"Bit of a break."

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A fountain chamber was always welcome, but rarely ever did it contain company.

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Elysium never seemed content to make things easy.

Zagreus had long since lost count of how many chambers he had fought his way through during this particular escape attempt. The green fields and the white waters of the river Lethe flowing through the realm stretched endlessly around him, beautiful in the same frustrating way a polished sword was beautiful right before it was swung at his head. Another group of shades had attempted to stop him only moments earlier, and while they had ultimately failed, they had at least succeeded in leaving him with a few new bruises for the effort.

The familiar sound of flowing water greeted him as he stepped through the next doorway.

A fountain chamber.

Now that was a welcome sight.

With a relieved sigh, Zagreus lowered the Stygian blade resting on his shoulder and started toward the center of the room. The air felt cooler here. Calmer. The gentle glow of the fountain caught the blades of grass at his fiery feet, creating a rare pocket of peace amidst the constant chaos of his journey.

At least, that was what he thought at first.

His pace slowed.

Someone else was there.

Not fighting. Not charging at him with a spear. Not shouting challenges from across the room. Simply there, occupying the chamber as naturally as the fountain itself.

Zagreus blinked once before letting out a quiet laugh under his breath.

"Well, then."

One hand settled against his hip while the other adjusted his grip on his weapon, more out of habit than concern. His mismatched eyes studied the figure for a moment, curiosity immediately winning out over caution.

"You know, I've walked into plenty of strange situations down here. Comes with the territory, really." A faint smirk crossed his face. "Still, this one's new."

The prince stepped closer to the fountain, its waters restoring some of the weariness that had accumulated throughout his run. His shoulders relaxed slightly, though his attention remained fixed on the unexpected occupant of the chamber.

"Mind if I ask what brings you all the way out here? Unless you're about to tell me this is your fountain chamber and I've wandered in uninvited."

The joke came easily, accompanied by the familiar crooked grin that seemed to survive even the most dangerous circumstances. Whatever the answer might be, it was certainly more interesting than another room full of spear-wielding shades.