting by the fire, their back turned to me.

I approached the figure slowly, unsure of who it was. As I got closer, I realized it was Hesperus.

"Hello, sister," he said, not bothering to turn around.

"Hesperus," I said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he said, finally turning around to face me. "But I suppose you're here to find Hemera, aren't you?"

"You know?" I asked.

"Of course I do," he said, with a sly smile. "I'm always one step ahead of you, dear sister."

I rolled my eyes. "So, where is she?" I asked.

"She's not here," he said, his smile fading. "At least, not anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, she was here, but she's gone now," he said. "She was looking for something, something powerful, but she didn't find it here, so she left."

"Do you have any idea where she went?"

"I might," he said, his smile returning. "But I'll need something from you first."

"What?" I asked, suspicious.

"Your help!" he said. "I have a little problem with a certain demon, and I could use your assistance."

"What kind of problem?"

"He's been causing trouble in Nexus, and I want him taken care of," Hesperus said. "In exchange for your help, I'll tell you what I know about Hemera's whereabouts."

I hesitated. Helping Hesperus always came with a price, and I wasn't sure if I was willing to pay it. But if he knew where Hemera was, I wouldn't have much of a choice.

"Fine," I said. "What do I need to do?"

Hesperus grinned. "Follow me," he said, standing up and gesturing for me to follow him.

We made our way out of the cave and into the vast, frozen wasteland. Hesperus led the way, and I followed closely behind, my mind racing with questions.

Finally, we arrived at a small, icy fortress. Hesperus led me inside, and we made our way to a large hall where several demons were gathered.

At the center of the hall stood a tall, muscular demon with red skin and horns protruding from his forehead. He looked up as we entered, his gaze resting on me.

"Well, well," he said, his voice deep and menacing. "What do we have here?"

"Hello, Blasphemer," Hesperus said, stepping forward. "We have business to discuss."

"Business with me?" The blasphemer laughed. "I doubt it."

Hesperus didn't say anything, but I could see the anger building in his eyes. I knew he wouldn't take kindly to being dismissed.

"Listen, Blasphemer," I said, stepping forward. "We have a proposition for you."

"Really?" Blasphemer said, a sneer on his face. "And what could you possibly offer me?"

"We can offer you something far more valuable than anything you have," I said. "We can offer you our assistance in achieving your goals."

Blasphemer raised an eyebrow. "And how exactly do you plan on doing that?"

"We can help you gain access to the halls of Nexus," I said. "With our help, you could defeat Odin and take control of the realm."

Blasphemer considered my words for a moment before nodding. "All right," he said. "I'll hear you out."

"Excellent," Hesperus said, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "But first, I think we need to discuss some ground rules."

I watched in horror as Hesperus and Blasphemer began to negotiate, their voices growing louder and more aggressive. I knew that this wasn't going to end well, and I wondered how I had gotten myself into this mess.

But then something strange began to happen. The temperature in the room dropped, and a gust of wind swept through the hall. Hesperus and Blasphemer stopped their argument and looked around, confused.

Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of us. It was Hemera.

"Hello, boys," she said, her voice cold and controlled. "What are you doing here?"

Hesperus and Blasphemer were both taken aback, and I could see the fear in their eyes. Hemera was one of the most powerful beings in the universe, and they knew it.

"I could ask you the same thing, sister," Hesperus said, trying to regain his composure.

"I'm here for what you're both after," Hemera said, her eyes piercing. "But I don't need your help. I can handle it on my own."

"And what is it that you're after?" The blasphemer asked, his voice trembling.

"That's none of your concern," Hemera said, her gaze still fixed on Hesperus. "But I do have a message for you both. Stay out of my way or suffer the consequences."

With that, she vanished into thin air, leaving us in stunned silence.

"What just happened?" I asked, still trying to process what had just occurred.

"That," Hesperus said, his voice low, "was Hemera at her most dangerous."

"I think we should leave," I said, my voice shaking slightly. "Let's get out of here before anything else happens."

Hesperus nodded, and we made our way out of the fortress and back into the wasteland. As we flew away, I couldn't help but wonder what Hemera was after and what kind of power she was searching for.

But one thing was clear: I needed to stay out of her way or risk suffering the consequences.