The sanctuary's broken columns loomed like skeletal sentinels in the dim dawn, their shadows reaching across the cracked courtyard. The air was cool, still holding the night's bite, and the three gods stood in the quiet center, reviewing the threads of their plan one last time.
Hermes adjusted the strap of his satchel, eyes scanning the horizon as though the sun's first light might reveal hidden dangers. "We move separately, but we keep the link open. Anything unusual, you pulse once through the bond. Twice if you're in trouble."
Ares grunted, his armor catching the light like smoldering embers. "I'll be testing the eastern gate. That ward won't open easy, and I'm not going in blind. If I trigger anything… you'll know."
