Zagreus

For the first time since being teleported in New York, I felt alone. It struck me when Sabrina and Nico looked at me in shock, trying to convince me to say or do something that would contradict the words that flowed out of the Oracle. But my feet were fixed like they were made of led. The composure was gone – there was nothing to defend. The small bit of trust they may have had was gradually disappearing. I was Zagreus to them, a god, and a possible traitor. A god who attempted to kill one of the kings; one who attempted to kill his father. But what I am now was far from that. How can I be that Zagreus when I couldn't even remember details of such battle ever happening? I wanted to say that loudly to both of them. I had the urge to shake Rachel to wake up and tell everyone that it wasn't true. That the prophecy was for the old me to complete, that what was left is for redemption not a resumption of that destiny.

Nico must have sensed the battle that plagued my mind. He remained calm despite the tension that built after Rachel fainted. He placed a hand gently on my shoulder, "Let's go, there's nothing much to be done." I looked at Rachel, her head rested soundly on a pillow. They placed her on a bed at a corner of the room. Her snores softly echoed against the walls. Sabrina brushed pass me. I grabbed her arm before she could reach the door.

"Hey," I said. She turned back and in her eyes, fear and doubt seemed to mix – if those feelings can ever be so discernable in the colors her eyes reflected.

"Let's go, Chiron would soon hear us with all the commotion that happened," she pulled her arm free and led the way.

We walk in silence. Sabrina asked Nico to assist her on the way down, she said it was much easier now with gravity not acting against her weight. I went down last and stayed back from the pair as we walked. We didn't talk on the way back, but somehow, I can sense they were itching for more answers. I too wanted answers because all I got from the prophecy were more questions. But it seemed to establish, especially to them, that I was a rogue; that I lost my memories because of being a dangerous god.

Upon reaching the Hades cabin, Nico began to break the silence. "Maybe you two can stay here for a while. It's pretty late and campers from both your cabins would probably wonder where you two've been. You can't give solid answers, can you?" he stared at us.

I shook my head. To be honest, I was glad he still wanted me around despite hearing the prophecy. "Sure, I can stay here then sneak back by the morning"

"Sab?" Nico asked, his eyes gleaming. Sabrina sighed, "Fine, if you're that convinced." She walked inside the cabin and said, "I can't jump over midnight Hermes tricks with this leg anyway"

"There are separates beds here, you can stay at the corner Sabrina, while Zagreus and I can stay near the fountain," he pointed at the obsidian fountain of Hades at the middle. It was a painful reminder, but I don't think Nico meant it to be that way.

"Sure," Sabrina winced at the idea. I thought she was finding it insufferable to stay here with us when I noticed that the bandage around her leg had blood slightly seeping from it, creating a red patch at the middle.

"Nico, can you get me some water and bandages?"

Nico seem to notice where I was looking as well. He promptly went towards the drawers to check. I grabbed Sabrina's arm and guided her towards the other end of the cabin. She was in much pain to even object. The bed was divided by velvet curtains, the colors of the bedframe mimicked that of a coffin.

"Well, this is giving an afterlife feel," she remarked as she steadily sat herself onto the bed. I sat down and began to entangle the bandage.

"Nico, be quick!" I shouted. I could hear him still scrambling for the water.

"The strain of the climb must've pressed your wound. You're not eating enough ambrosia are you?"

"I- why do you even care?" she said.

"Because –" I looked up and for once, I saw sadness in her eyes. The walls she kept placing up seem to break. There, with her bleeding leg, she looked very vulnerable. The exhaustion from the day and the shock from the prophecy seemed to drain much of the fire she showed early on. If she was Nemesis, then how come she can be so… human? In an instant, I dropped my doubt about her identity. Deep in me, I knew I had to be critical of her, but at the moment, the thought didn't occur.

"I wanted to trust you, you know," she said. I stood up, parting back the curtains, I motioned for Nico to hurry. "Can you leave us for a moment?"

Nico, without objection, nodded. He handed me the basin and the bandage before going to back to the fountain. There was silence between Sabrina and I when I tore the new bandage and began cleansing her leg.

"I know," I decided to reply, "I know in your heart you do"

"How can you know that?"

"Because I want to trust you too," I looked straight into her eyes. She didn't flinch, but the fire in her eyes was gradually coming back. "When I arrived here, I have nothing but myself. Nothing but fleeting encounters with deities who were helping me but not willing to intervene. No signs from family in the underworld. No memories to cling to except for those that allow themselves to surface."

"How could I trust you with that?"

I refused to hear her question. I went on, "But I found you and Celine. For that, there was a bit of hope I could find a place where all answers would be given. So, let me be honest with you about one thing.

"Whenever I had those powerful bursts, I fall into a deep slumber. In my dreams, I see bits of my memories. Some were harsh events, one was a sweet one about my mother when I was a baby. But all of them had this voice, this booming voice, that came well deep in the depths of the Underworld. Maybe even deeper.

"I have now known who that voice is: Tartarus. He has been slowly getting into my head. Rachel mentioned that he was planning to make me his host. With his essence bind into my godliness, he must've steered me to fight my father. Well, he steered the old me. But I feel he is taking root into my soul again, what if I'm responsible for the Titans breaking out of the Tartarus because of that? I don't want to let go of any volition I have against him. So please, believe me," I held her hand for in mine. It wasn't instinctual of me, but I clasped her hands very tight. She didn't pulled it away nor flinch. She shifted her head to the side. All of a sudden she moved forward and wrapped her arms around me. Drawing her head towards me, she rested it on shoulder. I was expecting her to try and fight me, in a Sabrina fashion, yet she didn't. I could hear her heavy breaths as if she's fighting a sob.

"Honestly, I don't know what has drawn me to you either way. May it be that voice or the fates, I believe what you said. But promise me one thing," she drew her head, back to face me. Her eyes were a different kind of blue and I felt the fire in them. "Fight the voice whatever way you can. You can't be a pawn to it. You can't be a pawn of fear," she said these words as if it came from experience. I was fixed at looking at her and for a moment I thought of inching closer. What if she was from my past? How could words like that ring familiar?

The tension broke when she began to wince. Her wound was left exposed for too long.

"Sorry," I muttered, and hurriedly cleaned and dressed the wound again. I helped her lie down. She was evidently exhausted after the conversation. I was about to leave when she said, "Stay, I want to test something."

"What do you mean?" I asked when I saw her patting down the empty space beside her.

"Get rid of any weird thoughts in your head. Just get over here and lie down"

"You're the one who's making it weird," despite that, I still obeyed her. It felt awkward lying down next to her, I tried to make the space between us bigger when she suddenly grabbed my hand. She intertwined her right hand with my left hand, forming a fist. I was about break free from it when she said, "you said a lot about dreams. I've been having them too. I wonder if they're linked. If they are, then we're bound to get more answers if we sleep together."

At her last remark, I started to choke on my spit. I can feel her grip tighten. "Don't think of anything else," she said through clenched teeth.

"Well, you're making it difficult not to," I muttered. I hope she didn't hear that.

"Just let sleep take its course," she said in a soothing voice. It was easier for her to drift off with all the fuss of the day. I found it difficult to sleep when I was at bed with a girl holding my hand, but the exhaustion did take its course on me to.

Maybe she was right, dreams do reveal a lot of answers the more I think about it.

I never knew sleep could be terrifying. I heard before that death was much better than sleep. You are finally at rest, knowing that you have accomplished your life on Earth. With sleep, you are in a constant battle. You don't know if there is an end or if you will continue on with your life again once you wake up. The dreams were vivid than ever. I stood at the plane of blackness; clouds of my memories continued to pass by. Most of them were still blurry- locked. I tried to touch them, but they tend to drift away.

That was until the scene changed. I was no longer floating in darkness. I felt stable ground. I found myself in a huge domed room. The walls were lined with obsidian. They dome rose beyond my vision, yet I could see the spires jutting from it. I stopped cold when I saw the figure lying at the middle of the room.

I laid still on top of a solid rock dais; my hands rested on my stomach as if I was already dead. There were golden shackles attached to my wrists. They glinted like stars in the dim night. The ample light came from the oculus, the hole of the dome roof.

What's this? I thought to myself. Was I already dead all of a sudden? Did I transition from sleep to eternity that easily? It remains vague to me if I ever retained my immortality. My wrists felt like it was being torched just seeing myself like that.

"What shall we do then?" a male voice said. I suddenly noticed that there were lurking shadows beside the pillars of the room.

"It matters that we wait, we cannot go on and trample with the will of the gods," replied a stern female voice.

"Styx has a point," the somber figure of a woman cladded with a murky green robe stepped out of the shadows, "What has been done, has been done. Only time can answer our questions at this point"

Styx… I thought, trying to reach for the memory. So far, I remember deities through the mere mention of their name, but this memory was quite difficult to discern – as if I was not supposed to see it in the first place.

"He chose his fate. So, let him be with it. No matter what you do, fate will always find a way," a deep voice answered. I saw flames flickering from a figure cladded in black.

"That fate consumed him too much. He listened to his command for so long, let alone his heart," Styx answered, her black dress was swaying, even though there was barely any wind in the room.

"I never thought I would hear that from you, Styx," the first voice said.

"Shut up, Acheron. I am only speaking of the truth. He is bound to rule over the pit, regardless of what they deem to be necessary. He has come so far, after all"

"But does he have to attack his father like that," the somber woman replied.

"It matters not Cocytus," Acheron replied. "They both put up a fight. Hades knew what must be done…"

"Did he lock up the sword?" asked Cocytus.

"He did," the deep voice said, "far from the chasm"

Cocytus sighed. "Then that shall seal the ordeal for now. Zagreus will claim it once he overpowers his urges. By fate, the stirring will take a long time to happen."

"It might, in the next century. We have survived millions of years since the last war. Pray we survive this other one," Acheron said.

"You seem to be incredibly quiet Lethe. Does it bother you still?" the deep voice asked.

"Phlegethon!" Styx said defensively.

"Styx, we must address it while we are still here," the light slightly hit the perimeter were the figures lurked. They were all wearing cloaks of dull colors. Except for one. A woman stood almost near to the dais. She clung onto the column. She wore white robes that flowed like waterfalls. Her platinum blond hair draped down to her knees. Grey orbs served as her eyes – seemingly always filled with shock.

"I could have saved him from falling into my river. Yet, I could only do so much. I cannot reverse what has been done," she said guiltily.

I flinched at the mention of those words. I was still grasping for my memories, but it led me nowhere.

"Exactly," Styx nodded, "You cannot undo it. Best is to wait for his wake. Only then can we determine what needs to be done."

"But that itself lays uncertain," Lethe argued.

"As said, only time can deal with such things," Cocytus replied.

"But…"

"Hush, Lethe. We know you have grown fond of him since we saw his growth. Nonetheless, we have no power to intervene with what has happened. His time will come. Maybe sooner he will rise, enough for him to cleanse himself."

"Was it necessary to call upon Hypnos in such matter?"

"His calling will not stop the longer he is awake. It was the only way deemed necessary by his father. If he makes such stern decisions, then surely, they are the rightful ones," Phlegethon replied, flames flickering through him.

"When he wakes, he must come to his senses on what he should do next. Trials unfold during the cleansing," Acheron said.

"It matters, yes. Yet, we grow unsure if the voice will still follow him once that eventually happens," Cocytus worriedly utters.

"Then his fate shall be woven from that. His essence will always know where the gods are. It will take some time before he restores his place in this divine domain," Styx said with finality.

"We must depart soon. The course of the rivers cannot be stopped for such a long time," Acheron proposed.

At that moment, Lethe approached the dais, towards my still body. The light fell directly unto me. I was surprised to see that my clothes were not the ones I wore when I was first found myself in New York. The Victorian attire was replaced by the clothes I wore as the prince of the underworld. I was wearing a pure black coat that had a Napoleon collar. A cloak was attached to the collar. I wore crisp black trousers and my hunting boots. I looked well rested; my hair was styled in a nineteenth century fashion (the same one I had when I was teleported). I appeared to be a little older but less pale than I was today.

Lethe drew closer to my form. She stared at my face for a while. Then kissed the top of my forehead. "In time we shall all meet again," she whispered "I hope you follow what you truly desire"

The scene immediately evaporated before my eyes. I jolted awake from my sleep, panting heavily.

It took me a while to write this chapter haha. I know it's super slow burn but the plot is building up somehow. I might post more chapters in the near future. A Makaria chapter sounds nice, anyone? Still, I hope you like this one!