Reborn As Hades In Olympus

Ch. 135: The Old Clocktower

The old clock tower was one of the oldest relics in Olympus, rumored to have stood long before the great war and some saying before time as we know it even existed. Its jagged silhouette rose against the night sky, the clock's faint ticks echoing down the deserted street. Stories claimed it predated the gods themselves, that it was somehow... timeless. Which begged the question— why would a clock tower exist before watches, before time as a concept was even born? It felt like a loophole in reality.

For some reason it never piqued my interest perhaps I had been too preoccupied with actual people and mysteries to care about it.

I stood in the dim glow of the moonlight, hands tucked in my coat pockets, eyes locked onto the weathered building. Hades had cautioned me not to act rashly, but his voice had the tone of someone who had seen too much. He was content with waiting bidding his time, but me? I had my own mission. I was here to solve one of Olympus's greatest mysteries, whatever the cost.

I had no reason to save Olympus nor did I care, I was no hero or god to actually care, all I wanted was to solve mysteries the way I could.

The cobbled path leading to the clock tower was lined with brittle, untamed grass, crunching softly beneath my boots. As I approached, I felt a sudden chill, a subtle, electric prickle in the air. A cold net seemed to settle over my skin— a domain wall. It was the telltale sign of a god's presence, powerful and ancient. A warning, perhaps. But curiosity, my ever-present companion, urged me onward.

The clock tower loomed closer, its stone walls choked with moss and vines that looked almost alive, curling toward the heavens like grasping hands. The wooden door, battered and splintered, bore scars from battles long past, the wood itself as worn and tired as the secrets it held. I stepped forward to push the door, but I stopped, my instincts alerting me to something amiss.

The doorframe was slightly tilted, almost imperceptibly, suggesting someone had entered recently— someone strong enough to jar the structure, yet subtle enough to leave only the faintest trace. The question lingered: was this my contact or someone who had intercepted our meeting? And if it was the latter, what would they want with me?

My mind flickered to worst-case scenarios, but I shook the thought off. Instead, I moved around the perimeter of the building, scouting for another entrance, something discreet. In this line of work, an escape route was as vital as the meeting itself. My training had taught me that much. I spotted a narrow, shattered window near the back, just high enough for me to pull myself through.

I slid a nose mask over my face, both to conceal my identity and as a precaution against any sedative or poison gas. I peered inside, the darkness thick and silent, the air tinged with dust and decay. Cobwebs dangled from the corners, glinting faintly in the moonlight as they swayed in the draft. With one last glance behind me, I climbed through the window, landing in a crouch amidst the broken shards of glass.

The floorboards beneath me groaned in protest, each step a precarious gamble. My eyes adjusted to the darkness as I surveyed my surroundings, spotting a dilapidated wooden staircase winding up to the higher levels. The stairs were warped and riddled with termite tunnels, a skeleton of wood barely strong enough to hold its own weight, let alone mine. Whoever was up there had to be someone with a way around such limitations— a god, or a figure with powers beyond my own.

And then I heard it. Explore stories on M-V-L

A low, rasping sound— a faint "hssh hssh hssh" drifting through the silence. The sound crawled across my skin, my pulse quickening. Whoever this was, they weren't amateurs. My instincts screamed at me to turn back, to leave, but the thrill of the mystery held me captive. I had come too far to abandon my only lead.

I took a measured breath, steel in my resolve, and began my ascent. I moved carefully, spending no more than a second on each step to avoid plummeting through the rotting wood. When I reached the top, I found myself before an open doorway, leading into a large, dim room where the inner workings of the clock loomed like some monstrous, skeletal creature. Shafts of moonlight filtered through the gaps in the walls, illuminating a thick layer of dust and webs that blanketed every surface.

In the center of the room, a figure stood with her back to me, cloaked in shadow. Her hair, split into stark halves of black and white, cascaded down her back, swaying gently as if in some unseen breeze. She radiated an aura that felt... empty. Hollow. A deadness in her eyes that unsettled me before she even turned around.

"You don't have to hide," she said, her voice smooth and soft, as if speaking to an old friend. "Come out. Let's have a chat."

Every instinct screamed to retreat, but I had no choice. I stepped forward, the floor creaking ominously beneath me, and stopped a few feet away, meeting her gaze with a defiance I hoped masked my unease.

"You're the one who set this trap?" I asked, my tone flat.

The woman's pale face tilted slightly, her expression unreadable. "So, you are Talos, the ghost detective. I've heard whispers of you, a shadow within the network. I must admit, I found your dedication... inspiring."

A shiver ran down my spine as she spoke my name. The sheer detachment in her voice was unnerving. "Pandora?" I ventured, my voice taut with caution.

She nodded slowly. "For now," she replied cryptically.

"For now?" I pressed, masking my fear with curiosity. Was she using an alias, or did she operate under multiple identities?

Her eyes, vacant and clouded, seemed to peer straight through me, as though she could see the thoughts weaving through my mind. "You're a puzzle," she mused. "The internet was something... troublesome to navigate. But watching you operate in the shadows, I learned. Without you, I'd never have seen the breadcrumbs leading me to this meeting. And to be honest, I wouldn't have found you otherwise."

Her words struck me like a slap. So I was the one who had led her here? The thrill of my pursuit soured, replaced with a creeping realization that I had, perhaps, walked into her web of my own accord.

"What's your purpose here, Pandora?" I asked, my voice steady, though my mind was racing. "Why seek me out?"

Her gaze darkened, and she flicked her wrist. A sharp gust of wind tore through the clock tower, splintering the walls and sending debris flying. I stumbled back, bracing myself against the sudden storm that left half the room open to the elements.

"Answer me when I speak to you, vermin," she hissed, her voice still smooth, but with an edge sharp enough to draw blood.

I was pinned, a cornered animal staring into the eyes of a predator. Yet, something deep within me stirred— a determination that drowned out my fear. If I was going to make it out alive, I needed to think faster than she could move.

I inched my hand towards the gun hidden under my coat, the weight of it grounding me. It wouldn't be enough to defeat her, not outright. But maybe, if I used it strategically, I could buy myself the time I needed to escape. I allowed my fingers to brush against it, taking comfort in its cold metal, even as I calculated my next move.

"Curiosity, I assume?" she mocked, her lips curling into a twisted semblance of a smile.

I shrugged, playing along. "It's a habit," I replied, my eyes darting toward the shattered clock mechanism behind her. I noticed a loose beam dangling precariously from the ceiling, directly above her. If I could somehow trigger its fall…

"You're stalling," she said, her voice dripping with amusement. "Do you think you can outwit me?"

I met her gaze, a smile of my own breaking through. "I wouldn't be so sure." With one swift motion, I yanked the gun from my coat and fired at the beam. The bullet struck its mark, and with a thunderous crack, the beam came crashing down.

Pandora's eyes widened in surprise, and I seized the moment, dashing for the stairs as debris rained down around us. I didn't look back, the sound of splintering wood and her furious screams echoing in my ears as I descended.

As I reached the bottom, I felt the domain's oppressive weight lift, the air returning to its usual chill. I bolted through the door, leaving the clock tower and Pandora behind, my heart pounding as I vanished into the night.

For now, I had escaped. But as her hollow voice whispered through my mind, I knew this was far from over.

There I was standing back on Pandora, everything I had done now somehow she managed to teleport me back here. Did such an ability even exist in the god ranks?

I was in deep trouble now.