Six years before the diaries took place…

FAYLIOM

I took my backpack off and threw it on the sofa, then grabbed a sandwich from the kitchen and headed for the roof, the only place with privacy.

My name is Fayliom Wang and I'm seven years old. I have two real brothers. Jacob is one year older than me (I mostly call him Jake). Seth is three years younger than me.

Seth and I have startling gray eyes and black hair and look a lot alike. Jake didn't look like he belonged to the family. He had dark blue eyes and brown hair. Seth liked to follow me around. Jake is very protective about Seth and me. Once in school he got detention because he pushed a kid on the playground for making fun of my eyes.

The stars in the skies looked beautiful and I laid down on the roof and stared into the skies, making out the constellations like the big dipper, the little dipper, and Leo.

"Fayfay!" little Seth said and sat down beside me. I heard another shuffle and Jake sat down on the other side of me. "Circles and square!" Seth squealed and pointed to the big dipper. Today was Seth's first day of school and they were learning about shapes. Then he blurted out all the smartness he had in him. "Rectangular prism, quatrefoil, curvilinear triangle, trapezium!"

Even though Seth was only five his brain in ahead of his body by about three years. So are Jake's and mine.

"Isn't it cold out here?" I turned my head to see my dad at the edge of the window.

"No." I said. I turned back to the stars. "It's August."

"Yes. And I'm going to take your brothers to go shopping for your birthday present." Dad said.

"What are you going to get me?" I asked.

"That's going to be a secret." My dad winked at Jake and he smiled back.

"Come on boys. Let's get your sister her birthday present."

"I want to come with you!" I wined.

"Fine. But we're dropping you off at your Aunt Lily's house." Dad said.

We got in the car; I sat in the back with my two brothers. I can't wait until I can sit in the passenger seat.

"Giant birdies!" Seth squealed and I glanced outside into the sky. Three birds as big as my bed flew down and circled our car.

"Roman eagles!" I heard Dad mumble just as the car flipped over. I curled up into a ball as the door was clawed open and I flew out the door. Somehow my seatbelt had broken. I tumbled into the trees at the side of the highway. I watched in horror and sobbed as my world turned upside down. The eagles flew down and snatched up my brothers and my dad.

They found me there that afternoon. I had cried myself to sleep, wondering what had just happened

Matt

As I regained consciousness I heard two voices fighting.

"He has an important fate to fulfill, what exactly happened?!" a man's voice asked.

"He hit his head pretty hard when he fell off his bike." That was my mother's voice. "I told him not to go in the first place. He was just excited for the new bike!" She wasn't angry, just concerned. Good. That'll make it easier to explain and defend myself. Anyway, I was just excited for my new bike.

"You should have been more careful!" that was the man again. I tried to open my eyes to see what was going on but nothing happened. "He's an important piece for the future."

"You gods, making your kids pawns for yourselves. You never think of what they feel, Apollo. You just use them. And when they die you just go make more to be killed! You immortals are so ridiculous!" Did my mom just call the man Apollo? The Apollo? The sun god from Greek mythology?

"Ravenna, please, I'm sorry I lost my temper. It's just he's a… he's very important for the future of our world!"

My mother's voice got worried, "Why can't you use another of your sons? Mattias is my only child. I wouldn't be able to bear it if he…" She trailed off. I was only eight but I wasn't completely clueless. I knew if Mom continued the sentence she would've said "died" but why? I was as alive and healthy as well, a healthy and living person.

Actually I didn't hit my head when I was on the bike. There was this giant dog twice the size of a full grown bear. I just got off my bike at the drive way when the dog pounced on me. I hit my head on the cement and that was all I could remember. Maybe the dog ran away before my mom found me. But why would the dog attack me, and how did the dog get so big?

ALISH

I sat on the couch with my sister, Susan and Vulcan. They were much older and stronger and smarter than me. I was way younger than my brother and sister and looked way different. They were both really tall and strong with dark brown hair and light brown eyes, like my mother. I had light brown hair and dark brown eyes that looked almost red. Maybe it is red. I couldn't tell.

My mother was in the kitchen with dad, arguing in hushed voices about presents and weapons. But I wasn't interested in presents. Instead I concentrated on the Mario Kart game in front of me, determined to get past Princess Peach, my sister.

It was Christmas, one of the only times dad visits other than Vulcan's, Susan's, and my birthday. It was snowing fiercely outside and Susan and I were trying to get Vulcan to play at least one game of Mario Cart with us.

"Just one game!" I pleaded. "Please!"

"It's not going to take long." Susan added.

I made my best puppy face and looked up at him. "Fine!" He gave in and grabbed a Wii controller. "But I bet five dollars from both of you that I'll beat both of you before dinner."

After I received my five dollars after beating Vulcan for the third time in a row and Mom called us to dinner and present time. Great smells drifted in the air in the dining room. I sat down at my seat and grabbed a drum stick, biting into it. Everyone else also took their place and grabbed food from plates in the middle of the table. When we finished and gingerbread cookies were brought out with milk and hot chocolate, Dad stood up. My siblings and I cheered. It was present time.

"For Vulcan, a sword. For Susan, a bow and arrows. For my beautiful wife, a beautiful necklace. And last but not least, Alish." Dad handed me a red package with pictures of flames on it. I tore it open, hoping for a weapon but instead I got something better (at least that's what I thought). But instead, in my hands, laid the most awesome black fedora I have ever seen. I gotta say, I'm totally obsessed with fedoras. They make you look so cool!

"It's awesome! Thank you!" I hugged my dad and put the fedora on. It was a bit big and fell to cover my eyes. I lifted it up and laughed.

After cookies and milk my siblings went to bed. I sat on the couch, staring at the fire. I do this every Christmas though I'm not sure why. Maybe I'm waiting for Santa Clause. The longer I stared at the fire the more it looked like six kids sitting around a fire, looking at an older version of me saying something and laughing. Suddenly a cold feeling went through me as a talon appeared from the shadows. The seven kids made no sign that they had seen the talon. I watched in fear as the monster got close to the circle of kids when a hand landed on my shoulder. The image in the fire disappeared.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" Dad asked.

"I'm not tired." I said and yawned.

"Come on," my dad picked me up and I giggled. "Bed time"

"Okay, fine" I said. Dad tucked me into bed and I fell asleep, not knowing that my perfect Christmas would turn into a disaster in the morning.

I woke up to a white colored morning. After changing I rushed to Susan's room to tell her about the awesome dream I had last night.

She wasn't there.

I ran to Vulcan's room. Sometimes Vulcan and Susan would go to each other's rooms to talk about school and books and stuff that I don't care about since I'm only seven. He wasn't there either. Instead, His room was a mess. It looked like a bear had broken into his room and tried to use just about everything Vulcan owned. I rushed to the kitchen where my mom would be and stopped at the door. I heard the hushed voices of my mother and Susan fighting. I peeked around the edge. Susan had one hand on her new bow and the other on Mom's arm. She had already strung her quiver on her back.

"I have to go find him. I'll be fine. Just make sure Al doesn't suspect a thing. She's too young. But give this to her. Vulcan and Hephaestus wanted her to have it. Apollo will be able to guide her to her quest and to camp. Don't worry." Susan sounded plenty worried.

Mom hugged Susan. "Don't get yourselves killed. I love you, darling." She kissed my sister on the forehead and stepped back. Susan burst into flames and was gone. I gasped and covered my mouth, scolding myself for making a sound. My mother turned around, registering my presence for the first time. For some reason she didn't seemed surprised. She silently handed me the envelope. I took it and went to my room. My head spun with the sudden changes. In my head the scene of my big sister bursting into flames played and replayed itself again and again.

Finally I tore opened the envelope curiously. A piece of paper was neatly folded in the envelope. I took it out and unfolded it. It took my forever to decipher the words on the page with my dyslexia. Then I had to read it three more times just to understand it. It was only a few sentences but it was enough to make me want to go screaming into the streets.

It said: I'm sorry you had to get involved with this, little sis. I do not have enough time to explain this to you. Nor are you old enough .But I can tell you this, keep the fedora Dad gave you. It will play a great part in your future.

The last words on the page made my heart thump hard against my chest.

Your destiny will be filled with betrayals. Keep in mind who's on your side. Remember, fate can be thwarted, and when it is, we search for a happy outcome. If I don't see you again remember, I love you, sis.

At the bottom of the page had been signed by one single letter: V.

I hugged the page to my chest and tears started to stream out of my face. "No, Vulcan, don't leave!"