Sunion Beach
Athens – Greece
03:47 PM

Mu found himself, for the first time in years, on the brink of using his powers for something selfish.

He quickly untied the red-haired agent's sandals, still in disbelief at what was happening right before his eyes. Agent Mulder acted indifferently, but his jealousy was obvious. And Agent Scully mirrored her partner's behavior. Mu, who for the first time clearly understood what was going on, found himself in the worst possible position: caught between the two.

He wished he could just vanish. Back in Jamiel, he never had to deal with this kind of trouble. He loved the peace of his castle.

He thanked all the gods when he saw the others approaching. Deathmask, Shura, Aldebaran, and Milo were laughing – probably at his expense. He stood up, brushing sand from his clothes, and handed Scully her sandals. She thanked him with a smile. Mulder frowned, turning to his partner with a look of mild outrage.

She simply raised an eyebrow at him, as if to say, "What's with you?" The tension between them was palpable, though neither seemed inclined to address it.

He could teleport the two to some isolated place and let them work things out. Better yet, he could leave the matter to Deathmask: Cancer could use his psychic talents to… He shook his head. What an idea!

"What's wrong, Mu?" Scully broke the silence, turning toward him and forgetting her partner's annoyed expression. "Are you okay? Your face is…" She gestured toward her own cheeks.

"N-nothing! I'm fine. Must be the sun…" Mu tried to play it cool. He was probably as red as a tomato.

The others finally caught up to the three of them. Deathmask and Aldebaran were still chuckling but stopped when they saw Mu narrowing his eyes – a sign he was not amused. Shura stepped closer and spoke only to him.

"I don't even want to imagine what made you blush like that, Mu…" Shura smiled. "Wanna go for a walk? We should probably spread out a bit."

Mu nodded, grateful that the Capricorn had picked up on the situation.

"Guys, we're heading over for a swim," Shura announced, casting a discreet glance at Deathmask, who immediately understood his intent. "Anyone coming?"

"Cool, I'm in…" Aldebaran was already removing his shirt as he headed toward the beach.

Taurus had caught the silent exchange between Capricorn and Cancer. He already knew what Shura was up to: breaking up the group a bit to save the Aries from the awkwardness they'd just witnessed. He looked at Camus, who immediately picked up on the unspoken request.

Once they were far enough, Shura couldn't help himself:

"Man, Mu! How do you get yourself into these situations?"

Mu looked at Shura, at a loss.

"It wasn't my fault! Agent Mulder–"

"Is crazy jealous of his redheaded partner! Come on, Mu, anyone could see that from miles away…" Aldebaran said, laughing. "I know it wasn't your fault, and I bet that scene we saw was just you being polite, but still…"

"I was just helping with her sandals," Mu grumbled defensively.

"Si,hombre… we know that. Even Mulder probably knows. But you know how it is with jealous men…"

"No, I don't." Mu replied curtly. "All I know is that it's none of my business, and I don't want any trouble. But I'm not going to be rude to Agent Scully just because her partner can't control himself."

Shura lowered his head, laughing. Mu was a gentle soul, but just as stubborn. And the worst part? He wasn't wrong.

"Yes, my friend, but look…" Aldebaran tried, "We also have to see it from his side. Agent Mulder is in a strange place, surrounded by a bunch of cool guys being extra nice to his partner… Put yourself in his shoes. How would you feel if you liked someone and suddenly found yourself somewhere everyone's attention turned to them?"

"Oui, he has every reason to be jealous here." Camus, who had been quietly observing, added.

Mu couldn't hold back his laughter at Camus' comment. Yes, considering that angle, Agent Mulder really had no way of not feeling threatened.

"Well, Deathmask could always hypnotize the two of them and…" Shura began.

"Shura!" Camus turned to him, disapproving but barely suppressing a smile. "That would be…" Then he noticed Mu was blushing again. "Mu, don't tell me you thought of that too? You two are hopeless…"

They all burst out laughing at the imagined scenario.

Back under the old tree's shade, the atmosphere was still tense. The guys were chatting; Scully watched, but Mulder looked anything but friendly. Deathmask decided it was time for phase two of their plan.

"Agent Mulder, there's a place I'd like to show you…" Deathmask instantly caught Mulder's attention. "Have you ever seen a sealed amphora?"

It was as if he'd been offered the discovery of a lifetime. Mulder stood up, dusting sand from his shorts, almost as if nothing had happened. Deathmask tossed out a casual "Who's coming?", and the guys followed. Only Saga remained, sitting next to Scully.

"Why didn't you go?" Saga asked.

"I'm fine here," Scully replied, still watching the group walking away. "And I don't think my partner wants me around right now."

Saga nodded. Those two weren't hard to figure out. From what he'd heard, they'd worked together for years and clearly felt more for each other than was allowed between professional partners. More obvious still was the fact they had no idea how to deal with it – spending most of their time shielding themselves from those feelings. A complicated way to live.

He knew too well what it meant to love someone from afar, even when they were right next to you.

Scully, in turn, noticed Saga seemed deep in thought. She didn't know why, but that sad glint in his eyes unsettled her deeply – as if there was a quiet sorrow within him that she couldn't help but feel. She figured a conversation might help. She'd already noticed Saga was extremely intelligent and knowledgeable. And truth be told, she was quite curious about certain aspects of the place.

"Saga?" Scully turned to him, noting how even seated he seemed much taller than her. "Can I ask you something?"

Saga gave a small smile and nodded. Scully went on.

"You and Shura… you're older than the others, aren't you?"

"Yes. In fact, I'm five years older than Shura. I'm 33, and he, along with Deathmask, is 28," Saga answered plainly.

"You seem younger than that…" Scully wasn't one to pry, but curiosity got the best of her. "At what age did you become Saints? Same as the Amazons?"

"Aiolos – Aiolia's older brother – and I became Saints in the same year. I was nine, and he was eight." Saga's gaze grew distant for a moment, but he quickly looked back at Scully, as if inviting more questions.

"I see… so young… And when did you all come here? I noticed many young girls training with the Amazons – some seemed under ten…"

"Eight is the average age. You probably saw some even younger at the arena earlier. Those are usually daughters of former warriors or servants who want them raised as Amazons," Saga noticed her shocked expression and explained, "But don't worry. Those kids are only educated as Amazons – not all will go on with the training."

"Oh…" For a moment, Scully feared those little girls around the blonde Amazon earlier were going to endure the harsh training she'd seen before. "That's a relief. So… did you all arrive here together?"

"No, no… As I said, Shura, Mask and I have quite the age gap. When they became Saints, I had already been one for four years…" Saga paused to do the math. "Shura was eight, like Aiolos, when he was knighted. We all started training when we were six."

"Six years old?" Scully was shocked.

"And Mu, Camus, and Shaka were five, as far as I know," Saga smiled at her stunned face. "Their gifts manifested very early."

"But… how…" Scully didn't know what to do with the information.

"Agent Scully, don't worry. Times have changed. Children that young are no longer trained like that. Back then it was necessary but those days are gone, alright?" Saga grew concerned about the shock he'd caused. He couldn't even think about telling her what they'd endured under the Titans.

"Er… okay. Sorry, I shouldn't be shocked, I mean, I did ask, right?" Scully apologized, embarrassed.

"Saga, what are you scaring Agent Scully with?" Aphrodite chose that moment to arrive.

"Oh no, Aphrodite, I asked but wasn't prepared to hear…" Scully smiled at the Pisces Saint.

"I ended up telling her how old Mu, Shaka, and Camus were when they arrived here…" Saga still had that earlier smile lingering.

Aphrodite sat on Scully's other side, cheerful.

"But why did you come back?" Saga asked, scanning for the others. "Are they coming back soon?"

"No… they're having too much fun in the caves…" Aphrodite chose his words carefully – mentioning the old prison wouldn't go over well. He turned to Scully. "Agent Mulder has a knack for finding interesting things."

"Yeah, he really does…" Scully replied softly.

"But Saga was saying…" Aphrodite tried redirecting the conversation.

"Yeah I was telling her about when you guys arrived here. I remember when you showed up, Aphrodite…" Saga narrowed his eyes, smiling. "The most spoiled brat in the entire group."

"What did you expect? They dragged me from my home to this weird, hot place… I was seven!" Aphrodite defended himself, laughing.

"We were all very young when we came here. No one else ever complained about the heat, except you and Camus."

"Ah, but Greeks and Latins don't count!" Pisces kept the indignation just to amuse Scully. "Plus, Mu and Shaka are incapable of complaining about anything." He paused, thinking. "Wow, I remember – Mu, Shaka and Camus, they were so tiny when they got here…"

"Five years old, Saga said…" Scully noted.

"Yes… they arrived a few months after I did. Camus and Shaka weren't, they were tall for their age, but Mu looked like a baby. So skinny too… both Shaka and Mu were."

"And Shaka was incredibly withdrawn," Saga added. "Took nearly a year before I even heard the boy's voice."

"You know what I just remembered?" Aphrodite laughed. "Shura and Deathmask…" He turned to Scully, who was already smiling in anticipation. "One day they were hiding from Aiolos, trying to skip meditation… they ended up in Amazon territory!"

"Oh yes… unforgettable day… especially for them," Saga shook his head, smiling. "Worst beating of their lives, delivered by Toula of Eagle. She was Marin's teacher, by the way."

"You'd think they'd learned their lesson about stepping into Amazon territory," Aphrodite said, still laughing. "Aiolos didn't even have to punish them – they got such a thrashing, he just had to show up and carry them back."

"Aiolos… he's Aiolia's older brother, right?" Scully was intrigued. "What happened to him?"

Aphrodite swallowed hard, and Saga's jovial expression faded back to his usual solemn demeanor. For a moment, Scully regretted asking – that was clearly a very serious topic. She was about to apologize when Saga spoke.

"Aiolos was the Sagittarius Saint. He died 17 years ago. He was responsible for Deathmask and Shura in their masters' absence and trained Aiolia."

"I… I'm sorry," Scully felt terrible. The grief on Saga's face was evident, more so than on Aphrodite's.

"I think I'll head back," Saga stood, offering a faint smile to Scully. "Aphrodite will keep you company, Agent Scully. I need to check on preparations for your trip tomorrow."

Scully nodded, her concern evident as she turned to Aphrodite with a questioning look.

"I shouldn't have brought that up… Now Saga's upset," she said softly.

"Don't worry, Agent Scully. He'll be alright – he always is," Aphrodite replied gently, trying to ease her mind. "He and Aiolos were close, but fate had other plans. That's just how life goes sometimes."

"Yes…" Scully murmured, familiar with loss herself. Yet she couldn't shake the feeling that Saga's pain ran deeper than the loss of a friend. "Aiolia must miss his brother deeply, doesn't he?"

"He does. Aiolos was both his brother and his master," Aphrodite replied. Something in his tone shifted – cautious, protective. "Agent Scully, may I offer you a word of advice?"

"Of course."

"Try not to bring up Aiolos around Aiolia or Shura. It's not an easy subject for them."

"Absolutely – I wouldn't want to stir up anything painful," she agreed at once.

Aphrodite smiled approvingly. She was thoughtful, that much was clear. Most people might have taken offense at such a warning, but she understood. As he looked up, he spotted Milo approaching – yet another deserter from the expedition...

"Where's Saga?" Milo asked, scanning the area.

"Back at the temple. He had a few things to sort out for tomorrow," Aphrodite replied.

Milo plopped down and promptly pulled off his shirt, only to receive a sharp look from Aphrodite. With a sheepish grin, he slipped it back on.

"Sorry, Agent Scully…"

"It's alright, Milo. It's warm – you can relax," Scully said, prompting him to peel the shirt off again without hesitation.

"What were you two talking about?" he asked, curiosity piqued.

"Ages. Saga mentioned he's 33, and Shura and Deathmask are 28," Scully answered easily. "What about you guys?"

"I'll only tell if you go first…" Milo grinned playfully.

"Milo!" Aphrodite chided, feigning offense. "Have some manners!"

"Thirty-four," Scully said simply. "Your turn."

"Twenty-five," Milo replied with a laugh. "And you, Aphrodite?"

"Twenty-seven," the Pisces Saint replied. "Honestly, this is starting to feel like bingo night."

"What about the others?" Scully asked, amused.

"They're all Milo's age – twenty-five," Aphrodite informed her.

"I must admit… you all look much younger than that."

Though she left it unsaid, Scully couldn't help but think that despite their youthful appearances, some of them had the eyes of men who had lived for centuries. Better to keep that thought to herself – no need to stir up another heavy conversation.

"Milo, any idea when the others are coming back?" Aphrodite asked.

"No clue… they're pretty caught up in there. I doubt they'll be back anytime soon."

"Still exploring the prison?"

"Prison?" Scully's tone sharpened with alarm.

"It's just what the place used to be called, Agent Scully," Milo quickly clarified. "It hasn't served that function in a long time."

"I see… And what exactly is in there? Deathmask mentioned something about a sealed amphora. Those are the jars from legends, right? Said to trap powerful energies…" She hesitated. "So, what's inside this one?"

"There are a few relics inside – and that amphora," Aphrodite confirmed calmly. "Poseidon has been sealed within it for many years now."

"Wait… you mean the Poseidon? You actually believe that legend?" Scully was taken aback by the unwavering conviction in his voice. "And the prison – was it built to contain the amphora?"

Aphrodite exchanged a glance with Milo, both weighing how much to reveal. As usual, Milo decided caution was overrated.

"Yes, Agent Scully – the site once functioned as a prison because of that amphora," he explained. "And yes… it was opened once. Poseidon was freed. It caused chaos, but we managed to seal him away again."

"Incredible…" Scully didn't even try to question it anymore. Logic had long since taken a back seat in this place. "But someone opened it, right? Was there someone else locked away with it?"

"Yes," Aphrodite said quietly, his expression darkening. "Kanon – Saga's twin brother."

Scully had clearly misjudged – thinking she was done stumbling into sensitive ground for the day was a mistake.

TO BE CONTINUED...