The group exchanged quick glances before stepping into the house. The living room was small but warm. A thick woven rug covered most of the floor, and low wooden shelves lined the walls. Toys were scattered in one corner: carved animals, wooden blocks, and a half-finished sand sculpture sitting on a tray.
It was obvious that a child lived here.
The little girl from the park was nowhere in sight, but Liora heard faint movement somewhere deeper in the house.
Brontaios stepped forward first. “I’m helping them,” he said to the minotaur. “These outsiders came because monsters need to be warned.”
“You’re stirring trouble,” the minotaur crossed his arms, his massive shoulders tight with suspicion.
“We’re trying to prevent it,” Maldenis replied, briefly introducing them. “We’re operating under the authority of Lord Eros and assisting in locating and protecting Zeus’s children before anyone else finds them.”
The minotaur studied them again, his skepticism not entirely fading, but his posture shifting slightly. Finally, he sighed. “My name is Asterion.”
Liora noticed the way he said it, like he wasn’t entirely comfortable giving it.
“You’re asking questions about gods and magic in a place that does not welcome either,” Asterion continued. “You understand why that can cause problems.”
“We do,” Maldenis nodded.
“But you’re not answering anything,” Liora said bluntly.
Asterion’s gaze flicked to her. “I don’t know what you expect me to say.”
“That little girl in the park,” Elian said carefully.
Asterion’s posture stiffened. “You should leave,” he said immediately.
Maldenis lifted a hand slightly. “We’re not here to expose anyone,” he said. “We’re here to help.”
Asterion’s eyes narrowed again.
Liora lost her patience and stepped forward. “If the child is Zeus’s daughter,” she said plainly, “then she needs protection.”
Asterion’s jaw tightened. “I’m taking care of that,” he said sharply.
The room fell quiet for a moment. Brontaios shifted slightly beside them, his expression darkening. “I’ve heard of him,” he said slowly, nodding toward the minotaur. “He has…certain talents that are valuable to his clan.” There was something grim in the way he said it.
Zara’s eyes narrowed. “You’re hiding something,” she said flatly.
“You outsiders see conspiracies everywhere,” Asterion snorted and waved a dismissive hand.
But Zara didn’t back down. “If your clan is against magic,” she said, tilting her head slightly, “then that must be it. What are the girl’s powers?”
Asterion went still for a brief moment, his eyes sharpening. “My niece has no powers,” he snapped. “She’s just a youngling.”
Elian stepped forward slightly, his voice calm. “We can help you protect her.”
Asterion suddenly surged forward, his massive frame moving far faster than Liora expected for someone his size. “Out,” he growled.
He didn’t touch them directly, but there was a force behind his movement, an overwhelming pressure that drove them backward. Step by step, they were pushed toward the door before anyone could properly react.
“Hey—” Elian started.
Asterion forced them out onto the stone path and slammed the door shut behind them with a thunderousbang.
“What the—” Liora exclaimed.
They all stared at the door for a moment.
