Breakfast with Legends

By the time I made it to the private dining hall, I had come to two conclusions:

1. Orion Aetos was never going to forgive me for the morning's incident (his words, not mine).

2. The rest of the Olympian heirs found it absolutely hilarious and weren't about to let him forget it.

The private dining hall for the Seven Olympian Heirs was as ridiculous as I expected.

A long, polished obsidian table stretched across the center of the room, golden plates and silverware gleaming in the warm torchlight. Massive banners, each displaying the crest of an Olympian god, hung from the towering marble pillars. The walls were carved with ancient runes that shimmered faintly, casting a soft, ethereal glow.

And the ceiling?

A giant enchanted dome that shifted between different skies—right now, it mimicked the morning sun over Mount Olympus, light streaming through soft clouds.

It was both beautiful and obnoxiously extra.

I flopped into a seat, grabbed a stack of pancakes, and took the biggest bite humanly possible.

"So, Kael," Elias Vex, heir of Poseidon, smirked from across the table. "How was your sleepover?"

I sighed dramatically, shoving another forkful of pancakes into my mouth. "I would say 'cozy' if Orion didn't throw me off the bed like a sack of potatoes."

Lyra Castor, heir of Apollo, chuckled over her tea. "Tragic. Simply tragic."

"I, for one, think we should hold a moment of silence for Kael's suffering," Cassius Vale, heir of Hermes, added, barely containing his grin.

Damon Reyes, heir of Ares, smirked. "Nah. I wanna hear more about this alleged cuddling."

At the far end of the table, Selene Ithaca, heir of Athena, was calmly slicing into her fruit, but I didn't miss the slight shake of her shoulders—she was definitely holding back laughter.

"You all act like you weren't ready to storm the room like a war was happening," she said flatly.

"To be fair," Lila Sterling, heir of Aphrodite, said, tilting her head, "we thought Orion was dying. Turns out he was just dying of second-hand embarrassment."

I grinned. "Best wake-up call ever."

Aria Voss, heir of Artemis, laughed behind her hand. "You know, I should feel bad for Orion, but this is too entertaining."

"He's fine," I waved her off. "Survived worse than sharing a bed with me. Probably."

Elias leaned forward, raising an eyebrow. "So, Kael. What's your deal? How do you even end up in his bed?"

I swallowed my bite of pancakes, took a deep breath, and raised a single finger.

"Alright. Let me summarize."

I placed my fork down dramatically and cracked my knuckles.

"So, there I was, completely minding my own business, when BAM—I wake up in the Underworld."

Selene tilted her head. "…Wait, what?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Turns out, I'm the heir to the Underworld. Son of Hades. Next in line to rule. No big deal."

Silence.

Cassius let out a low whistle. "Well. That escalated quickly."

"Yeah, tell me about it. Anyway, my long-lost mother, Persephone—"

Lyra choked on her drink. "Wait. Persephone is your mother?!"

I grinned. "Right? Crazy. But she's great. Top-tier mom. Very warm. Soft lap."

Selene squinted at me. "You're skipping so many important details."

I waved her off. "Yeah, yeah, so long story short—Hades is missing, Underworld is a mess, spirits causing chaos, so I had to step up."

Damon raised an eyebrow. "And they listened to you? Just like that?"

I smirked. "Oh, not at first. I had to threaten eternal suffering and flex my new prince-of-darkness energy. It was quite the performance, really. Very dramatic. Had to make an impression."

Elias leaned back, rubbing his temples. "I feel like we need to circle back to the part where you said you're the heir of the Underworld."

"Right, so anyway, after all that, I was exhausted, and I asked my mother to let me sleep in her lap before sending me back."

Silence.

Lila blinked. "You… slept in your mother's lap?"

"Listen, it was a very emotional moment, okay? Let me have this."

Cassius snorted. "And how exactly did that lead to you waking up in Orion's bed?"

I opened my mouth, then hesitated. "You know, I'm still trying to figure that part out."

Damon nearly choked from laughter.

Selene covered her face with both hands, shaking.

Lila? Gone. Fell straight off her chair.

Cassius wiped a tear from his eye. "This is the greatest breakfast I've ever had."

BOOM.

The door slammed open.

A familiar stormy presence filled the room.

Orion Aetos, heir of Zeus, entered, looking as done with life as ever.

He moved with that natural authority that made everyone instinctively pay attention—his golden eyes scanning the room, his posture perfect, his expression somewhere between murderous and resigned.

And in his hands—

A neatly folded uniform.

He walked straight up to me, dropped the fabric onto the table, and crossed his arms.

"You're late for class," he said flatly.

I blinked at the uniform. Then at him.

"Oh? You didn't pick out my outfit yourself? I'm touched."

Orion sighed through his nose, already done with me.

I picked up the uniform and shook it out.

It was nice—a deep navy blue jacket with gold embroidery, a high collar, and silver buttons. The academy's crest was stitched into the chest—an eagle, a laurel wreath, and a sword crossed behind it. The trousers matched, crisp and fitted.

It looked proper. Regal. Official.

…Which was why I immediately frowned.

"Do I have to wear this?" I asked, looking at Orion.

"Yes, Kael," he said through gritted teeth. "You have to wear the uniform."

I sighed, tossing it over my shoulder. "Fine, fine. But if I had a choice, I'd wear all black. You know, something with a little more 'prince of the Underworld' flair."

Selene Ithaca finally snapped.

She hit me on the head—again.

"Sit down, Prince of Darkness," she muttered.

I rubbed my head, pouting. "You're all so violent."

Orion closed his eyes for a second, probably praying for patience.

Elias leaned toward me. "You're really gonna annoy him every chance you get, huh?"

I grinned. "Oh, absolutely."

Orion muttered something under his breath and turned to leave.

I grabbed another pancake, watching him go.

Damon nudged my side. "You sure you wanna push his buttons?"

"Oh, I'm just getting started," I said, taking a bite.

Because if I was stuck at this academy… I was going to have some fun.