Unexpected

Leaving the classroom, Jaxon felt something was off. The air was unnaturally still—too still. He glanced around, noticing the eerie lack of movement, as if time itself had frozen. His brows furrowed.

Focusing, he activated his divine sight, and immediately, energy signatures flared into view. But what made him tense wasn't just their presence—it was their nature. One of them felt familiar, too familiar. It was almost identical to his own, as if another god had wandered into his domain.

His power pulsed in response, sending a ripple through reality. A crack formed in the space nearby, forcing the hidden figure into view.

The intruding god stumbled back a few meters, eyes wide with shock at being exposed so easily. Jaxon's expression hardened.

"What are you doing in my domain?" His voice was cold, unwavering.

The god swallowed, sweat forming on his brow. "You claim this is your domain, but we were here first—"

Jaxon's patience snapped. "Are you trying to pasture me?" His voice crackled with restrained energy. "You dare claim you were here before me? I've long since established this as my domain—you were never here!"

As his frustration grew, arcs of white lightning flickered around his form. His eyes glowed, the sheer force of his power pressing against the air.

The god flinched but instinctively activated his own abilities, preparing to escape if needed. "N-no, you misunderstand!" he stammered. "We—the Olympians—have claimed North America as a whole. It is our domain. Due to our isolation, we never checked… until now. Our king felt something, and he was not pleased."

Jaxon's expression darkened. "With all due respect," he said sharply, "it matters not. Are you here to pick a fight—yes or no?"

The god hesitated, seeing the storm brewing within Jaxon, and quickly seized the chance to de-escalate. "No," he admitted. "I only came because of your energy signature."

A pause. Then, as if realizing something, the god straightened his posture, his demeanor shifting to one of arrogance.

"Ah, but where are my manners?" He brushed imaginary dust from his sleeve before offering a smirk. "I am known as Ἑρμῆς. But those of foreign origins call me… Hermes."

His golden eyes gleamed with confidence, his smirk unwavering as he met Jaxon's gaze.

---

Hearing this, Jaxon instinctively thought of Percy Jackson's universe, his frown deepening in confusion. Wait… the Greek gods? Here? He had never tried searching for other gods, never even considered the idea that they could exist in what he assumed was the Twilight universe.

No, wait… what even is this world? It has elements of Twilight, but now Olympians? Am I being tricked?

But no—his senses weren't picking up any deception. Hermes… a trickster god. That should've raised alarms, but Jaxon knew the truth: even gods couldn't outright lie to each other without it being sensed. Only half-truths could slip through the cracks.

Still… Zeus.

If Zeus was real, then he was a potential threat to my family. The thought made something sharp coil in his chest.

What should I do…?

Maybe it was time to act. No—he had already claimed the entire sky. The whole of Earth's atmosphere belongs to me. There is no god stronger than I am. Maybe that's how Zeus even noticed him.

Yeah. That must be it.

Finishing his rapid train of thought, Jaxon refocused on Hermes, his expression unreadable.

"So," Jaxon said slowly, "you're Hermes, yes?"

The god tilted his head slightly, watching him with those sharp, golden eyes.

Jaxon's gaze hardened. "Let me ask you a question—what do you plan to do with the information you've gathered?"

As he spoke, his oppressive aura—which had been crackling with barely contained energy—suddenly calmed. Not gone, not diminished. Just… controlled. Measured.

And that, more than anything, sent a shiver down Hermes' spine.

Hermes hesitated for a fraction of a second—just enough for Jaxon to notice. The god of messengers was known for his silver tongue, for slipping through conversations like water through fingers. But now? He looked careful.

"That depends," Hermes finally said, his confident smirk returning, though Jaxon could see the tension in his shoulders. "I was merely curious. Your energy… it's unlike anything I've encountered before. Even among the gods, your presence is loud—impossible to ignore."

Jaxon narrowed his eyes. "You didn't answer my question."

Hermes chuckled, but it lacked its usual playfulness. "I have no immediate plans. But my king, Zeus… well, let's just say he doesn't appreciate unknown forces lurking in his domain."

Jaxon let out a slow breath, his fingers twitching at his side. So Zeus is already aware of me. That meant there were two possibilities: either Zeus would see him as a curiosity, or he would see him as a threat.

Jaxon was willing to bet on the latter.

"You say North America is your territory," Jaxon said, voice cool and even. "And yet I've never felt your presence until now. So tell me, Hermes—if your king is so possessive of his domain, why is he only reacting now?"

Hermes' smirk faltered. Just slightly.

"Like I said," Hermes answered, adjusting the collar of his tunic, "you're not exactly subtle. Your power… it's divine, yes, but foreign to us. When something new like that appears, the king takes notice."

Jaxon considered this. "And?"

"And," Hermes continued carefully, "he sent me to observe. Nothing more. I was not sent to fight, nor to threaten you. Just to understand what you are."

Jaxon tilted his head slightly, scrutinizing him. Hermes met his gaze, unwavering. No deception, no attempt to twist words—just a god doing what he was told.

Still, Jaxon had no reason to trust him.

"You're saying Zeus only wants to know about me," Jaxon mused. "But what happens when he decides he doesn't like what he hears?"

Hermes exhaled through his nose, almost like a sigh. "Then we'll have a much bigger problem."

Jaxon's aura flickered—just briefly, a pulse of restrained power that made the air hum.

Hermes took a half-step back, then forced himself to stay still.

Jaxon crossed his arms. "Then let's make something clear."

Hermes raised an eyebrow.

"This world?" Jaxon said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Is mine. I don't care what Zeus claims. If he has a problem with that, tell him he's welcome to try me."

Hermes stared at him for a moment before chuckling softly. "You know, I was really hoping you'd say something like that."

Jaxon didn't laugh. He simply watched as Hermes gave him a final nod, then in the blink of an eye—vanished.

The world around Jaxon snapped back into motion. The hallway was no longer frozen in eerie stillness. Students walked past, chatting like nothing had happened.

But Jaxon knew better.

He had just drawn the attention of Olympus.