The longer we walked, the worse I got. The curse of the Arai turning up more and more to show me that it was more just bad dreams. I was plagued by voices of the Arai with every decision I made and every step I took. I decided that having the Arai in your head is kind of like walking a wild dog while wearing noise canceling headphones. The Arai pull and push me in every direction they please and it takes all my strength to keep them on the right path. They chase after every living thing they see as if they want to kill it, which I had no doubt they would do if they got the chance. The voices in my head could only compare to listening to heavy metal screaming into my ear at all times of the day, yelling depressing lyrics and whispering promises of death.

"I am really craving McDonalds right now. I think that should be our first stop when we get out," Charlie groaned. Hearing Charlie's voice was like somebody hitting pause on the music. The sound resulted in instant relief. Or, at least for a moment.

You're never getting out

"Yeah, McDonalds sounds great."

You should just give up

It was hard to ignore. No, not hard. Impossible. Charlie knew I was down (more than usual) and was trying to seem cheerful. I knew he wasn't actually in a good mood. It was hard to be in a good mood when you couldn't remember the feeling of grass beneath your feet. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw death. And I don't mean Thanatos. Charlie was in many of these forced visions, usually he was being killed. I knew he was alive, obviously. But when I rested my eyes or gods forbid went to sleep, I had another terror. When I woke up, I wasn't sure whether it was real or not. Every situation I dreamed of was a logical event, giving our current situation. So if I woke up and Charlie was off getting fire water or whatever and I couldn't see him, I sometimes believed that my dream was real. I couldn't tell if I was dreaming until I saw him.

"I think we should take a break," Charlie suggested. I grunted in response. If it wasn't obvious, I was in a terrible mood. I was in immense pain, I missed my family, and I was convinced that we were going to die. Charlie poked me repeatedly in the one spot on my arm that wasn't bruised. He'd broken my rib while performing CPR on me awhile ago, so he'd wrapped his flannel around my chest tightly to keep the broken rib in place.

"What do you want?" I asked mournfully. He offered a small smile and began to hum. I rolled my eyes and kept walking.

"A kiss, kiss, kiss in Tartarus," he sang softly. I couldn't help but chuckle. He continued to nudge me, rocking back and forth and signing his stupid little song. "It's all I need to forget all that I miss, I just want a kiss, a kiss in Tartarus," his smile grew as he sang, causing mine to do the same. "It'll send me to bliss! Just one, one kiss is Tartarus,"

He continued to hum and dance until I could no longer resist. I kissed him. The feeling really did give me hope. He was smiling when I kissed him. His happiness, even if just for my benefit, was contagious. Adrenaline pumped through me as if I had been given a new reason to survive. Charlie pulled away, dragging me to his feet as it did. I tried to resist, but my mind was still swimming with memories of the kiss we'd shared only moments before.

"We can survive this," he said while I was still high on his love. "We are going to get out of here." He took my hand and ushered me to keep moving. "We will make it home," he promised. I was drunk on his words.

"Come on,"

We kept going.

It was getting darker, that much was for sure. I'd lost my glasses in the fall, so add that to the darkness and I was practically blind.

"Why is it getting so dark?" Charlie wondered. "There's no sun here, it shouldn't be getting dark."

I shrugged. "Who knows? This place is strange."

"Jase, we've been here for months. It has never gotten dark before," Charlie said.

The darkness is coming for you

We kept walking but I held my dagger a bit tighter. My broken arm was curved around my body protective, but I doubted it could take another hit.

The night is coming

I stopped walking. "The night is coming," I repeated quietly. My brain began working overdrive as an idea came into process.

"There is no night in Tartarus," Charlie countered.

I shook my head. "Yes, there is."

Charlie's eyes widened and I felt his hand tense in my own. "Nyx was up there in the real world and she probably wouldn't come back here. I mean, who would willingly go to Tartarus?"

You would.

I went quiet and didn't answer. My dad had willingly plunged into these depths for the person he loved, and I guess I did too. But Charlie didn't know that. And I didn't

I cleared my throat and changed the subject, "Nyx has many children. They mostly live in the Mansion of Night. She may have come back here for her kids but I seriously doubt that, so it's probably them who are causing the darkness."

"Nyx's children?"

"Yes. And if they're after us, then we're in trouble. My parents barely got past them. Mom and Dad acted like they were just tourists and complained that Nyx was boring, then started a fight between her kids about which one was her favorite," I explained.

Charlie smiled. "Your parents are awesome."

You'll never see them again

"I know."

Something made a low hissing sound but I paid it no mind. Just sounded like another one of the monsters that had been penetrating my mind since the Arai took root.

"You hear that?" Charlie asked.

I furrowed my eyebrows and nodded. "Yeah, thought it was in my head," I admitted.

Charlie gave me a strange look but before he could follow up on, it suddenly went completely black. I couldn't see my an inch from my face. It was total darkness.

"Jase?!"

"Right here." I found Charlie's hand and we huddled together. "Stay calm," I whispered. We stood back to back with his hand curled behind him to keep ahold of me. My right arm wasn't able to move very well so I relied on him to keep us together as I raised my sword.

"Who's there?" I yelled, trying my best to sound confident and unafraid.

"We are the children of Night," Somebody spoke. "Where is our mother?" The voice sounded old. Not like mythology old, like grandpa old. It sounded like an old man.

"Uh, your mom? Nyx? Yeah, she's up in the mortal world. Causing chaos and, uh, and killing stuff. Good times," Charlie squeaked.

"She said she would return, yet she has not. What happened to our mother?"

Charlie nudged me to take over. I took a deep breath and tried to channel my mom. She always was able to keep her calm in this kind of situation. She tricked Nyx and all her children.

"Nyx has been delayed so she sent us down here to check on you and send a message. What is your name?" I asked, plastering a fake smile on my face. I realized it was too dark for any of them to see my smile anyway but it helped me sound confident and cheerful.

"I am Geras, god of old age. I-,"

"And I am Eris, god of wars and strife. I am best suited to take mother's message," Another one interrupted. The two got onto a heated argument and soon, the other children began fighting too. As they fought, the darkness dimmed and I was able to see Charlie. He only shrugged and stared at the monsters as if he couldn't believe these things were actually capable of killing people.

"Can we sneak away?"Charlie whispered.

I shook my head as I watched the monsters fight. "No, the ones in the back aren't fighting. They're just watching us. And they were tricked by demigods here once before. If we run away, they will never stop until they kill us. Plus, if we run they'll think we killed their mother and then we're completely screwed," I explained.

"Right. So, act casual?"

I smiled slyly. "Just go with it," I said. "Hey! All of you dark dangerous children of Night!" I yelled, getting their attention. Most went quiet, except for two jerks in the back. "Listen, it doesn't matter who can best take the message because I'm delivering it to all of you!" I said with arms open wide. Charlie smiled awkwardly next to me.

"Well, what is the message?" Eris asked impatiently. I opened my mouth but no words came out. What was I supposed to say?

The truth. Your family is most likely dead, but you won't live to see if it is true.

I didn't ignore the Arai this time. "The Seven have been defeated," I said. I hoped it was a lie but I didn't have any way of knowing.

"I thought mother was coming back when she killed them?" A demon with ferocious yellow teeth asked. This demon almost seemed shy, prompting me to wonder which one it was. She stared suspiciously at me.

"Well, she wanted it to be a surprise," Charlie insisted. I nodded towards him then at the demons and monsters.

"Exactly! She is going to take over Olympus and the gods and she wishes for you all to stay here and relax while she does. When the gods are destroyed, then she will fetch you herself and give you each a throne on Olympus," I quickly lied. They believed their mother was coming back for them. I wasn't going to deny that. Nobody wanted to think that nobody was coming for them.

The demons bust into chatter, except for Geras and Eris, who turned to each other in anger.

"I shall be seated in the head throne beside mother," Geris growled.

"You shall not!" Eris insisted.

Charlie jumped between them, a very dangerous move. "Woah woah calm down you two! There's a throne on each side of your mother. Each of you get a throne beside her. But, don't tell your siblings," he promised. The children of Nyx seemed to like this. They nodded to each other in approval.

"So, sit tight and relax. Now we have to go back upstairs. Is there a message you would like us to deliver to your mother while we're there?" I asked. This plan was actually working. Charlie and I could just walk out of here.

"Yes, ask mother is she still wants us to attack the Greek and Roman camps," Eris said eagerly.

The camps will die. Those you love will die.

They were planning to attack Camp? Camp Half Blood was my home. Children and families and some of my best friends lived at Camp Jupiter. We had to stop Nyx's children from attacking the Camps. The Seven may not be back to protect them and there was no way to warn them. Charlie took my shocked silence as a reason to speak.

"No, actually. She would you to wait so she can be with you when you attack," he said.

Her children looked suspicious for the first time. "Are you sure? That doesn't sound like mother," one said.

They will suffer.

Everybody you love will die.

I let the Arai get to my head. I let their thoughts take me over and rush my mind. I was convinced that those I loved would suffer, that they would die.

"No," I said cooly. Charlie furrowed his eyebrows at my tone. I avoided his eyes. "Nyx wants you to wait to attack. She wants the demigods to lose hope before they die. She wants them to see their parents fall, the gods die. Then, you will sweep them to the side. Kill them all when they are their weakest."

Charlie's eyes were wide at my statement. The demons and monsters of Night were grinning. They loved it.

"That is a perfect plan, I can't believe mother never told us! This is the greatest surprise ever!" Eris clasped his clawed hands together in excitement.

"Yes, it will be a victorious day. Until then, stay here. Prepare. When the time comes, you will be summoned to the crack and we will ascend upon the demigod camps," I told them. Most nodded eagerly and a few fled back into the mansion.

"Very well," Geris spoke. "Tell mother congratulations on killing the seven and their children. Also, tell her I do appreciate her using my plan to send cyclops after their ship when they left their prison."

Charlie glanced at me uneasily. I swallowed my nerves and lost a little confidence when I spoke. "That was your plan?" I prodded, hoping to get more information.

"Yes, of course. After the Seven 'escaped' I advised her to send the cyclops after them until she could kill them. We both know we couldn't have defeated two generations of the most powerful demigods while they were prepared, even if the Seven were exhausted. So mother followed them, sending endless cyclops after their ship to wear them down. I hadn't thought she would have attacked by now. I assumed she would wait longer, but this is good news nonetheless. Then, when the time was right, late at Night, she attacked. Killing them while they were unprepared and resting. I am very glad to hear she succeeded," Geris seemed to pat himself on the back as he explain his plan.

I prayed his plan hadn't succeeded. We probably could have taken Nyx out in the cavern, but we didn't. We were escaping. And after Charlie and I fell, they probably kept going. So Nyx's plan (sorry, Geris's plan) could have worked. But if Nyx hadn't attacked them yet, as Geris expected, they may be alive. We had to find a way to warn them.

"That is a very ingenious plan, Geris. I am sure your mother is very proud. Now, we must get going. I will relay the news to your mother and tell her you all are well,"

"We are not well, we are terrible! We are the darkest and the worst!"

"Of course, forgive my wording. I will tell her you all are horrible and petrifying. Goodbye," I forbid.

Charlie took the corner of my shirt in his hand and we slowly turned around and walked away. I didn't want to turn my back on these beasts but it would be suspicious if we just backed away with our weapons raised. I took one last glance at the mansion. This is where our journey branches off from my parents. They went through the mansion, to the Doors of Death. But if the monsters we were following were correct, we were supposed to walk right by. Go in another direction. I didn't like the idea of following a different path, but I did not want to go through the Mansion of Night. We'd had a similar journey to my parents but this is where that ended. Well, not that similar. By now, my parents had already escaped and defeated Gaea and gone back to life as normal. Well, normal.

I took my arm out of Charlie's make-shift sling and grabbed his hand. I didn't care if it hurt, I needed to feel his touch.

"Well, this was an eventful day," Charlie said.

"An eventful night," I corrected. Charlie scoffed and smiled at my stupid joke. "I know you're tired, and I am too, but I think we should keep going. I want to get as far away from that mansion as we can," I pleaded.

Charlie agreed, "Yes. That place gives me a bad vibe."

"That's it?" I joked. "A bad vibe?"

"Yup."

((I forgot to update on Friday! Super sorry! I hope you'll accept my apology in the form of an extra chapter? Have a great week!)