"So, what are you doing out here again?"
There was a place in Wilder's city that was perhaps the quietest, and also the loudest at the same time — where you could really only hear your own breaths and your thoughts. But at the same time, from time to time, you could hear the entire city just coming alive.
It was at the rooftop of the HQ, where one had a clear view of the entire city as it continued to move and grow. And there, Rhys was just once again standing on the edge of a building; this time, however, he wasn't looking down at all.
His eyes were reflecting the endless horizon of the Danger Zone, as well as the blue sky that veiled it from above.
His moment of silence, however, was interrupted as Margryth just suddenly flew from below and completely covered his view.
"Maybe I wanted to be alone, Ma'am," Rhys could really only let out a sigh; shaking his head as he stepped down the edge of the building.
"You wanted to be alone, while there are a charcuterie of women waiting in line to be with you?" Margryth then flew toward Rhys and on his shoulder while facing the other way; her eyes were still on the horizon, while Rhys was already looking down at the floor of the roof,
"I don't think that's right, Rhys Wilder."
"I hurt one of them," Rhys let out a small sigh as he sat on the parapet, "That is what's not right."
"You were unconscious, Rhys Wilder," Margryth shook her head and sighed, "You didn't even know what you were doing."
"If that had been someone else than Ayesha, they would have died..." Rhys closed his eyes and also shook his head, causing Margryth to fly away and just sit beside him on the ledge, "...I hurt Ayesha."
"You also did completely devour the man that just cured not only your sister, your lover, and your limbs," Margryth shrugged, "Your arm devoured him, leaving not even a single trace — and where did he even go inside your body? It was horrifying — his bones were crushed bit by bit while he was being sucked inside you."
"I heard," Rhys looked at his right hand, "Is the reason you're here because you know what that is?"
"I am at a loss as you are, Rhys Wilder," Margryth shrugged, "But one thing I do know is that you...
...you are not just the Descendant of Eros."
"Then whose blood is it?" Rhys let out another long and deep sigh as he started walking, "No one even knows who Eros is, and now you're saying there's another blood active inside me, that I'm guessing you don't know who?"
"That is exactly what I am saying, Rhys Wilder," Margryth flew in front of Rhys.
"..." Rhys just looked Margryth in the eyes for a few seconds before shaking his head again, "...I hurt Ayesha."
"You did."
"And I didn't even know that I did it. Why didn't she just tell me about it in the first place? She knew that something like that already happened, and yet—"
"Because she was trying to protect you, Rhys Wilder," Margryth shrugged, "Like how you are trying to protect them all, they are also trying to protect you — they were not even planning to tell you about the doctor at all. But of course, they completely disregarded the one who crawls in the shadows who is completely and blindly loyal to you."
"Why...?" Rhys squinted his eyes as he looked at the navigation on the infotainment system of the car, "How far is it?"
"It's not that it's far..." Maria breathed out,
"...It's in the city."
"The... city?"
***
"I was getting bored of waiting for you, Rhys Wilder."
"Margryth, this place..."
"I know."
After several hours of driving, Rhys and the others were led to a building that was extremely familiar to him — but at the same time, now that he was walking down its hallways when it was completely empty and devoid of any people, it also felt quite strange and unfamiliar.
"He's in here," Margryth then slightly struggled to twist the knob as she opened the door of an office that was also quite familiar to Rhys.
"Hoho...? Now, what brings you here, Boy?"
"Mayor—"
"It is president now, Rhys my boy." It was Joseph Hayden, closing a large book he had on his desk as soon as Rhys entered his office, "Were we supposed to be meeting today?"
Hannah was also there, just casually sitting on the sofa while shaking her head and chewing gum.
"Stop it, Dad," Hannah then scoffed before looking at Margryth, "Stop acting like you didn't ask dear old Sis here to bring him here.
"...Sister?" Rhys's eyes turned wide as he quickly looked at Margryth, "Joseph Hayden is... your father?"
"I guess so," Margryth shrugged.
"Ah, Margareth — do you not care for the theatrics at all?" Joseph shook his head, letting out a loud sigh as he stood up and towered over everyone else in the room, "I have been softly easing the boy here with all of this, and yet you two sisters just reveal crucial details like that like it's nothing."
"Ack, stop with the suspense, Dad," Hannah just waved her hand a couple of times, "Enough's time already been wasted."
"Rhys Wilder..." Margryth flew toward Rhys and sat on his shoulder, "...I know someone had already told you that gods walk among you, our father is one of them. He is quite famous, you know — you might know him by another name...
...Hades, the God of the Underworld."