PART 7: LIGHT

EYES WIDE OPEN

Marié had beautiful blue eyes.

They were the first thing I saw when getting back to my senses. I felt a warm chill on my back, like there was someone leaning on me and keeping me safe, but turning my head I saw there was no-one. A dark figure on his knees was there right in front of me, and I was staring at someone's sandals.

"Help me, Elea." Ivan turned to me in despair. His face was paler than usual, and he reminded me of someone else, reaching out to me, but no water in his fingertips. "I cannot... get up."

"You won't fool me," I found myself saying, trying to get on my knees. What was this? I had just been in the deepest depths of the Underworld, and now... in the hands of Hades.

Or should I say feet.

"I won't? How come you then fooled... me?"

I knew Hades was staring straight through me, but his gaze was so strong it pushed me down, and I didn't have the strength to rise. It was so hard to gain the courage to turn against him, but he already hated me; what I had to lose?

"I have been dreaming this life, Hades."
I knew he must've raised his eyebrows again. "Really? You know me well enough to call me with my true name?"

"There is nothing great in your name. Nor in the names of Poseidon, any Olympian... not even Zeus."

I felt slight weight on my back, but didn't fall. "Not in this dream."
"You are dreaming your reality, child. Daughter of Morpheus... should you be chained up too, in case a spell of yours backfires too?"
"There will be no more spells," I spoke very slowly, which wasn't really me – but I hadn't felt like myself at all since meeting my father; now it was like he was speaking through me. "No more dreams. Not in this damn world. I'm not sleeping anymore... please forgive me."

Then I closed my eyes and clutched my fists, like trying to push the layer weighing so much over my back away. I didn't manage, but felt how everyone else was struggling too. I was amazed, as I saw Gracie suddenly rising up and dashing to Nico Di Angelo, who unmovable gazed into Gracie's passionate eyes.

"We are done. Help us leave!"

I rose my head – even that simple motion felt like my body weighed tonnes. For a second I feared Hades would blow Gracie into pieces, but surprisingly, I saw him fall asleep – his head drooped down, his hair covering his eyes like a curtain. But was he really sleeping? I hadn't the strength or time to tell. I only rose up together with Ivan and Marié – racing to the son of Hades.

"What have you done?" Nico Di Angelo whispered almost in terror. "I thought you came here for the prophecy, not to cause this world to fall!"

Gracie stared at him with fire in her eyes – like she wished to set his robe alight. "You!" I wondered how Nico didn't even winch, though Gracie pointed her finger straight in his chest. "You don't understand anything! The prophecy has already been solved, and without this escape, a part we will never wish to come true will do!"
The Lord of Spirits thought of it quickly. "No-one of you is going to die."
Gracie flinched back. "Why you... you don't even know the prophecy!"

"But I know who is on the steps of the stairway to death. Their aura tends to flicker. But your friend... is in danger."

I saw Ivan step up, his eyes flashing. I guess my mind was a little slow there, because everyone else already seemed to have understood the danger. And then I saw the worry on Marié's face. Pruce.

We escaped with the DEATH-chariot, but this time it wasn't a nice carriage ride like before – we truly were riding, almost like shadow travel, except more realistic. The horses just raced ahead like they could go on like that for all eternity, and we really needed to hang on if we wished to stay on. All four of us sat on the back, hugging each other, wishing it would prevent from not falling. Ahead of us, Nico Di Angelo rode his head bowed, speaking to himself. "I have deceived my kingdom," he kept on repeating, like it was the only thing he could say. I felt sad for him. I had caused this all – it hadn't been Hades' fault at all, no. All mine.

"You freak me out, seriously," Ivan turned to me when we were riding through this great field full of black poplars. It seemed familiar, yet somehow different. "You... in your sleep, you act like possessed. Or you did, this time. We were there, bowing to Hades though our will was not to, and then you fell asleep. You didn't scream, but... you spoke, and twitched, almost rolled on the floor. And then your aura... ever heard of strobe lights?"

My eyes widened. I knew I couldn't act normal when sleeping, but this was definitely something anyone shouldn't act like. Screaming and trembling... there's nothing wrong with those, but rolling on the floor... shudders.

"I don't choose my dreams myself. But if you were there...-"

I bet I would've said there something about Ivan going mad, but suddenly the truth of where we were struck me like lightning – I froze, turning to Nico Di Angelo.

"Stop!"

The Lord of Spirits gazed at me suspiciously. "What is this scheme of yours? You are a fool to get off here. Father will catch you and slay you!"

"He didn't catch me the time I dreamed of this place. The prophecy... it won't come true unless this happens! The journey shall be end of one's calling... It doesn't have to mean death! Calling... it can mean longing."
Marié turned to me, her eyes glowing like a madman's. "But Pruce will die if we won't go on!"

"Hades will come after us before him. I dreamed of this place, when Hades sent me after my father... the Asphodel Meadows. Viquel was here."

Nico Di Angelo seemed to see pictures we couldn't. "No. I won't let you off here. I won't stop."

"Then we'll jump off! What are you trying to act like, a lifesaver?"

The Lord of Spirits didn't look at me or listen. But I knew Ivan was gnashing his teeth and trying to tell me something, something I didn't know of our rider. He had a dark past, and it had something to do with this place; I never got to know what.

"I know you don't will to see her," Nico Di Angelo continued, as he seemed to increase the speed of our carriage. I was about to ask what he was talking about, but then I saw how Ivan turned slightly pale, like he had just swallowed something not so nice.

"I think he is right," he nodded at the Lord of Spirits. "It isn't wise to stop now. We need to get outta here."
"What?" I think I spat in Ivan's face or something, due he started rubbing his nose. Even Gracie turned around, though she had been pretty silent. "Viquel is your life, Ivan. I've seen your memories... you think of her all the time. I've never seen anyone care for someone like that."
"Why didn't you then bring her back?"

I turned silent. What would've happened if... if I had stayed? Would've it even been possible to bring her back? I knew if I would beg of Nico Di Angelo, he could do it, but he didn't seem willing – his gaze was locked to a dark spot in the horizon, which I knew to be some other place than Asphodel Meadows. I remembered how I had run away, and still the reason was a mystery to me. The only thing I couldn't understand.

"She had blood in her hair," I whispered. "And then she gazed through me... for some reason I just felt, like she was blaming me then. And next... I found myself from the depths of Tartarus."

Ivan, Gracie and Marié all coughed in the same time; Ivan bended over like he was choking or something.

"You went to Tartarus?!"

I pressed my lids tightly together. "Please, don't make me remember."

Though I wished it so, I knew it from Ivan's gaze – I had to tell him the truth some day. But for now, the present was more important than the past, and as the black poplars disappeared behind us and the greyness turned into black, I wondered so, how Ivan didn't regret us just riding by.

"What are you staring at?" He didn't even look at me, as our speed seemed to slow down, but the darkness turned so deep his eyes started to glow again. "If we would've stayed there, the all of us would be already dead. It is better for many to stay alive than all to die for one."

"Is it?" I heard Nico Di Angelo say, with his curiously distant voice. "If one dies to let the others live, sorrow will haunt them for all eternity – and if all die for one, the one left alive has to suffer and face this world all alone. Which is a better option?"
Ivan sighed. "None. Rather I would go alone than walk this world, but if I leave to stop here, no-one will come after me. They only haunt you, Elea, and with me you are more safe."

I understood Ivan, sort of, but maybe he had the same kind of abilities as gods did, or his senses just really sharpened in the dark, because he seemed to be reading my thoughts again. I must've looked pretty empathic, thinking of Ivan dumping Viquel like that, all the time.

"Remember, Elea?" He was almost whispering – maybe he didn't wish for Nico Di Angelo to hear. "How I blamed everything to be my fault? Do not forget."

And then he said nothing more; in that darkness, though he was so close to me I could feel the coldness of his body compared to mine, though Marié and Gracie were there all next to me, I felt like all alone. Somewhere in the horizon, I thought I could see blue lightning, feel the earth grumbling. I think the Lord of the Spirits felt them too; because right when he could hear the thunder, the darkness turned so deep I could see nothing anymore, and it was like riding through an endless, black tunnel.

I think, somewhere in my sight, there was a flashing figure; in a shade of cyan I couldn't really tell, but which I had seen before. Marié sighed and took a grip of my arm – her tiny fingers clutched around me seeking for saviour.

I honestly can't tell how Pruce could do it, but yes; after what happened, I was sure I knew who he was.

Our carriage stopped so quickly then, that we jerked forward and almost hit our foreheads on the benches ahead us, but I would've definitely considered that as a better fate than almost getting killed by only our own stupidity.

"Father!" I heard Nico Di Angelo say – he didn't even yell, but his voice filled the whole area around us with a powerful echo. He jumped off and we had to lean over to see what was happening; everything was so black – I bet only Ivan could see something there. "Spare these children! They have done nothing against your will."
"I am not after them", Hades growled, now I could see him – he stood there tall as a flagpole, and looking at him I could tell we weren't in deep darkness; he just had such a dark and wide aura, it blackened the senses. "But if your friend won't do what I command him to do, the daughter of Morpheus shall face my revenge."

"Vengeance!" The Lord of Spirits walked to his father, 10 heads shorter, but still with no fear. "That's the only thing you think of nowadays! Didn't I tell you already before about your grudges; only because someone turns against you to defend themselves doesn't mean you have to imprison them in Tartarus!"

"Watch what you say, son," Hades murmured. But Nico Di Angelo stood there his arms crossed, defending someone behind him, a young boy with a cyan glow. It seemed like he was used to situations like this. I saw how his eyes moved from his father to us, like he was hinting us to run while we still could. We though did nothing; Ivan was holding us there, pressing us tightly to the seats, and we knew he did it for reason. By running we couldn't even distract Hades – he would attack Pruce anyway, no exceptions.

"Well, well," Hades scanned through the figure at the shore very thoroughly. "If it isn't one of that folk. I wonder it already now – where will you belong after I take care of disposing of you? The Underworld is for mortals, you know."

I saw how Marié started hitting Ivan's arms like it would help her to get off, because she clearly wished to see what was happening. It was hard for even the tallest of us to see behind Hades as he was unnaturally tall, but I almost felt pity for Marié then. She couldn't see really anything from there, as the horses pulling our cart came on the way.

I didn't see anything of Pruce except his glow, but I bet he looked offended. "For mortals? And I thought you have lived on this planet for like a thousand years!"

Hades seemed bored. "Yes, I am too old. I actually meant the dead, if you understand. Perhaps..."

Nico Di Angelo looked at his father like he really wished him to get a life. "Not Tartarus again? That's your answer to everything, even to aunt Demeter's cereal!"

In a normal solution I would've snickered, but this time it was serious – Hades and his son clearly knew something I didn't, something I guess I should've known. I guess I was even frustrated then, or should I say... jealous? But no... I wasn't jealous for anything than glory, there was no glory in anything Pruce was facing right then. It was something a person like him definitely shouldn't deserve.

"That cereal has got nothing to do with what I have to handle right now. What are you still doing here? Protecting that boy is no good. And I made the mistake to give you a throne in my kingdom!"

"Throne and throne... you won't dare to give it away, and it's too big for Pablo anyway! This boy is innocent until testified, and I can still sense his mortal soul. That is one ability you have always lacked for a god."

I guess that was the last thing Nico Di Angelo should have done, because right then Hades growled and stepped forward, pulling his son out of his way, and rising his hand like he was willing to blow Pruce into bits.

"This is enough!" Marié winched right next to me, and surprisingly she got away from Ivan's grip, and the only thing we could do then was go after her.

Nico Di Angelo turned to us, as he saw how we left his chariot. "Keep away from here! This is between me and-"

Suddenly I and the whole four of us felt this tug in our stomachs, like someone had just prepared there some hook and pulled it, and all fell on our backs, which made me lose my breath for a second. But when I finally had the strength to rise, it was too late.

"And OH MERCIFUL GODS stay OUT of the River Styx!"

I was already about to ask what the Lord of the Spirits was talking about, but he didn't even explain, before we could already see it. Hades had just opened his mouth to say some awful curse to probably kill us all, Marié had risen on his feet to run after Pruce, when something... let's say strange happened.

It's pretty hard to explain it. The fact is... over ten things happened the same time.

First I knew the all of us rose up, Nico Di Angelo closed his eyes like he didn't bear to see what was happening, Hades flinched back like 20 feet... and many other stuff. The most important of it was something I didn't know being reality or dream. I just remembered how I had finally seen Pruce – his glow had gone so dim I could spot his features, but it didn't last for long. Like he knew perfectly what he was about to do, he took a couple of steps back, stepping into the Styx River.

I heard Ivan scream in a blood-freezing tone, and I didn't really know what I did then, but if my memory wasn't hazy or anything, I must've just been there on my knees, my jaw up to my chest, saying something like HOLY CAMAHOLY IN THE NAME OF HADES' UNDERWEAR or simply "whoa."

At first it didn't happen anything, but if I really could see it right... after him standing there for a second, in that water which should've burned Pruce like he was boiled in acid and swimming in lava in the same time, he was still unmovable, invincible, staring at us with his eyes which glowed in an unnatural way. I had seen people with glowing eyes, but let me point out that the glow in the oracle's or Ivan's eyes were both nothing compared to that. Just looking into Pruce's eyes hurt me so, and even Hades was breathless then. He didn't have to cover his eyes like we demigods had to when Pruce's aura lit up like gasoline set on fire, burning so bright and strong, but I knew it was hard for him to look at Pruce, too. The time reminded me of all the times when Pruce had done stuff like that, controlling such powers. Except this time his powers didn't overcome him so we had to ask him to stop. Something had taken over him, but now it seemed like that something was also a part of him. A familiar voice spoke through him – it filled the whole cave so powerful it made the earth grumble, and though Nico Di Angelo ahead of us hadn't opened his eyes, he seemed to know what it was.

"The blessing of the Elder! This is what we feared the most!" He whispered, as this freaky voice called Pruce with his name. I didn't really know who I was listening to – at that unknown thing possessing my friend or Nico Di Angelo's frightened tone. But the thing from it was that perhaps, or it was only a dream – the voice called Pruce something else than Pruce. Pruce Lucas Hearth, it was. A name which made him more humane; he had a last name. But still... the blessing of the Elder? It sounded almost too much like the prophecy coming true.

"What – is – the – blessing – of – the – Elder?" I turned to Nico Di Angelo, laying there on my knees. But he didn't even dare to answer, as Marié already laid herself there, her eyes full of fear.

"The blessing of the Elder..." gods, she sounded exhausted, like running a mile! "Because of it I tried to stop Pruce... I didn't know could it be possible, but everyone who has heard the tales of the Second Titan War-"
Gracie pushed herself there too. "-Or seen the movie-"
"...yes, seen the movie," Marié bulged her eyeballs, "knows what this is."
"Well, what it is?"
Marié gulped as she turned to look at me with her unnaturally serious eyes. She looked like a different person when her eyebrows weren't arched. "Bad."

Well, that for sure told me something. Marié definitely wasn't lying there, but in my opinion, it was more freaky than bad. Already then I knew Marié wouldn't say me anymore, so I turned to the Lord of Spirits, once again. He didn't even look at me before he started to tell; probably he had the same kind of senses as Ivan.

"Gods do have many children. It has usually been so, that gods use their children as their tools towards achievement, and some times... gods do gift their children. It is usually forbidden, especially on quests, but different agreements, deals and promises are made, made in secret – and through these secret ways gods may gift their children in ways beyond our imagination. It doesn't happen often, due these agreements are so very private, but now... it has happened again."
"But what is wrong with it? Shouldn't gods be caring for their children, showing ways of their love?"
"Gods do care. But they shall not care for one child more than for other. If a god bribes one of their children that shall already be considered as forbidden, but many do violate these rules. And others than gods have done them too... Very many have set an agreement on the River Styx. I am so young not to remember all of them, but this I do. With that power given to Pruce... I cannot believe how the Olympians haven't known of him before."
"They did know of him!" I hissed. "Pruce lived in the Poseidon cabin, too. But though Pruce showed the skills of a son of him, he wasn't claimed. Too many know of him and what do they do? Not care."
"This time... someone cares almost too much."

Then we turned silent, Nico Di Angelo started shaking his head in desperation. "This is the fall of this world."

We had already turned around in desperation, but suddenly Pruce gazed straight at us, with his eyes blinding like looking into the sun. When Pruce turned his light off Hades direction, I saw how the god's expression darkened and turned into something I couldn't read, but into human eyes it looked somehow like fear.

"It is not," I heard this time only Pruce's voice, but there still had to be something possessing him. "This is only my true nature."

Marié huffed, and I saw her rise up next to me. "Your nature?" She screamed, and I was surprised Hades didn't knock her down. "To be an unnatural, heartless killing machine? Though Titus blamed you, it doesn't mean you shouldn't exist!"

I shuddered, turning my gaze to Hades. "Why isn't he doing anything? It's not like I would like him to end Pruce, but... do I think he feels... fear?"
Nico Di Angelo flashed me his evil face. "Though someone is a god, it doesn't mean they can never feel anything, fear, anger, love. I have seen his past, and that is exactly what he looked like when..."

And then he said no more, but I knew it was the same case as on the Asphodel Meadows. It was something in his past... something sad.

"...please, Pruce. You don't have to do this. Though your blessing and gift may give you endless power, do it for us... don't destroy this world."
What was Marié talking about?

"How do you believe..." Pruce spoke again with his own voice, thank gods. "...that I could ever have planned to turn against you?"
"Because I know what you are."

I guess Pruce himself knew it too, and didn't like it. I would've neither liked someone calling me what. Like speaking to a wild animal. Or in Pruce's case... some crazy water... thing.

"This is... not good," Ivan whispered next to me. I bet he had said it already many times, but I hadn't really yet asked why. "I didn't believe this could actually-"
"What?" I turned to him, because I knew no-one else would listen. "What do you know that I don't?"
"Only a few things," Ivan sighed. "First of all... Pruce has already been claimed. Secondly... not by a god."
I couldn't think of anything right then. I knew I had heard stories of children of others than gods, but nothing came in my mind that moment. Not even a single example.

"The only thing I have to remember is the color... the colour to remember the name. That just... it can't be Oceanus. It's just... impossible."

"Colour?"

"Haven't you still got it? Oh gods, Elea. Titans identify their children by color."

"Colour?!"

I could tell Ivan was thinking, but he had a smile on his face – a smile due he found my stupidity entertaining. What a friend he was. I loved him.

"Cyan... oh, please. Why can't I remember?"
Suddenly the voice spoke through Pruce again, but I could not tell what it said – I was lost into Ivan's world.

"Could it..." and then, something, maybe relief, spread on his face. "Tethys," he whispered, turning to me; his dark blue eyes piercing my soul. "The Titanide of the Sea."

Gracie just gulped then like she had swallowed a freakin' rock. A huge rock. "I knew this could be possible, the Blessing of the Elder, I mean... but Tethys? I could've still have understood Prometheus or something, but Tethys... weren't they all thrown to Tartarus?"
"Lots of stuff gets thrown to Tartarus, Gracie," Ivan mumbled. "So it isn't possibly able to know everything lying down there. It's like a gigantic garbage can of the gods, you know."
"But... but... I don't understand," Gracie continued, sounding pretty hysteric. Maybe it was the fact of me being so stupid and unaware of all the myths and names which really helped me then; I didn't freak out. Though I probably should have.

Marié even turned back to us then, but didn't let Pruce out of her sight for even a second. "I knew this," she kept on whispering, which even frustrated me. Everyone knew so much more than I did. "Styx can't mean anyone else than Tethys. Anyway, Tethys is the mother of Styx..."
"How can anyone give birth to a river?!"

For once, Marié let her eyes off Pruce. "Start believing in magic, Elea."

Magic, my ass. As well I could imagine Ivan's curls like horns or Marié to have a pair of nice pixie wings.

But now, as Pruce acted totally supernatural, differently than I had anyone ever seen acting, I just had to believe there was something behind it. I didn't need knowledge of mythology to tell there was something wrong in someone's parent being a Titan. I had known people like that – or at least heard of them, like the hunter Zoë whose father was Atlas, but she was the damn over thousand years old; and a son of Tethys, one of the main Titans, born in modern-day America though all of those people should already been imprisoned in the depths of Tartarus... it felt sorta miraculous.

I bet that something taking over Pruce could sense our suspicion. Because right when we even tried to think of the name Tethys that freak voice from inside Pruce but still not his own started to speak in ancient Greek, which had usually been a little hard for me to understand, but for some reason this time I just did. Maybe it was just my hero instincts turning on in situations like that. It was pretty cool, though; I suddenly understood every single word, like I had opened some hidden locker inside my head I hadn't known of before.

"This... is the reunion of the despised and forgotten."

That was probably what the voice exactly said. Though it was pretty impossible to tell who was speaking, my guess all the time was Tethys – the thought was pretty freaky, when thinking about it. Anyway, who in the world would like to be possessed with the spirit of their own mother? Booo, I am the evil spirit of Ash Collins. DO THE DISHES, OR I'LL MANIPULATE YOU TO HANG YOURSELF!

Tethys continued speaking. "Already thousands years ago Styx, my offspring was reserved for me and Oceanus, and written the child of one would one day return, swim without drowning, drown without burning, in this same river. And oh... this millennium has left its trace on what I called loved, but not lost its power! Now bathe, my son, and accept the offer of... immortality."

I heard Gracie gasp next to me – she definitely was listening. But none of us demigods dared to do anything except listen – Hades was the only one brave enough to step up. Odd enough – I had already forgotten he was still there, as for a second he had seemed so innocent and powerless compared to Tethys.

"You stole my river, Hades. The splitting of this world was fair, but my son was no part of the deal – you youngsters think you can have everything."

Oh, darn, how creepy that looked like! Pruce didn't even move his mouth, and inside him came this aunty-like voice – it hadn't sounded aunty before, but now it did. "How dare you!" I heard Hades growl and I bet he shook his fist on Tethys or something – I couldn't tell what was happening, due I had closed my eyes to avoid being blinded by Pruce's light. Hades was the oldest of his brothers, and I think he had some age crisis, so maybe that was what saved him from doing anything reckless.

"Don't accept the offer!" I heard Marié shout again. "Immortality... you... don't deserve it. No-one deserves all eternity of pain."

Tethys snarled so loud it shook the cave and re-positioned our bones. "This was a promise given already before you even existed! A god or mortal has no right to disturb us."

Hades gave Tethys – or Pruce, the meanest look I had ever seen anyone give to anybody, but I already then knew the power of Mister Meanface would do nothing here. Hades couldn't possibly survive this alone, and what was he fighting against? An invisible force who he knew to be his aunt. Wonderful.

"Go back to Tartarus, you cursed spirit of melancholia!"

I heard Tethys protest, but saw still nothing. I knew Hades had powers over the spirits, powers I couldn't even imagine, and it was so hard to take the fact there was something he actually couldn't – or didn't dare to defeat.

"Release the oceans within," Tethys spoke again, through Pruce. "This is the price for all injustice ever focused on the son of Tethys!"

Something snapped inside my head then. Something totally did. And though I knew I had to notify Pruce of it, it was impossible to even open my mouth – Tethys spread silent terror all around us.

Then this very freaky part started. I saw how the menacing light in Pruce's eyes got dim for a second, and then we all knew it wasn't Tethys speaking. "Why are you doing this, mother?"

The desperate gaze of his blind eyes tried to look for something they couldn't see.

"For you, son!" Tethys continued – Pruce's eyes turned alight again. "For the injustice! Think of it - how have the minor gods deserved their places in this world? Nemesis has caused nothing but deaths, and it seems like Iris is gaining her glory only by accepting bribes! What next, thrones? Oh, and this older demigod..." Tethys focus crashed full force on Nico Di Angelo, "Has received one, lacking godhood!"

"You lost the war," Hades didn't even wish to look at Pruce's direction, but we could tell he spoke to Tethys. He stared unmovable at his son. "Your palace was crushed to pieces three millennia ago. You lost the war twice, isn't that already enough?"

"I am not evil!" Tethys continued, which surprised me. Believable, for sure. She had just possessed her own son. "I did favours for Hera, nurtured these seas as my own children. Styx supported Zeus in the war!"

"There is no good or evil in this world," Hades continued. "They are only concepts invented by human, and already, since the beginning of this world, there was only power; and enough to lack balance when one takes too much."

"That was only Kronos," Tethys probably tried to whisper, but she had such a loud voice, and even mentioning the name shook the cave structure. "Isn't it already time for the guiltless rulers of this world before the gods to receive their glory? It is time..."

Marié tripped over with a cry as an earthquake shook the Underworld, earth and sky. Tethys spoke no more, but Pruce was still glowing so inhumane, so bright we saw the aura of no-one else. There was no Pruce there anymore. Only Tethys, who was destroying his own son, brainwashing him better than Titus had even done for me.

I saw Marié take out her caduceus, which was now in the form of a flute. "Pruce?" I heard her ask, but her voice was so silent Pruce couldn't hear it. "Let go!"

The earth started shaking even more – so much Gracie had to take out her shield to protect us from the falling bricks – a pinnacle the size of a school bus crushed into the earth 10 feet from us. Surprisingly, I saw Ivan fall on his knees his fingers crossed, like he was praying. But that wasn't the time of the apocalypse.

"And the one of the six still unclaimed – the price for his sacrifice will be paid."

It was Pruce speaking. He glowed still even brighter than he had done when he had run away from us on the hills, but his eyes showed marks of humanity; and he had won.

"The prophecy speaks of an unclaimed child," he sounded like himself again; his voice didn't bring me the shivers – a big boulder seemed to roll off my chest, so I could breathe again. "My price isn't immortality. My sacrifice isn't leaving my friends or this world in trouble. My sacrifice is leaving behind the life I have been doomed to. My price... is becoming claimed."

Suddenly Pruce's glow started to flicker, and I turned to Nico Di Angelo – the dying... their aura tends to flicker.

But this was only Tethys. The glow flickered until it was all gone, until the shaking stopped. I already was about to rise up and walk to Pruce with all my friends, our Pruce, but then I saw Ivan shudder. I could see the shivers on his back, think about that. And next, I knew someone had joined with us.

I had to shake my head twice to tell, was I only imagining. I had to be, but it still seemed so real – how all of a sudden, out of nowhere, like summoning of smoke, there stood a figure next to Hades. The figure was a she – a woman wearing a dark robe like Hades', but hers was more translucent and light, like it weighed nothing. Her long, dark hair flowed up to her waist and was unbelievably thin, looking very fragile. Her skin was paler than snow and her eyes... like gazing straight at the midnight sky.

I knew Hades had known she was coming, though he didn't even look into that direction. The woman stood there as unnoticeable and silent like she had come only as a spectator. For some reason I knew she was a goddess, so looking at her made me wonder would soon the whole Olympus show up.

Pruce walked out of the water, very slowly, and still it was hard to believe he actually had stood in the Styx the water up to his waist for such a long time.

"I don't want to play war anymore," he spoke, in his usual, absent tone. "I don't want to become something I aren't. I am not a hero. I am not a demigod."

I saw how the lady goddess next to Hades raised her right arm very slowly, and if I wasn't crazy I saw how the darkness around her hand seemed to morph into the shape of something – a dark bow – and in seconds, she had already stretched the arrow.

"Don't shoot," I heard Hades command. "It is no use."
"He is not immortal," the woman spoke for the first time, and her voice made me breathless for a second. It was like her words were part of the darkness around her. They wrapped us all into their enchanting tone. Hades still shook his head, and finally Pruce stood back on the shore.

"Immortality is what a god needs to prevent this world from falling," he spoke. "For me, immortality would only mean an eternity of loneliness."

I think I felt empathy for Pruce then. This familiar breeze started to blow inside me again, but this time it wasn't cold, like it had come from within, not outside. But Pruce didn't cry, nor sigh for a better world.

"The prophecy has been given."

The goddess with the bow and arrow loosened her grip of her weapon. I saw her gaze at Pruce in a mysterious way, and then whisper something to Hades.

"Don't go anywhere, child. You nearly doomed us all."
Marié stood up, but her eyes glimmering of fear. "No! It wasn't his fault."
Hades huffed and took a step towards Marié. His aura started to gather its strength again, and in no time, all of us – Pruce, Ivan, Gracie and me, stood behind Marié's back, to defend her.

"Oh great! Now I've got an army of you kids here! I wonder how do you dare – especially you, daughter of Morpheus."
I clutched my fists as if willing to hit Hades in the middle of the face. "I don't fear you."
"That is what you think you should feel, fear? I believe more you should feel remorse – that might still save your soul from being thrown to-"
"Tartarus, I know it! That's all you even think about! We have done nothing – can you blame us from the fact that we do exist? You have blamed our parents already enough, and you are the one who should be blamed. Look at you – standing here on the shore plotting for murder as you could be nurturing your younger son or planning your revenge on Mickey Mouse. STOP KILLING PEOPLE!"

That sure silenced him up. I noticed I was panting – I wasn't very brilliant in the verbal arts, and insults like that drained my strength like a very tough hockey game. When Hades then finally thought of something to say, I was surprised. I had made him speechless.

"Oh... argh... hmph... fine! But remember, we will be watching you, - I will send a report of you both-" he took turns in gazing me and Pruce in the eyes, "to Olympus... and if they will find out this treachery, there will always be a place waiting for you... here."

Hades closed his eyes for a second, rubbing his nose. It seemed very strange, like gods tickled. Then he finally exchanged looks with his demigod son, and with a nod, they said goodbyes.

"Take these ungrateful kids back to the surface. And if you see Charon on the way, tell them to apologize – especially this Pruce here, from blocking the traffic, you know."

Hades nodded towards Styx, and his son seemed to blush; I could still see this young light in his eyes, though worries made him look older than he really was. I hadn't even remembered we had came with his chariot until then; he gnashed his teeth noticing the whole thing had toppled over in the earthquake and the horses had ran away, leaving behind traces of their hoofs made in panic, and a nice pile of something a little inappropriate to mention right then.

"Well, I guess it's time. I just wish we'd have a son of Poseidon here to call a Pegasus or two to help. Hitler and Napoleon always run away when they see my father."

I sorta snickered – laughing helped to ease the weight of the world in the middle of such worries and darkness. Nice names for horses Nico Di Angelo was giving.

I took my last glance on the Styx, hoping this was the last time I'd see it until time would come. We had trashed it, for sure. Still unmovable, the goddess in black stood behind Hades, his bow and arrow now gone, but her arms crossed and an expression on her face which made her look stunningly beautiful. Before we left (after we had pushed the chariot back on its wheels and Gracie had made a few adjustments) I was sure the goddess whispered something to Ivan. I hadn't ever been really good in reading from lips, but her sentence was short enough for me to almost understand it: you failed.

Napoleon and Hitler didn't return though Nico Di Angelo kept on howling after them – I guess he stank too much like Hades. "I'd use this old hell-hound of mine," he told us, whispering, "But well... she's gained a little weight. Auntie Demeter visits us every winter and forces us to eating Granola every day... We all hate it, so it's usually given to the dog. I guess she's lost her sense of taste already or something."

I saw Gracie shudder – I hadn't yet had the time to ask, but I bet she either loved dogs or hated Granola, because she looked really like in pain – even more than usual. When we then finally were leaving we noticed two horses had appeared there out of somewhere – Nico Di Angelo recognised the first one as one of his tyrant-named mates, but the other seemed to be somehow strange. I couldn't know all the horses Nico Di Angelo and his father stored in the Underworld, but this one was different than any of the ones seen before; it looked like a white sheep in the middle of 20 black ones. Shrugging his shoulders, the Lord of Spririts though accepted it, and in no time we were on the road again; riding our way to the surface again, following the shore of the Styx. The scenery flew by so fast I really saw nothing, so I decided to turn to Nico Di Angelo. It seemed somehow rude to speak only to the back of his head, but we'd crash and burn if he'd start turning around. We moved all the time further from the depths of the Underworld, and I turned my gaze to Ivan, who had this mysterious depth in his eyes, which hadn't been there before. It brought me something in mind...

"What's the thing with you and Asphodel Meadows?" I tried to sorta act inauspiciously, because I always managed to ruin everything by sounding too curious. "It seemed like your resistance to stop there wasn't because you really wanted to save us, no offense. I saw how you looked around-"

Nico Di Angelo silenced me with a serious gaze of his. Thank gods he was used to riding that route, because he could turn around without his focus from riding losing then. I noticed how the Lord of the Spirits sighed deeply and stared at Ivan; like they shared the same problem.

"It has been about exactly 12 years from my sister's death."

He didn't look at me anymore, but I knew he had pain in his eyes; it was already in his voice. Nico's sister. I wondered what had her name been, had she had the same father? A daughter of Hades... dead. It was a strange world we lived in.

"I was 10, then."

Only 10? No wonder Nico Di Angelo looked so old – the shadows on his face, the sorrow. He was only about twenty. No-one should face death that young; everyone should face death at some point, but in my opinion death was a thing which everyone should get used to without any major losses. Like the death of some adored actor or a pet. Not your own sister.

"She died to save her friends. It took me a long time to understand it was actually her will... even for me, taking something like that isn't easy. It isn't easy to believe."

I kept on listening. Different thoughts started clouding my mind, like thoughts of an own sister. What would it feel like? Thoughts of a normal family. Nico Di Angelo had one, once. Even I had my own family, but now... I didn't really know how the things were anymore.

"My whole family is dead," the Lord of Spirits spoke, as if he would've read my thoughts. "So long have I walked this world alone."

"But what about your father? And Persephone and Demeter, and Pablo? Aren't they some sort of family to you?"

I heard this sound which reminded me of someone gnashing their teeth – I didn't know it could make such noise. I think Marié next to me was listening; I could see how her ears were open, how she was eager to know more; I knew she had miserable thoughts of what a family was. Maybe she wanted someone to identify with.

"My father especially," Nico Di Angelo said in an amused tone. "Dead to the world. He's been like that always. Never shows off to people, and there's no such word as 'future' in his vocabulary. He's been wearing that same robe thousands of years..."

I bit my lips not to smile at the thought – I guess the gods' clothes cleaned themselves or something, but Hades sure had a great fashion sense. "He doesn't sound like great of a father, then..."

"That's what many would say. I often myself forget that I even like him when he isn't mad."

And then Nico Di Angelo smiled; glancing time after time at the Styx, to see if there was some ferryman going there. "Charon doesn't have much job nowadays. Awfully many choose Death Harbour instead – Charon's losing an awful amount of profit. Poor man."

The sentence sounded strange, but understandable. Gods, immortals and... ferrymen needed their money for living from somewhere, too. That sentence seemed to separate us from the Underworld, because before we even knew, there was this odd tug in our stomachs. I opened my eyes, not even remembering when I had closed them – the scenery glimmered in bright sunlight.