It had been exactly three months since her boyfriend, Percy Jackson, disappeared.
Annabeth Chase had been fretting constantly. She had checked everywhere – one minute he had kissed her goodnight outside the Athena cabin and POOF – gone.
It's not like he could just disappear like that. He wouldn't have. The Athena cabin had – no, the whole of Camp Half Blood had been looking for the son of Poseidon.
It didn't help that another Great Prophecy was weighing down on their shoulders. She kept hearing the same voice of the oracle, Rachel, had given after the Second Titan War a few months ago.
(I've slightly changed this – just for my OC)
Seven half-bloods shall answer the call
To storm or fire the world must fall
An oath to keep with a final breath
And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death
Rebirth and Love's Loyalty shall help alone
The goddess shall come from a kingdom of stone
Her sword, Kibil Zaram, a legendary sword of bone
Earth shall sleep once and forever more
Though not before the price of a great war
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Sophia strode into the throne room of Erebos, before bowing her head respectfully at her father. Hades sat on his throne, his black long and loose, dark eyes calculating, skin as pale as ghost, he radiated power of the Lord of the Underworld.
"Rise, Sophia" he said, his face softening at his daughter. Sophia had been alive for a bit over 4500 years and she did not know how to greet a god. She went for the basics.
"Yup"
"Did you receive my message?" Hades tilted his head. Sophia was tempted to be like No – Duh! I didn't leave Erebor for that. But instead she answered, "Yes, I did. That's why I am here"
"Is that sarcasm? I can't tell with my children" (BOO Reference!WHOOO!)
"Forget it"
"Are you aware of the case?" the Lord of the Underworld asked. Recently, Sophia discovered that she, as the goddess of rebirth among other things, she could bring people back to life at the age they died back to their old life.
At a request of a few demigods, Hades had asked to try it.
On a son of Hermes. (Yes, it will happen! J)
"Should I try it?" she asked. "Yes, his ghost is in Elysium, but be careful" Hades rose from his throne.
He reached out and touched her shoulder – she was short. That's why she fit in with dwarves.
"At your permission, right. I should get going?"
"Yes"
The way to Elysium was fairly quick, they was an obsidian tunnel over the Fields of Asphodel high rise, so she walk without the crowd.
Elysium was a beautiful place, beautiful houses lined the green streets, the sky shone – it was amazing to believe that this was the Underworld.
Sophia looked at the scrap of parchment her father had given her with a name.
Luke Castellan
Huh, she thought that name was familiar. She shadowed travel to a quaint house that was white, in front of the lawn was an assortment of Greek mythology items, a pillow medusa, dwarves, Pegasus paintings.
She saw the name was written in Greek at the front. This place was giving her the heeby-jeebies. She knocked once, then once again.
The door swung open and a blade was an inch from her nose. It was fair blade, half of it being celestial bronze – the other half tempered steel. She wondered what he would need such a blade for. Her own sword could harm both mortals and immortals, but her intentions were clear.
She had orcs to fight. They had killed…never mind.
A small reflex from a clasp and her own blade had disarmed the other sword.
Her sword: Kibil Zaram (Khuzdul for Silver Pool – Khuzdul is the secret language of the Dwarves). It was not made of steel nor celestial bronze or imperial gold – but of the rare metal of mithril. Impossible to break or shatter with a brilliant white glow. It had a silver hilt and a sapphire set on it.
But the real power came from a key forged deep into the sword. A black and golden key – A key of Hades. It had the power (if harnessed properly) to revive a dead person and kill instantly. It was one of the only keys that could lock the Doors of Death.
Stepping back over the threshold she got a good look at the wielder of the blade.
He looked around 23, tall with lean muscles. The guy had sandy blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He had the sneaky look that Sophia could recognize from Hermes. The only thing that ruined the surfer dude image was a thick white scar running from his right eye to his jaw.
He wore a plain white t-shirt, dark blue jeans and black Converse. He was good-looking. But no, she was on official business – she would not let her Aphrodite side take over.
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Luke Castellan had been sulking around his house in Elysium. The Fates were cruel, really. The house was a replica of May Castellan's house. Memories were brought back from his childhood, his mother's fit with her glowing a heinous green. He had run away for a reason.
And now he was stuck here. In a foul mood he threw a replica of Aegis, Zeus's shield, at the stuffed Pegasus toy.
A loud knock resonated from the front. Cursing, he swept up Backbiter. He didn't know why he kept it. Kronos had given him the sword and sometimes he could still feel the Titan Lord's presence. He couldn't let the sword go though.
He swung the door open and flipped the sword up and held at the stranger. Not exactly hospitable – but he wasn't in the mood. A streak of white and his own sword at clattered away.
He found himself looking at a really pretty girl glaring at him. Like really beautiful.
She had caramel coloured skin and black waves that were tied up in a high ponytail. Strangely she had a bright lightning forelock tucked into her hair. Her face could have been Aphrodite herself.
She wore black jeans, a dark blue hoody with a strange symbol on it and white ballet flats. Her own sword was firmly in her grasp.
And those multi-coloured eyes were glaring daggers. They were deep brown with swirling depths of deep green and blue.
She looked around 20 too.
"Do you point your sword at everyone in Elysium?" she asked, crossing her arms, her sword immediately gone. He must have looked stupid because he said something really intelligent on the lines of, "Gah…"
The girl looked at a piece of parchment in her hand and said, "Are you Luke Castellan?"
"Umm, yes"
There was an awkward point of silence where Luke scratched the back of his neck.
"Well, are you going to let me in or not? We need to talk" she demanded.
"And who do you think you are?" he finally found his voice. The girl looked about ready to whip her sword out again and sighed, "I'm Sophia Rose" she stood up straighter "Eldest child of Hades and heir to the Underworld. My father wanted something to do with you. So…."
"Oh, uh, sorry" he stepped to the side of the doorway, backing up. He couldn't tell if she was demigod or not – wouldn't she have been another child of the Big Three?
"Are you a demigod?" Luke asked. "Me? Nah, I'm older than Apollo but he wouldn't tell you that. But only just" Sophia answered. "So, your mother…Persephone?" Luke wasn't sure – he could see the resemblance to Hades and the way she showed power.
He saw he had reached a sensitive subject and saw that Sophia was contemplating whether to tell him, she turned her back before answering: "Aphrodite"
Luke hadn't been expecting that. "Oh"
"Don't ask" she said curtly. She sat on an old recliner.
He cleared his throat, "So this is about…"
"Umm, yes" Sophia shifted uncomfortably, "So if I am correct, you died recently. How would you feel if you are given a second chance at life?" she hastily corrected herself, "Not rebirth, like back to your old life"
Luke felt something lift of his shoulders, he could apologise to everyone, make up with everyone who he betrayed. "It would help" he answered. Yet it was slap to his face – what if they rejected him? Cast him aside?
"But first, how did you die?" Sophia asked pushing her bangs back, "I suppose, you could tell me what happened in the Second Titan War? You were there"
He didn't know how to respond, clearly this immortal had no idea, "But weren't you there?"
"I was aware that Kronos was rising, but I could not assist. I had my own battle to fight" Sophia answered. Luke rose his eyebrow, prompting more explanation.
"I am the goddess of magical realms" Sophia's eyes gave away the trust (or mistrust) she was feeling for this mortal, she hesitated, "The patron goddess for Middle Earth and a queen of a kingdom there, Erebor" Luke could tell that it was better not to ask for more elaboration.
"Umm, can we just get to the second life part?" Luke asked nervously. The goddess's face softened and nodded, "Death can be hard to talk about" her black lashes fluttered towards the floor sadly and he wondered how much death she had seen exactly.
"So, if you could follow me" Sophia stood up and a staff appeared in her hands. It was about 2 metres tall – size of a house door and rose gold with silver detailing. On its handle was an inscription: Diadoras.
The Greek came easily: Gift from Zeus
It was topped by a small bunch of roses – in every colour. It didn't look that menacing but Luke caught a small spear of celestial bronze from a carving deep with a gold rose in the centre.
"This is my symbol of power – it was given to me by Zeus but made by Hephaestus" Sophia stated twirling the staff around.
"Do I need to go to the River Lethe?" Luke asked, he didn't want to – he wanted to remember his friends just not the memories of what he'd done.
"No, you will be brought back to life"
Luke got up and followed Sophia out of the door but he quickly ran back inside.
Running inside, he grabbed Backbiter. "That weapon?" Sophia flickered over it, "Why would you need it"
"It's from my old life. I'm sentimental that way"
Sophia laughed, a light casual sound and he wondered if she would be the same if she knew what he had done. They stepped out and Luke shielded his eyes from the sudden brightness of Elysium.
Sophia waved Diadoras around suddenly a flash of silver light and Luke's world went black.