GUARDIAN OF THE END

"Welcome back." Koro greeted Jason the moment he woke up in the real world.

"How was your experience?" Diana asked with an interested expression.

"It was… exciting." Jason stood up from the ground since his body had grown limp. "However, I will prefer to stay here in the real world."

Koro smiled after hearing his words. The sin of greed flicked Jason's forehead with his finger, which was quite impressive considering Jason was much taller than Koro, who looked like he was ten years old. fr𝙚ℯ𝓌e𝚋𝙣𝘰vℯl.𝐜𝚘m

"You cleared it in ten minutes. Things are looking good for you if you manage to clear the remainder of the challenges," he explained. "Do you want to go the next house right now or wait for us to get done with Wade's things?"

"I will wait. I don't think I want to undergo another experience like that so soon." Jason replied before looking in the direction of his room.

He had left May back in his room and had requested Flamey to guard her. The guardian had easily agreed to his request and was currently staying with the demi-god.

"If you want to go rest, no one will mind," Koro said. "If you want to call me, just try thinking of the ring and I will be able to hear your call. The same is true with Manny."

"I will be back in an hour or two. Just gonna take a small rest." Jason informed before he started heading back towards his own room.

Though he wanted to see what Wade would go through, Jason felt it was more necessary to check up on May.

'It's quite surprising how all the trials and challenges I have undergone hardly put a physical restraint on my body. It mostly affects my mental condition which is quite stable this time.'

With the help of his system, Jason soon reached his room. Inside, he looked at May rolling on bed with Flamey watching over her from the ceiling.

The magma salamander was stuck to the ceiling and was looking down with a bored expression.

"It has barely been fifteen minutes and you already look like you have been watching her role on the bed for years." Jason commented.

[It's quite boring to look after children. I would have already gone to sleep if not for how cold this place is. I hate cold places! ] Flamey complained.

'Aren't you like, supposed to be a goddess of flames and weaponry? Why are you feeling so cold then?' Jason questioned.

[ It's something you won't understand. Gods, especially ex ones like me, have to face many problems. Hestia, why don't you explain that to him? ]

[ It's because I don't want to explain this to him. Let him be. ]

[ Tsk. ]

Jason rolled his eyes at their conversation before sitting on the bed. May immediately stopped rolling on the bed and laid on one spot.

"You are growing up…" Jason suddenly observed.

May was now looking more like a human baby. She looked a few months old and now had quite normal features.

Her divinity wasn't leaking out of her body anymore either.

[ Mhm, it will happen one day. Nothing I can do about it. ] May replied. [ Anyways, what are we going to do next? ]

"Dunno. I will be taking a short nap, I guess. You can sleep too if you want."

[ I guess it isn't that bad of an idea. ] May agreed.

Two minutes later, Jason had his head rested on a pillow and had his eyes shut close. Mat was lying on the other side of the bed and was sleeping as well.

Flamey looked over the two of them with a smile before hopping towards the door. It opened up at that exact moment and Amber peeped in.

[ Let them sleep. ]

'I know.'

Flamey landed on Amber's arm before the latter closed the door. She turned around and made her way to her own room with a smile on her face.

'Damn it… I am such an idiot.'

Once Amber laid down on her bed, she couldn't help but sigh. Now that she had gotten some alone time, she finally got the sorting her own feelings.

[ Don't worry, Amber. You are in the right age to feel these things. I've enjoyed my time as well and still continue to enjoy it. ]

'What are you exactly trying to say?'

[ Nothing. You will understand it in the future. ] Flamey chuckled before curling herself around Amber's neck for warmth.

The latter sighed and let the salamander comfortably coil around her neck. Amber even provided some warmth by manipulating her body heat.

'You are lazy, you know.'

[ Mhm. ]

Time passed by quickly, yet Amber couldn't fall asleep. She had received enough sleep through the night and since she didn't have anything to do at the mansion either, she decided to explore it.

"Let's go, Flamey."

Amber stood up with her guardian still wrapped around her neck. She sighed once but didn't remove Flamey from her location.

After all, Amber knew that her guardian would immediately wake up and help her in case any danger approached them.

'Where am I even supposed to go here?'

[ Towards the kitchens. This isn't the house of gluttony, or we could have brought tasty food to ourselves with just a mere thought. ]

'But something like that should exist here as well, right?'

Amber paused and decided to try her theory. When she had summoned food in the house of gluttony, she had felt some sort of connection with the house.

Amber tried searching for the same connection until she felt something clicking inside her.

'Did it work?' Amber asked.

[ Might as well wait and see. I just want to eat a cake. ]

_{𝑓r𝘦𝘦𝘄eb𝒏𝙤vel.c𝙤𝙢}

'You are sounding like an old lady, Flamey.'

[ Technically I am an old lady. ]

"Amber?"

Amber turned around and was met face to face with Jason. The former blinked her eyes in surprise when she saw the way Jason was looking.

His clothes were still casual but were different than the ones he had been wearing before and his hair were also spread around in a messy manner.

[ Don't. ]

Flamey jumped from Amber's neck at lightning-fast speed and hit Jason's forehead. The moment she did that, he vanished up in smoke.

'What the hell was that?!' Amber looked baffled.

[ It was an illusion of sorts. ] Flamey explained. [ Since this is the house of greed, it likely showed you something you are greedy for. ]

"I am…" Amber murmured. "Greedy for that?"