Chapter 18

It wasn't exactly a hero's welcome for Xanthe, Thanas and Leon, but the other campers were definitely happy to see them.

Not all of them were in the palace, but a handful had joined Empress Theodora for a little meal in one of the private gardens.

Viviana rushed up to Xanthe and wrapped her in a big hug. "Oh, gods! You're safe! We thought you were crazy, running off like that. You and Thanas both!"

Alexandros slowly walked over, putting a hand on Viviana's shoulder. He gave her a soft look. "Give the girl some space. I'm sure she's shocked to even be here."

The garden was beautiful. Flowers and plants were a rainbow of colors, bright and vibrant, and filled the air with a sweet fragrance. They must have been taken from all parts of the Empire, from Italia to Hellas to Anatolia. The grass was neatly trimmed, and Percy figured the workers who'd done it took a painstaking job to get each cut right. There was a portable table next to the fountain, covered with a clean white cloth and bearing plates of fruits and other snacks.

Percy suddenly felt the urge to grab some food, sit down and relax.

Leon introduced himself formally to Alexandros, Viviana and the others who'd joined Empress Theodora, careful not to make a poor impression. Alexandros and Viviana greeted him warily. Their first impression of the boy was him unleashing a blast of lightning so powerful it shook the earth. The two of them must have been terrified or in awe of him.

While they mingled, Percy turned his attention to the pair of half-sisters standing off to the side.

As he expected, Irene was present. He'd spent enough time with the Trio destroying the Eleventh Legion for her to get back to him about Zoë's whereabouts.

She and Empress Theodora approached him.

"Good afternoon, Percy," Empress Theodora said, bowing her head as a gesture of courtesy. "I welcome you to my husband's palace."

"No need for formalities, Theodora," he said, waving her off. "As long as you continue to protect the kids, that's enough for me."

"It's tough, but I do my best."

"I'm sure you do." He turned to Irene, who was watching him curiously. "What's the latest update?"

Irene looked almost surprised to see him. "I didn't think you'd actually retreat. You have momentum now that you and the Trio have destroyed the Eleventh. Why not continue?"

"Weren't you advocating for the halt of my plan for revenge?" Percy asked, raising an eyebrow. "You'd always complain about how—"

"No, no." She looked relieved. "I'm glad you've returned. It's... it's good to see you."

"Are you sure?" Percy glanced at the dagger strapped to her belt. "I lost contact with three of my informants in Dalmatia and Epirus. Care to explain?"

She averted her gaze and gave the ground a sad smile. "You already noticed?"

"You work quickly, but if you happen to take down my major informants, I'm pretty sure I'm going to notice."

"Fair enough."

Theodora chuckled, giving Irene an amused look. "I told you he would know. You can't get much past Percy. After all these centuries, I figured you would have learned."

"I can get plenty of things past Percy!" Irene made a face that was somewhere between a scowl and a pout. "Just not things like this."

"It's not like I'm going to decapitate you or anything," Percy shrugged.

"I'm glad."

"I know you're still on my side." He paused for a moment, thinking back to how hostile Phoebe was to him back in Athens. "Did you make a deal with Phoebe? Are you looking for a way to contain me? 'Cause I'm not sure if I can tolerate Phoebe getting in the way of everything."

"I'm not that stupid," Irene said, shaking her head. "I made one with Zoë. She's a lot more reasonable than the hot head. Though, technically, I'm already breaking the pact. But anyway, like I told you, I'm here to balance things out. For the past how many centuries have I been trying to get you to act more like a protector than an aggressor?"

"Five?"

"And I'm not going to stop."

"How do you feel about me destroying entire legions, then? Because you sure as Hades haven't stopped me from doing that."

Irene pursed her lips. "You shouldn't find destroying the legions satisfying. You shouldn't even really be looking for revenge on the Romans themselves. Did you have to destroy the entire Eleventh? You can disband a legion. If you get the praetors and the centurions to relinquish—"

"And how likely are these Romans, who are practically on the brink of death, going to give up on the one goal they've followed since Constantine rose to power?"

She sighed. "How is destroying an entire legion any better? Just... sit back, Percy. You've come back to Constantinople. You're here to protect the remaining Greek demigods. As long as you stay here, nothing bad will happen."

Percy narrowed his eyes. "Is that the deal you made with Zoë?"

"Yes," she admitted. "So just... don't."

He wondered what people saw when they looked at Irene. All the kids knew Empress Theodora was a child of Aphrodite, married to Justinian to help further the Greek cause. She was an older woman now, but she still radiated a youthful beauty. It helped that she was attended to in the royal palace. She was everything a child of Aphrodite should've been: elegant, beautiful, and well-mannered. Irene, on the other hand, was like a child of Athena whose hair and eyes had been darkened. He wondered if she scared them.

"While you are here, I do have some... bad news," Theodora said. She glanced over her shoulder. "I have a sickness. The doctors fear it might be a sort of malignant growth. My husband... I promised myself that I would tell my husband the truth before I die. If we can't figure out a cure, then I'm not sure what the future holds in store."

Percy glanced at Irene. "Did you take a look?"

Irene nodded. "The doctors are pretty accurate. There's some malignant tumor within her breast."

"Tumor?" He gave the empress a worried look. "Those are fatal. There's no cure for tumors."

"Exactly why I fear the future," Theodora nodded. "I can only do so much. My husband won't be as kind to you once I am gone. The kids... they'll have to learn how to protect themselves."

"This just keeps getting better and better," he sighed. He looked over at the Trio. "They'll be powerful enough. I just hope their mental constitution recovers."

"What happened?" Irene asked, furrowing her eyebrows. Her eyes widened. "Was it because of them that you returned? What did they see?"

"Athens," he replied. "My place."

Irene bit her lip. "People go insane watching those things. How could you show it to them?"

"It was Phoebe. Not me."

She muttered a string of curses.

"It's not like I wanted to show them," Percy snapped. He sighed again. "What's done is done."

Over by the fountain, the campers had gone silent. Judging by their expressions, Thanas had told them about Ionna's fate. Everyone stared at their feet in mournful silence, each granting Ionna a prayer. Death never felt good, but it was a necessary part of life. Learning to cope was difficult, but it was doable. Percy had seen many overcome such dark hurdles.

"I'll attend to the young ones," Theodora told them. She gave them a sad smile. "They must persevere. It is essential if we want to survive. There aren't many of us left. I'll leave you two to discuss tactical matters."

Percy bowed to the empress. "Thank you, Empress."

She nodded and walked over toward the group.

After she departed, Irene turned to Percy. "Seems like we've got a lot to catch up on. Shall we take a ride to Sykai?"

He nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

Leaving the campers under Theodora's watch, the two walked north to Prosphorion Harbour and caught the next boat across the bay to Sykai. Other than the boat operators and two middle-class men, they were the only passengers. It must have been a slow day. Then again, the plague a decade earlier had nearly wiped out half of the city's population. That must've been difficult to recover from.

The boat glided slowly across the water, riding a gentle breeze from the south. That was the one thing Percy would never tire of. He could ride the seas for centuries and not get sick of it. It helped that it was a sunny day. Had it been raining, it may not have been so pleasant.

Irene was smiling, leaning partway over the bulwark and dipping her fingertips into the water.

"I'm surprised you aren't going to shove a dagger into my gut and throw me overboard," he remarked.

She turned to him, her smile turning into a look of curiosity. "That wouldn't kill you."

"I know."

"Then what's the point? If I'm going to drive a dagger through you, it's to kill you, is it not?"

"You're always practical, aren't you?"

"Cut to the chase. No bullshit. Yeah." She paused. "Okay, well, not no bullshit. But as little as possible."

"Care to tell me how you found out about the network?"

Irene suppressed a smirk. "Revealing that to the puppet master behind the scenes would be a mistake, wouldn't it? You always told me it's safer to fail doing something alone than it is to risk betrayal."

"I'm not going to stop you."

"I'm still not going to spill."

He stared at her. She wasn't going to crack. He shrugged and leaned back. "Fair enough. At least you're being you."

"As opposed to not being me?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's been a long time since you've been snarky."

"Athena doesn't appreciate it."

"I can imagine. Minerva must be a nightmare."

She curled her lip in distaste. "Oh, don't even get me started on her."

Percy chuckled. He looked out toward Sykai. They were about halfway across the inlet.

"How about the legions?" he asked. "What's their status?"

"Well," Irene started, "word should've gotten to them that the Eleventh has been eliminated. I've done my best to make it seem like it was an absolute slaughter. Few would believe four people destroyed the entire legion, but I'm sure they'd believe a team of just under a hundred, in a massive ambush. There are stragglers, but there's no point wasting the effort to hunt them down. They'll retreat back to the other legions regardless. They'll be a lot more careful in their advance. They won't want to make the same mistake as the Eleventh."

"That's good," he nodded. "With the Trio needing some training, a slow advance by them will make things smoother."

"They also don't know the location of the Greeks," she added, glancing over her shoulder back toward Constantinople. "Constantinople is the obvious answer, but the Romans have been duped before. They tried attacking Larissa before finding the camp up north. Plus, Constantinople is the most difficult to get to. If it turns out they're walking into a trap, they'll be toast. They'll want to make sure they've got the right target. Any reasonable praetor will be cautious. Even if they have scouts and informants... your network has done well to find them and cut them off before they can get the word out."

"Attacking by sea isn't an option, is it? They're not seafaring peoples."

"No. And with Justinian monitoring everything, there's no chance they can sneak an army into the city. Maybe small scouting teams, but not an army. I was thinking about your agents in the region and figured they would inform you of any abnormalities they see, including an army marching through Anatolia."

"Oh, so is that why the body count is only three? Could it have been more?"

She gave him an indiscernible look. "Maybe."

Percy shook his head in disbelief. "This is quite unlike you, now that I have a chance to really think about it."

"Is it really, though?"

He stared at her. There was no sign of dishonesty. She was, in truth, being true to herself. But he hadn't seen her this jovial since... well, since before he'd been exiled. It warmed his heart in a way he hadn't felt in a long time.

"I'm just happy that you took a step back when you could have pushed forward," she said, as if reading his mind. "Both for the kids and for you. They get time to swallow the truth of what they just did and what just happened, and they can recuperate. They have to be tired. And you seem more human as a result, caring about what they think and how they feel."

"How do you know I did it because I care about how they feel? What if I did it because I understand the need for rest in wartime?"

It was a lie, and she knew it.

Part of it was watching them grieve. The raw pain and sorrow etched into their expressions as they mourned reminded him of the memory of his mother. He hadn't grieved or mourned for anyone's death in a long time. He remembered the rage of Achilles after Patroclus' death and how he'd tried to stop the Greek warrior from desecrating Hector's body. He understood what it meant to be sad and to want to lie down and never get up.

He couldn't force them to continue fighting. They wouldn't be strong enough. They would take too many risks with their emotions running high. And, moreover, Percy didn't want them to die. They still had a chance to live a great life after the war was over.

"You told me a story once," Irene said, breaking him out of his thoughts. "About a dream you had after the fall of Troy. Achilles passed on a message from Theseus. I don't remember the exact words, but he said something like 'It's impossible to get whatever you want in life or in death. Don't be like the gods. Don't be stubborn and arrogant and believe you, and only you, are right. Think about doing things for others, not just for yourself. If you try to do everything you'll end up failing. Finding someone, or a team like the Argonauts, will help stabilize you. Learn to accept all kinds of people. Disagreement will only cause destruction.' Do you remember that?"

Percy vaguely recalled the old memory. A small smile graced his lips. "Don't pity the dead. Pity the living. We're the ones that have to suffer."

"That too."

"I wish it was that easy, Irene," he sighed. "If it was, then I wouldn't have spent the last thousand years trying to destroy Rome. No one really understands how I feel. The gods, who've forsaken me, or any of the other mortals or immortals that have their own support group. I had no one to return to."

Irene looked away, unable to mask a look of hurt. "You had me."

He blinked in surprise.

"To be honest," she continued, "I'd always wanted to be in a team with you. I thought it'd be cool. But then you disappeared. Still, I felt confident that you would return. I would take your place and do your job while you were gone, like a substitute. And then when you returned, I would become your partner. At least, that was my dream. It didn't quite turn out that way."

"You..."

"I don't mean it any other way."

The boat docked in the harbor just south of Sykai. The vessel pulled into the dock, and the two of them disembarked. He stretched his legs to get used to the solid ground beneath them, watching as Irene did the same.

Silently, they began walking. It was aimless, but they just kept walking, making their way around Sykai's small streets. They passed by a market, several homes, a bathhouse, a brothel. They circled the fountain in the central plaza twice.

There were no words exchanged between them. There didn't need to be any words exchanged. Percy could tell how Irene was feeling just by watching her expression and body language. He was certain she could see the same.

It felt comfortable. There was no stress. He didn't have to worry about planning the next move, anticipating the next Roman strike. For just a little while, he lived in the moment, soaking everything in. He understood what Irene meant when she said she was tired of this life, but it never felt more real than it did right there and then.

"Stay in Constantinople as long as you can, Percy," Irene said suddenly, as they completed their walk of the city, arriving back at the docks just as the sun made its way down to its last stage of the day. "If there's anything that needs to be done elsewhere, I'll take care of it. I have Ariadne's string."

"Why? Because if I do something, your promise with the Hunters requires you to join them in hunting me down?"

She nodded sadly.

"We'll see," he replied, careful not to promise anything. "It depends on how things go. I'm not going to stop my revenge on Apollo. And the Romans aren't going to stop their revenge on the Greeks."

She pursed her lips. "Do what you can."

He nodded back. "I'll try."

They rode the boat back across to Constantinople. Irene gave him directions to where the campers were staying.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

She pointed toward the palace. "To see my little half-sister."

"Ah, I see."

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said, waving at him as she began to walk away.

"Hey, Irene!" he called out.

She stopped and turned.

"Thank you. For the walk. You're a great friend."

Irene didn't hold back her wide smile. "You're welcome, Percy. I'll always be around for you."

Percy watched as she made her way to the palace, her figure disappearing into the crowd and around the bend. He smiled back, though she could no longer see him. He wasn't convinced to stop the destruction. But, maybe, it was worth enjoying the little things in life sometimes.

Chiron looked angry when they returned. Thanas should've expected it, considering they went against his orders and wishes. Still, there was that unmistakable relief in his expression because they'd returned alive. Chiron may have disapproved of their actions, but they were still his students. He'd raised them. If they died, it would be just as sad.

Leon introduced himself formally to the centaur, explaining who he was and where he came from. He added in a touch of amazement at seeing a centaur for the first time.

"So was your journey fruitful?" Chiron asked, taking a sip of his warm drink as they sat down in the main area. Chiron sat in a magical chair that acted as a container for his horse half.

"I wouldn't say fruitful is the right word for it," Thanas said, looking down at his feet.

"Successful... for what we left to do," Xanthe suggested. She glanced at him. "Although learning about Ionna's death was far from ideal."

Chiron sighed, leaning back and looking up at the ceiling. "Alas, that is the fate of those chosen by Minerva. I suspected the worst when Ionna left on her mission. Especially since she never divulged its purpose to me."

Thanas probably should've felt angry that Chiron knew and didn't try to stop Ionna, but he remembered that Chiron had been alive for a long time. He must've seen countless children of Athena leave and die, whether he tried to stop them or not. In hindsight, he shouldn't have reacted so violently toward Percy the first time they met in person. It wasn't Percy's job to die for her. Ionna went with a purpose. She died trying to help win the war. She died a hero's death.

"I don't regret what we did," Thanas told the centaur. He met his eyes. "It wasn't fruitful. But it wasn't pointless. They attacked our camp, Chiron. They've killed our kind just for being Greek, even though we have no relation to the Greeks that sacked Troy. It makes no sense to let them keep attacking us without striking back."

"I understand," Chiron said softly, pursing his lips. "I just dislike feeding Percy's hatred. He's been broken, hurt so badly it would take a miracle to heal him. Perhaps I'm idealistic, hoping that the miracle comes to light. Tactically, bringing the fight to the Romans in that context was the right move."

There was a shout and a roar of laughter from downstairs. Thanas could hear the happy shrieks of young children playing around. He thought about the lives of the children he'd ended that day at the Eleventh Legion's encampment.

It was either them or you, he rationalized. Pick one.

"My mother always said war always ended in tragedy," Leon said. "She said that those who died in war would never get to see their loved ones again. And those who they are survived by will never see them smile or live anymore. Then there are those who kill and win the war, who walk down one of two paths. They either sacrifice their humanity and embrace the rage, or they fight to win and acknowledge the horrors they've committed. What do you think, Chiron?"

"Your mother touches on many aspects of war, yes," the centaur nodded. "Shall I tell you about Achilles? I believe dear Athanasios and Xanthe have heard this story before."

Xanthe perked up. "Is it the one about—?"

Chiron nodded. "Do you want to tell it?"

"Um... sure." She turned to Leon. "So... Achilles left to Troy for eternal fame and glory, right? You know the tale?"

Leon nodded.

She continued. "He fought in the war so that he could etch his name into history as one of the greatest heroes, if not the greatest hero, in Greek history. He struck down enemies without a second thought. He was a ruthless killing machine. Then, when Patroclus died, he realized what loss really felt like. He went on a rampage, duelled and killed Hector, and paraded his body through the Greek camp like a sack of sand. Eventually, King Priam visited him and convinced him to return Hector's body, and the two agreed to peace while the Trojan mourned. Achilles was the embodiment of arrogance, greed and power... except, in truth, his actions were what any one of us would do if we had his power and strength. He's known as one of the greatest heroes of the ancient age, but he was also one of the most callous and ruthless of them all."

"So... the moral of the story is..."

"War corrupts, but everything you do in a war is based on self-preservation and self-interest. You fight because you believe in your cause. You fight to protect the ones you love. You fight even though you would rather be at home with your loved ones. You fight even if the world is burning around you."

"Still, there is a difference between a war and a slaughter," Chiron said darkly. His eyes went dark. "There are limits... standards you should hold yourself to when fighting a war."

"A war is fought for victory, not to make yourself feel good," a familiar voice said from the entrance.

Percy was standing there, staring at Chiron with an unreadable expression. Chiron's expression darkened, and the centaur turned away.

"I don't want to speak to you, Percy."

"Why? Because you're ashamed of me?"

Chiron didn't respond.

The atmosphere suddenly became icy. Thanas was still half-stunned at Percy's sudden appearance. He had a knack for showing up out of nowhere, like he was a wandering ghost. He made no noise when walking, Thanas noticed. He had excellent control of his weight. Thanas could've sworn he saw a giddy smile on Percy's face as he walked in before it faded into a sullen look.

"Of all people, I expected you to understand when I returned," Percy said. His voice sounded tight and restrained, like he was holding himself back from expressing all of the emotions he was feeling. "You know, even though it's been a thousand years, and I've done countless things that would land me in the Fields of Punishment, I still expected that you would've at least understood me. You think I wanted to be a warrior? A hero? The gods made me into a hero. And as soon as they got tired of it, they stripped it away themselves. At the very least, you could've been on my side. But no. It was always about staying neutral and serving Olympus. Even when you saw me suffering, going crazy, you stopped trying to help me. As if me killing a group of innocent people for the first time was the last straw."

Thanas glanced at Leon and Xanthe. This was coming out of nowhere. Where had Percy been since they arrived at the palace and what happened to him? He was never this emotional when they stayed with him in Athens for the past week.

"I'm glad you're sticking by the Trio as each of them grieves for Ionna," Percy said angrily. "Because you couldn't give a rat's ass about me, right? Irene is the only one who gives a damn about me anymore. Everyone seems to want me to just roll over and die. Even fucking Zoë. Even. Fucking. Zoë!"

Chiron didn't meet his old pupil's eyes. He didn't say a word. Thanas wondered why. He couldn't discern the expression on Chiron's face, but then it hit him. Chiron, the wise old centaur, was afraid. He was afraid because he didn't know if his words would backfire on him or not. Chiron didn't know how to comfort Percy, or how to take Percy's side without committing to something he wasn't ready to commit to.

"Sorry." Percy apologized to him, Xanthe and Leon. "You're all probably confused. I don't blame you. So am I." He blinked a few times, like something was stuck in his eyes. "Take a break until dies Solis. Then we start training and preparing our defense. Irene and I will do some scouting to get a feel for how the Romans are going to advance."

Thanas looked at the other two. They looked just as speechless as he felt. What was he supposed to say?

"Rest easy," he told them, shooting them a half-hearted smile. "Enjoy the little things while they last."

Then Percy turned and left, just as abruptly as he'd arrived.

Chiron let out a heavy breath, and Thanas realized he'd been holding it.

He, Leon and Xanthe looked at each other again, trying to find a way to continue the conversation without making things awkward. But it was too late for that. Percy had already made it awkward.

"I'll take my leave for the night," Chiron told them curtly. He looked both concerned and startled. As he stood up, revealing his horse half, Thanas noticed his tail swishing from side to side excessively. "Rest. You have a difficult path ahead."

The centaur left them.

"Wow..." Xanthe slumped in her seat. "Is it just me or is the tension between those two overwhelming?"

Leon shook his head, still staring at where the two had walked off to. "No, it's not just you. Chiron's the famous trainer of heroes, right?"

Thanas nodded and frowned. "Yes, he is. But it's weird to see him so frightened. Why does he seem so afraid of Percy?"

"I think it's because while Percy's technically done nothing wrong from our point of view," Leon suggested, "the way he's going about it is... brutal. I mean, you said you saw him execute the Romans still surviving in the encampment after we took the whole thing down?"

Thanas' toes curled at the memory. It wasn't the fact that he was executing Romans. It was the fact that he was executing indiscriminately. Old and young. Men and women. Powerful and powerless. The toddler was the worst one.

But it was necessary to achieve their goal. And that was the scary part.

"Chiron has seen a lot in his life," Thanas mused. "I wonder if it has to do with how Percy's being allowed to carry on this way. I would assume my father would be less than pleased if his kingdom was overflowing with new souls. And the gods would be far from amused at their children being cut down time and time again."

"Or maybe it's because he'll kill anyone that stands in his way?" Xanthe offered.

They threw a few ideas back and forth, but it was almost like answering an impossible riddle.

But there was one thing they knew for certain based off of Chiron's reaction. Percy must have been the most dangerous demigod to ever walk the earth. Even more dangerous than Heracles.

Thanas had never seen Chiron so flustered and hesitant.

When they broke off, Leon and Xanthe went off to their respective rooms to rest. Thanas felt like he should've rested, too. He'd never felt groggier and more listless than he did those few days after Ionna's small funeral. But, for some reason, he didn't feel tired. Instead, he made his way up to the garden, sitting on the bench and staring at the flowers in the moonlight.

"They don't look quite as pretty at night," a voice said from behind him.

He turned around. It was Irene.

"I suppose we haven't had a proper introduction," she said, "but I'm not a fan of introducing myself."

Thanas nodded silently, unsure of what to say.

She took a seat next to him. "What do you feel more of? Anger or sorrow?"

He couldn't help but look away. "Sorrow."

"How angry are you?"

"I'm angry, of course," he said, clenching his fists. "I just… I proposed to her. We were supposed to get married after the war and… I know that she was doing it for all of us, to help us win the war. It just feels like I had my other half ripped from me and—"

Thanas stopped himself. Why was he divulging all of this? His feelings. His emotions. He looked into the woman's eyes. They didn't look like the eyes of someone who would betray him.

Irene smiled softly. "Don't worry. I have that effect on people sometimes. It comes with being—"

"Like Percy?"

She pursed her lips. "I don't think I'm like Percy. Why do you say that?"

"Trust." Thanas couldn't help himself. He just felt like speaking, like he was lifting a weight off his chest. "You both have this aura. You both feel trustworthy."

She gave him a wry smile. "I'd hardly call either of us trustworthy."

"Maybe not. But you feel that way."

"Huh. I didn't know that about myself. You learn something new every day."

She was a lot more casual than he thought she'd be. Her serious expression reminded him of the sort of proper Roman demeanor he'd seen in captured Romans over the years. But there was something else about her that felt distinctly Greek, as if she was a mix of both.

"Are you wondering how old I am?" Irene asked, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.

"No. But now that you bring it up, you have to be immortal like Percy. Otherwise, you wouldn't be working with him so closely. He wouldn't treat you like an equal."

She laughed softly. "Does he treat me like an equal?"

"Well, I mean…"

Her gaze was longing and wistful. "If only that were the case. Percy's difficult to please, you know. Especially with everything that's happened to him."

Thanas straightened, snapping to attention. "How much do you know?"

"The details are fuzzy at best," she said. "But I could probably tell you the big picture stuff."

"Then you know about Mei? And Nabu? And Dharma?"

Irene grimaced. "Those were the biggest ones, the ones that had the most effect on him."

A cloud passed over, obscuring the light for a moment. An ominous shadow cast itself across her face, like the haunting image of a ghoul. A cold shiver ran up his spine.

"Damn demons," she muttered. "They feed off his memories. On one hand, I can't blame them. The horrors he's faced are what they feed on. On the other hand, I wish they'd just leave him alone. Hasn't he suffered enough?"

Thanas kept staring at her.

She clenched her jaw and glared at the air around them. "At least I realized my mistake, my error. I never should have slapped his hand away when he reached out. Because if no one else grabs his hand, then he'll really doom us all. He'll really succumb to the demons that haunt his soul."

Irene turned back to him.

"You're more ready than Xanthe and Leon for the truth."

He blinked. "The truth?"

"Before it all sinks in, and before Percy convinces you to use Ionna's death as a stepping stone to ultimate destruction and hatred, you need to understand the true magnitude of the situation. You need to understand that destroying the Romans is not the end goal. That it is only part of the means by which the end will be achieved."

"What…?"

Irene produced a familiar sphere from the folds of her clothes. His eyes widened as he recognized the pattern. It was the same kind of sphere that Percy had kept all of his memories in. Except this sphere looked a little off, like it was made out of gold instead of bronze… Imperial gold.

"You will not be the guide," she said, "but you will be the leader, forging ahead through the brush. Prepare yourself, Athanasios. You might not like what you see."

She cracked the sphere open, and the Mist consumed them.

And so begins the next phase of the story. I don't know how this phase will work out to readers. I'm not sure if I add character development and truly show how they change over the course of the story, but I hope it is alright.

Let me know how I can improve! Even though I've been writing on this site for years, I am not a writer and have no plans to be. Still, I'm sure there's stuff from here I can apply to my actual life, and so feedback is always welcome (though plz don't rip me to shreds if you criticize). Hope you all have a good weekend!

Sharky