Maryam Clarus- our poor girl is going through so much!

Mads-Chikistorm- thank you so much! writing their interactions is so much fun

AyeraeW- yeah, i agree- the gods should've kept their promise, her punishment wasn't fitting imo. and HAHA i too fall in love with any guy who pays me attention so I feel that lol

SEASBLU- LEO U LITTLE SHIT SMH

Rosie kept her mouth shut as they went deeper into the Earth. She figured her friends probably didn't want to hear from the girl who had the ability to bury them all instantly.

She left it up to Hazel and Nico, the ones who actually knew what they were doing. As they reached an archway in the shape of a human skull, she felt like they were officially in the world of the dead. The voices Nico had referred to were getting louder, reminding her of the wind palace they had dealt with back in Africa. There was an eerie chill in the air.

Hazel traced her fingers along the entrance. "This is the second entrance to the second level. No traps...but um, my underground senses are getting a little fuzzy. Like...someone's interfering with."

"The sorceress Hecate warned you about?" Jason asked. "What was her name again?"

Hazel's test was coming. Rosie knew with absolute certainty that she was ready. There was no more training left for her to give Hazel.

Hazel chewed her lip with a thoughtful look on her face. "Maybe," she decided. "Let's not say her name right now. But..be alert, guys. The dead are stronger than the living from here on out."

"Where are the monsters?" Frank asked. "I thought Gaea's army was guarding the Doors."

"At this point, I'd rather just have a fight and get it over with," Jason said, looking a bit paranoid. He looked pale- and again, Rosie was wishing they already had Annabeth and Percy, their leaders, back. She was sick of looking at Jason Grace, the Roman praetor with dark bags under his eyes- lords know he didn't want that title anymore. She was sick of the sadness on his face whenever the rest of the crew would discuss their favorite childhood memories. Or the wistful look in his eyes when she caught him reading books with worlds he'd rather be in. She thought of him telling her about the games he would play with Grant as kids-he seemed to clutch onto that memory tightly, like he didn't have much else to show for from being a kid.

"Careful what you wish for, man," Leo sighed, a fireball appearing in his hand. "Personally, I'm hoping for the best case scenario: nobody's home! We go in, grab Percy and Annabeth, destroy the Doors of Death, and walk out!"

"Yeah," Frank grumbled. "Because that happens."

The tunnel shook, rubble raining down from the ceiling. Rosie winced, seemingly every time it happened.

"The Doors of Death just opened again," Nico stated calmly.

"What is it like, every fifteen minutes?" Piper asked.

"Twelve," Nico corrected quietly. "We should hurry. Percy and Annabeth are in danger, I can sense it."

Rosie gulped. "Well, let's get a move on, then."

Traveling deeper, the corridors widened. This seemed to increase the nerves of everyone- more space meant more room for monsters to attack. Blind corners were everywhere, the perfect places for ambushes.

"The tunnel from here is unstable," Hazel announced, still taking the lead. "The floor might-well, just follow me. Step exactly where I step."

The group followed Hazel's lead carefully, practically tiptoeing.

"Worst game of following the leader ever," Rosie muttered.

Frank stopped suddenly, causing Rosie to almost collide into him. His face froze, and he looked terrified.

"Uh, Frank...buddy? Are you alright?" she whispered behind him.

"Nothing," he murmured distractedly. "I just-"

It wasn't nothing. Frank looked like he was ready to break form and go AWOL.

"Frank," Hazel said sharply. "Don't move."

"Lead where?" Frank asked aloud suddenly, clearly hearing something they weren't.

Leo laughed nervously. "Uh, big guy? Could you please not freak out on us?"

"I'm okay," Frank said in a strangled tone. "Just..a voice."

"I warned you," Nico said. "It'll only get worse. We should-"

"Leo," Piper exclaimed. "Stop breathing on my shoulder!"

"I'm not, Pipes!"

"Sorry, Piper," Jason muttered sheepishly. "That was me."

"Come on, Pipes, we all know Leo isn't tall enough to reach your shoulder."

"Low blow, Freckles-"

"Guys," Hazel interrupted. "Just...wait."

Hazel went ahead alone, returning a few seconds later.

"Scary room ahead," she reported. "No one panic."

"Bit of a contradiction there, my friend," Leo said.

The cavern was circular, the walls made of tunnels leading into different directions. The floor underneath them was mosaic, a grotesque one made up of patterns of human bones and gems.

"Touch nothing," Hazel said, looking at Leo pointedly.

Leo scoffed, offended. "I wasn't going to!"

Piper was glancing at the different tunnels. "So, um, which way?"

Nico looked uncertain; Rosie could see him fidget nervously. "This should be the room where the priests invoked the most powerful spirits. One of these passages leads deeper into the temple, the third level and the altar of Hades itself. But I'm not sure which-"

"That one," Frank cut in suddenly, pointing to a tunnel directly across from them at the other end of the room.

Frank sounded extremely confident, but Rosie wasn't sure why. She couldn't see anything that would make that tunnel special.

Nico echoed her sentiments, saying, "Why that one, Frank?"

"You don't see the ghost?"

Nico coughed, a little uncomfortable. "Um...ghost?"

Frank pulled at his shirt collar as if it were bothering him. He looked agitated, eyes glued on the tunnel ahead.

The floor beneath them started vibrating, as Frank's eyes grew wide.

"We need to get to that exit!" Frank yelled. "Now!"

Hazel was nearly knocked over as she quickly blocked Frank's path, shaking her head. "Frank no! The floor isn't stable...I have no clue what's underneath, I need to scout a safe path!"

Hazel and Frank hurried forward, as Leo followed them with his light source. Rosie and the others guarded the rear.

The cavern exploded into a volley of monstrous roars- the sure sign of monsters approaching.

"They're coming!" Jason warned sharply, drawing his sword.

Nico nodded, holding up his scepter, as Piper and Rosie drew their respective weapons.

"Hazel, keep going!" Nico ordered.

A group of Earthborn, six-armed clay-like giants, appeared, throwing stones at the floor. As Rosie slashed at a nearby gryphon, she realized the floor was shattering, a fissure spreading rapidly towards Frank, Leo, and Hazel.

"Rosie!" Jason barked a warning, and she had to step out of the way of a spear at the last second.

"The others!" she yelled, gesturing across the room.

They had made it to the tunnel Frank pointed out, scrambling into there for shelter from the monsters. She, Jason, Piper, and Nico were trapped, surrounded by monsters on all sides.

"Nico!" came the distant yell of Frank. "Use the scepter!"

Nico snapped his head toward Rosie. "Help me with the fissure."

"Got it," she said, crouching down on the ground, Piper and Jason covering her back. She placed her hand on the ground. She knew she could channel her crumbling into something constructive; she had done it with Hera's cage.

Dust exploded from the ground, and she grinned as the fissure became bigger under her hand.

"Go, Nico!"

Nico raised the scepter, the purple orb shimmering in the cavern air. Ghosts materialized, pouring from the walls, and climbing out of the fissure. Rosie fell back onto her butt, aware they were taking physical forms- like walking corpses.

Nico turned to Jason. "Your turn, praetor."

Jason had turned deathly pale, looking like a ghost himself. It struck her that he was probably re-living Charleston- what he thought had happened to Calla in Charleston. Rosie exchanged a look with Piper-could he pull this off?

Jason blinked, suddenly speaking Latin. Rosie had no clue what he was saying, but the legionnaires started forming ranks. The monsters looked slightly confused, buying them some time.

"Is it working?" Piper asked over the sounds of the battle.

"I don't know-"

BOOM

Rosie and Piper turned towards the noise, seeing Frank emerged from the dust...without Leo and Hazel. Part of the cavern's wall had collapsed, blocking Leo and Hazel's exit.

Rosie gulped as she watched Frank panting, his face becoming increasingly angry.

She knew what this meant- it was time for Hazel's test.