Rated M for mature. A round of truths.
"A round of truths."
The orb floated, black as night energy pulsing from the core. It shook the room, vibrating through it like thunder on the seashore cabin. Beneath it, Clovis' hands shaped the sphere, containing its energy within. His eyes shone brightly in the dimly lit cabin room.
"And?" came a voice.
"No actions performed. No questions easy answered."
A sigh, "Seems fair enough."
His hands closed together around the orb. He whispered now, "Drink, for it is ready. Do not look back, do not push yourself away. Encompass the dream and let it take your soul. Fear, guilt, shame. These are your friends where we go."
All seven looked up, some eerily stoic, others tense. This is what they chose to do, and now it was time. Seven glasses full of murky liquid were brought up to their lips, the warm drink sloshing down their throats. Soon they would be brought to their most basic form. A conscience within, unbeknown to most, yet still active in the mind.
"Well, now is as good as a time as any. You all ready to lose your minds?" spoke Leo.
"At least try to take this seriously Valdez," came the response from Hazel. "This could seriously negatively affect us all."
"Hazel is right," Frank pointed out. "We're all taking a serious risk doing this. Are we sure it's the right choice?"
"We've discussed this plenty enough." Jason glanced at the other seven. "We've made the right choice. That much is clear."
"Plus," added Piper. "It's too late to change our minds anyway, right?"
"Yes." Annabeth stood up, her face gaunt from stress. "We've already taken the first step towards this challenge. Now we must complete it."
Percy glanced around the room, his eyes lingering on each of his friends in turn. "Remember, we're doing this for the greater good. Should we succeed, our strength will be immeasurable." He stopped and looked around. Their expressions betrayed their true emotions. It would be difficult to finish the task at hand, and they knew full well. "Let's begin."
They leaned forward as one and lightly touched the orb of energy, and soon, the world they knew was gone from their eyes.
Seven demigods stood in the White.
"Where are we?"
"Patience," breathed Clovis. Although his eyes no longer shone, he lay trembling at the center of a large circle of feet. His skin was red. Each half-blood had enough room to stretch comfortably, yet his weakened voice could be heard perfectly. It was as if he was standing mere inches away from them.
Piper moved closer. "Clovis?" She sounded afraid.
The son of Hypnos struggled to rise. "Look where you stand, charmspeaker."
The White beneath her feet clouded, a sickly grey contaminating the constant purity. All seven now noticed the discoloration spreading beneath them, billowing out like smoke from a chimney. "What is it? Give us answers oneironaut, this much you promised."
"Your silver tongue does not work on this one," came his ominous reply. "In time you will have your answers, I am sure of it, though I cannot say that you will like them."
"No." Annabeth's stern gaze pierced through the boy like a needle through cotton. "You've brought us this far and for that we are grateful—"
"But that isn't good enough," finished Percy. "This isn't a game, and I don't intend to pretend it is."
Frank spoke up, his voice deep and threatening. "You will give us the answers we desire, here and now."
"Oh?" Clovis' eyes rolled into the back of his head, the veins on his boiled skin quivering erratically.
Seven demigods fell, some to their knees, others to the floor. The pain that wracked through their bodies was like nothing they'd ever experienced before. Not even the weight of the world compared to the agony that bore down on them.
A sickening gasp for air escaped the silence as Leo writhed on the floor, his body on fire. For the first time in his life he knew what it might be like to burn to death. Tears streamed down his cheeks, his lungs filled rapidly, yet no oxygen reached his bloodstream. The corners of his vision blackened. Fleeting images of his mother, Calypso, his friends passed through his mind, welcome distractions to the suffering.
And then it was gone. As soon as it had started, the pain had vanished. All seven looked around.
Clovis stood this time, the rest shivered violently below him. "I will answer five questions. Discuss, if you need to."
Slowly they rose, wary of Clovis' powers. They watched vigilantly for any signal of another attack, yet he stood there all the same, as if he'd done nothing whatsoever.
Hazel asked first. "Where are we?"
"The White. It is a realm outside of time and space, and only of the mind. Here, nothing and anything exist simultaneously. Here, opposites are the same."
Leo raised his hand, as if he was in class. "What's the smoky stuff beneath us?"
"A sickness. Weakness that oozes from your soul and leaks into the White, contaminating it and everything inside."
Jason stood strong, his shoulders thrown back in a stance of power. "What did you do to us?"
"As the host of the White and a son of Hypnos, along with the power I imbued within my mind from Morpheus, I have complete control over your minds. Should you flare up again, I will make no hesitation to expose you to far worse experiences."
Frank growled under his breath. "Why didn't you prepare us for this?"
"Would you have come if I did?"
The seven shifted uncomfortably under the truth that he bore in front of them.
Percy's green eyes glowed dangerously bright. "We have but one question left."
Before Clovis could respond, Annabeth stepped forward. "What next?"
An unnerving smile spread maliciously across the cow-faced demigod. "I will answer that question with one of my own."
Seven of the most powerful people in the world drew their breaths in anticipation for was to come next. Some flinched automatically, expecting more punishment. Others braced themselves, their fates resting on the outcome of this trial.
"Who first?" he laughed.