The whole school was in an uproar after the Chimera incident. It happened right outside the entrance hall, where students were gathered, and needless to say, it scared the living daylights out of everyone. People were chattering away, going on about how crazy it sounded. But thanks to Artemis, who swiftly took care of the situation, the police and many others concluded that it was just a wild animal gone berserk, probably escaped from the zoo.
Everyone was promptly sent home, and Artemis couldn't have been more relieved. However, she still had some unfinished business to attend to before she could call it a day, and most of it had to do with Orion. The way she abruptly left him at the canteen just because she was embarrassed wasn't the best decision she could have made. She shouldn't have done that.
As she wandered through the empty halls and corridors, she spotted Orion sprinting toward her. His face was a picture of terror, and it was clear that he had run all the way from his classroom. Just as she was about to say hello, Orion wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace.
"Orion?!" Artemis exclaimed, taken aback. "What's wrong? Why the sudden hug?" she asked, genuinely surprised by his actions.
"Oh gods, Artemis...! When I heard that there was a monster attacking the school, I couldn't help but worry that something bad might happen to you," Orion explained, clinging to her even tighter as he spoke.
"You... you were worried about me?" Artemis blushed lightly, her heart fluttering at his words.
"Of course I was. I couldn't leave this school unless I knew for certain that you were safe," Orion said calmly, loosening his grip and pulling away slightly.
Artemis was at a loss for words. All she could muster was a simple "wow." She couldn't believe that despite all the rude things she had done, Orion still cared for her deeply. He had even given up his chance to evacuate just to make sure she was okay. Artemis wasn't accustomed to mortals caring for her so dearly, aside from her brother.
Orion seemed to be waiting for a response, and after a moment, Artemis finally found her voice again. "Thank you," she breathed out shyly, averting her gaze and looking down at her feet. She couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes.
"Would you like me to accompany you back home?" Orion offered, concern evident in his voice.
"No, no, I'm fine. I still have to wait for my brother," Artemis lied, trying to brush off the idea. "Besides, I don't want him to worry too much. You know how protective he can be," she added, trying to sound nonchalant.
"Ah, alright then," Orion replied softly. "If you're okay with that, I'll head home first. See you again. I'm just glad you're not hurt," he said, smiling as if everything between them was completely normal.
Artemis gave a slight nod. She had grown accustomed to the ease and comfort of being around Orion. It had become so natural to her that she no longer felt uneasy about it.
As he strolled away, she offered a casual wave, then turned her attention to awaiting the arrival of her mischievous brother. Artemis couldn't help but wonder, though, what was going through his mind when they parted ways.
Lost in her thoughts, Artemis was suddenly startled by a voice coming from behind her. Whirling around, she found her brother grinning at her, thoroughly amused by the whole situation. "Smooth moves, sis," he teased. "I have to admit, it was quite entertaining to watch."
Her anger flaring, Artemis snapped at Apollo, "Were you spying on us?!"
Apollo smirked, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "Let's just call it payback."
"You deserved it for being a jerk!" Artemis growled, crossing her arms defiantly.
Rolling his eyes, Apollo motioned for them to head home. "Whatever. Come on, we've got other things to deal with. You know, that little issue of a wild beast wreaking havoc at school?"
Artemis knew exactly what he meant. The news of the Chimera had spread like wildfire, and it was no surprise that Apollo was already aware. Which meant Artemis was in for a lecture later. Sighing, they made their way to the back of the school, where they could teleport home with a snap of their fingers.
Stepping into the living room, they found Athena wearing her usual disapproving frown, while Aphrodite lounged on the couch, engrossed in her own manicure. Aphrodite looked up, feigning exasperation. "Finally! I was beginning to think you two had forgotten about us."
Artemis wasn't buying it. "Right..."
Cutting off any potential squabbling, Athena intervened. "We need to come up with a plan or a convincing excuse if our father hears about this."
Artemis couldn't help but roll her eyes at her sister's strategic thinking. "Always the strategist, aren't you, Athena?" she sighed.
Thinking up a secret plan to keep hidden from the rest of the divine gang was proving to be quite the challenge for Athena, the ultimate know-it-all. Even for someone as smart as her, this was no easy feat.
Apollo, always the curious one, couldn't help but blurt out his disbelief, "Are you serious? We're not going to spill the beans to Dad about this?" His sister and Athena shot him a stern look, hoping their silence would be enough to make him reconsider. The three of them sat there, their minds spinning, desperately trying to concoct a strategy to shield the news from their all-knowing father.
Artemis, being the sharp observer that she was, couldn't help but notice the potential risks in keeping a monster attack under wraps. Sure, it seemed like a good idea at first, but what if it backfired? Plus, most of those creatures had been pretty peaceful lately (well, most of them anyway, with a few exceptions). And Hades hadn't mentioned anything about any escapees from his realm either.
As they pondered in silence, their minds racing, it became clear that this was going to be no walk in the park. But hey, when you're dealing with gods and monsters, things are never easy.
Could it be? Could this case be completely unrelated to the monsters from Tartarus? Athena pondered, her brow furrowing with worry. "I'm sorry, but if we want to handle this ourselves, we have to keep it hush-hush. Once our father finds out, he'll strictly forbid us from getting involved and demand that we focus solely on finishing high school," she explained, her voice tinged with regret.
Artemis let out a resigned sigh, her mind racing with the challenge that lay ahead. They barely had any information to work with, and formulating a viable solution seemed like an impossible task. Even Athena, the brilliant one, appeared uncertain about their decision.
"You know," Apollo interjected suddenly, capturing their attention. "I had a vision just a few minutes ago. It was horrifying—a massive monster trapped beneath a mountain, consumed by uncontrollable rage." His face grew serious as he recounted the details. "It felt like a nightmare gone horribly wrong, or even worse..."
Artemis and Athena froze, unsure of whether to trust Apollo's words. But the vividness of his description made the possibility seem all too real. It could be a monster, or perhaps something even more dangerous, something that posed a threat to both mortals and gods.
"Why didn't you tell us this sooner?" Artemis questioned skeptically, her eyebrows raised.
Apollo hesitated for a moment before responding. "I was afraid that my vision might have been inaccurate, just a false alarm."
But Artemis couldn't shake the feeling that there was truth to Apollo's vision. What if there really was a monster behind all of this chaos? Or, at the very least, something that could lead to this awakening?
The three siblings exchanged glances, their unspoken thoughts echoing in the silence. Eventually, Athena broke the stillness with a determined sigh. "A monster beneath a mountain... intriguing. I'll start researching right away."
"Fantastic, we finally have a lead. Let's continue this later. It's getting late, and I want to do some last-minute shopping before we head back to Olympus. Come on, Ena," Aphrodite declared, rising from the couch and making her way toward the door.
Athena hesitated briefly, her mind still filled with uncertainty, before letting out another sigh and following her aunt-sister-in-law outside.
As soon as the two had departed, Artemis cast a curious glance in Apollo's direction. "Did you catch a good look at the monster?" she inquired, her eyes filled with anticipation. She hoped that her brother would provide her with some more details, but alas, Apollo simply shook his head.
"No... The image of the mountain monster was nothing but a blur of shadows," Apollo admitted, his voice barely a whisper. It was clear that he was just as disappointed as Artemis by his lack of insight.
Artemis ceased her line of questioning upon hearing his response. However, Apollo, determined as ever, reassured her, "But don't worry, sis. I won't rest until I find us a solid clue."
A mischievous smirk played on Artemis's lips as she retorted, "Of course you won't. After all, you are the god of prophecy." With a weary yawn escaping her, she rose to her feet. "Well, let's head to our rooms and get some rest. I'm absolutely exhausted."
With that, Artemis gracefully made her way up the stairs and disappeared into her room, leaving Apollo to his own devices. Determined to uncover any hidden truths, Apollo continued his investigation, attempting to piece together the fragments of his vision. "Something isn't right," he muttered to himself, his steps aimless as he paced around the empty house. Every time that vision resurfaced, a dreadful sensation accompanied it, intensifying with each repetition. Deep down, he knew that it heralded an impending disaster.
As his gaze drifted toward the window, he caught a glimpse of the night sky darkening outside. The stars twinkled, almost as if they were whispering secrets of their own.
