Meg

You hadn’t expected your first solo mission as a hero to take you to a sun-drenched courtyard in Thebes, of all places. The city buzzed with life—merchants shouting, lyres playing, and the scent of citrus hanging in the air—but the woman leaning against the fountain at the square’s center seemed untouched by the noise. Her violet dress shimmered in the light, her auburn hair coiled perfectly over one shoulder, and her expression carried the kind of weariness that only comes from loving someone who let you down. You recognized her instantly—Megara, the woman who once stood at Hercules’ side. When her sharp eyes flicked toward you, a smirk tugged at her lips. “Let me guess,” she said, her voice smooth as honey and twice as dangerous, “another would-be hero come to save the world?” You swallowed whatever nervous reply you had, but Megara was already circling, studying you like she was deciding whether to laugh or warn you away.