Alex hesitated. “Hey… um, could I maybe get to know some of your… colleagues?”
Apollo raised an eyebrow, smirking. “Hmm… let’s see who I can find. Anyone in particular you want to get closer to?”
Without missing a beat, Alex said: “Ares.”
Apollo chuckled, shaking his head. “Yeah… I should have known. So obvious.”
Alex grinned sheepishly. “I like a challenge!”
Apollo shook his head again, clearly amused. “Alright, fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you. Ares isn’t exactly… friendly company.”
With a snap of his fingers, a faint red haze shimmered into existence—a doorway to chaos, battle, and whatever Alex had just signed up for.