"Shit! Reyna, it's not working!" Jason swore as they tried to bust down the door which they'd been stopped at. They were running out of time before the titans found them and, more importantly, Reyna.

Gwen and Dakota worked furiously trying in vain to pick the lock while Jason let out a string of profanities. On the other side of the door, Reyna paced around restlessly, starting to lose hope that she'd ever make it out. She had always imagined herself dying in a battlefield, dying a hero. Never in a million years would she have imagined this, being trapped in the home of a titan.

Out of frustration, the young praetor kicked the door which did nothing to help the situation but only made her toes throb. This time, it was Reyna's turn to let out a string of profanities which she'd learnt from her time with the sailors. After all of that sneaking round the Titan Palace, all the pain and torture she'd had to withstand for the past few days, when she was finally able to escape, she was trapped.

Reyna pounded on the door, hoping the three legionnaires could hear her from the other side. "Guys, just leave me here! It's too dangerous and it won't work."

"No! Reyna, we're not leaving you here! Do you think we would come all this way just to give up?" Gwen shouted between grunts of frustration as she picked the lock.

Suddenly, a large shadow loomed over Reyna. "I think you should listen to your 'praetor', Romans." said a voice Reyna knew too well. Instinctively, she spun around to be greeted by her worst enemy.

"Krios," she snarled.

"Well, my fellow praetor. Fancy seeing you here. Going somewhere?"

Reyna growled angrily, getting into a fighting stance. She may have been weaponless but she still wouldn't go down without a fight.

"Now now, it would be a shame to see those little friends of yours die, but it seems that you leave me with no other choice."

Reyna felt something wet and slippery trickle down her back. She looked up and realised that it was pouring all around the room she was in.

"Goodbye, my fellow praetor!" cackled Krios as he marched away, locking the door as he left.

Reyna spun back round to the door separating her from her friends, but slipped on something on the floor. She lifted her hand from the gooey substance and raised it to her nose, sniffing it. Gasoline. Reyna realised what was happening and pounded the door with her fist urgently. If this was the end, she hoped she could do at least one last noble act. She hoped her mom would be proud.

"Jason, Gwen, Dakota, you have to get out of here! You have to leave right now! It's too dangerous!"

Jason heard the new found urgency in Reyna's voice. She knew something they didn't, that much was obvious. But Jason knew that he could never live with the guilt of leaving her.

"Guys I'm serious. I know what I'm doing, this is part of my plan. I need you to get out of this building and stay as far away as possible. I've got this!"

"No! Rey, I can't leave you!"

"Jason, go, just go you have to hurry!"

"But Rey-"

"Do you want me to get out of here or not?"

"Well-"

"Then go! THAT'S AN ORDER!"

Jason knew better than to ignore a praetor's orders, something he'd learnt over his years at camp, but he didn't care anymore. Gwen and Dakota looked at him expectantly, completely oblivious to his discomfort. Jason sighed and stared at the door before turning to the two legionnaires.

"Go! I will get her out of here." He commanded.

Gwen and Dakota looked ready to protest, or even drag him out of there. But the look of fierce determination in his eyes told them they couldn't get him out of there. The two of them sighed defeatedly before heading outside the building, trying to ignore the growing uneasiness they felf. They're fine, Gwen kept telling herself. Don't worry, Reyna and Jason are the strongest people you know. They'll be fine.

Reyna sighed in relief as she heard their heavy footfalls disappear down the hall. At least she'd been able to do some good. She felt warmth crawling up her back but she ignored it, welcomed it even. The warmth began to spread and became more aggressive, no longer gentle. The young praetor spun round and stared in shock at the blazing fire in front of her. She mentally scolded herself. Why was she shocked? She knew this was coming anyway.

Reyna's lungs began to fill up with smoke and the world around her started to blur. Evil laughter filled the room.

The Praetor crouched to the ground and covered her mouth, a weak attempt to stop the smoke from entering her lungs. Her vision began to cloud slowly as she fought to stay conscious. In her short life, Reyna had fought many battles. But this wasn't something she was used to.

As she spluttered helpless in the floor, she couldn't help but think of how she had failed. She'd failed her sister, friends, mother, Lady Lupa, the Legion. But mainly, she'd failed herself.

In life, there are some battles not worth fighting. Even the daughter of Bellona knew that. Reyna was sure this was one of them. The legion would be fine without me, she thought. They've got Gwen, Leila, Jason. Jason. A wave of guilt crashed upong the young praetor as she thought of her best friend. He wouldn't want her to give up, to stop fighting. But she couldn't fight anymore. He wouldn't like it of course, no one would. But he would move on, just like everyone else. That's how life goes.

Reyna coughed some more, feeling her energy slipping away. Her eyes began to droop. Somehow, she wasn't afraid. She welcomed the flames licking her feet, they felt peaceful, yet dangerous. Her vision began to fog as she stared blankly at the dark ceiling. She faintly heard the pounding against the door behind her, as if someone was calling her name. But she must've been imagining it. Jason was gone, after all.

Her eyes drooped as the fire circled her, climbing up the door.

"That's an order, Jason," she muttered before drifting away from consciousness.