Hermes never liked being the center of attention, especially not with Magni walking beside him like a parade float waiting for confetti.
But as the familiar cobbled roads of Village AD18 came into view, the weight in his chest lightened. His hometown hadn’t changed much. The buildings still looked like pastel cookie boxes, each one with thatched roofs, and the air still smelled faintly of baked bread and pine. It was home.
The moment he stepped past the archway of the village gate, a boom erupted from above!
"Congratulations, Hermes!"
Multicolored confetti exploded midair as townsfolk jumped out from behind buildings and carts.
A group of kids ran toward him with paper hats, tossing flower petals and shouting, "Hero! Hero! Hero!"
"Oh no." Hermes muttered, cheeks flushing. "They actually threw a welcome party?"
Magni tilted his head, eyes sparkling. "Brother Modi, you never said you had a fan club!"
"It’s not a fan club, it’s the whole village!" Hermes laughed nervously as more people surrounded them.
Elderly Mrs. Cuthwell threw her arms around him before he could dodge. "You look so thin! Are they feeding you at that fancy company?!"
"They are, Mrs. Cuthwell," Hermes replied, trying to escape her squish. "I just... burn a lot of calories now."
"You mean through fighting or fornicating?" She asked sweetly despite how crude her words are.
"Both, actually!" Magni chimed in.
The crowd erupted in laughter. Hermes groaned into his hands.
"No, I don’t... Magni, just don’t say anything, ok?!"
Even after all the embarrassment, he couldn’t stop smiling. This was what home was supposed to feel like: safe, simple, and warm. The villagers weren’t scared of his powers. They didn’t treat him like a monster. They cheered because they believed in him.
As the crowd finally let them pass, Hermes turned to one of the shopkeepers. "Is Elder Thales still around?"
"He’s with the Luxuria family." The man replied. "They’ve been looking after him these past few weeks ever since his condition got worse. You remember Aphrodite, don’t you?"
Hermes blinked. "Aphrodite? I haven’t heard that name in forever..."
"That kid is mostly indoors these days." The man continued. "But you can find their bookshop still in the same spot...up on the hill, just past the bakery."
Hermes thanked him and followed the familiar winding path uphill. Magni skipped beside him, taking in the serene beauty of the town.
"I place," Magni said. "Everyone is so cheerful. And there hasn’t been a single blood duel yet!"
"That’s... not something we usually do here."
"I know! That’s why it’s so charming."
They reached the bookshop just as the golden light of late afternoon spilled across the sign: Luxuria & Co. Books.
It looked exactly the same...creaky wood, slightly dusty windows, and a big bell on the door that rang dramatically every time someone entered.
Hermes pushed open the door. A soft chime rang overhead.
Inside, the smell of aged paper and lavender filled the air. Rows of shelves lined the space, filled with books old and new, organized with meticulous care. The quiet hum of a fan whirred gently near the counter.
Magni immediately wandered off toward the nonfiction section, loudly reading book titles. "’Top 100 Human Phrases That Mean the Opposite of What They Say’...this one seems useful!"
Hermes snorted, but his attention was soon pulled to a figure near the back corner of the shop.
A man with long, pale pink hair sat in one of the reading nooks, absorbed in a romance novel. He wore simple, pale clothes and thin glasses, and his expression was serene...detached, even. There was something almost ethereal about him, but also deeply private, like a painting that didn’t want to be looked at too long.
The man looked up as Hermes approached, his gaze sharp yet gentle.
Hermes felt a jolt of familiarity. "... I’m sorry for staring. It’s just... Do we know each other? I feel like I may have met you in school or something. And you have pink hair like the Luxurias, so are you related to Aphrodite by any chance?"
The man stared at him for a second longer.
Then closed his book and stood.
Instead of answering, he simply gestured toward the staircase beside the counter.
"Elder Thales is upstairs." He said softly.
Hermes blinked. "Ah... Thank you."
He hesitated a moment longer, then nodded and made his way up.
The second floor was a simple living space, clean and neat with faint sunlight pouring through lace curtains. At the center of the room, lying in a bed surrounded by books and dried herbs, was Elder Thales.
His beard was longer now, his eyes more sunken...but the same gentle wisdom shone through them. As Hermes stepped in, the elder smiled.
"You’ve returned, young thundercloud." He rasped. "You always did like storming into places."
Hermes hurried to his side. "Don’t say stuff like that. You look... You should be in a hospital."
"I am where I belong," Thales murmured. "Every root must one day return to soil."
Hermes sat beside him, trying to keep his voice from trembling. "I didn’t know you were sick. I would’ve come earlier if I did."
Elder Thales pressed his frail hand above his head. "You came now. That is enough."
They sat in silence for a moment. Hermes looked around the room, feeling the ache of old memories. He and Aphrodite used to run up and down these stairs. They’d hide under the counter downstairs and read fairy tales aloud, doing silly voices and laughing at the cheesy lines.
"Is Aphrodite here?" Hermes asked softly. "It’s been... years. I haven’t seen her since middle school because she was homeschooled. Seeing you in this state reminded me of her. She was always so sickly and fragile."
Hermes recalled the girl with pink hair that he used to read books of heroes with.
She also had the same admiration for them, and they would even roleplay as if they were hero partners saving the world together.
But she couldn’t be out for long, due to a condition that nobody could really explain. All he remembered was that she was bone-thin, and that she would often cough and have headaches.
"I miss her..." Hermes murmured.
Thales smiled, his eyes crinkling. "Well, why don’t you go talk to him? He’s downstairs."
Hermes blinked. "What?"
"The young man there. That was Aphrodite."