In the other room, Andrew and Connor were sitting in uncomfortable silence together. The lights were off and each demigod was lying in bed, but neither was asleep. They both had too many things going through their heads to feign sleep. Multiple things were going through the boy's head, from Connor thinking about Dennis to still reeling from how he'd single-handedly saved Eirene and Andrew from death; to Andrew thinking about the Kobalos pendant to Eirene, to the Gorgon sisters, was still reeling from almost freezing to death today. He'd never really been afraid of death; in fact he'd embraced the idea of it until recently: When he'd met Eirene.

If she could just lead him to the Styx River…if she could just help him rescue her...then he wouldn't hate himself so much.

"Pssst," Connor whispered. Andrew shut his eyes tightly, knowing this would happen. "Pssst, are you awake?"

He sighed. "No,"

"I know you aren't sleeping. I know you're thinking of what happened today," Andrew could hear the self-praise seeping into his voice. "How you almost died…how I saved you."

Andrew scoffed. "I have more important things to think about."

Connor sighed and sat up, staring at him through the dark. "Can't you just say it?"

"Why is it so important to you?" Andrew irritatingly asked.

"Why is it so difficult for you?" Connor shot back

Andrew heaved a sigh in surrender. He was too tired for banter. "You're right; I'm sorry. Thank you for saving us, we would've died without you."

Connor stayed silent for a moment, brewing it over. He was satisfied with Andrew's response, but now he was curious about something else. "Earlier today, with the gorgon sisters, what you said—"

"I already told you, I made it up."

He'd responded way too quickly and defensively for it to have been made up. Connor's voice was dripping with skepticism. "Did you really?"

Andrew did not want to talk about this. He'd only brought up that topic with the gorgon sisters because it an emergency. Other than that, it was too personal a matter to discuss with Connor. He'd barely discussed the matter with anyone at camp; Chiron and Annabeth were the only people that knew for reasons beyond his control. Andrew wasn't prepared to start talking about it again, because it would tear at the scar in his heart he's spent years trying to patch up, building walls around himself and shutting people out.

Andrew turned away, his back facing Connor. "Just go to bed, Stoll."

He waited until he heard the slow breathes and dull snore coming from his opposite bed, to let himself relax. And as he dreamed of his past life and Eirene, he felt those barriers he'd built start chipping…

Connor was having dreams of his own, dreams that haunted him throughout the night. More and more frequently, his dreams had similar in nature, each having a root scenario: Dennis. Connor dreamed of what Dennis was planning, where he could be, and how he could have betrayed them. He remembered the summers with Dennis, the fun they had pulling pranks and just hanging out. Connor had liked him, considered him one of his best friends. Connor had been looking for redemption of his conscious ever since Luke had turned out to working for the wrong side. Connor had trusted and looked up to Luke, that's why it was such a shocker when he'd turned out to be who he was. And now that Dennis turned out to be exactly like him, maybe even worse, Connor was starting to wonder why he was so terrible at making friends. Why couldn't he catch the subtle nuisances, like Luke's animosity for his father or Dennis's lake of demigod-like traits? Was Connor an idiot?

And during those dreams, questions about Eirene also plagued and fascinated him. She was someone like no one he'd ever met before, and he liked that. He liked her, and how nice she is to him. He likes how it's clear she's been through more than he can imagine, but she still manages to keep a healthy outlook of things. She cheers him on when Andrew tries to knock him down, and she makes him feel like he's the exact opposite of an idiot.

He really, really, liked her.

But they were also things about Eirene that scared him; like she was always carrying a big secret around. And sure, everybody has secrets, but hers seem more serious than the rest. The powers she has that don't fit any of the gods he knows of…like how she was able to heal his burns so quickly. She had refused to tell him and he hadn't pressed, because her eyes had looked so sad. That was another thing he liked about her: she was mysterious. A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma—or however that quote goes.

And Connor wanted to decipher her riddle.

Eirene's dreams of late had never been normal. Recently, they'd been a look into reality.

She saw Khione sitting in a frozen land in a foreign place—Eirene assumed it was a land she'd created on her own. Her head was in her hands, and she had pulled up her knees to her chest. Thinking, contemplating. She knew she'd failed The Sisters, and she knew they'd be coming for her soon. But that wasn't the most present thing in her mind right now.

Sais.

Sais: Her daughter who had been condemned to death the moment she took her first breath.

The fates are cruel, they always have been, and always will be. She knew that that demigod was right, knew that every word he uttered was true, but she'd ignored the truth for a long time.

Maybe she wasn't really dead. Khione thought.

But she remembered holding the child's limp, cold body.

Maybe I could get her back.

But Khione knew that the gates of Hades were not open to her. And even if they were, she would not be able to retrieve her child from there.

And if you could?

"In deep thought, are you?" A brown staff appeared, materializing in front Khione. A slim, tall figure followed behind it, Kratos's black hair swaying behind her. Her appearance still gave Eirene chills. "I hope you aren't thinking of running."

Khione stood up. "Where are the rest of you?"

Nike revealed herself, a smirk on her red lips. "You've grown confident," Zelus followed behind her, leaning her head on her sister's shoulder. "In the prime of your failure,"

Khione flinched, but still stood tall, refusing to cower. "I'm sorry I failed you, but the boy—"

Nike held up her hand. "We know what happened. The boy who set you on fire, he was powerless."

Khione was confused. "No, he was Leo, son of Hephaestus, he has the power—"

"Of course we know who Leo is." Zelus's eyes flared. "We, of all people, do not need your observations. The boy was a child of Hermes and powerless. He defeated you with one of these," Zelus rose up her hand, and a lighter appeared, which she threw at Khione.

Mid air, it caught fire and Khione screamed in pain as it touched her. Instinctively, Eirene ran out to help her, but passed right through the goddess.

"A stupid, silly mortal creation; you were sent fleeing, by this." Zelus held up another lighter, her hand on the spark wheel, threatening. "You may be even more pathetic than the gorgon sisters."

Khione scowled. "I am nothing like those two, pitiful, worthless, throw-aways—"

"You are not so far from them yourself, my dear." Kratos smiled, her fingers flexing on her staff, then sighed. "We expected more from you, Khione. You were meant to be cunning and smart, not emotional and impulsive."

Nike started tsking. "What a waste. And your poor daughter…"

Anger rose in Khione, anger like she hadn't felt in a long time. How dare these three use her daughter against her? How dare they promise her something they'd never meant to do? "You're all disgusting," she spat, ignoring their glares. "You intimidate and torture people with your beauty and power, and then promise something you can never fulfill. You fill people up with false hope, only to crush them in—"

Khione was set ablaze, and Eirene cringed at her squeals; her eyes tearing up. She turned to her sisters and yelled and screamed, "Stop it! You're monsters! Can't you see you're hurting her?" But it was futile. The sisters all stood there, watching Khione burn.

And then the flames were extinguished, and Khione collapsed to the ground in agony. "Monsters," She choked out, squeezing tears out of her eyes. "Just kill me already." She looked down at her arms, limp and cold, just like her daughter, and realized she was already dead.

But Zelus saw a fate cruel than death for arrogant Khione. She whispered the idea to Kratos, who smiled.

"Stand up," Kratos ordered.

Khione remained on the floor, which caused fire to summon around her. She stood up immediately, and the fire calmed.

"We will not kill you; instead we will kill something inside you." Kratos stepped closer, her green eyes elite with malice. "Your memory of her."

Khione froze, not sure what to make her words. Erase her memory of Sais? Khione considered it for a second, never having to feel immense guilt and hatred towards herself, for something that was no her fault. But she quickly shook her head when the idea of forgetting Sais just seemed wrong.

"No, no," She begged. "Leave that memory alone; just kill me."

"You cannot command us. We've decided your fate and you'll live with it." Kratos raised her staff. "But we will not be so kind to thoroughly erase your memories with her, we will only erase her. You will still have the memory of feeling extreme sadness, of having something torn away from you, but you will not remember what. You will live with that emptiness for the rest of your life."

Khione shook her head, begging, pleading with them. "Please… please…"

And as Kratos brought down her staff, Eirene awoke from her dream in a shout.