After The Fall: Awakening

The Next Day

Rhea and Irish made their way to Hermes' apartment early in the morning. The streets were quiet, the cool breeze brushing against their skin. Irish walked with her hands in her pockets, a teasing grin on her face, while Rhea looked slightly annoyed.

"You sure you don't just miss him?" Irish teased.

Rhea rolled her eyes.

"Shut up. I just wanna check if he's still alive."

Irish smirked.

"Uh-huh. Because normal people definitely check on someone they don't care about first thing in the morning."

"Just drop it," Rhea huffed. She stopped in front of the door and knocked loudly.

No response.

She knocked again, harder.

"Hermes! Open up!"

Still nothing.

Irish tilted her head. "Maybe he's still sleeping?"

Rhea groaned in frustration.

"Hermes! Open this door, or I'm breaking it down!"

She reached for the doorknob, ready to pound on the door again—

Click.

The door swung open easily.

Irish blinked. "Wait… it's unlocked?"

Rhea's brows furrowed. "...That's weird."

For a moment, her instincts kicked in. What if something happened to Hermes? What if someone broke in?

Without hesitation, she stepped inside.

---

The moment they entered, they both froze.

The place was spotless.

Rhea's jaw slightly dropped as she scanned the room. The bed was perfectly made. The desk was neatly arranged, books stacked in an orderly fashion. There was no trash, no clothes lying around, no weird smell—just a clean, well-organized apartment.

Irish burst out laughing. "Wait, wait, hold up. Hermes lives here?"

Rhea narrowed her eyes.

"…I don't get it. Since when does Hermes keep his place this clean?"

Irish walked over to the small kitchen area and peeked into the fridge. Her eyes widened.

"Bro. His fridge is more organized than mine. Look at this! Everything's labeled!"

Rhea walked over, and sure enough, even his condiments had labels. There were containers with "Monday's Meal," another labeled "Snacks," and drinks arranged in perfect rows.

"This doesn't make sense…" Rhea muttered.

Irish grinned.

"I dunno, man. Kinda impressive. Lowkey attractive, even."

Rhea scoffed.

"Tch. Whatever. Where the hell is he, anyway? Why's he out this early?"

Irish checked her watch. "7:09 AM."

"He left early," Rhea mumbled.

Irish stretched.

"Since he's not here, we might as well take a walk. It's good exercise."

Rhea sighed. "Fine."

---

As they walked through town, they suddenly heard a deep voice.

"Start over. Higher this time."

"...Too low."

Rhea and Irish exchanged glances.

"Hermes?" Rhea muttered.

The closer they got to the plaza, the clearer the voice became. They could now hear labored breathing, heavy grunts, and the sound of hands hitting the ground.

And then, they saw him.

Hermes.

Dripping with sweat, struggling to push himself up, arms shaking from exhaustion.

He was doing push-ups—but not just any push-ups. There were weights strapped to his back. His entire body trembled, his muscles visibly straining, yet he kept going.

Azrael sat casually on a bench in front of him, watching with an unreadable expression.

"279," Azrael said flatly. "And now you give up?"

Hermes let out a loud groan.

"Aaaahhhhhh!!! Do I really have to reach 300?!"

Azrael smirked.

"Yes. Is it my fault you're weak?"

Hermes, still struggling to push himself up, cursed under his breath.

"You're a damn demon… No mercy at all…"

Rhea and Irish stood frozen.

"What. The. Fu—"

"279 push-ups?!" Irish practically screamed.

"I barely do 50," Rhea muttered in disbelief.

Their shock only grew when they realized…

It was really Hermes.

The Hermes who used to be lazy, weak, and constantly getting beaten up.

That Hermes was now pushing himself beyond his limits, training relentlessly.

"WHAT?!" they both shouted in unison.

The loud exclamation made Hermes freeze mid-push-up.

Azrael blinked. "...Probably just a dog." He looked at Hermes.

"Oh? Why did you stop?"

Hermes' eye twitched.

"Goddammit… Not again…"

Rhea and Irish, realizing they just exposed themselves, IMMEDIATELY RAN.

They sprinted away from the plaza as fast as they could.

---

After running several blocks, they finally stopped, both panting heavily.

They leaned against a lamp post, trying to catch their breath.

Irish, flushed from both running and what she just witnessed, grinned. "That was crazy, though."

Rhea, still bent over and breathing heavily, was too stunned to respond at first.

"You good, Rhea?" Irish asked, still catching her breath.

Rhea took a deep breath and looked up at her. "Yeah, I just… I can't believe it. Was that really Hermes?"

Irish chuckled and nudged her.

"It was. And you know what? I think he's looking pretty… hot, actually."

Rhea shot her a quick glare, but Irish's grin only grew.

"What? It's true! He's got that whole 'I'm-a-strong-man' thing now."

Rhea shook her head. "Shut up."

Irish laughed, clearly enjoying teasing her.

"Tch, fine. You know you were looking at him like he was some kind of superhero, right?"

Rhea rolled her eyes but couldn't deny that a part of her was seeing Hermes in a whole new light.

Irish smiled mischievously. "It's okay. I get it. I'm starting to see it too."

Rhea stared at her, confused. "What?"

Irish winked. "You heard me. Hermes is kind of..."

"Stop it!" Rhea cut her off, feeling her face get warm.

Rhea was still in shock, her hand on her knee as she gasped for air. "I can't believe we just saw that."

Irish smirked, clearly enjoying the situation.

"Yeah, I know. It's hard to believe that's Hermes, right? Who knew he had that side?"

Rhea rubbed her face.

"I didn't know what to think. Was that really Hermes? The guy we've been... you know, dealing with?"

Irish chuckled.

"Yeah, that's him. No more weak Hermes, huh? Now he's all fit and strong."

Rhea blinked at her, surprised.

"What? You think he's… hot?"

Irish laughed even harder.

"Oh come on! Don't tell me you didn't notice! He's pushing himself so hard, it's kinda attractive."

Rhea's face turned pink, and she crossed her arms defensively.

"Shut up! I wasn't looking at him like that."

Irish gave her a teasing smile.

"Sure you weren't. But it's okay, I get it. He's different now."

Rhea muttered something under her breath but couldn't help feeling a little strange. Hermes had always been someone she had to look out for, someone who wasn't strong enough to defend himself. Seeing him like this, so different, made her feel... confused.

Irish grinned, nudging Rhea with her elbow.

"I'm just saying, Hermes is kinda... well, you know. He's growing on me."

Rhea blinked, her heart skipping a beat.

"What? You like him now?"

Irish shrugged, a playful smile on her lips.

"Maybe. Who wouldn't? He's turning into something else."

Rhea stared at her, feeling both surprised and flustered. "You're joking, right?"

Irish just grinned wider.

"Nope. You can't deny it. He's gotten a lot more interesting."

Rhea opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, Irish clapped her hands together.

"Rhea, let's go get coffee. Running really took it out of me."

Rhea sighed, still a little shaken. "Sure, let's go."

---

The two of them walked to a nearby café and sat down. They ordered coffee and croissants, trying to relax after the crazy run.

As they waited for their food, Rhea couldn't stop thinking about Hermes. She watched the steam rise from her coffee, lost in thought. She couldn't believe how much he had changed.

She remembered the old Hermes—lazy, weak, always getting hurt. Now? Now he was stronger, pushing himself beyond his limits.

Irish noticed Rhea staring into space and raised an eyebrow. "Hey, you okay?"

Rhea snapped out of her thoughts. "Huh? Yeah, I'm fine."

Irish gave her a knowing look.

"You sure? You've been quiet for a while. What are you thinking about?"

Rhea sighed, setting her cup down.

"I don't know… I just keep thinking about how he used to be. How weak he was, and how I always had to protect him. But now… I don't even recognize him."

Irish smirked and leaned back in her chair.

"Sounds like you're starting to see him in a new light, huh?"

Rhea blinked, surprised by her friend's words.

"What? No! I just… I'm just thinking, okay?"

Irish chuckled.

"Sure, sure. But I know what you're thinking. You're thinking he's looking good now, aren't you?"

Rhea's face turned a deep shade of red.

"Shut up, Irish."

Irish leaned forward, teasing.

"It's okay, you know. I'm starting to think he's not so bad myself."

Rhea's eyes widened.

Irish shrugged casually.

"Maybe. He's changed a lot. He's strong, he's determined, and he's looking better than ever."

Rhea let out a deep breath, feeling a mix of confusion and something else she couldn't quite explain.

"I… I guess so. I mean, it's hard to believe, but it's true."

Irish laughed, clearly enjoying herself.

"I knew it. I'm not the only one who's noticed."

Rhea just shook her head, feeling embarrassed, but also strangely proud of Hermes. He really had changed.

---

Throughout the entire break, Hermes didn't take a break from training. Every single day, he worked harder. When everyone else rested, Hermes pushed himself. He wasn't just lifting weights; he was running, practicing techniques, and doing push-ups until his body screamed for rest. Even when his muscles burned, he kept going.

One day after another, he got stronger. It wasn't just physical strength—he grew more focused, more determined. He wanted to be better, and he worked for it, nonstop. The Hermes who once struggled and faltered was turning into someone different. Stronger. More confident.

---

It was supposed to be a rest day.

Azrael was walking back home after a long day of investigating when he passed by the plaza. He wasn't expecting much, but then he saw something—or rather, someone—that made him stop.

Hermes.

Sweating and grunting as he did push-ups, weights strapped to his back. His body shook with exhaustion, but he didn't stop. Azrael raised an eyebrow, a little surprised.

"This kid... really doesn't know how to rest, huh?" he muttered to himself, watching Hermes for a moment.

He walked a little closer but stayed in the shadows, not wanting to interrupt. Hermes didn't even notice him. He was too focused on pushing through his limits.

"Does he even know how far he's willing to go?" Azrael thought.

"How much more will he put himself through?"

He watched Hermes struggle through the push-ups, his face showing determination. It was like the kid was chasing something, pushing himself further than anyone else would.

"Guess he's not stopping anytime soon," Azrael said, his smirk widening.

For the entire long break, that was all he did.

He trained.

He pushed.

He improved.

And soon, the world would notice.