Just then, the gates of the Underworld creaked open, catching both their attention.

“Are we going in?” Rockstar asked.

“Only to the entrance,” Cerulean replied, eyeing the treasures beyond the gate.

Rockstar and Cerulean stepped inside and scanned the entrance. The vast room was filled with treasures—gold, silver, and precious jewels.

“You know, Kuya James, Hades is more than just the God of the Dead and the Underworld. He’s also the god of wealth, with control over the riches—gold, silver, and precious stones—beneath the earth,” Cerulean explained.

Rockstar admired the lavish treasures, eager to grab something valuable, while Cerulean calmly picked up a humble canister containing an old, weathered map—certainly of lesser material value, but significant in its own way.

Cerulean Arlentis (Topher) and Oppa Rockstar (James) left Cerberus and the gates of the Underworld behind. As they walked, they encountered a sharp-looking man in his late twenties, wearing a winged helmet and sandals.

“Hello, mister. I’m James. May I know the name of the fine gentleman before me?” Rockstar introduced himself with a friendly smile.

“Hi, I’m Hermes. The herald of the gods, and a deity myself,” Hermes revealed nonchalantly.

“You’re Hermes, one of the twelve Olympians!” Cerulean exclaimed, awe-struck by the god’s presence.

“Are you two waiting for Charon, the ferryman?” Hermes asked casually.

“Shouldn’t you be asking first why two living people are wandering the Underworld?” Rockstar quipped with a sly grin.

“I live by the adage—‘Live and let live,’” Hermes replied with a carefree shrug.

“The old man can be a bit of a slowpoke, with all the souls he ferries. Why don’t you two come with me instead?” Hermes offered.

“Flying with a god? That would be amazing!” Cerulean said, excitement lighting up his face.

Hermes flapped the wings on his helmet and sandals, raising his caduceus—his winged staff coiled with two snakes. Rockstar surfed on his musical wave, while Cerulean levitated. Hermes summoned the winds, opening a swirling portal. Cerulean and Hermes flew toward it, with Rockstar riding the orange musical wave behind them.

Meanwhile, Persephone, Queen of the Underworld, approached the throne. Her long, flowing dark hair contrasted with her pale skin, her slender figure draped in a regal gown.

“You gave passage to the paladin and the idol,” Persephone remarked, her tone steady.

Hades, seated on his dark, spiky throne, smiled. The tall, handsome god of the Underworld replied, “Yes, I did. The paladin spared my guard dog, so I did him a favor. It’s hard to find a better watchdog to guard the boundary between the living and the dead.”

He added with a grin, “Well, it was only a half-favor. I laid treasures before them. Of course, they’re valuable, and you can’t blame the rockstar for coveting the finer things in life. But the holy knight made the right choice—only one of those treasures holds the power to save his world from the monsters lurking within.”

Persephone gazed thoughtfully at the thorny throne. “Still as clever as ever—just like when you took me from my mother, setting the seasons in motion. I used to despise you, but now I can’t imagine life without you.”

“You wouldn’t have fallen so deeply in love with me, my darling, if I were as dull as a rock,” Hades teased, his voice full of warmth.

In the liminal space between worlds, Hermes, Cerulean, and Rockstar flew through the winds. Suddenly, a violent whirlwind struck. Hermes managed to hold on to Rockstar, while Rockstar desperately gripped Cerulean’s hands.

“Don’t let go!” Rockstar cried, panic rising in his voice.

“The winds are too strong! I—I can’t hold on! I’m sorry!” Cerulean shouted as he was ripped away by the gusts, disappearing into the swirling storm. Rockstar could only watch in shock and horror as his cousin vanished.

The portal reopened, and Hermes and Rockstar emerged back in Venice, Italy.

“My cousin… we were together. I held his hands, and now he’s gone,” Rockstar whispered, visibly shaken by the loss.

Hermes placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry for your loss. May the winds one day reunite you with the paladin,” he said softly before flying back to his post and transforming into a brass statue.

Rockstar turned to look, seeing only the still figure of Hermes, now frozen in place. “What does this mean?” he muttered, confusion and sorrow in his voice.

He stood atop a bell tower, surrounded by the red roofs of old buildings and palaces, overlooking the canals that cut through the small islands of Venice, the lagoon stretching out toward the Adriatic Sea.

Back at the Peregrine spaceship, the atmosphere in the command center was somber, almost sorrowful.

“I regret to inform everyone that while our team, split into three pairs, managed to defeat the second wave—Medusa, Minotaur, and Cerberus—Love Fey (Allison) and Cerulean Arlentis (Topher) are missing,” Captain McKinley (Benjamin) informed the group.

“Love Fey, though victorious over the snake-haired Medusa, was turned to stone in the process. It’s uncertain whether she’s still alive. She remains in the monster’s domain—the Temple of Athena, Parthenon. Only Princess Ruana (Roanne) returned from the forest.” Captain McKinley’s voice remained steady, though the weight of his words hung heavy in the air.

Princess Ruana lowered her head, eyes cast down. Oh, Love Fey, how are you now?

“Cerulean Arlentis chose to spare Cerberus, merely subduing him. He did this to protect the Guardian who maintains the boundary between life and death. Oppa Rockstar (James) and Cerulean flew with Hermes between worlds, but during the inter-dimensional journey, Cerulean was swept away by a whirlwind.”

Oppa Rockstar’s eyes glistened with unshed tears. I’m truly sorry, Cerulean.

“Spartan and I defeated the Minotaur together. The once quiet library turned into a twisting maze, which we managed to escape. We traversed the dim, cyan-lit labyrinth, shrouded in mist, until we reached the Minotaur’s chamber. Afterward, we found our way back using Spartan’s Lasso of Valor,” Captain McKinley continued.

Spartan remained emotionless, his face a mask of composure. The superhero, with his military-like mindset, understood that in the ongoing war against the Greek monsters, a warrior could not afford to be swayed by emotions.

“This is only the second wave—the second day of the prophecy. We are still in the early stages of this war. Five more waves of Greek monsters remain—‘five days’—and the fates of Love Fey and Cerulean Arlentis are unknown,” the captain reminded them, keeping things in perspective.

“We need to balance two priorities: first, to continue our battles against the Greek monsters, and second, to locate and rescue Love Fey and Cerulean. We must bring them back—back to the team and to headquarters here on the Peregrine,” Captain McKinley stated with level-headed determination.

In the background, CleanBot stood silent, visibly saddened by the events. ROBO3000, though more pragmatic, knew deep down that no one could truly prepare for the emotional toll of potential losses. The two robots watched, mere observers in this unfolding drama.

Austin City, Texas, United States – Kennedy Mansion

On the TV screen, a news anchor spoke with urgency. “Just two weeks ago, in early April, something extraordinary took place in the Philippines, a small archipelago in Southeast Asia. Multiple gangs came together in a wide-scale, organized crime spree, looting shops and breaking into banks across the country. This scale of crime hasn’t been seen in recent years.”

Bill sat on the sofa, watching the news intently.

“But the truly remarkable twist in these events was the arrival of a team of heroes—a space ranger, a sea princess, a K-pop idol, a superhero, a paladin, a magical girl, and a cartoon-like character. That’s right, folks. A lineup you’d expect to see in a blockbuster film, not in real life. A mash-up of genres, franchises, and even pop music—something you’d only imagine in your wildest dreams,” the Caucasian news anchor explained, as an image of the Seven Acolytes appeared on the screen.

Carlisle, the family butler, stood by the couch, stunned. “That’s really crazy! No one ever thought something like this could happen in real life.”

The news anchor continued, “We now go live to interviews with bystanders at the scene.”

The reporter held up a microphone. “Ma’am, could you state your name?”

Ellie: “I’m Eleanora ‘Ellie’ Argente. This is my husband, Anselmo ‘Ansel’ Argente.”

Reporter: “What happened? Why are you here?”

Ellie: “Our parents—my mother, Emilia ‘Emily’ Pangilinan, and my father, Alejandro ‘Al’ Pangilinan—are still inside the mall. There’s a massive crime spree going on inside, with gangs looting stores and breaking into banks.”

Reporter: “How do you feel about all of this? What’s going through your mind?”

Ellie’s voice trembled as she spoke, “The officers have cordoned off the area, keeping us away from the mall. I don’t know what’s happening to my parents in there. They’re elderly and fragile… They shouldn’t have to endure this. They’re good, decent people. My baby Felicity asked me over the phone when we’re coming back from the mall, and I didn’t know what to say. I’m just relieved she’s safe with her other grandparents, far away from all of this.” Ellie was on the verge of tears, barely holding herself together.

Watching the scene unfold, Selena was shocked and heartbroken. “That’s my sister… and my parents were in that mall.”

A diplomat from the United Nations was shown next, commenting, “This is historic. It’s the first time the world has learned that superpowers truly exist. I can’t fault President Incarnacion of the Philippines for keeping this under wraps from the global community. What the future holds from this is uncertain, but one thing is clear—this is seismic, sending shockwaves across the globe and through the very fabric of society.”

Selena was still shaken. “Why didn’t they tell me?”

Bill gently placed a hand on his wife’s shoulder. “They had their reasons. Once you talk to them, you’ll understand. Give it time.”

Cerulean Arlentis (Topher) had been falling for what felt like an eternity through a seemingly endless sky. The blue expanse, dotted with swirling clouds, stretched far and wide. His body lay horizontal, arms and legs spread out, with his white cape billowing in the wind. He giggled, enjoying the sensation as though it were an extended skydive. Then, in an instant, a white-winged pony emerged from the clouds, its wings spread wide as it swooped down to meet him.

“Where have you been, Buddy? I missed you,” Cerulean greeted the winged pony with a smile.

As the paladin petted the pony’s neck, the creature neighed happily in response. The pony descended gracefully, landing on the ground below. It offered its left wing, and Cerulean slid down smoothly to the earth.

“What do we have here? Oh, it’s the map from Hades’ treasures,” Cerulean recalled, distracted by the big picture as usual, often forgetting the smaller details.

He pulled out an old, withered map from its canister and unfurled it, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.

“Let’s see what this map is all about,” he mused, with the winged pony peeking over his shoulder.

The words on the map read: The Hidden Map of Atlantis – Lost in the Sea.

“This is the map of Atlantis! An underwater city beneath the sea!” Cerulean exclaimed, his eyes widening in wonder.

He carefully rolled the map back up and stowed it away in the canister.

Turning to the winged pony, he said, “Thank you for helping me again. You were there during the fire at the tenement too.”

The pony, resembling Pegasus, neighed happily, clearly appreciating the recognition.

“Will you join me on this journey?” Cerulean asked, looking at his companion.

The white-winged pony nodded in response.

“I just realized… you don’t have a name,” Cerulean paused, thinking for a moment. Then, a spark of inspiration lit up his face. “I know! I’m going to call you Cielo, like the sky.”

He smiled at his new companion. “I left Hunter back home because it’s not safe out here, but now you’re my partner, Cielo.”

Cerulean petted Cielo once more as the pony neighed joyfully. Together, they gazed at the horizon ahead, ready for the journey to come, the winged pony standing loyally by the paladin boy’s side on the peak of a high cliff.