I hoped you all enjoyed the first chapter and hope you all have a great day where ever you are =) Warning: story contains BoyxBoy, swearing, scenes of violence and bear in mind and ratings may be turned up at a later time.

I still wait for it to end. The cold of the bitter winter, the merciless ice always at my throat and grinding into my chest as it gives me nothing but the most useless of hope for any survival. My physical body survives while my mental state deteriorates with each growing day. I stare through a lifeless eye that seems to show me nothing more than the poison of my wound. The infection that brings me to my knees as I know I have no more ounce of fight left in me. I'm just a shell that waits for time to decide it's final moment; degrading slowly and breaking because of time.

But why do I have to wait?

I know why… It's because I'm a survivor.

I know that much. I know how to run and to keep on going. I know how to ignore the pain of burning lungs and the ache of a body, which is ready to give in and collapse. I know how to sly my way through conversation and draw eyes away from my self. I can slowly sneak my way into someone's heart. I can twist it and crush it in my fingers. Watch as betrayal paints a symphony on their faces as the light of the dagger in their back becomes apparent to them.

At least… I think I do?

What is this darkness around me? Why does it decide that it claims me? This small box and corridor of a prison I find myself in? Why does it matter any more if I carry on the fight? Something tells me I've already lost now that I'm here. Something tells me that now I have failed everything that I ever set out to accomplish. I know that I have failed. I know I cannot keep on fighting. I'm a survivor who has given up. I'm a fighter who has decided that after so long, they can no longer wield the sword.

I'm the boy who knows those who love and those who lies.

I smile for those who lie and step away from those I love. Oh it's so easy to paint a deep smile and twinkle in the eye for your enemy.

But how can I trust senses that come from an empty mind. How can I trust a personality that I know nothing about?

How can I trust myself when I don't even know who I am?

I try to look around but again this winter darkness seems to be compacted in the small room around me.

I feel my heart accelerating as my breathing becomes rapid. I'm trapped. I can't see the world around me… am I even still alive? What is around me? I'm standing on the brink. I can hear the tap of rocks falling apart around me. The long winding echo of wind... but there's something else. Something distant, a surging, a tide. It's rushing towards me.

I reach out a hand and feel the cold biting beneath the gentle of my fingers but it's mingled with something else. The bitter of the cold is beginning to flee. To run wild and scared, a scorching pain is filling the air.

I need to figure this out faster.

I reach out for the walls. It's rough but smooth… sharp in patterns. Steel? Rock formations? Some kind of metal I think. Unrefined ore in the cracks and lodges of a wall. A mine? Was I somewhere underground? It would make sense why it is so dark?

But is that what this is? Not a room of darkness but a cell of imprisonment? I'm a cornered rat. I'm stuck and I don't know what to do. I can't see anything. I should be scared. I should be terrified. I should be screaming for someone or anything to be there.

But I don't… I just stay there. I think, and that's good. Oh by god is that good. Thinking means that I'm still here. That something of me exists. But who was I really? I was just a boy in the darkness of this new nightmare. I was a dog in a cage. I needed to get out. I need to rip myself out of here.

I know one more thing... that the person who has me here? They're going to pay.

Slowly and painfully.

Just like those who would betray me.

But to get even, I had to be alive. That meant focusing on here and now. Making sure I am alive. That's task one.

I reached up slowly and felt my face just to even assure myself that it was still there. It was madness but it was familiarity. It was insanity but it was something that I could partly understand. It was me. I can feel the spikes of my hair standing up as a new rushing breeze was coming through and getting closer. I wasn't imagining it. I can feel it now. The heat. The heat of something intense. It makes me long for the winter. It makes my mouth blister as I'm thrown back against the wall.

Some part of me can't help but think that I really am dead... why can't I remember! Why can't I see or feel anything!

No.

That's a lie. I feel pain! I can feel pain! The one thing to always hold onto in doubt! It means I really am alive! Good! But now from pain was coming the next tool of survival. The thing which was going to keep me alive through this. Curiosity.

Why isn't there anything else there but me and this cell!

I flinch away from the coven of spires and catch a small shot of porcelain before I look my eyes on the ground.

Then it arrives.

Like an express raging to a sudden stop on the platform.

A burst of orange and red as it roars up higher and keeps on going past me. It doesn't stop. It's like the mightiest tide I have ever witnessed. A sea of fire a brimstone... The roof and walls are illuminated to their black and lifeless light around me. The floors are chipped away as though an all mighty row of knives have been dragged through them. But that's not what's intriguing.

There's lose soil nearby.

It hangs on the edge by this risen and erupted tide. In the light the small and distributed pile looks abandoned and forgotten. It must have fallen in from a fissure... maybe if I can-

I reach out and yelp slightly as a ember burns onto my crimson dotted hand. The lightly tanned skin, already broken and split open as it leaked my life fluid out onto the cold stone. "So that's why I'm in pain." I growl. I look down to see my bare legs are in no better of a state. The only articles of clothing left are smouldered shorts which were marked with soot. "The soil... it's so fresh." I run my fingers through it eagerly. "I'm missing something! Why the hell am I looking at soil!" I toss it into the long stream of orange and red which still hasn't given up yet.

The soil stands no chance.

"I'm missing something! Something really important! It's right in front of me but-"

I pause.

I slowly turn back to the stream. "That's Lava." I dead pan.

I'M IN A FREAKING VOLCANO!

Another shock wave hits me and pushed me back as I can no longer keep myself up.

My fingers trembled and curled around a nearby lose rock as I kept my eyes closed. It wasn't the god damn scolding temperature which was killing me now. It wasn't the fact that I could feel the brimstone filling my lungs as thick clumps in the air seemed dissipate and abandoned me in my hearts moment of need. Only the lose rock and stone in the air seemed to remain as it began to whisk inside my mouth in a vortex of remembrance. The heat ruled everything. The fire scorched all... any longer here and I know I would not be an exception to that... but still, it seemed to speak out to me. As though it was trying to cry a warning to me. We are the victims of Pompeii, you will remember us, you will feel our pain. You will not forget. Yeah, forgotten this situation? That was definitely going to be a difficult one. This would live on in my nightmares forever.

I would remember the feel of my warm blood, slowly dripping in a trail down the exposed wound of my own torso. The fleeting and fleeing movements, as though it was trying to escape from the prison of my own body. My shirt which was beginning to turn to nothing more than ash which just seemed to line my lungs and starve my insides faster. "You still seem so slow to decide." The soft purr teased. I caught another flash of porcelain, this time above in a small hole nearby.

A quick burst of a rattle.

The slow chuckle and sound of a nearby rock falling lose from it's degrading cliff face and into the lava.

I didn't want to look up. I wanted to. By the gods on Olympus, I wanted to. But my mind told me otherwise. I just wanted to keep my eyes locked ahead of me on the pit. The flicker and ever loud roar of flames screamed out and tried to escape to the lilac and diamond studded night time starry sky outside. I trembled. How could I not! I was standing on a cliff to oblivion. Slowly dying, not only from the stone and rubble filling my insides; making my lungs plead in mercy for clear air. But from the fear that came from that voice.

I reach my hand up on the off chance and feel my forehead.

It hurts like I've taken a violent blow... the fresh and warmth of blood stains it.

I've taken a knock that's short circuited me... by the looks of it, I had been running.

"It was said that, my predecessor always had a saying." The voice cackled as it bounced around me. "Beauty comes from within."

I look around as I try to focus onto the sound of where that voice is coming from. "Behind the skin and bone."

I flinch away as I hear a louder tumble of rocks moving away. The voice dripped with beauty and yet I could tell the purpose behind it had absolutely none.

"And those who cannot see it."

I pause as I see the shadows rear just in the corner, behind the tide of fire.

"May as well be made of stone"

I scream my lungs out as the figure steps into the light.

-Break-

He sat up bolt right as his scream shook the house hold. He could feel my vocal chords stretching out making the walls almost rattle as cracks desired to course through them. He kicked violently with as much force as he could muster with both good leg to get his constricting quilts away.

Not again. He thought as tears began to stream down his cheeks. His hands clamped over them as his breath seemed to stutter. His heart was a flutter with uncontrolled panic which the nightmare had stabbed into him. I really need to get dad to help me with these fucking nightmares. The boy thought.

He flinched back slightly when the lights on the ceiling burst into life as his chest rose and fell drastically. He had to get himself back into a calm state. His parents seeing him like this was going to help no one! "Charlie?" The door of his bedroom flew open as a man stared at him for a second before quickly walking over and taking a seat at his side on the corner of the bed. His blond hair glinted in the early dawn light. "Baby it's okay." He coed softly as he looked at him but his heart was pumping to fast. However the boy's sight was blurry and everything seemed as though the entire world was swirling around him.

Charlie was glad when the usual prepared morning sickness bag was handed out to him and the boy gagged and retched on his own vomit. "Listen to my breathing Charlie." The man whispered. "Listen to the tune that follows." He said softly and let out a low breath which began to morph into a gentle tune which began to fill the smaller boy as though he was a bucket and the music was water. "I used to have to sing this to you when you were a baby to get you back to sleep." The man mused as his eyes flashed in the darkness. Their dark emerald colour seemed to send out a heart beat shock wave. As though for a minute the gaze and tune echoed from within the man himself.

It took a few moments but eventually Charlie's breathing finally came back under his control and then broke into sobs. He hated that he was showing his emotions! He hated showing it up in front of someone. "M-Mom. Can I just be by myself for a bit." He pleaded quietly.
"What happened?" His mother whispered. "Was it those nightmares again? About the pit and the volcano?"
"Yes." He admitted. "There was a boy there too. I don't know what the hell it was. It was worse than anything I've been in before."
"Well it was all just a dream." His mother slowly looked at his son softly. His deep golden, blond hair was dishevelled from the instant awakening and adrenaline which had been running through him at his son's screams. "Do you want some hot chocolate?" He whispered comfortingly but Charlie shook his head. "Okay then... if you want you can call off going out with your father today and stay in home to get some rest." He slowly stood wrapping his robe around himself a bit tighter. After sixteen years he still has these nightmares. The man thought with a sigh. It had been like this since his birth... actually... it felt like those sixteen years had passed in no time... Sometimes it had felt like seconds.

Seconds he wished that he could just get back.

Charlie just looked back over at his calender: June the 5th 2014. His last year of school before he started college. Tomorrow would be his final day at school in new Rome before he could begin to think about what he wanted to do at college. "I think... I should just get up Mom." He admitted and felt his own internal determination set in. He had absolutely no wish to go back to sleep, for fear of that nightmare returning to him again.
"Sirena? Are you okay?" A voice called from down the corridor.
"I'm just with Charlie, Pulchra Umbram." Sirena called back and gave a small smile back down to his son as he let out a gentle sigh. "You are your father are like two peas in a pod." The man gently tapped his finger on Charlie's nose, making the sixteen year old laugh slightly, even though he was this tired, he couldn't help but laugh at how his mother was. "Okay. I will check on you in an hour. If you are still tired, I'm going to be keeping you off. Okay?" Charlie was just too tired to argue with his mother but still smiled at his protectiveness over him.

It was only when the door closed, did he finally let the smile fall from his face and feel himself fall back onto his bed as he stared up at the ceiling.

The nightmare had left him feeling weak.

He turned over on his bed as he let out a sigh and stared out the window of his bedroom to the other houses in the street. The sun had begun to just touch the streets and paths outside. Other two storey houses moved down the winding hill which led towards the smaller parts of new Rome; the school, the garden of Bachus where he would hang out with his Aunt Reyna. He would get plenty of time to go there this afternoon. With his school day being nothing more than him having to say good bye to his old class mates who may or may not go off in the world. Yeah, he wanted to say goodbye, because today was a very important day for him too. It was a day he could chose whether to go to college here in the city, join the elder honorary guard, which meant he could go out into the world and search for demigods to bring back to the safety of either of the camps... but there was one more option which he had been also considering; a hunter. No it wasn't a hunter of Artemis. But it was a different kind of hunter. He could put himself forward to take a quest or get out to see the world on adventure! He could get away from this city which he had grew up in and see everything else that the world had to offer.

But of course, he had never talked about taking that option.

But he would have to decide soon. At the graduation ceremony today, he would have to state in front of his entire family, what path he would like to take as a demigod.

Put it out of your mind for now. He thought and let out another long sigh. Start getting ready, enjoy your last day at school,

His mother or his father would walk him about eight O'clock, which mean he had about an hour to get ready. One hour to chill out, relax, make sure he didn't get stressed or-

"CAN'T READ MY. CAN'T READ MY! NO HE CAN'T READ MY POKER FACE! HE'S GOT ME LIKE NOBODY!"

He groaned sharply as his phone went off on his bedside table. He had to blink a few times to try and get his sight back under his control but when he did he saw that the screen had lit up with the name 'Connor' and with a preview of the message: 'I heard the screaming from across the road. Are you okay?' A few x's were dotted at the end of the message.

Charlie groaned as he put his head on his knees and sat up. He tapped away furiously at the screen as he sent the message back: 'Yeah... just a nightmare. Don't worry. Go back to sleep. Seven. You still have about five hours before your usual awakening.' He sent the message and smirked to himself.

Well he only was smirking until he noticed that outside the sprinklers had begun to go off and spray the lawn with it's usual fresh drink. He paled slightly and only took a small glance at the phone as Connor responded back.
'Say that again. I dare you.'

Well... he did dare me. He thought as he sent a repeat of the text. He closed his window and grinned out of it across the street as the water sprayed the glass like pellets which were relentless.

Charlie shook his head and fell back onto the soft pillows as a smile tugged at the edge of his mouth. He turned of the lamp on his bedside table. Why does everything feel like... He yawned as his eyes closed. Like my life doesn't make sense... He took a soft breath and paused as he heard stirrings coming from the other rooms. Oh I know, because most kids have to worry about the end of their exams... I have to worry about if a freaking monster is going to attack us in our sleeps! "Morning-"
"YOU'RE NOT TAKING MY SHOWER TIME!" Charlie bellowed and dove out his room as he became to join a sprint down the carpeted floor towards the single kid bathroom. He let out a long and flowing note which curled around his siblings who paused for a moment with glazed over eyes.

For a moment he felt himself leap over elegantly as he bounced off the walls and agilely dived through the knot of his other siblings. "Ha! Siren voice trumps demigod powers Lucy!. He smirked at his sister.

As he took to go another dive to move forward, he found his hands and legs sank through the floor and froze. "Shadow trumps Siren reflexes." A girl stood above him as Charlie tried to pull back on his arms which had now locked through the floor which had become solid around him. The darkness had tainted the floor and become a solid or liquid changeable aspect. The girl laughed as her dark eyes glinted. Her olive toned skin was lighter than Charlie's tanned one. Her body was lean and beautiful after taking the aura and power of beauty from her mother Sirena. She wore her black bathrobe which shifted as though the wind was hitting it while she kept her palm aimed at her brother. She flashed a white pearly grin and chuckled as she bounced on the spot.
"Chimera wings trump shadows!"

Both watched as their eldest brother went sailing over their head and flapped his wings sending a large blast of wind their way making them cover their faces. "WATCH THE HAIR!" The two siblings barked as they watched Alex smirk deeply at them both but stopped when he went face first into the locked door.
"Ouch!" Lucy grimaced as she watched the boy slowly slide down the wooden framing and lay flat on the floor.

If their lives had been in anime, then there would be stars spinning around Alex's head.

"Lucy Emily Maria Di Angelo!" Sirena shouted from down stairs. "DID YOU SINK YOU TURN THE FLOOR INTO SHADOWS AND SINK YOUR BROTHER INTO THEM AGAIN?!"
"Uh..." She looked down to see Charlie smirking evilly as his emerald eyes sparkled with mischief. His black and golden hair shined out defiantly in their strange colours. It was weird... they had even been like that then he was born. Spiked locks of ink black which held shining loud streaks of spun gold. "No?" She called back down, hoping that their mother would fall for her cute voice.
"Then why am I staring at his hands and legs through your father's hand painted mosaic ceiling?!" Sirena called.
"Because... dad's paintings are so amazing that they become more life like than most people can truly conceive?" She shrugged and looked down to her youngest brother for guidance. Alex was the oldest out of them as he was eighteen (his parents asked him how old he felt since he seemed to grow a lot slower than the others. Once when he had prayed to Apollo for guidance, a demi-monster wasn't a very common thing to see among this world. Sometimes their ageing could be different upon how they felt. So in stead of celebrating every year. Alex celebrated his birthday ever other year for age... but that didn't stop his parents for giving him the double amount of gifts.

Lucy herself was a couple of days away from finally turning seventeen. Unlike Alex and her other siblings, she grew just as an ordinary demigod would; one year at a time. All those extra years had allowed her to catch up with Alex... it made her scared that if they went by age, she would soon be the oldest of all the siblings. She had decided on her graduation day, like her older siblings Alex that she would stay in college and live a quiet and casual life. Maybe she would meet someone, live in the safety of the city... after all.

She had done her time in the legion unlike her other siblings.

"Nice try kid, but compliments aren't going to stop your mother from seeing your brother's arms and legs through the ceiling." Her father laughed from downstairs making her pale all the more. "Oh crap." She growled.
"LANGUAGE!" Sirena called. "And Charlie, stop giving your sister the middle finger." Charlie paled as this time it was his turn to watch Lucy grin like a Cheshire cat.
"Hey Charlie, nice legs." A new voice called making Charlie's cheeks turn bright pink and Lucy grin even deeper as she recognised the voice which made her baby brother blush. "Say hi to Rosario for me." She winked.
"No! Lucy! Don't do it! PLEASE! DON'T DO IT!" He screamed as he sank through the shadows.

The last thing she heard was Charlie's voice echoing 'Incoming!' as she directed the shadows to crash him into the other boy downstairs.

"Honestly... can't you all just grow up."

She turned her head back to the bathroom door as it slowly opened to reveal her last brother who stood there with nothing but a white towel around his waist. His snow white pale skin stood out among his hazel nut brown hair. He didn't resemble his siblings much with the exception that like the other's his eyes seemed to sparkle with the siren aura just as his voice was silky and hypnotic. His eyes were a warm brown which almost seemed crimson. He seemed so stern and cold. He never opened up to any of his other siblings much except to just mutter insults about them.

The only person he even seemed to connect to was with his mother, father and Charlie. Their mother had explained to them that being a siren meant that no two of them ever looked alike... which was strange considering the amazing comparisons between Charlie and their mother. But her younger brother seemed to share no similar features with the rest of them. It meant he got a lot of stares. When ever he introduced himself as a Di Angelo. People would always pause to look at him as if to say 'really? You're a Di Angelo?'

Lucy could guess why Charlie's older twin didn't like getting close to them.
"Come on John! Ease up a bit!" Lucy sighed but watched as her brother ran a hand through his hair and clicked his fingers.

The shadows seemed to bubble at his feet for a moment as though liquid ink had spread through the carpet. "Uh...what the-" The voice echoed from downstairs before the shadows regurgitated Charlie back up onto the tile floor. "You know you could have just come in and join the shower." John muttered as he slowly moved back into his twin's room.
"Aw come on! No fair!" Lucy groaned as Charlie grinned and closed the bathroom door.
"Oh and by the way." John poked his head out into the corridor with a dark glare. "Twin trumps idiot." He gave another long elongated click as Lucy found herself crashing down into her own shadows and out onto the lawn where the sprinkler sprayed her in the face relentlessly.
"JONATHAN!" She screamed.