Chapter 124 - Freedom

Ikki opened his eyes slowly, the soft light of the surroundings waking him. He blinked a few times, trying to adjust his vision as the feeling of disorientation dissipated. His head was a bit dizzy, but the discomfort soon subsided. He looked around and, to his surprise, he was surrounded by Zoë, Artemis, and Thalia, all with expressions of concern etched on their faces.

Zoë gently cradled his head in her lap, her eyes filled with visible anxiety, as if she had just prevented something very serious from happening. Artemis stood a little further away, her expression serious as always, but her gaze hinted at a slight touch of relief. Thalia, with her messy hair, seemed tense, but relieved to see him awake.

"Ikki, stay calm. You're alright, just relax a little," Zoë said, her voice soft, but laden with visible concern.

Ikki looked at her, then at the other two around him. Thalia's eyes were slightly wide, as if she still hadn't gotten used to the situation. Artemis, however, seemed more tense than anyone. Her eyes were fixed on him, and he could sense that something was weighing on her mind. Her expression wasn't just one of concern; there was an implicit guilt in her gaze, something Ikki didn't yet fully understand.

"What a hellish headache," Ikki murmured, still trying to recover. He rubbed his forehead, feeling the sweat. "What happened?"

Artemis hesitated for a moment, her expression softening slightly before she spoke. "You... you fainted after opening the Sarcophagus," she said, her voice trembling a little. "You were so reckless, what if Cronos had been inside and revived..."

"How long was I unconscious?" Ikki asked, using his powers to ease the headache.

"About an hour..." Thalia replied with a sigh and a worried look. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, just a slight headache." As he said this, Ikki looked towards Zoë. His head was softly resting on something soft, and as he moved a little, he realized he was lying in her lap. He looked at her nonchalantly, not seeming the least bit bothered by the situation, his tone relaxed as always.

"Hey... Zoë... How did I end up here?" He asked, his voice calm and casual, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "What were you doing with my head in your lap?"

Zoë, on the other hand, blushed visibly. She quickly tried to compose herself, but the blush on her face didn't disappear. She tried to speak, but the words seemed a little difficult to get out.

"I... Well, I just... put your head in my lap because, when someone faints, raising their head helps them wake up faster... And I only did that because... you saved my lady... killed Atlas... and without you, we probably wouldn't be alive now," she said quickly, her voice a little choked, as if she were trying to justify her action without seeming overly concerned.

Ikki raised an eyebrow and smiled nonchalantly. "Oh, I see. So you did it for a matter of logic and medical care, right?"

He gave a small smile, joking, but without showing any kind of discomfort.

"I won't deny it was a nice gesture. I just thought I was in some kind of hospital... or heaven, who knows?"

Zoë blushed even more at Ikki's joke, feeling uncomfortable with the comment about "heaven," but tried to hide it, looking away to avoid his gaze. "It's... I just... helped you," she tried to affirm, trying not to emphasize the situation. "It was no big deal."

At that moment, Thalia, who was a little further away, couldn't help but smile ironically. She observed the exchange of words between the two and couldn't help but comment.

"Well, I guess he's fine, since he's joking about our Lieutenant's lap," Thalia said, still a little shaken by the fight they had just faced. "If he's talking nonsense after fainting like that, his head must be in the right place, right?"

Zoë looked at Thalia, an expression of frustration mixed with embarrassment.

"And speaking of which, Zoë, you were the first to run to him when he fainted after opening the sarcophagus," Thalia said with a mischievous smile. "What a heroine, right?"

Zoë blushed a little more, looking at Thalia with a mixture of irritation and discomfort. "I just... didn't want him to get hurt, so I went to him."

She tried to justify herself, but her voice was lower, as if she were trying to prevent the situation from becoming more embarrassing.

Ikki, laughing softly, looked at the two and said, with an easy smile: "I'm no hero, but thanks for the help, Zoë. And also the... concern."

Thalia let out an amused laugh. "I knew Zoë had a soft side, but I didn't know she was like this. Taking care of our hero."

Zoë seemed to want to hide somewhere, but, looking at Ikki, she realized that he wasn't caring at all about the situation. This made her relax a little, even though her shyness was still evident.

"I... didn't want to be seen like this..." she murmured, more to herself, but Ikki heard her and replied with a gentle smile.

Artemis watched the scene attentively, her eyes shining with a mixture of conflicting emotions. She was there, in the middle of that moment between Ikki, Zoë, and Thalia, but her heart seemed a little distant, as if a part of her couldn't detach itself from those confusing sensations that arose with every gesture.

Zoë and Thalia were clearly relaxed while interacting with Ikki. Zoë, still red, tried to hide how nervous and embarrassed she was, while Thalia teased with her typical irreverence.

But something inside Artemis bothered her.

It wasn't the fact that Zoë had helped Ikki when he fainted, not even the casual way he reacted to all of it.

It was deeper than that.

She felt a tightness in her chest, a sense of regret that made her want to go back, to correct what she had done.

The truth was that, from the moment she had rejected him, Artemis couldn't get rid of the guilt. She knew he deserved more than what she had given him back then, more than the harsh words and the distancing.

But, seeing Zoë so close to him now, an uncomfortable feeling invaded her. It wasn't exactly anger, but something more subtle. She had no right to feel jealous, not after choosing to distance herself from him. Even so, the feeling was there, and she couldn't ignore it.

She turned to the side, trying to hide her expression. She didn't want him to notice the anguish she was feeling. She didn't want him to know how much her pride, her fear of getting involved, had made her push him away for no reason. The truth was that, even with all her independence, even with her power and leadership, she couldn't help but feel vulnerable in his presence.

While she was lost in her thoughts, Ikki stood up, oblivious to Zoë's slight regret, who watched him with a mixture of admiration and slight disappointment, as if she still wished he had stayed lying down a little longer. He looked around with a calm expression, still feeling a slight discomfort in his head, but nothing that made him seem affected.

Thalia, still with her arms crossed, looked at him with an inquisitive look, as if waiting for a more elaborate explanation. "Okay, now that you're alright, Ikki. You managed to destroy the Sky and defeat Atlas, but... How? What happened? It can't just be brute force."

Ikki shrugged, his smile almost imperceptible, but he seemed completely relaxed.

"I just punched hard," he said casually, with a poker face that didn't reveal a trace of effort.

Zoë, who had stood up and was next to him, couldn't hide her surprise at the simplicity of the answer, although a slight blush spread across her face. "You... did what?"

"You don't need to understand all the details," Ikki replied with a soft laugh, ignoring the reactions around him. "But, if that's what you want to hear... I just hit him with everything I had. Atlas and the Sky couldn't resist."

Thalia, seeming a little dissatisfied with the lack of deeper explanations, let out a sigh, but didn't insist. "You really have a way of making things seem simple."

"It's because they are," Ikki replied, so naturally that there seemed to be no mystery behind his words.

Zoë looked at him with a discreet smile, still surprised by the way Ikki talked about everything so lightly. "Maybe for you, Ikki. But... for us, it's much more complicated."

Ikki looked at her, his eyes calmly staring at her. "I know. But the reality is that, in the end, it's always a matter of knowing where to focus, and I did that."

Thalia, still with her arms crossed, finally smiled sarcastically. "Always so modest. But alright, Ikki, if you think it was just brute force, who am I to disagree?"

He just smiled back, unbothered by the teasing, already used to her playful tone.

"If you say it was just that, then I'll leave it at that," Thalia said with a short laugh, finally relaxing a little.

On the other hand, Artemis spoke, catching everyone's attention.

"So, that was it?" Artemis finally spoke, her voice soft, but with a tone that indicated the doubt in her mind. "You simply punched the Sky and defeated Atlas?"

Ikki looked at her with a slight smile, almost imperceptible, as if the simplicity of the answer were the only thing that made sense to him. "Yes, basically."

Artemis raised an eyebrow, clearly not satisfied with such a superficial explanation, but at the same time, she knew he wasn't going to go into details. That's how Ikki worked - direct and uncomplicated. She had learned that a long time ago, although she never imagined his strength could reach such a level.

She looked at him with a mixture of frustration and something else - perhaps a certain admiration for the way he handled everything, as if it were natural.

Ikki gave a calm smile, he asked: "Artemis. How exactly did you end up under the sky?"

The Moon Goddess sighed, her expression impassive, but slightly dejected. Then, with a firm voice, she began to explain.

She had been tricked.

From the beginning, Cronos' plan didn't just involve brute force, but cunning and manipulation. One of his allies, a god who still remained unknown, had disguised himself. He had taken the form of a woman... and not just any woman, but Ikki's mother.

The son of Zeus clenched his fists instantly. That was blasphemy. An affront he couldn't ignore. His face darkened, and Zoë, who was watching him from the corner of her eye, noticed the way his muscles tensed, as if at any moment he would be ready to destroy whoever was responsible for such deceit.

Artemis continued.

The woman - or rather, the disguised deity - had approached her with convincing despair, claiming to have been cursed and condemned to carry the sky in Atlas' place. She had begged for help, and the goddess, moved by a sense of justice and compassion, had taken her place.

It was only after the colossal weight fell on her shoulders that Artemis understood the trap. There was no curse. She hadn't freed an innocent soul - she had been tricked into becoming the new prisoner.

The rest of the story, everyone there already knew. Atlas had been released, the balance of power had been threatened, and they had to fight to correct the mistake.

Thalia kicked a stone in frustration, her expression somber. The idea that another god was conspiring alongside Cronos made her uneasy. Zoë remained serious, processing the information, but it was clear that the revelation bothered her deeply.

Ikki, in turn, took a deep breath.

The mere idea of someone using his mother's image to deceive and manipulate made him nauseous. But, above all, it only made him certain of one thing: when he discovered who was responsible for this plan, he would destroy them without hesitation.

Artemis watched the son of Zeus carefully. She understood his anger - perhaps even shared it on some level. But there was something else to be said.

"I still don't know who it was," she concluded, her tone laden with contained frustration. "But I swear I'll find out..."

The promise hung in the air between them.

"Let me know when you find out who it was..." Ikki slowly uncrossed his arms as he changed the subject. "I wish I could talk to you a little longer. But it's time to go to Olympus. We can't waste any more time."

His words hung in the air for a moment, and the girls froze, the memories of the mission ahead beginning to weigh on them.

Olympus... and everything that was at stake there. Thalia and Zoë exchanged quick glances, both clearly tense at the thought.

But it was Artemis who reacted most intensely.

"Yes, I almost forgot." Artemis said, her voice laden with a touch of worry. "The Winter Solstice is approaching, and the meeting of the gods needs to happen. I should be there... I'm almost late."

Artemis' words echoed for a few seconds, and a palpable tension filled the air.

The meeting of the gods was important, and everyone knew how much the gods cared about these occasions. But, at that moment, the priorities were different, and the Moon Goddess needed to be present, more than ever, to ensure that the situation didn't get out of control.

"Don't worry." Ikki said, noticing her concern. "You'll get there in time."

"Yes, we'll use my chariot." Without wasting time, Artemis took a deep breath and prepared to act.

She closed her eyes for a moment, concentrating, and then a soft, silvery glow began to spread across the sky. The moonlight seemed to increase in intensity, as if the moon itself were recognizing the need to hasten the journey.

And then, like a sign of her divine presence, a silver chariot appeared in the sky, gliding silently through the night. Its structure gleamed with an almost ethereal light, reflecting the moon as if it were made of pure liquid silver. Pulled by a reindeer of indescribable beauty, with fur shining under the moonlight and eyes like twinkling stars, the chariot landed softly beside them, with a grace that seemed to defy gravity.

The goddess said with a solemn look: "Here we part ways. I can't take you to Olympus with me. All I can do is leave you here to continue by mortal means, I have to go back..."

Thalia frowned, but seemed to have already accepted this decision. Zoë just nodded, accustomed to the divine rules. Ikki, on the other hand, simply shrugged.

"Then I'll take us myself," he said, as if it were no big deal.

Artemis blinked, clearly surprised. "You can-?"

Before she could finish, Ikki just raised an eyebrow casually, as if the answer were obvious. Artemis sighed softly and shook her head, but a small smile appeared on her face.

She climbed back into her chariot, which began to shine as if absorbing all the silvery light around it. There was an intense flash, and then, in the blink of an eye, Artemis was gone, disappearing into the night sky.

Ikki talked briefly with Thalia and Zoë, who didn't seem worried about returning to Olympus in time to report on their mission.

Before leaving the Garden of the Hesperides, Thalia, Zoë, and Ikki talked for a moment. The son of Zeus suggested that, before they left for Olympus, they should help Zoë's sisters.

Agreeing, the two girls, each with their own opinions, descended the mountain towards the heart of the garden, where the Hesperides were gathered. Now free from Atlas and their duty, they seemed uncertain about the future, but also relieved. Zoë maintained a firm gaze, but there was something soft in her expression as she looked at her sisters. The reunion was silent, laden with unspoken but understood emotions.

Ikki, without ceremony, extended his hand and, with a simple gesture, invoked his power. The wind around them began to swirl, enveloping the nymphs in a gentle current, almost like a whisper of nature itself. In a blink of an eye, the Hesperides were dissolved into golden particles of light, disappearing from the Garden and being taken to a safe place, far from any influence of the Titans or the duty to protect the sacred orchard.

He had sent them to some isolated island so they could live peacefully.

While he did this, Thalia and Zoë watched him from a distance.

Thalia let out a deep sigh, as if finally releasing a weight accumulated on her shoulders.

Zoë, beside her, had a soft smile on her lips.

The tension seemed to have dissipated somehow, and she seemed lighter. The mission had been accomplished. Her lady was safe, and the weight of Atlas' death had finally become something she could leave behind. It wasn't sadness, but a sense of relief. Atlas, the man who should have been a father, wasn't the perfect example. Her sisters whom she had rejected also had a greater place in her thoughts.

Yes, this mission had not only served to save her Goddess as thanks for all she had done for the Hunters, but it had also served to resolve everything about her past. She had returned to her former home, and although it hadn't ended with a resolution of everything, it still seemed… Her sisters were free now that Ladon and the Apples of Immortality were gone, and they would experience firsthand the taste of freedom. Her father, whom she once felt deserved death and not the punishment of holding up the sky for all eternity, was dead. Everything seemed to have been dissolved by Ikki...

Zoë looked at Thalia with a smile, her expression genuine, more peaceful.

"I... I'm sorry for all that," she said softly, almost hesitantly. "For fighting with you. And everything else...."

Thalia, surprised by the apology, looked at Zoë, feeling a weight disappear from her own shoulders as well.

They had been through so much, and there, on top of the chariot, it seemed like their past didn't matter anymore.

"I... I'm sorry too, Zoë," Thalia said, sincerity in her voice.

She looked at her friend, a new understanding and empathy emerging between the two.

Thalia allowed herself to think a little more about what she had discussed with Ikki about her mother's death, and, as if suddenly having a revelation, she admitted, "You were right about men..."

She looked at her own hands, thinking about Ikki's words, about how Luke had been responsible for his mother's death, and how that made her doubt even more everyone around her. "I... I didn't want to believe it, but... you were right. Not all men are what they seem, are they?"

Zoë looked at Thalia with a calm, but firm look, before answering, her voice filled with conviction. "Not all of them, Thalia."

She said it with the certainty of someone who had learned the hard way.

"Not all men are the same. Ikki, for example... He's not like Hercules or any other hero. He didn't act out of ego, or vanity. He did what he needed to do, and without hesitation."

Thalia watched Ikki ahead, his gaze fixed on the horizon, always calm, as if nothing could shake him.

Zoë also looked at Ikki, her gaze softer, with something of admiration, but also with a certain acknowledgment that he had proven to be the opposite of everything she had believed to be true about men. He wasn't a classic hero, and that, somehow, made him even more rare and precious.

Meanwhile, Ikki smiled slightly and walked towards the two of them.

Thalia sighed, resigned, crossing her arms: "Finally finished saving everyone, Superman. Let's just get this over with."

Zoë, on the other hand, blushed visibly when Ikki extended his hands towards them, hesitating for a brief moment before finally accepting.

With a simple movement, Ikki dissolved the three of them into wind, their bodies disappearing in an ethereal whirlwind, leaving behind only a light breeze that dispersed in the Garden that had once been magnificent.