Thalia knew where she was, however that wasn't the problem. It was the fact, she didn't know why and that the others were no were to be seen.
What was going on? That was what she was wondering, and she had no answers.
She was currently standing in front of her childhood home, and it scared her of the possibilities. She was extremely hesitant to open the door, she knew whatever was inside wasn't going to be pretty. No it was going to be the complete opposite.
Ugly.
Nonetheless, she forced herself to grab a hold of the knob and turn it slowly. The creaking of the door as it opened made her more nervous, she finally stepped inside and got a good look at the house she used to call a home.
The lights were on, but they were dimmed. It only spooked her even more.
Sitting on a couch was someone who shocked Thalia straight to her very core. It was her mother, Beryl Grace, who had her head down. She managed to get a glance at her eyes, which looked lifeless, like they were dull.
However, when Thalia stepped closer, she got a good look at them, and it shocked her to her core even more.
They were a liquid black.
Instantly Beryl's head shot up and looked at Thalia sharply. Thalia gasped as she looked at her mother's face. It was tired, weak and weary.
"Why?" She croaked out.
Thalia blinked and almost had tears spilling out of her eyes. She clearly wasn't expecting the first thing her to to say was that.
Not one bit.
"Why what?" She mumbled.
Beryl glared at her daughter, Thalia felt a shiver go down her spine as she looked at her cold eyes. They stared straight into her soul, she was exposed. With nothing to hide.
"Why did you leave?" She croaked out.
Thalia's eyes widened as she heard her mother. Of all things, she could possibly ask. Why was it that one? That single question hit straight home, and it was only the beginning.
She had no idea what was coming.
"What do you mean?" Thalia asked weakly.
Beryl's eyes had tears spilling out.
"Why'd you leave after Jason was taken? You were the only thing I had left, and when you were gone, I broke." She said somberly.
Thalia eyes widened as she heard her mothers words, no it wasn't supposed to be like that. She left for a reason, to get away from everything. Mainly her mother's alcohol addiction.
"No! I left because of you! After Jason disappeared, that was the final straw. I couldn't take anymore, and I needed to get out, before it was too late." Thalia screamed with tears in her eyes.
Her mother just started chuckling. It made Thalia go on edge, this wasn't like her mother. No this wasn't right at all.
Thalia felt something was wrong, she knew this wasn't her mother. No, this was something else.
Something darker.
"Oh really? What about what I felt? You were the only thing left, and I knew if you left, it would be over. That's selfish of you Thalia." She said darkly.
Thalia felt a shiver go down her spine as she heard her mother say that.
She knew now this wasn't real and wasn't her mother at all.
Thalia started to feel extremely sad, something wasn't right about all of this, and she had no way of getting back. At least, none of which she knew how.
"Why are you here?" Thalia asked suddenly.
She started to chuckle again, but this time it wasn't sad or lonely. No it was full of humor, some sort of sadistic tone to it as well.
"Why? I'm here for you." She said eerily.
That made Thalia feel a shiver down her spine again, she didn't know what those words exactly meant. However, she didn't have a good feeling about them.
Not at all.
"What do you mean?" Thalia asked suddenly.
She didn't like where this was going, she was on edge now. That feeling only intensified as she suddenly got up and looked at Thalia for a minute.
"I need you to stay with me Thalia, you the only thing I have left." She said suddenly.
Thalia started to step back.
She was on guard now, she just wanted to get out of her.
She whipped around and grabbed a hold of the door handle and turned and pulled on it, but it wouldn't budge at all. Her eyes widened as she knew now, she couldn't get out.
Whatever this thing was, it wasn't her mother.
"Where do you think your going?" Thalia heard behind her.
It was twisted voice now, something demented.
Thalia closed her eyes and breathed in and out.
"It's not real, it's not real." She kept thinking over and over again.
The world seemed to shift and suddenly she was in a different place. No it wasn't a different place, it was a different time. She looked around her house as she regained her bearings.
It was then she noticed something.
It was Jason.
However, something was different. His eyes were filled with grief and sorrow. However, she noticed one thing that popped out the most.
Resentment.
"Why?" He asked strongly.
Thalia widened her eyes again as she heard his tone, it wasn't creepy at all.
No, it was demanding and angry.
Thalia was starting to get a bit annoyed, whatever this was better end soon. First her mother, and now her brother. This was starting to be a bit too much in her mind.
"Why what?" She asked quickly.
Jason glared at her, she felt another shiver down her spine as she looked at him.
"WHY'D YOU LET HER TAKE ME?" He roared.
Thalia stepped back, it was obvious she wasn't expecting him to say that.
Not at all.
"I didn't let her take you!" She argued.
Jason stepped forwards.
"Why didn't you try to stop her?" He said loudly.
That one hit her straight in her heart.
She tried to come up with something, but her mouth just hung open as she couldn't say anything.
"You didn't even try to do anything, and yet you say I was the reason you left." He said suddenly.
Thalia looked up quickly, that was it.
She knew it wasn't real now, he wouldn't of know she left.
She had enough.
"Enough of this game, whatever or whoever you are. I know now this isn't real, and I've had enough of it. I'm annoyed now, and I'm done." She said loudly.
He just tilted his head and gave a chuckle.
"Are you sure?" He asked suddenly.
The response he got was a electrified punch to the jaw.
"Quit the games you bastard!" She shouted.
She quickly stormed over to him.
"I LEFT AFTER HE DISAPPEARED! I COULDN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE, I FOUND FRIENDS AND A FAMILY THAT LOVED ME FOR WHO I WAS! I DIDN'T NEED TO RETURN TO THAT HELLHOLE!" She shouted with tears in her eyes.
Suddenly the world shifted again.
{Scene Break} {With Percy}
Percy, who was in the real world. Still was a bit confused, he needed a bit more of an explanation on what was going on.
"What is exactly going on? Can you explain a bit more?" Percy asked suddenly.
Erebus sighed, but nonetheless nodded.
"It's called the Darkness of The Heart. It makes you face what is inside of you, but it's a darker version created by the ability. It's designed to wear you down, until you realize that it isn't real, so that you break free from what is holding you back." Erebus explained.
It took a moment for Percy to digest the information, it made sense. It made him think of what he saw, there was no doubt in his mind that that Annabeth wasn't real and it was a test.
However, that made him wonder, what the others would face. He knew there was somethings that they still held secret, and it made him wonder even more.
He knew Thalia would most likely face family problems, that was always the sore subject for her. With the separation of Jason and her at a young age.
Percy knew Luke would most likely face something that had to do with Kronos, however, he didn't really know what to expect.
It was Bianca that stumped him the most.
He had an idea of what it could be about, however, without him being there himself. He had no idea what she would face.
He looked at Erebus and spoke up.
"This ability? What does it exactly take form of?" He asked.
Erebus shrugged and spoke up.
"It's different for everyone else, it's supposed to take form of something that causes an intense amount of emotion. Whether it's family, a friend or something else. It's a darker version consumed by that emotion." He said.
Percy sighed as he realized, there was nothing he could do to help them. Whatever they had to face, they had to do it alone.
Suddenly Thalia shot upwards, finally awake.
"Thalia? Are you ok?" Percy asked quickly.
He quickly went to her side.
"Percy?" She asked confused.
Percy nodded quickly, Thalia widened her eyes and tackled him to the ground. He instantly knew whatever she faced, affected her greatly.
"Don't leave me." She whispered as she hugged him.
That was all it took for him to take his hands and hold her face up to his, before anyone knew it, they were already making out.
Then they heard a cough next to them, Thalia instantly turned her head to see Erebus smirking.
"Now I hate to interrupt your fun, but I'm sure you'd like an explanation?" He asked suddenly.
Thalia blinked, then narrowed her eyes. Percy knew what was coming, he knew better to mess with Thalia when she was angry. So he just sat back and let her go.
"Your damn right! What the hell was that?" She screeched.
Erebus put his hand up and started to speak.
"As I explained to Percy as he woke up, it's called the Darkness of The Heart. It makes you face what is inside of you, however, it is a much darker version. It's designed to wear and break you down, until you realize what is happening and you break free from it." He explained.
Thalia blinked then looked at Percy for a second, so he faced something as well? She quickly thought.
Then she looked to the others that were still unconscious on the floor.
"Percy? What did you face?" She asked suddenly.
Percy sighed and looked at her, her face was pleading. He knew he had to tell her.
"It was an illusion created by him, it was her. She kept saying that I was foolish to fight for my betrayers, however, it didn't matter. I didn't give in." He said softly.
Before he knew it, Thalia had her arms around him.
She knew that would have been tough for him, concerning his fatal flaw.
{Scene Break} {With Luke}
Luke was extremely confused.
This wasn't right, he knew it too. Where he was.
It wasn't supposed to look like this, no it was supposed to be completely different, not like this at all.
"What happened here?" He muttered to himself, as he walked along.
This place, he knew all too well.
It was Camp Half Blood, but it wasn't at the same time.
It was destroyed, razed to the ground. Void of any life, nothing to be seen for miles.
It was a wasteland.
He had no idea why either, but he was about to find out. He wouldn't be prepared for what he would see.
"A wonderful sight isn't it?" A humored voice said behind him.
Luke instantly whirled around to come face to face.. With himself, but he was different. His posture was dark and taunting, like a king who had fun in tormenting others.
It was his eyes though that made him shocked.
They were pure golden.
He also and a shadowy aura to him, it was barely visible though. However, Luke could tell it was there though, he knew it was too.
"What the hell is going on?" He quickly thought.
He chuckled and spoke again.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" He asked suddenly.
Luke's eyes widened, he couldn't could he? He quickly thought.
He smirked and nodded.
"I can." Was all he said.
Luke narrowed his eyes, he had enough.
"Who the fuck are you?" He asked angrily.
He chuckled and it turned into a full blown laugh.
"Who am I?" He mocked.
Luke decided to ask no more questions and charged at the doppelganger. He quickly grabbed the fist that Luke shot forwards, and pivoted on his foot and sent a kick straight to his ribs.
Luke stumbled back as he felt the force of the kick.
This thing was no pushover.
This only made Luke madder.
"Tell me!" He shouted as he charged again.
He just continued to parry and chuckle.
"You know it was fun, destroying this place. Killing all the bastards here." He said suddenly.
Luke glared at him.
"You should of heard their screams of mercy as I started to massacre them all. Their screams were music to my ears, their cabins burning to the ground was the cherry on top." He snickered.
Luke was pissed, whoever the hell this was, or whatever it was. He was going to pay.
"You bastard!" He shouted.
Luke dashed towards him and attempted to knock him on the ground. However, when he got close to the doppelganger. He lurched forwards suddenly as he was kneed in the gut.
"Your nothing compared to me." He heard next to him.
Luke had no ideas, nothing he thought would work for him. However, he wasn't going to give up.
No that would be stupid, he couldn't admit defeat now.
So, he grabbed his shoulders and headbutted him.
The doppelganger stumbled backwards and held his head, Luke took this moment to follow up. He charged and used a feint with his right, which he fell for. A sudden burst of pain was felt as a kick connected with his ribs.
He glared at Luke.
Luke didn't back down and continued to charge, he wouldn't give up. He couldn't afford to, something about this wasn't right though, and he knew it too.
However, that could wait.
For now, he had to focus on the opponent in front of him.
It was time.
This was his test.