Hey! Just as a warning this is a really long chapter. Sorry about that. I got a little carried away, I guess... Anyway, hope you like it! Fronk x

After a long, hot shower to wake myself up and distress a little, I got dressed and went back into the front room. What do to now? I wasn't going to bother finding out where the message had come from and then disappeared too – I suspected that was some how magical and I only just had a basic knowledge, not enough to figure this out. Maybe finding out the rune from the dream? Yes, that sounded like a good idea.

I headed back to the library. I often found looking through books was quicker than searching online as you had the resource right in front of you. It's a shame I never got there.

Just around the corner, I was stopped with a: "Oi! Eden!"

I turned to see a very angry looking Sandra storming towards me.

'I really don't have time for this,' I thought bitterly.

"Yes, Sandra?" I said politely when she was close enough for me not t have to holler.

She raised her hand and made a move to back hand me. I grabbed it well before it got anywhere near my face. I'd had to get Leila out of one too many bitch-fights with Sandra and had no interest getting in one myself.

"How about telling me what you want without the violence, huh?" I asked.

She snarled. Actually snarled.

"What did you do to my Sebastian?" she seethed.

"I don't know," I said, utterly flummoxed. The last I'd seen of him he'd fallen unconscious at my feet. "What did I do to him?"

"You assaulted him!" she spat.

"I thought we'd already dealt with this?" I said.

"So did I!" she said. "I mean yesterday when you stalked him to the Fight Factory and assaulted him! He's now in that new University Collage Hospital blubbering gibberish with a severe case of amnesia."

I thought back to me meeting with Persephone in my dream. Lord Ares also had no memory of our encounter, and then fell unconscious. Could this be a side effect of the rune's spell?

"What kind of gibberish?" I asked, intrigued. Maybe he could answer some of my questions now more so than he did yesterday.

"I have no idea. Something about his 'mistress' and how she'd be disappointed in him. He kept saying 'h' as well, like he wanted to get a word out but couldn't quite. The most he gets out is 'he', but that's it. Why, afraid he'll say something incriminating?" she snapped.

I rolled my eyes at her. "Sandra, there are much bigger things here than your boyfriend's memory problems and lack of speech. You may want to worry about this mistress – that's another name for someone he's having an affair with. Ever think he's cheating on you?"

Okay, I know that was mean, and kind of a low blow, but it would keep her off my back for a while – and more importantly, away from Sebastian. If I were to find out anything, I couldn't do it with her breathing over my shoulder.

She blinked her eyes in shock. I could see the tears forming behind them. Uh oh.

"Y-you really think he could b-be cheating on m-me?" she asked shakily.

I sighed. "I have no idea, Sandra," I said. "I'm just trying to interpret a sick man's rambling. But it is something you should always look in to, yeah?"

She nodded and walked right by me, seemingly in a daze. I hope she'll be okay…

I headed off to the University Collage Hospital. It's a new hospital that has an excellent young persons unit, so he was probably being cared for there. These mortal doctors had no idea what they were dealing with if this was some form of side-effect.

You could see the building from a mile off: It is a giant glass structure standing out from everything else there. Slightly in awe, I headed inside to the reception.

"Can I help you?" the perky nurse said at the desk. She wasn't over the top happy like some I'd met, but not miserable, either.

I smiled. "Yes, I'm looking for Sebastian Oznerol. I heard he was admitted here recently?"

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "How are you related to him?"

"I'm his cousin," I lied. I'd gotten so used to saying I was someone's cousin, it came naturally now.

Still dubious, she looked down at her computer screen.

"Mr Oznerol is on the third floor in the young people's unit," she said. "If you go into that elevator there and go up, turn left on the third floor and follow the purple signs. Press the buzzer by the door and someone'll let you in. I'll send a message to them to expect you. Tell the person at the desk there you're here to see Mr Oznerol and they'll point you in the right direction. Okay?"

"Lovely, thank you," I said, heading on my way.

Hospitals always depressed me. To think of all the pain and suffering the happened here, all the death… I get a little freaked out. It's also the feeling of being helpless, of being too weak to do anything for yourself. That's why I'm always in these places only as long as I need to be. Even the infirmary at Camp makes me feel uneasy, and I know no on there would ever hurt me.

I pressed the buzzer and a shrill ringing filled the air. A moment later I heard a faint click that signalled the door unlocking. Who was on the other side that meant the door needed locking? Shaking off that disturbing thought, I headed inside. I asked the young man at the desk where to find Sebastian, and he took me too him.

"I'm afraid you can't stay for long," he said, his Irish accent strong. "He's still very unstable. The slightest thing could set him off into another seizure."

"I won't be long, I promise," I said, meaning it for once.

He nodded and stopped by a curtain.

Pulling it back, I saw Sebastian. It took me a moment to recognise him. His face was turned away from me, but I could see it was ashen, sunken. He'd lost a lot of weight, I could tell. I gasped at the sight, drawing his eyes to me. They were so bloodshot there was hardly any white.

"I'll leave you alone," the man said, walking away.

"Eden," Sebastian croaked, reaching his hand for mine. I stepped closer, but not close enough for him to touch me. If he turned violent, I didn't want to be any where near him.

"Who did this to you?" I whispered.

"She did," he said, casting his eyes upward. "My mistress. She came to me, said her master had told her to play with you. For learner, she is powerful. She put that glowing thing on my neck and I was under her power. I couldn't do anythin' to stop 'er."

"Play with me?" I asked, confused. "What do you mean?"

"All this is nothing serious in his eyes," Sebastian said slowly. "It's a bit of a test to see what the demigods of Earth are made of. He chose you 'cause you don't have much family around to help you out. He wanted to see what you could do on your own."

"Who is this mistress of yours?" I asked. "Or who is her master?"

"I don't know him, only 'er. She's real close to you. Her name's He -"

Just then his face contorted in pain. He cried out in obvious agony. Regardless, he kept trying to tell me.

"Ssh," I cooed, wanting to calm him down. "It's okay."

"Not for you it isn't," he said, in a voice not his own. When he opened his eyes once more, they shone a vibrant green.

"I am the one you seek," he said, the voice breathy but still articulate. "I am the one orchestrating all of this. But we shall not meet until I see fit."

"How can you be so sure?" I asked defiantly.

He just chuckled darkly. "Pathetic demigod, you have no hope of finding me. Unless inter-dimensional travel is a forte of yours?" He laughed at his own joke. "Regardless," he said, sobering. "You have done well to come this far in my little game, far better than I initially thought. You are so very close. And all in a few days! Very resourceful; the trips to the library, using that hand held device that seems to have the answer to every question and making notes." Had he been watching me? "I hope you found my clues and corrections helpful."

There was a brief pause, as if he became distracted.

"I believe soon you shall come to the answers you seek. However, when you find them do not blame her. She too is a meagre pawn on my chess board."

She? The elusive she who's Sebastian's mistress, maybe?

"Don't I even get a name, oh great one?" I asked mockingly.

He laughed fully then, a strange look on Sebastian's face.

"I think not, little one," he said, laughing slightly. "We will meet, I can assure you of that, and if you ask me I shall not lie. Goodbye and good luck, Eden Lee Llewellyn."

With that, Sebastian's eyes returned to his natural colour. They widened in pain briefly before shutting heavily. The monitors next to his bed began beeping and flashing alarmingly. A herd of doctors came in to care for him, herding me out abruptly. Someone went so far as to escort me to the front door. Not that I really noticed. My mind was reeling too much from the conversation – or was it more a monologue? – with the mastermind behind this. If it were all a game to him, why did my life and sanity seem to be at risk? He must be some form of higher being if he were to play with life so easily.

I hopped on the Underground to go back home. Down the road from the apartment building entrance, I was stopped once more.

"Hey, brat," a voice called. A voice I'd recognise anywhere.

"Finally come to, have you, Phoebus?" I sneered.

"No thanks to you," he snapped. "What did you think you were doing, leaving me for dead in the middle of a city I don't know?"

"And yet you constantly seem to find me," I mumbled. A bit clearer, I said: "And I could hardly leave you for dead when you're immortal. Just in case you didn't know, that means you can't die."

He rushed up to me, but I didn't shrink away. My day had already been far too long for me to tolerate his hissy fits.

"Apologise," he said sternly, trying to look intimidating.

"For what?" I asked. "Teaching you a lesson? Putting you in your place? Again?"

Then he lost it. He threw a punch in my general direction, which I caught and sent him spinning. When he finally regained his footing, he bared his teeth and growled. He came at me again. Not even bothering to fight him, I just flashed a dazzling beam of light straight into his eyes. Blinding, he stumbled around as if drunk. Sighing, I grabbed him by the back of his shirt and pressed him up against a wall. He groaned.

"Now, Phoebus," I said menacingly into his ear. "I've told you time and time again to piss off and leave me alone. Why is it you can never seem to grasp that concept?"

Whilst I was here, I checked the back of his neck for a Hagalaz. Thankfully, he was clear. Now I could truly rule him out from my theories.

"How about this? Usually, you visit me about twice, maybe three times, a year. You've now seen me twice in as many days. Why don't you leave me alone for say… the rest of the year? Maybe a little longer? That way we'll keep it even and I won't have to look at your sorry excuse for an existence for a good long while. Sound good?"

He mumbled something in response. I pushed him a little further into the wall.

"What was that?"

Smirking slightly, he said: "I said; it feels so good having you pressed up against me. Although, if I had my way we'd be facing each other, doing a little more than pressing..."

I dug my nails into his neck, drawing ichor. He hissed in pain. My drawing his immortal blood hurt his ego more than him physically.

"Do not make me call someone down here to deal with you," I said.

He stiffened and blanched. Too right.

"A year, did you say?" he said, a few notes of squeaking.

"Perfect," I said, smiling smugly.

"I'm sure I can keep to that."

"Good."

I could feel him starting to transport as only a god can. I turned my back. The golden glow grew slowly larger and larger, the heat intensifying. With a final push, the light grew to its most fantastic before receding completely. Checking to see he was really gone, I let out a breath I hadn't realised I'd been holding. I headed up to my apartment to write down these new developments. The day was still young, and I had a fair bit of research to do. Maybe I'll make it to the library after all.