I just realized that the last chapter I did was like, one of the only ones where she didn't pass out at the end. So congratulations to me! Also, sorry for not updating for a long time. Things have gone hectic in school. Luckily it's Sunday, and I had a bit of free time. Here you go!

"But we have no time for pleasantries. I am here to discuss business."

"What business?" I asked shrewdly.

"Simple. You die, and I let the world live.

Anything else I was prepared for. But this? How was anyone going to decide whether to give up their life or watch the world end and know it's their fault? I couldn't bear the shame. What should I do? I wanted Clara here. She always knows what to do.

"How do I know you're not lying?" I worked up the courage to ask.

She laughed, which creeped me out slightly.

"Dear, no need to worry about that. Make your decision quickly, or you'll never see your friends again," she said menacingly.

I stepped back a little. I knew I was the only thing stopping her from destroying the world, so of course I knew she was lying. But she's going to kill my friends. I wish I knew a way out. It's like being trapped in a room with 2 doors. 1 lead to a pool of acid, the other led to safety. But in the pool of acid, your family and friends were drowning. Only you could save them, by jumping into the pool of acid. Or just go to safety and live with the guilt. Then I realized that this analogy was truer than I had intended it to be. Because sometimes, you can survive a pool of acid…

"I… choose to die. But first, I need to see my friends."

She curled her upper lip in distaste. She was obviously contemplating her options- to let me see my friends and possibly escape, or to have me fight her now and have a chance to win. I possibly escaping won, and she led me to Clara and Percy's earth chamber. Let me just say, they looked terrible. I'm not judging or anything, but they looked as if they'd been run over by a million tow trucks towing a million cars behind them. Without the tire marks, of course.

"What did you do to them?" I cried.

She snarled and said, "None of your business. You have seen your friends, now prepare to-"

She was cut off by liters of water flying at her. She barely dodged them all as we ran out, destroying the mud guards along the way. I summoned a ball of light, only to have it extinguish in 2 seconds. I really should have trained more with my powers. Clara was in front, demolishing anything in her way. Percy was at the back drawing water out of the monsters, turning them into solid rock. But it wasn't enough. Soon we were surrounded, with the exit being only a few meters away.

"Oh Styx." I mumbled.

They were drawing closer when Clara started singing. I was about to yell at her that it was not the time, but her voice was like a siren. Enchanting and Mysterious. The mud men started falling unconscious, and she stopped singing and I snapped awake.

"That was the siren's call. It knocks people unconscious." She explained when she saw my confused look.

"Cool!" I said half- heartedly.

Maybe some other time I would have asked her how she had learnt that. But now was not the time. Maybe if I had died, then Gaea would let them all live. Just the thought of them screaming at me, asking me why I didn't take the sacrifice…

"Halley? Hello, anyone in there?"

I shoved Percy's hand away from my face.

"Can't anyone think for a while? Well, I suppose you wouldn't know, you can't even think!" I retorted.

We shot insults back and forth, Clara joining in. I felt content for the first time. I guess a single candle burns brighter in the darkness. Where did that come from? I'm in the middle of a war and I'm thinking of sappy metaphors. I'm losing my mind, if that isn't obvious.

"Hey Halley, do you think Gaea let us go too easily?" Clara asked.

We were trekking up a mountain because the mud monsters were still on our tail and she's saying that?

"Too easily doesn't describe the mud monsters chasing us," I said bluntly.

"No," she said hastily, "I'm just saying she could've done more to keep us back."

I mulled it over in my mind, seeing Percy do the same.

"Maybe she put a tracking device or something on one of us?" Percy suggested.

We looked at him as if he said he loved Gaea.

"You… you said something smart!" we both stuttered.

Percy's eyebrows creased when he realized what we meant and he pouted.

"Hey, I'm smarter than I look," he protested.

We laughed and rolled our eyes. I doubt that anyone could say he was a genius. But I had to admit, he was loyal and a good friend and he did make up some good plans.

"I guess you're not the dumbest person on Earth." I compromised.

Speaking of Earth I realized we were no longer waling on mud and rocks. Instead, smooth marble tiled the ground, leading up the slope to a gleaming castle in the distance.

"What the Hades is that?" Percy asked.

We looked at it for a long time, just considering whether or not to go up. Sadly, we had forgotten about the mud men and they were only a few feet away from us.

"RUN!" I screamed.

We hurtled through trees and bushes, not really caring if it was poison ivy of what not. We just kept running, my legs getting incredibly sore.

"We're nearly there!" Clara yelled over the wind.

Wait, wind? Just a second ago I swear it wasn't windy. Maybe it's the wind gods, um… Aeolus? Yeah, some god was really messing up my day. I panted as I got to the top of the mountain, but both of them hadn't even broken a sweat.

"How," pant, "are you guys not tired?"

It almost took all of my energy to say this. They exchanged glances and laughed. I glared at them with all the energy I could muster; which, unfortunately, wasn't much.

"Training at camp is tough. We do this practically every day." They explained.

We walked in, me still panted like a fish on land. As we strolled across the hall, I noticed there were pictures of the gods hung up on the walls. Zeus was first, his frame lined with gold. Next was Poseidon, lined with silver. I thought Hades was going to be next, but they skipped his picture. All the other gods and goddesses were lined with bronze, their pictures all relating to their realm.

"Whoever this guy is, they must be a god, a demigod, or an abnormally obsessed mortal," I commented.

They both ignored me. Great guys, I'm feeling the love. Clara inspected the pictures more closely.

She said, "The names are written in ancient Greek. Who we're dealing with is no mortal. And did you realize the monsters can't get in? It must be a barrier, like at camp."

I looked around cautiously. One thing you should know about demigods is that we are very cautious around other people. This demigod may have traps of some sort to keep away strangers. And why else would someone live on a mountaintop?

"Hello? Is anyone there?" Percy called.

I wanted to smack him on the head. You don't go announcing to a potential enemy that you're in their house, do you? I guess I was deep in thought, because I stepped in a ring of rope and ended up hanging upside down. Well, at least I was right about the traps.

"Uh, guys? A little help here?"

Clara and Percy turned to see me. Immediately, Percy burst out laughing, while Clara was trying to stifle hers.

"Hey, it could've happened to you," I protested.

They just kept laughing while Clara used her trident to cut me down. I gave them my death glare but they were laughing too hard to care. I was about to chop their heads off when someone said,

"Well, what do we have here? Three meddling demigods?"

We turned slowly to face a man in his thirties, with blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. His posture was in an attack stance, but his eyes twinkled with hospitality.

"Um, hi… sir. My name's Halley and this is Clara and Percy."

I introduced us to him, breaking the tension a bit. I nudged them a bit to get them to pay attention. He laughed, as if he thought our names were funny.

"Welcome, I am Gavisus, son of Apollo. I take it you are demigods too?" he asked.

Huh, so this guy was my brother. Maybe I'll get my own castle someday. Although I'd much rather prefer the name Halley than Gavisus.

"I'm a daughter of Apollo, and they're children of Poseidon." I replied.

Wow, it seems like I'm doing all the talking here.

"Oh yes, half- sister. Come into the dining room."

Our eyes widened as we thought of food! The substance that keeps us fit. The greasy, delicious food… we ran towards where he was gesturing to and started to shovel food into our mouths. Mmmmm, roast turkey and mashed potatoes…

"Mho memo moo mimedr mum mahr," Percy said, his cheeks bulging with food.

He swallowed then rephrased it.

"So why do you live up here? I mean, live in the mountaintop."

Gavisus cocked his head in thought, but had a frown on his face, as if that was the last question he wanted us to ask.

"Let's not dwell on me," he said hurriedly, "I'm more concerned about the three of you hiking up this big mountain.

We all noticed how he veered the subject to us, but we didn't question it. Maybe he had a terrible past or something that made him come here.

"We were chased by monsters, you know how it is," I said casually.

I was careful to not give away any information about Gaea chasing us, because he might be an enemy, but it wasn't vague enough to be questioned about.

"Ah yes, one of the troubles of being a demigod, eh? But, tell me, what exactly was chasing you?"

I saw Clara's brain racing furiously as she tried to figure the guy out. She seemed to come to a conclusion.

"Chased by a pack of vicious hellhounds." She lied smoothly.

The son of Apollo seemed to be trying to detect the lies. I realized giving away our names and godly parents wasn't the best idea.

"Come, it is late and you must be tired. I have a guest room fit for three people," he said politely.

I followed him warily. Of course, it isn't uncommon when a demigod helps another demigod, but this one was a bit suspicious.

"Whoa," Percy breathed.

Whoa indeed. The floor was covered in a velvet carpet, the walls lined with gold. It reminded me of the Heracles Hotel. Percy immediately crashed onto a bed. Clara and I eyed the beds cautiously. I touched the silk sheets and the linen before sitting on it, ready to spring off. When I felt that it was safe, I lied down stiffly in case it was still a trap. But then music suddenly played, and I felt my heavy eyes closing. But I did get to hear one word that Gavisus said.

"Ergo."