Marlos

"Hades"

The moon cast soft shadows across the Auradon dorm room, the bedside lamp emitting a gentle glow. Carlos and Mal were sound asleep, tangled together under the covers, with Helios curled up contentedly at the foot of the bed.

Suddenly, a soft thump echoed in the room, followed by a quiet rustling. Carlos stirred, his brow furrowing slightly in his sleep. Mal mumbled and shifted beside him. Helios, however, was instantly alert. His ears perked up, and his tiny body tensed.

A figure emerged from the shadows near the doorway, stepping quietly into the room. It was Hades, though his usual fiery aura was significantly dimmed, appearing more like wisps of cool blue smoke in the low light. He moved with surprising stealth, his gaze sweeping over the sleeping forms.

Helios, despite his initial alertness, didn't bark. Instead, he let out a soft, curious whine, his tail giving a tentative thump against the mattress. The sound was enough to stir Mal more fully. She blinked sleepily, pushing a stray strand of hair from her eyes.

"Huh?" she mumbled, looking around groggily. Her eyes widened slightly as she registered the unexpected visitor. "Dad?"

Carlos, now more awake, sat up, rubbing his eyes. He saw Hades standing near the foot of the bed, looking somewhat out of place in the cozy dorm room.

"Hades?" Carlos said, his voice still thick with sleep. "What are you doing here?"

Hades held up a hand, a faint blue glow emanating from his palm, as if to say, keep it down. "Just popping by," he said in a low voice, his usual booming tone softened considerably. "Couldn't sleep. Thought I'd see if my little ember was doing alright." His gaze flickered towards Helios, who was now sitting up, tilting his head curiously at the newcomer. "And who's this little furball?" he asked, a hint of something akin to amusement in his voice.

Mal yawned and stretched. "That's Helios. Carlos... kinda made him."

Hades raised a questioning eyebrow, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. "Made him? As in... conjured him up?"

Carlos nodded sheepishly. "Yeah. Still figuring things out."Hades chuckled softly, a less menacing sound than usual. "Well, he's certainly... energetic looking." He took a step closer to the bed, his gaze softening as he looked at Mal. "You doing okay, kid? Heard you had a bit of excitement lately."

Mal nodded, a small smile gracing her lips. "Yeah, I'm fine, Dad. Everything's... calmer now."

Hades nodded in understanding. "Good, good. Just wanted to see for myself." He glanced around the room again, a slightly awkward expression on his face. "Didn't mean to barge in like this. Just... couldn't shake the feeling I should check on you."

He gave Mal a brief, almost hesitant smile. "Alright then. Don't want to keep you up. Just wanted to say hi." With a final, less dramatic swirl of faint blue smoke, Hades disappeared back into the shadows, leaving a slightly bewildered but not particularly scared Carlos and Mal, and a very curious Helios, who promptly licked Carlos's hand as if to ask, "Who was that?"

The faint shimmer of Hades's departure lingered in the air for a moment before dissipating. Carlos and Mal exchanged a look, a mixture of surprise and amusement on their faces. Helios, however, was already off the bed, his little nose twitching inquisitively in the direction Hades had vanished.