Chapter 3: Rachel Elizabeth Dare

Rachel

I was in a dream.

Out on the open deck looking at the city below, the breezy afternoon air made me tingly but I was comfortably wrapped around with a blanket. My father was beside me, talking to me about his day. It was strangely peaceful, and I felt happy. I wasn't able to hear the specifics, but I know he was passionate about his work. We each held a glass of cold orange juice, leaning against a backdrop of yellow yolk-colored sunset permeating from the west, as his story went on and on.

For the first time, I was finally feeling content at home, with my father, and with my broken family.

Then the stories stopped.

"Dad?"

I shifted my gaze and watched as my father smiled lovingly at me like this was the last time we were ever going to be together. I didn't know why he was crying suddenly, nor why he was looking so regretful. He set his drink on the railing, kiss my forehead, then climb over the five stories tall balcony.

"Dad!" I screamed but my voice drowned beneath an ocean.

I couldn't move an inch. All I could think about was why… Why was he…? I didn't want him to…

Then I heard his clear whisper, "I love you, red."

The next second flashed like a bolt of lightning across my eyes. I didn't blink, watched in horror as my father jumped, plunging off our mansion's top floor, and disappeared from my sight.

"Daddd!" Tears rolled down my cheeks, but forces like rough tsunami waves pushed me away. I swam as best I could, but it kept pushing me back to suffocate my voice and the pain drilling a hole in my heart.

Then the world faded to black….

I was anyone besides myself, a soulless husk waiting and longing for something out there.

That something reached me, a tiny light fell like leaves from the heavens above. I held out my hands and caught the delicate ball. It's almost like I was meant to reach for it. Warmth spread through me.

A new voice spoke from the darkness.

"You'll know death… through you, they'll all know death…"

My body froze.

"But guide them you will… It's is your only destiny."

Before my very eyes, I saw something inexplicable. A snake slithering out of a weird-looking shrine, it crawled and zig-zag across the unknown, slowly reaching me.

I still couldn't move. Fear gripped me toward a state of cardiac arrest as the snake slithered around my left leg, continued its climb up my body, and finally twirled around me in a spiral. At long last, it reached my upper body and rotate to make a hissing sound beside my right shoulder.

"Please…." I begged but to no avail.

Eyes gleaming, the snake bare its fang and leaped. It was all too fast, I couldn't catch it with my eyes alone. The next thing I knew, a sharp pain beyond anything I could have imagined bit into my neck. I screamed, agonized but nothing could echo in this empty void. I was trapped in a coffin, waiting for someone to let me out of this…

…...

"Ahhh!"

… nightmare.

Sitting up on my bed, everything around me had been soaked with my cold sweat. The ac was on, and its chill snapped me wide awake and reminded me just how frigid the air surrounding me had gotten.

Heart pounding erratically, I was agitated by what happened.

Dreadful shivers rolled through my entire body, but there was no warmth to be had anywhere, not even in my comforters. Hiding behind it would only cause more chills.

A shaky sigh left my lips as I got up off my bed. The ac remote was on the other side of my room where my desk was. I promptly turned it off and replaced it with the heater. Dull rumblings replaced the soft rumbling of the ac unit.

Still, that didn't make me feel better right away. It would take another ten minutes to warm up my room, I decided to get rid of my soaked sheets, replaced them with a new set, then grab a bath towel for the shower.

Stripping out of my pajamas in the middle of my room, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I was fortunate to have a body that was both captivating and desirable, but despite having an attractive figure, I couldn't get away from how tired and depressing I looked. My expression felt completely dead in contrast to my alluring lean body most people would be jealous of.

"A shower first, then…"

Bare from head to toe now, I stepped into my bath and took a really hot shower. It was refreshing and exactly what I needed after a nightmare like that.

Heated water trickled down my wet hair, running over my smooth fair skin, and without thinking, I reached out to touch my right shoulder, pressing my finger against the nape of my neck. A sigh of reassurance left me, there weren't any signs of a bite mark, nor did I feel the pain in the nightmare.

I let out a heavy breath of air.

The hot shower worked wonders, and slipping out brought me to a fully heated room. It was the exact kind of comfort I needed.

"Hmm…"

I picked a pair of peach color underwear and threw them on, my fingers slipped under the hem of my panties as I drew them up over my tone thighs. Next came the school's uniform, and I wore it how I usually do; a light blue button-down fleece cardigan over the white blouse, the signature blazer on top, a pleated skirt reaching down to my upper knees in length, a pair of knee-high stockings, and finally my casual shoes.

I was ready.

Breakfast was spent alone in the kitchen. I had a piece of toast with butter and some hot chocolate milk to top it off, and the next thing I knew, I was leaving for school.

As soon as I've gotten out the front door, my eyes darted back inside our mansion, but like always, there was no one to see me off, just the empty hallway of our entrance. It was quiet, as it's always had been.

"See you tonight…"

I locked the door with my keys, then made sure to secure the gate surrounding our mansion. With a deep breath, I turned to face our private walkway leading to the public pier of the east river, the only quiet little corner of Brooklyn.

The ride back to school was atrocious. Delays upon delay, I might have gotten out on time, but it was clear I would be at least an hour late if the train continue at this pace, and that's before the train was even able to cross the bridge. What's more suspicious, there were police officers at every train cart and silently observing people with vigilance.

Curiosity almost made me ask the offices what was going on this morning.

Luckily, nothing happened. Everyone was minding their own business just like how most mornings in the city would be. Though something was different about people, like some kind of fear was telling them to stay as far away from others as possible.

I couldn't get away from that strangeness even when I got off the train.

The walk to school was short, and the further I got, the lesser people were around. I figured it was because I was late, but I was proven wrong the moment I reached the crosswalk to the pier.

The world flashed like a speeding mirage before my eyes.

Visions…. No, images hidden in plain sight spun through my head like a movie played at five times the normal speed. I stumbled, the pain was similar to migraines I'd sometimes get and I only steady myself with the lamp post beside the street.

I looked back up once the headache was gone. The sight around the school grounded me to a halt.

"Wha—"

Classes resumed in session yet only five students were attending the lecture.

There were so few students attending school today that one had to wonder why there was even school at all. I've only learned bits and pieces of what happened from eavesdropping on people around the hallways, and given what I've seen myself, Mrs. Farron really shouldn't open our school at all.

In the end, our teacher tried to give us a lesson, and the five of us in different seats tried to listen and take in the materials as best as we could. It was a quiet and peaceful class.

Soon, the bell rang. It was time for lunch.

I wondered what awaited me. Hopefully, I learned exactly what happened to the park south of our school, and why there was a sudden outpost of military personnel like a hostile takeover or something like in the movies.

"Hey-Hey… Did you see that video online?"

I overheard a pair of students talking as I stood in line to get lunch.

"Yeah. It was crazy! Like can you imagine someone who can do that? It's scary."

"Yeah, I don't know… I feel like it's kinda cool."

"Don't be stupid! Do you want them to take you in alive? I am already surprised no one come inside the school and questioned everyone here."

I tapped one of the girl's shoulders, "Ahem… sorry, but what are you guys talking about?"

It seemed they already knew who I was, "Hey Rachel, you didn't catch the news last night?"

"Hehe… No, I was…" I tried to remember what I was doing last night, but every time I racked my brain, I came up blanked and empty, "I was too tired so I went to sleep straight after."

"Lucky you…" She said, "You wouldn't believe what happened yesterday."

Before she could explain, her friend passed me a sorry look and began to drag her away to a table with their friends. She shot me an apologetic look, "Just search it up online. It's all everyone is talking about."

Their interaction made me tilt to the side. Whatever the possibilities were, it felt like I was facing an endless sea and it was both frightening and frustrating.

As I brought my lunch and took a seat alone, I took out my phone and decided to follow that girl's suggestion. Just like she mentioned, the first thing I saw on the home page was an article viewed more than five million times, detailing everything that had happened last night.

I scrolled through as meticulously as I could, but my head was having a hard time catching up. What I thought was a simple and sudden migrant came back and knock my thoughts sideways. The dull and numbing sensation ground me to a stop, I fell and crouch over the table, head in my hands.

"Ugh…" The pain was intense and out of nowhere, "W-what's going on with me?"

It never subsided like all my other instances, the lasting effects lingered beyond what I was capable of dealing with. It hurt so bad!

Any normal person would have stopped looking right away, but I was too curious. With a strength beyond me, I pulled my eyes and looked at the last bit of the page. I saw the name Walter Elizabeth Dare. I recognized that name, after all…

There was also a video, it automatically played when I hovered over it.

An intense battle in the darkest of night rage on….

Everything happening in the blurry video was beyond the ability of any normal human being, the countless damage and destruction were all too real and all too improbable. The two figures dressed in armor and grey uniforms were….

"Ugh!" My head snapped in half. I bit my lips and groaned, "Ugh-ahh…"

All of a sudden, a concerned voice spoke up, "Hey? Rachel? Are you okay?"

Someone noticed. She was sitting a few tables down, but at that point, my splitting headache only got worse. I felt something warm and hot, something acidic stirred in my stomach. It felt disgusting as it went back up my throat and left me with a gross burning sensation.

This is bad!

I couldn't answer her worries. All I could do rushed out of the cafeteria and hurried to the girl's bathroom. I didn't even bother with my lunch or belongs.

"Hey! Are you okay?!"

Each step felt heavy and wobbly, I was close to the verge of stumbling on my face a few times too. At long last, I slammed one of the stalls open and immediately couch over the toilet.

Thankful that I made it just in time before making a mess, the lump in my throat now refused to come out! I would have cursed if I could. It felt like I was suffocating under someone's chokehold, one intending to squeeze the air out of my lungs with a very clear intention.

I tried to readjust, gasp, and even regurgitate it on my own. Nothing worked. The agony was too much, I was literally about to faint from the pain when…

"Here. I've got you."

Someone spoke from behind me as they helped pull my hair out of my face. I looked back and recognized their faces immediately, yet this time, there were four of them.

"Illya, if you will…"

A girl in white hair spoke, "Yes, Lady Thalia."

A soft sigh followed, "Again, how many times have I told you to stop calling me that…"

Looking back at the girls I had become good friends with: Annabeth, Piper, Thalia, and…

At first glance, the girl named Illya was beautiful and youthful, the kind of girl who was too innocent for her own good. In the next second, she placed the palm of both her hands and pressed them against my back. I noticed a faint yellow glow on the glossy stall panels. Whatever she did, everything felt welcoming and warm all of a sudden, like a heater behind my back. I felt relaxed, like all the pain I felt earlier was…

Then I threw up.

"B-BLLLAAARRRGGGEEE!"

It was absolutely the worst of the worst. Not stopping even after half a minute, my body grew so weak I barely had enough strength to hold myself up. The only reason why I haven't collapsed yet was because of Annabeth and Piper, they rubbed my arms and back with gentleness and ease. Of course, Illya helped too, whatever it was that she did.

"Are you okay now?" Annabeth asked.

I shook my head. Though I may not be vomiting anymore, the world was spinning around me. I couldn't get up, so much as keep my balance even crouched over.

"Annabeth, this is something else…" Piper noted urgently, "We should get back to the safe room before we do anything else. This location isn't secure."

Annabeth hummed in response. I didn't know what they were talking about, but that was beyond me at the moment.

"I'll carry her with Illya. You take point with Thalia and keep a lookout. Remember the training we've gone through, okay?"

Illya and Piper both reached an arm around me and lifted me on my feet. It was a miracle that I could move my feet along with their guidance.

Before me, Annabeth puffed out her chest and ballooned her cheeks, her right hand pressed against her chest as if in some form of acknowledgment.

"I've got this, Pipes! Leave this to me!"

Someone in the group shook their head in exasperation.

Nonchalantly ignoring that subtle head shake, she continued to carry herself with an air of dignified elegance, gloating smugness, and full of confidence look. No one questioned just how childish she was being. It was the definitely of her youthfulness blooming beautifully.

"Knock it off, princess…" Thalia sighed.

Like always, this was her alter ego, her cheerful personality that only present itself with the people she trust most. Rachel was glad to be one of those people in her circle. She was a good friend, unlike the girls she hung out with before.

Thalia cleared her throat and looked at everyone, "We should go."

While the two girls helped me stumble out of the bathroom, Thalia and Annabeth walked in front of us. I managed to hear some of their conversations, but what they were talking about didn't make the slightest sense to me, all except…

"I hope Percy is fine…"

Thalia rolled her eyes, "Sheese… He's just waiting outside and you are already missing him? You two are the biggest love birds in the entire world."

Glare….

"Fine fine… I get it. Go and smooch up with your boyfriend. I'll keep a lookout by myself."

Laser-beam glare…

Awkward silences followed as they neared the exit, "Are you going to keep staring at me like that or what?"

An annoyed Annabeth huffed and walked off by herself. I would have grinned if I had the ability to, but it was already taking a toll on me to walk.

With Piper and Illya's help, they managed to get me out into the hallways. Empty as one would expect for our lunch period, I only saw Percy standing beside the girl's bathroom. He was holding a bag, or rather, he was holding my bag and belongs! Did he bring them from the cafeteria after I ran out in a hurry?

My heart skipped a few beats.

"Oh! Hey, Rachel!" Percy gleamed at me and looked cool as always, but I averted his gaze. My current state wasn't something I wanted him to see. As expected, his worries grew across his face not a second too late, "You are not feeling so great, are you?"

"Dumb question, seaweed brain." He got chopped by Annabeth's swinging hand and stumbled, coughing heavily in between, "But let's go. We can talk inside the safe room."

Percy didn't seem to disagree, and soon after, I was led up to the fifth floor with Thalia before us, Percy and Annabeth behind, while Piper and Illya kept a tight hold around me.

I would have wondered what they were all talking about, why the need to bring us to a safe room, or who Illya was, but those thoughts were replaced by something even stranger.

For a brief second, I saw... a reality that hadn't happened yet, or maybe it would in the next ten minutes...?

Was that the future? Perhaps a mere daydream? No no, it felt too real to be a daydream. Seriously, what was that just passed through my head in the blink of an eye? Am I suddenly going insane?

"We are here." A voice took me away.

Before long, we've arrived at a dead end with nothing in sight. Questions sprung in my head, but as soon as Thalia touch her hand to the wall, a loud thunk echoed as part of the wall began to slide open, revealing a hidden room behind what everyone assumed to be a solid structure.

I heard a gasp leave my dry throat.

"So you can see through the mist…" Piper said as if it wasn't something to be shocked about. She along with Illya helped me enter the 'safe room'. The door sealed shut behind us, then they brought me to a long chair and lay me on top.

"This just got a lot more complicated, but first…"

Piper walked away with Illya who went to fetch a glass cup and began to mix something in with water.

"Wait! You said nectar could kill a mortal, didn't you?"

Thalia shook her head, "Not in small amounts, but if what I suspect is true, I don't believe she's just a regular mortal anymore."

I passed a confused glance at Percy and Thalia.

"Here, drink up." Piper suddenly passed me the glass, "This will help you get better."

I took the glass and sipped it twice. Despite not knowing what the liquid was, its essence immediately worked to remedy my dry throat. My body shuddered as warmth spread to calm my nerves. I felt at peace and in heaven.

"It tastes like melon…"

Piper smiled, "It's supposed to taste like your favorite foods, that's why."

I didn't understand, but the taste and its strange effects made me drink the whole glass in a few gulps. It was good beyond my imagination, I almost wanted seconds.

Awake and feeling refreshed, I placed the glass down on the weird-looking table and looked around the safe room, at my friends, and at all the unfamiliar pieces of equipment scattered around.

"So, what is all this?"

I wasn't sure who I was asking, but at this point, since nothing made any sense to me, I was sure they all knew something I don't. It was as if my friends had a whole secret side to them that I've never known about, it made me just a bit uneasy.

"Well, first and foremost… You were poisoned with a heavy amount of Lethe. When you threw up, I noticed an amorphous mass of purple shade. Basically, it's a liquid so thick and formless that's indigestible for humans. Your immune system was fighting its effects, that's why."

"Poison?!"

It wasn't me who shouted, but rather Percy and Annabeth who look shocked for me.

"It's from the underworld and sourced from the river Lethe, and it's a substance that makes you forget everything when consumed." Piper turned to me, "I am assuming you can't remember anything from last night, right? Plus, the reason why you can't throw up is that once digested, it can't be removed by normal means."

"By normal means…? You mean…"

Piper nodded at me, "Illya helped get rid of that Lethe in your system. It will take some time before your memories come back, but until then..."

"Wait a minute… Just wait a minute…" I held out my hand, "The underworld? River Lethe?"

My breathing picked up when none of them looked shocked by what was being said, "Just what in the world are you guys talking about? This has to be a joke, right?"

Unfortunately, I was wrong.

Thhudd! Thudd! Thuddd!

All of a sudden, we were interrupted when the building trembled like we were in the center of an earthquake. I almost fell off my seat, but thankfully, Percy reached out and steady me. For a small second, I fell into his arms as he held me close.

I held a breath when his right arm went across my back.

"You okay?"

I nodded and Percy let go. However, I sensed there was a pair of eyes from one of the four girls staring cold, unfiltered daggers at me. I gulped and back away as much as possible

"What was that?" Piper grew alarmed as the room rumbled repeatedly, its wall shook against something heavy from the outside, followed by a loud crashing sound each time it struck.

"Someone is attacking…" Thalia said, "But it can't be him, so who is…"

Just before I entered their safe room, I remembered seeing this, but that wasn't real… so why?

"It's Drew." I spoke up without meaning to, "She's trying to break in and also leading a bunch of other girls behind her…"

Everyone looked at me like I'd gone crazy. I almost blushed at the stares if not for the dire situation we were in.

"I don't know how to explain it, okay? I just saw it in my head before we came here."

For some reason, only Piper and Thalia looked shocked by my revelation.

"Well, we can't stay here." Thalia rushed over to her desk and input something into a holographic display built-in on the marble surface, "Owlfred, prepare six release gates back to the penthouse and wait for my mark."

I barely had time to be shocked at what she just did or at something as impossible as a real hologram.

"Roger, Thalia." A metallic voice spoke from nowhere.

The walls shook violently as the next attack jolted the safety within this hidden room, it was as if each molecule was being deconstructed by the continuous blasts. I had to wonder if we were about to be buried underneath a pile of rock once the door holding them back broke.

Everything happening still didn't make the slightest sense to me, but I got the feeling that sticking with my friends was safer than the danger that awaits me outside.

"I knew she was no good!" Piper exclaimed as she took a fighting stance at the entrance, "That's stuck-up bitch and her band of idiots."

Thalia joined her after finishing with the input, "Keep that anger for later, Pipes. Remember to keep your guard up, we don't know who she is and what kind of power she possesses yet."

Illya extended her arms toward the doorway and held out her palms as well.

Meanwhile, Percy and Annabeth stood beside me. Somehow, I've missed the long swords suddenly in their hands. It came out of nowhere.

"The teleportation spell is completed, Thalia." His metallic voice spoke again.

"Good. Just wait for my signal… Everyone ready?"

Boom!

This one struck much harder than before. Loud vibration echoed as the safe room quaked like it was on the last of its life to keep the intruders out.

"Get down!" Thalia screamed.

Booom!

A hole blasted through the doorway as broken bricks and sharp rocks were sent flying back in every direction, accompanied by dust and smoke which enveloped the safe room with a grey fog. Coughing up a storm, I wasn't able to see anything but I could still hear Drew's voice as clear as day through the destruction.

"Well, finally…" She spoke blithely, "That was some tough protection spell, I admit."

When I could open my eyes, I saw a group of mostly female students behind the settled dust cloud with Drew at the forefront. I noticed some boys too, and in total, there were about twenty in strength.

This scene… It was exactly how I saw it in my head ten minutes ago.

"Oh?" Drew mused, "This is interesting."

I passed a glance at what she was looking at. Somehow, there was a thin transparent layer extending into a rectangular square, it looked rather like a bubbly film of distorted blue hue. It blocked the area exactly where the impact would have landed, and whatever this magical barrier was, it kept the debris from striking any of us.

"Good think, Illya!" Percy screamed with joy as he helped Annabeth back to her feet. Of course, he made sure to shield her from harm with his whole body, "That's some amazing skill, Illya."

Illya smiled innocently as Percy went to pat her head. I shuddered involuntarily. Without looking behind me, I could feel a ghostly stare colder than subzero being lasered at Percy as he smiled and praised Illya's effort to stop the blast from hitting any of us.

"Ahem!" Annabeth finally had enough and went to pull her boyfriend back, "Percy?! What about defending ourselves?"

You are so dense and hopeless, Percy Jackson…

Of course, Percy sheepishly tilted his gaze away from an angry pouting Annabeth, as he totally should after realizing his outrageous mistake, "Ah-hahaha…. Please forgive me, wise girl." He hurriedly bowed and clapped his hands together in apology, "I was really caught in the moment…"

"Hmph."

I shook my head as did everyone else in the room, all except Illya who took on a dreamy look and was sparkling in an over the moon state.

"Uh… Hello? Not that I want to interrupt your cute couple moments, but this is the end of the line for all of you. You and your friends have nowhere to run." Drew proclaimed proudly as our attention shifted back to her, "Surrender Rachel to me and we'll let you go."

Me? Why is everyone after me?

She smirked, "Otherwise, you'll have to fight all of us, and I think you'd rather avoid a bloody battle before it could begin, right? Thalia and Piper?"

The two girls at our forefront shared a knowing look and smiled.

"We won't give you Rachel," Thalia smirked back, "And this won't end in a fight either."

"Ha! He said something about you being an arrogant asshole… Anyway, you've got nowhere to go and I've got you trapped! There's no way you could run away, so if you value your life, then…"

Thalia suddenly flung something behind her back, it hung in mid-air between us and them for a nano-second, then…

εκρηγνύομαι

A bright white flash.

"Owlfred, now!" Thalia screamed.

Something happened. I felt feather-light as if my body wasn't real anymore. The next thing I knew, I was….