of darkness and rainbows
pairing: demigod!lee felix x fem demigod!reader
featuring: han jisung, hwang hyunjin, sf9's dawon, golden child's bomin, nct's doyoung
summary: a demigod au in which you enter the camp after losing your mom, and you swear to yourself you'll avenge her no matter what
genres: demigod!au, s2f2l!au, mutual pining, slowburn, action, fantasy, adventure, greek mythology, romance, mild fluff, angst
tw: monsters, parental abandonment, death of a mother and a brother, murder, blood, physical injuries, use of weapons (swords, knives, bow and arrow), VIOLENCE, nightmares, grief and loss depiction, battle scenes, monster and creature slaying, mild language, fainting, magic, ghost
rating: +16
wc: 12,7k
notes: wow. this is my longest work yet and i'm proud of it, please let me know what you think!!
networks: @kflixnet @k-labels @whipped-kpop-creators
permanent tag list: @badwithten send an ask/dm/comment to be added!
one.
It was the end of June, and your mom said a trip to Long Island âyouâd never heard of that place beforeâ would be the greatest gift she could offer you for your twelfth birthday. You didnât believe her after she gifted you an agate necklace, your favorite stone.
It was the end of June, and your mom said a trip to Long Island âyouâd never heard of that place beforeâ would be the greatest gift she could offer you for your twelfth birthday. You didnât believe her after she gifted you an agate necklace, your favorite stone.
Unfortunately, it had nothing to do with the trip youâd imagined.
After getting to Montauk, and spending a few hours on the beach, she drove north. You then walked up what you thought was a random hill. When you were almost on top, you turned towards your mom to tell her you wanted to go back, that youâd rather go home and watch a movie. She was sobbing. It took you aback and broke your heart to see her that way. You wanted to hug her so badly.
She grabbed the backpack she had over her shoulders and put the handle in your hands.
âYou must go further north, alright? Youâll find someone who can help you,â she instructed as she kneeled in front of you, stroking your face affectionately.
âWhat are you talking about, mom? I donât want to go anywhere without you.â
âItâs going to be alright, sweetheart. You have to trust me. Youâre so special, you donât realize how much. You must go on your own path now. Itâs time.â Her voice cracked a little. âGo, youâll be safe there.â
âThis doesnât make any senseâŠâ you mumbled and stood your ground.
âMaybe because your mommy failed to mention why youâre here,â an icy voice said, making you flinch. Your mom quickly got up and put a protective hand on your shoulder, âand why youâre both going to die today.â
âYouâre too late. My daughter will live.â
A light yet threatening laugh left the womanâs throat. She was extremely beautiful, but there was something wrong with her. Not physically, it was more of a feeling.
âWeâll see about that.â
As the woman charged, your mom pushed you out of the way.
âRun!â she yelled as she shielded you with her whole body, turning her back on the woman. You didnât want to leave her but what could you do? You ran as fast as you could to the top of the hill, still being able to hear what was happening behind you.
âIâm Keahi,â the woman said as she grasped your momâs arm and forced her to spin so that they faced each other. âMight as well know my name, since Iâm the last person youâll ever see, mortal. Youâre going to die knowing it was for nothing.â
You only turned around when you heard a sharp gasp.
You watched helplessly as your momâs limp body fell to the ground with a loud thud. The woman had blood dripping from her handâ no, her claws. It dawned on you that she had murdered your mom and you were next. You turned around and resumed your sprint. Due to your fear and teary eyes, you realized too late that now that you were at the top, youâll be going down.
You braced yourself as you could for the fall. Your body got scratches from a few low branches and brambles. When you arrived at the bottom of the hill, you looked up to see if the woman had followed.
It wasnât the beautiful woman you saw earlier anymore, she had flaming hair, white skin and glowing red eyes. You could only see her head, but it was enough to get nightmares. She bared her fangs and turned around, like she couldnât get to you anymore.
You tried to breathe but it came out ragged, hands shaking and lips trembling. The sun was heating up your skin. The birds were chirping happily while the despair you were feeling was starting to become unbearable as you clutched at your sides. Tears were streaming down your face, blurring your vision. Not that you had much to look at, anyway, except trees.
You closed your eyes and before you could register what was going on, a paradise appeared before them. There was grass, trees, farm animals, a waterfall and sky in different rainbow colors, plus a rainbow in the background. It obviously wasnât real, but for some reason the colors perfectly matched. It made you feel at ease. A drastic change from the state you were in mere seconds ago. It momentarily made you forget about it, the sight filling you up with warmth and peace. It only lasted a couple minutes, although by now you breathed normally again, tears dried up.
When you opened your eyes and turned around, you could see a huge amphitheater in the distance, a volleyball court and⊠were these strawberry fields? Off the corner of your eye, you caught sight of a boy smiling sheepishly, seated a few meters away from you. Blinking a few times, you let out a long sigh.
âAre you okay?â the boy asked in a raspy voice.
It doesnât match his angelic face, you thought.
He had freckles, a fair and soft skin, short blond hair and brown eyes. He was wearing an orange t-shirt, shorts and sneakers.
You nodded, getting up painfully. Your limbs felt sore, the cuts on your face and arms started to ache.
âI can bring you to the infirmary if you want.â
Maybe you shouldnât have trusted him right away. Maybe he was with the monster. But he didnât look evil. He didnât feel evil, either. So, you followed.
âI hope my illusion helped you feel a tad better.â
âWhat I saw when I closed my eyes, you did this?â
âYeah. Iâve been practicing.â
He had a peaceful aura that calmed you down instantly. He was so sweet with you, but all you could think of was: what did you do to deserve this kindness? You had just abandoned your mom to her death.
âWhy?â You were trembling, and your voice was just above a whisper.
âWhy what?â
âWhy did you create this illusion?â
âOh. You looked like you needed a cheer up.â
A surge of gratefulness engulfed you and you smiled.
âThank you.â
âI heard voices over the hill and when I came, I saw you falling down. There was a monster at the top.â
Your smile disappeared. âIâ she killed my mom.â
Eyes widening, the blond boy internally slapped himself for making you sad all over again after all his efforts to make you feel better. âIâm sorry.â
You arrived at the infirmary after a few minutes of awkward silence, and quiet amazement on your part at the amphitheater you could see more clearly, the pavilion full of white tables, more than twenty houses differently decorated and a hearth in the center, even an arena, with kids and teens from different ages all around.
A brown haired guy was tending to a sleeping kid around your age, bruises, cuts and burns all around their face and arms. They were wearing jean overalls with an orange t-shirt, all covered in soot from head to toe.
âJisung!â the boy next to you called as soon as he spotted him.
âOne sec,â he replied without looking up. He brought the teenâs head up with one hand and poured some amber liquid down their throat with the other. He rested their head back delicately on the mattress, got up and turned around to greet the newcomers.
âHi Fâ Wow, hey there! Sit here,â he motioned toward an empty bed, âIâll be right back.â He left through a door made of white sheets.
âDo I really look that bad?â
The blond boy chuckled, slowly shaking his head. âBy the way, I didnât give you my name. Iâm Felix.â
You looked up at him, managing a side smile. âIâm Y/N.â
âNice to meet you, Y/N.â
You didnât have time to answer that Jisung was back with medicine. He cautiously cleaned your wounds with the same yellowish liquid he used to treat the other kid. It felt like he was treating you like porcelain.
Then, he brought a golden cube up to your mouth.
âWhat is this?â
âA bit of ambrosia. It heals demigods, but too much can have bad side effects.â
Demigods??
âEat it, youâll feel better.â
Whatever.
With newfound trust in strangers, you chewed on the sweet food. It tasted like the macânâcheese your mom would make on rainy days. The memory comforted you, but also induced some pain within. Your wounds started to fade until they were completely healed.
âThank you,â you murmured, in awe at the product. You definitely needed this stuff.
âOf course, itâs my job,â he beamed. âSo, Felix,â he turned to his friend, âwhere did you find this stray kid? Tell me you didnât go on a little quest on your ownââ
âI found Y/N near the border, sheâs new,â he interrupted him.
You were thankful he let out the details of your encounter.
âOh, my bad! I guess you have to take her to the Big House, then.â
He nodded, extending his hand your way. You stared at it, then at the freckled boy, then back at it. Taking it slowly, he walked you to the Big House, which lived up to its name. You choked when you saw a centaur âan actual centaur?!â walking out of the front door.
âGreetings, Chiron!â
Chiron? From the legends??
âFelix. Welcome to the camp half-blood, young lady. Iâm Chiron, activities director. Have you been claimed already?â
âHuhâŠâ
âI didnât see anything,â Felix answered. âI see. Perhaps weâll know tonight at the campfire. Can you show our new recruit around? Iâm off to archery class.â
âSure.â
He thanked Felix, sent a smile your way and galloped away to the west. The realization you were still holding the boyâs hand made you blush, but before you could retract it, he pulled you with him to different places.
He explained the purpose of the strawberry fields and the society name âDelphi Strawberry Serviceâ covering the camp. He showed you the climbing wall with lava, the dining pavilion, the forge full of Hephaestus kids, the armory âhe tried to make you choose a weapon but you refusedâ, the Pegasus stables âwith actual pegasi!â, the arena where demigods trained, the archery field where Chiron was teaching, the camp store âyou could buy an orange t-shirt there laterâ, the arts & crafts center âyou saw a beautiful black-haired boy painting there among other kidsâ, the canoe lake, the forestâ you werenât keen on entering after Felix told you what was in it. You finished the tour next to the hearth in the center of the houses you saw earlier. You could swear you saw a woman in the fire, but when you looked more closely, she was gone.
He explained everything except the reason why you were here in the first place. âThis is all charming and interesting, but why am I here?â
âI was getting to that. These are the cabins of the major Greek gods and some of the minor ones. Here,â he gestured to the most colorful cabin out of the bunch, âis my momâs, Iris, goddess of rainbows.â
It explained the illusion. The cabin looked like a huge trailer with a platform on the front and a little rainbow as antenna. It looked chill and welcoming.
Felix gave you the names of all the gods and goddessesâ cabins present on this camp, making hypotheses on who your dad might be.
âDo you like mechanics? Are you good at poetry or archery? Or swords? Do you enjoy grape juice? Maybe youâre a trickster? Do you enjoy sleeping? I mean, do you spend most of your time sleeping? Can you control light? If none of those⊠Maybe youâre a child of one of the Big Three.â
âWho are the Big Three?â
âZeus âgod of the skyâ, Poseidon âgod of the seaâ and Hades âgod of the dead and king of the Underworld.â
You pondered. âThis is a dream. Iâm gonna wake up.â
He chuckled âan endearing soundâ and shook his head. âI think Iâd know if it was one. No, youâre a demigod, Y/N. For real.â
When you didnât respond, he glanced at you. You were lost in thought, wondering who your father could be, why youâve never seen him before and why he never came to see you.
âCome on, thereâs one more thing Iâd like you to see.â He tugged at your hand and dragged you towards the beach.
The sun was setting. You sat on the sand, looking at the horizon. It was really pretty. But you couldnât avoid reality for too long. A tear fell down your face thinking about how your mom wouldâve loved coming here, looking at this scenery with an arm around your frame.
She was gone.
From this moment, you swore to yourself that, when you were ready, you would find the monster and avenge your mom, no matter what. Felix saw your determined eyes staring in the distance. It gave him an idea on who your father might be.
At the campfire, you realized a lot more campers than you initially thought were here. Youâve seen a bunch during the tour, but right now, when the whole camp was gathered around the fire, it felt like you were a couple hundred.
Some had musical instruments and were preparing for what you guessed was a concert. A dozen, more or less, were looking all dressed up and pretty, a few were playing with balls of energy âmagic?â, others were dozing off wherever, from another kidâs shoulder to the floor. The rest looked somewhat normal, apart from the kids with hands partially tainted with soot. Might be tough to get rid of it when they spend so much time in the forges.
Some kids greeted Felix and welcomed you into the camp, which felt nice. Although you couldnât remember every name, you were grateful for their kind words.
It seemed that the Apollo cabin was actually preparing for a singalong. Everyone sang, cheered and overall had a good time. Felix nudged you from time to time to check up on you and offer you bright smiles. So bright, in fact, that they were almost blinding. But you didnât mind. His sole presence was enough to give you peace of mind. Maybe because looking at him reminded you of the illusion he created for you.
The campers were asking for an encore, when silence abruptly fell and every pair of eyes were on you. Or above you, to be precise, but it felt the same to you.
Exposed, vulnerable and embarrassed.
You glanced at Felix, who was looking up too. He lowered his gaze, locked eyes with you and motioned for you to look up as well. It was a glowing golden helm hologram suspended above your head.
âThe bloodline is determined. Hades, king of the Underworld. Hail Y/N L/N, daughter of the dead and riches.â
Every camper kneeled, including Chiron and Felix, and you wanted to disappear from the Earth. Was it just because you ended up being a child of the Big Three? Or did every camper have the privilege of experiencing such a stressful moment?
At last, they all got up and resumed the singalong for a well-deserved encore.
An older guy walked to you from a corner. He was tall, had dark eyes and a harsh resting face. You recoiled in your seat, scared of what he might do. But then he showed a toothy smile with dimples and extended his hand for you to shake.
When you did, he said: âWelcome home, sis.â
Once alone in your bunk âyou had slipped away before the end of the campfireâ you sobbed, hugging the backpack your mom put in your hands earlier that day.
It smelled like her.
Calming down a bit, curiosity took over and you opened it. There was a pocket knife, pepper spray, a pack of matches, a flashlight, tissues, a sleeping bag, a water bottle and food.
It struck you. She knew what you were long before you did.
two.
Felix shouldnât have laughed.
The whole scene was just so ridiculously funny, he had to.
You were training at the climbing wall like every other day, except today, someone had the good idea to change the mode from normal to full lava-and-earthquake while you were on it. Needless to say it took you by surprise. You fell to the bottom, earning smoking holes in your t-shirt and singed arms' hair.
Felix helped you get out of the lava floor, miserably trying to suppress his giggles. âAre you okay?â
âWho turned the climbing wall into a frenzy? I just wanna talk!â
Your eyes showed you were being serious, although a little smile appeared after looking at your best friendâs face.
Turns out it was a Hermes kid, obviously.
To get back at him, you created a hole under his feet. He screamed as he sank up to his ankles. He lost balance and fell on his butt. A few kids that fell off the climbing wall with you clapped their hands and laughed.
Oh yeah, my bad. I forgot to tell you you could do that, among other things.
Being at Camp Half-Blood year round was actually a great thing. Undeniably, between that and being with your mom, the choice was clear, but since she was gone⊠All you could do was train to be able to protect mortals like you shouldâve protected your mom and avenge her as well.
I know what some may think. It wasnât your fault (and it wasnât. really.) but you couldnât make peace with it just yet. Guilt still ate you up at night.
After understanding what it meant to be a kid of Hades, you tried to find and talk to your mom. A ghost appeared instead of her. It looked like a staff member, with greek armor and a formal look. He told you your mom was in Elysium, that âshe wanted you to follow your own pathâ and that âshe didnât want to see you until you were old and had a full lifeâ. It felt so unfair. You tried to argue but the ghost didnât stay to hear your complaints, leaving you in your grief.
You ended up entering the armory. Even if you were against violence, you came to terms with the fact that you couldnât protect others by solely making holes on the ground. Felix showed you all the best pieces of celestial bronze weapons. He made you try on several, making you swing swords, throw knives, shoot arrows⊠It was unsure what would suit you best.
At last, your eyes caught sight of a dusty black metal in a corner, behind javelins. Dusting off the sword a bit, you felt like it belonged in your hand. It wasnât too heavy, nor too light. It just felt right.
âItâs stygian iron,â Felix explained, âHadesâ own sword is made of it.â
Did you resent him? Probably⊠yeah. If he had been there, two years ago, he couldâve saved your mom. But you never saw him, ever. You often wondered if you were even worthy of his presence.
âY/N?â
Your head shot up, âyeah?â
âYou looked out of it. Are you okay? We can stop looking for weapons if you want.â
âNo, Iâm good. Iâll take this one.â It hasnât left your side ever since.
Felix proposed to train together. It was fun, both of you ending up at the infirmary more often than not. Jisung was always there to treat your wounds while cracking jokes.
Dawon, the Hadesâ cabinâs head counselor that scared you on your first night, was actually really cool. He showed you around the cabin, welcomed you like a true sibling. You enjoyed eating with your siblings at the dining pavilion, talking strategies and kicking ass during capture-the-flag and chariot races, chatting before bed and getting ready together in the mornings.
Other than that, you didnât spend a lot of time with them. No, Felix was practically attached to your hip at this point. He has been a huge pillar to your recovery. If it wasnât for him and his bright aura, you wouldâve been morose and sad. He probably knew that too.
When you passed by the arts & crafts building, you often saw the pretty boy. The sun would often reflect on his face, making his skin glow. His stance was elegant, his features soft and flawless. He had sunlight in his shoulder-length black hair and his long fingers seemed to be working effortlessly against the canvas. In a way, watching him paint for a while was relaxing. Curiosity always got the best of you as you wanted to see his next art piece.
All you knew about him was that he was a child of Aphrodite and an amazing painter.
three.Â
âI did not sign up for this!â you grunted, slashing your sword across monsters left and right.
âYou didnât sign anything,â Jisung recalled, twirling to avoid a clawed hand and slaying the monster with an arrow in its chest.
âIt feels like, no matter how much we kill, thereâs always more,â Felix puffed.
Hopefully he was pretty good with a sword, because he couldnât rely on his momâs powers in the darkness. After what felt like an eternity, the last monster was slayed by your sword.
âAlright, enough practice. Letâs head back before more monsters arrive,â you offered. They didnât protest.
You were all worn out, sweating and breathing hard. The trip in the forest left very few monsters left to slay. Whoever took care of that would have some work to do.Â
âWe managed pretty well, didnât we?â Jisung grinned, eyes half closed. You nodded while Felix agreed.
It was practically nightfall. At seventeen, you were more trained than ever and felt ready to face the world.
The next day, there was an emergency meeting with Chiron and the head counselors. Everyone saw them hastily leave the dining pavilion during breakfast after Argus came running to them.
A few dozen minutes later, you were summoned to the Big House. You entered the meeting room and sat next to Dawon around the ping-pong table. Chiron didnât waste any time and recited the unprompted prophecy they had heard by the current Oracle.
Child of Underworld must retrieve their fatherâs accessory
Magnificent Mile holds a piece of the way back in its last breath
The Kingâs circleâs won by defeating an old vampire enemy
The last challenge in Yellowstone ends in half-blood death
Vampire. It was about an empousa. It was enough for you to want to come, even if the last sentence worried you a bit. You were about to speak up when Chiron raised his hand.
âThe sole reason youâre here is because we think itâs about you.â
âIndeed, youâre the only one I know that has an empousa as an enemy,â added Dawon as he nudged you with a smile.
Yeah, the details of your arrival ended up being known around camp. It was apparently common to arrive while chased by a monster, but not every parent died at the same time.
âOh.â
âIf you need anything for the quest, weâre here to help,â proposed Bomin, head counselor of Poseidonâs cabin.
âTo make sense of the prophecy, for example,â said Doyoung, the Athena cabinâs head.
âDo you know who youâre going to ask to join you?â Chiron asked.
The only thing you knew for sure was that you were going to get your revenge. And you only needed two friends for this.
âYeah. All I need to know now is where to begin.â
Doyoung coughed and rearranged the glasses on his nose. âWell, my friend Johnny is from Chicago and last time we spoke about his hometown, he mentioned the Magnificent Mile. He said it was the most famous avenue. Now, I donât know if the prophecy refers to the city globally or this place precisely⊠But, either way, I think you need to go there.â
âThank you for your insight. Do I have a deadline?â you inquired, turning to Chiron.
âYou have until the end of the month.â
It sounded like a lot of time, then you remembered the date. âWeâre the 29th.â
âIndeed. You have three days, starting now.â
four.
And so began your journey. You had a backpack each, filled with medicine, spare clothes, food, water and money âdrachmas and dollars.
Argus was driving you to New York on board the Delphi Strawberry Service van. Jisung kept fidgeting with the beads on his necklace.
âYouâre thinking about them, arenât you?â He squirmed uneasily. âYouâll get back alive, I promise you.â
A promise he knew you couldnât keep, but it did reassure him a bit. He knew you were going to do everything you could so that youâll all get back to camp alive.
Felix took your hand in his, squeezing it gently. The sudden contact brought warmth to both yours and Felixâs face and ears. Jisung chuckled at the exchange until he realized he was going to third wheel the whole trip. Then, his face dropped, a groan leaving his lips.
Before Felix could ask what was wrong, Argus pulled up in the train stationâs parking. You thanked the campâs chauffeur and entered the Pennsylvania station.
âI found a direct train,â you told them after talking with an employee, âitâll take around nineteen hours and thirty minutes. Shall we?â
When you talked to them about the prophecy, they didnât waste any time and said theyâll come with you. Trying to talk them out of it was useless.
As comfortably installed as possible, Felix and you in the direction of travel, Jisung in the opposite direction, the brown haired boy thought the prophecy over, again.
âChild of Underworld âthatâs you, Y/Nâ must retrieve their fatherâs âHades, obviouslyâ accessory. What can it be? What are the known accessories he owns?â
You shrugged while the freckled boy answered his friendâs question.
âThere is his bident, or staff, his sword, his helm of darkness, Cerberus, which we cannot call an accessory per say and his golden keys.â
âIs there anything more?â
âYes, but those are the main attributes he possesses.â
âIt canât be Cerberus or the golden keys, because itâs specifically an accessory, singular,â you commented.
Felix nodded. Jisung continued, âso itâs either the staff, the sword or the helm. OK. Next line is âMagnificent Mile holds a piece of the way back in its last breathâ. The only thing we know is that Magnificent Mile is an avenue in Chicago. I donât like the sound of anyoneâs last breath, honestly.â
âItâs probably a beast,â you proposed. âIt says âitsâ.â
âThatâs the most logical option we got,â Felix agreed.
âIt better be. âThe Kingâs circleâs won by defeating an old vampire enemyâ.â
ââVampireâ means empousa. I guess we need whatever the Kingâs circle is for the rest of the quest,â you noted, âdo you guys have any idea?â
They shook their heads in unison. âNo, but weâll get back to it. âThe last challenge in Yellowstone ends in half-blood deathâ. Not gonna lie, I hate this one the most.â
âYellowstone⊠If itâs a place, I donât know it,â Felix said, thinking about it.
âThereâs a Yellowstone national park in Wyoming, but I canât tell for sure if itâs gonna be there,â you shared.
âIt might be,â Jisung voiced and bit his lips, âbut itâll also be the last challenge, and, in case any of you forgot, itâll end in death. Possibly one of ours.â
He was right. However, dwelling on it so soon would not help anyone.
âLetâs think about that part later, OK? Letâs focus on getting to Chicago safely.â
After four stops, the train passed over the Broadway bridge in Albany. The train weirdly shook.
âOf course,â you muttered, âthis couldnât be a nice, eventless trip.â
People started walking in our direction from the end of the train. They didnât look particularly alarmed, like it was natural to change wagons while the train was in motion.
Felix looked up through the window and frowned. âI donât see anyââ
The trainâs wheels shrieked against the rails, abruptly stopping it. Felix and you fell forward on Jisung, who grunted, obviously not enjoying the voyage so far. Then the sound of metal being crushed like a soda can filled the air. The brown haired boy looked at his friends and gulped loudly.
âRemind me why I was so eager to come?â
You tried to open the doors but they wouldnât budge. You got closer to a window and unsheathed your sword.
âGet back.â The boys did as told, stepping back to the empty opposite seats.
You hit the glass with the pommel of your sword. It shattered, but before you could step over the wall, a glowing orange eye appeared, surrounded by glistening dark green flesh and a gigantic triangular red maw.
âWhatâs that smell?â Jisung gagged, closely followed by Felix.
You held your breath and stabbed the monster in the eye. It screeched in pain as it released the hold it had on the train, although not completely. Despite that, you all knew you had a few seconds before the beast would attack.
âI think I know what it is,â Felix said, âhelp me get on the train.â
âYou already are,â Jisung retorted.
âI meant on the roof.â
âItâs too dangerous,â you cut in.
âY/N, you were about to do it.â
âYes, butââ
âDo you trust me?â
âOf course, bââ
âWe donât have time.â
True enough, the serpentâs mouth flew inside the wagon, missing Felixâs head by a centimeter. You used this opportunity to pierce its other eye. It flew out of the trainâs window in a cry. If it wasnât trying to kill everyone, you wouldâve felt bad for it. Although now it was blind and very, very angry.
Felix finally got to the roof with Jisungâs help while you covered them. The snake was so long âaround thirty six metersâ it wrapped itself around the train at least four times. It had flatten it with its strong hold. Felix wondered how the bridge hadnât fallen into the river by now.
He silently prayed to his mom and concentrated on creating a rainbow. The sunny afternoon and the riverâs reverberation helped greatly. When the serpentâs head was in front of him, he generated multicolored flames from the rainbow to destroy the monster. He felt dumb when he realized it didnât do anything, its skin extinguishing the flames on contact.
How could he expect to kill a sea snake with fire?
Scolding himself could wait. He rolled over when the monster tried to swallow him up. He unleashed blasts of multicolored energy, penetrating and burning the monsterâs skin in the process. Jisung was shooting arrows from the open window, while you were slashing at the monsterâs body everywhere you had access to it through the broken windows.
Finally, with one last blast of energy on the serpentâs head, it disintegrated, leaving a damaged train and exhausted demigods. Felix was wondering if the train could get powered up again and carry them all the way to Chicago, but before he could finish his thought, he collapsed on the roof.
five.
Obviously it wouldnât be a dreamless sleep.
Felix was at a train station. A sign read âChicagoâ. He felt relieved. It probably meant theyâd make it there.
His consolation was short-lived, however, as he saw a huge lion a few meters away. It seemed to be patiently waiting for them, laying down on the nearest park. The worst part was the 2,50 meters tall giants behind him. They were playing rock paper scissors and one of them didnât like to lose. He stamped his foot on the ground so hard it felt like an earthquake.
The dream changed. He was outside in the dark, perhaps on a mountain. He could tell by the chilling breeze and the glowing stars. Felix saw a woman not too far, chanting in a language he wasnât familiar with in front of a large cauldron. He found her beautiful and delicate until he caught a glimpse of the rest of her body. From her waist down was a serpentine body, which oddly resembled the Carthaginian serpent he killed earlier.
He shuddered. When she finished chanting, she turned to Felix, boring her glowing green eyes into his.
âOh dear, I didnât mean for you to see me like this,â she said in a seductive way.
She snapped her fingers and the snake part of her body disappeared, replaced by a regular woman's body, wearing a thin black dress.
âThere. Better, isnât it?â
Mist, he thought.
âIf you survive your little journey, Iâll be glad to feed on your flesh, even if youâre not quite a child anymore.â
If Felix wasnât terrified before, he surely was now. He tried to speak, but no sound would come out.
She walked over to him, whispering in his ear, âIâll drink the Apolloâs kidâs blood and eat his flesh. Once Iâm done with him, Iâll deal with you. Iâll take my sweet time. And then, precious Y/N will finally feel my wrath, and eventually die.â
His blood boiled, anger and fear filling his body to the brim. He couldnât let that happen. Before the woman could sink her crocodile teeth into his neck, Felix woke up in a cold sweat, a few minutes before the Cleveland stop.
It was night, Jisung and you were munching on homemade sandwiches. You had retrieved Felix from the roof together and laid him on two seats in an empty wagon with windows intact. Jisung had fed Felix some nectar and let him sleep for about eight hours.
No matter what the mortals saw, they succeeded in making the train move again and the passengers were seated at the front of the convoy. There was a constant shrill metallic sound coming from the bottom of the train. It was low, but definitely annoying.
âFelix,â you called, âhow are you feeling?â
âLike Iâve drained myself to the point of collapsing,â he groaned, sitting up.
âDo you need more nectar?â Jisung asked.
âNo, thanks. Besides, we should keep our supplies for as long as possible.â
âTake that sandwich, then.â The brown haired boy tossed him a sandwich and they ate in silence, until Felix told both of you about his dream.
âSo, the good news is weâre gonna make it to Chicago,â you said.
Jisung continued, âthe bad news is, weâre gonna die in Chicago.â
âI have a few hours to think about a plan while you two sleep.â
You tried to protest but Jisungâs loud yawn put an end to the debate before it even started.
Your dreams were filled with nightmares, like every demigod ever.
It started like every other night. Your mom smiling down at you, her hand stroking your hair, then her being stabbed to death by Keahi. This time the woman smirked and whispered, âIâll enjoy killing you more than I did your mother.â You were about to curse her when the dream changed.
It was night and in the open space, although a bonfire brightened Felixâs liveless body lying on the ground and Jisungâs limp corpse against a rock a few meters away. You wanted to scream, tears running down your cheeks. A triumphant laugh came from everywhere around you, cutting through the dead of night.
The next dream was so different, it shocked you. You were back on Half Blood Hill, except there was no sign of your mom or the empousa. Instead, there was a tall, shoulder length black haired man with fairly white skin and intense black eyes standing around ten meters away from you. What surprised you the most was the black flowing robes he was wearing, filled with evil souls threaded into it.
Despite his morbid appearance, he was looking at you with unexpected tenderness. You were wondering who this man might be when he spoke up.
âY/N,â he called, âIâm sorry it took me so long to appear.â
Then it clicked. Of course. This intimidating man was Hades, your dad. A surge of hatred ran through your body beyond your control.
âWhere were you? All this time, when I got kicked out of school every other year, when I was made fun of, when mom died? Where were you? Did you even love her?â
His eyes flared with purple fire for a second, his face hardening, but you were too furious to be afraid of the consequences. Just as fast, he calmed himself.
âI did love her, yes. But I couldnât do anything, to protect you and because I canât meddle with my childrenâs lives. You had to forge your own path for it to mean anything. You still do.â
You scoffed. âBet you say that to all your kids.â The uneasy look he gave you proved you were right. âGods, you do have a healthy way with kids, huh?â
âI understand your rage. But right now, you must focus on your quest.â
âEasy for you to say,â you muttered.
âYou must not fall into a blind rage when you see her. You must control your thirst for revenge.â
âYou sure love to tell me what to do for someone I just met.â
âY/N⊠If you donât control your powers, bad things could happen. Your friends might pay the price.â
âOh so now youâre threatening my friends!â
He sighed, visibly tired. His form began to fade. âI have to go. Remember my words when you face the empousa.â
Before you could make a snarky remark, he vanished. You woke up feeling so angry your friends could practically see it.
âUsually we wake up confused, terrified, or determined, but as angry as you are, Iâm afraid to ask about what you saw,â Jisung started joking, but then recoiled in his seat in front of you.
Felix gave you a worried look.
âIâm okay.â You were still fuming but they knew better than to push it.
When you sat up, the blond boy sat next to you and took your hand in his. It calmed you down more efficiently than youâd care to admit.
âWeâre almost there. And I have a plan.â
six.
The Great Hall was majestic, with columns all around and a barrel-vaulted skylight bathing the room in soft light. It was giving Greek revival vibes, which comforted you if only for a moment.
You were firmly holding the grip of your sword, mentally preparing for the fight ahead. The lion was waiting for you three outside the station, but there was no giant in sight.
The fact that Felix had a plan didnât ease your nerves that much, because plans rarely unfolded as expected. But he knew stuff about monsters and Greek mythology as a whole, so it was helping.
âHeâs not that big,â Jisung shrugged, âjust the size of a pick-up truck. We can totally get him.â
He nocked his arrow as the Iris kid and you unsheathed your swords.
Not two minutes into the fight, you realized that Felix was right. The lionâs pelt was deflecting all your weapons. It was pointless to attack from behind and by surprise. You tried to keep him occupied until Felix could find an opening.
âGuys, Iâm no Hercules, so donât expect me to asphyxiate him with my bare hands!â Jisung shouted. He tried to shoot an arrow into the lionâs eye, but he somehow saw it coming and protected himself.
âIt wouldâve been easier with a cornucopia butâŠâ Felix threw his backpack into the lionâs maw. As he bellowed in disgust, your friend shouted, ânow!â
Jisung fired arrows into his open mouth. He dissolved except for his pelt. âGreat. Iâve always wanted to resemble a caveman.â The Apollo kidâs wry comment made you smile.
He somehow succeeded in putting it away in his bag, at the same moment the three giants decided to show up. They were coming from the park, their iron clubs laying low.
âWhere is the lion? There was a lion, right?â one of them asked.
âAlready defeated, useless scamp! And guess what? Youâre next!â Jisung raised his arms wide, like he was waiting for a group hug. Then, he gestured to the giants with one hand. âWhat kind of ogres are you, anyway?â
Felix nudged him. âTheyâre Laistrygonian giants, dude. Muscular tattooed man eaters.â
âYou look awfully smug for our next lunch, half-blood,â the tallest of the giants said.
âIn your dreams, you witless gollumpus!â He didnât waste any more time and shot arrows at them. They deflected the projectiles with ease except for the smallest giant, who apparently wasnât paying much attention. He crumbled into dust.Â
The other two roared in outrage and sprinted your way, brandishing their clubs high above their heads. Felix sidestepped when the giant swung his arm, rolled between his legs and stabbed him in the back.
Two down, one to go.
âYouâll pay for that, demigods!â the tallest giant bellowed before laying his arm down on Jisung.
You cut off his arm with a swirl of your sword. He yelled, turned and tried to crush your throat with his remaining hand. He was circling your neck with his huge fingers, but Felix thrusted his celestial bronze sword into his side. He disintegrated.
âThank you,â you breathed with difficulty, locking eyes with Felix.
He dropped his blade and enveloped you in a comforting hug that lasted more than the average.
âAre you okay?â he inquired, cupping your face with his hands. He searched your face for any sign of hurt, sadness, fear⊠But there was only relief and tiredness. You nodded.
âYou fought bravely.â
You turned, raising an eyebrow at the sight of a beautiful woman with black eyes and blond hair. She was wearing a black gown and carrying two old-fashioned reed torches. She was surrounded by green light and Mist was everywhere around her.
Felix let go of your face and unconsciously grabbed your hand instead. He studied the goddess, picking up on the details that showed who she might be. Unfortunately, he wasnât sure you could trust her.
âWhy, thank you mysterious woman! So, which one are you?â Jisung questioned, a bit wary.
âHecate,â Felix murmured.
âWell done, Iris kid. Before you ask, Iâm here to offer guidance. Youâre about toââ
âSorry, but, um⊠Youâre the goddess of magic, you created empousai. Why would you help us?â you asked. It didnât make sense to you, knowing the prophecy, which you were sure she knew about too.
âAs I was saying, daughter of Hades,â she continued with a neutral voice, âyouâre about to face great danger.â
âWhat, more than the usual death threats? What a bummer,â Jisung snorted, crossing his arms.
âYour insolence isnât helping your case, Apollo kid. My children âor creations, whateverâ donât always follow my orders. Weâre not obliged to share the same faith. Theyâre free. Like my children back at camp half-blood.â You waited for her to continue.
âJisung, joking around helps you hide your scars, but you need to embrace them to properly move forward. Sharing your burden might do the trick. Youâre also worth more than you think.â
She then turned to your freckled friend. âFelix, you need to stop putting everyone before yourself. You cannot control everyoneâs happiness. Youâll soon have to prove you can keep your distance, for your own sake.â
Finally, she set her eyes on you. âY/N, I know you think youâre not worth being here, going on this journey. You feel helpless, because you havenât slayed any monster yet. But do not worry, your time will come soon enough, and with that, your greatest challenge. You have so much more power within than you might believe. This power needs to be used wisely.â
A wave of uneasiness washed over the three of you, Hecateâs words touching some nerves. Her words echoed your fatherâs. You regretted your outburst in your latest dream because you could have used this opportunity to ask which one of his attributes was missing. That would have made one less question unanswered.
âWell.â She clapped her hands. âI should probably tell you, now that thereâs no more ground means of transport to Wyoming âI mean, youâre not going to steal a car, are you?â youâll need to use aerial transportation.â
âBut howââ Felix started, but got cut off.
âOff I go. Remember, you have two days left to get back to camp safely. Good luck on your quest, demigods. I hope Tyche can lend you some.â
She disappeared in a cloud of Mist.
âIf I didnât feel good then, I definitely do now!â Jisung sarcastically smiled.
For the first time since youâve known him, you realized Hecate was right about the guy. Behind all the jokes and smiles, he had a sadness in him that was hard to decipher. But you were aware now. Felix was visibly concentrating, eyes closed and face facing the sky.
âDo you want to talk about what Hecate said?â you suggested. âAbout sharing yourââ
âWell, Iâd love to, trust me, but Iâm fine. But hey, it seems you were right. Yellowstone is a national park.â
Deciding prying wasnât gonna help, you nodded and turned your head towards the sky. You noticed a faint dark form in the horizon. Squinting your eyes in an attempt to identify what was coming for you this time, Felix left out a relieved sigh, then a chuckle. You spotted the sweat on his forehead. A few seconds later, you recognized winged horses.
Three of them.
âDid you summon them?â you questioned Felix, who was grinning.
âOne of my momâs powers. Iâm glad it worked.â
Two of them were white and one was brown. They came to a stop in front of you, the brown pegasus neighing, gently nuzzling Felix.
âThank you for coming, guys,â he said as he scratched the horseâs head. He turned to Jisung and you. âAre you ready for a ride?â
After a few hours flying high in the sky, you could finally make out the mountain you had to go to. You were about fifty kilometers away from the destination when you heard screeching from behind.
Jisung whined. âCome on!â
âDozens of Gryphons! Weâll have to fight!â Felix yelled.
He brandished his sword, turned around and lashed out at them. You followed, while Jisung kept his distance, shooting arrows at the dozens of enemies. Dusk was only a few minutes away. The skyâs colors âblue, purple, red, orange, yellowâ looked peaceful and pretty compared to the fight that was breaking out under it.
Four monsters succumbed to your blade before another one planted its talons in your pegasusâ thigh as you slashed its right wing. You cursed under your breath when the winged horse squealed, pitching up while flapping his wings frantically. He was bleeding.
You almost fell, but managed to hang on his mane and kill the gryphon. Unfortunately, another one immediately took its place and pecked your mountingâs neck with its sharp beak. He was losing too much blood, the liquid staining his beautiful white coat.
As he was dropping altitude, you were slowly and painfully losing your grip on his mane. You were falling to your death together. But not without taking the monster with you.
You squeezed the pegasusâ flanks to keep balance and brought down your sword on the gryphonâs neck. It disintegrated. You thanked and apologized to your companion for a few hours, hugging his neck in an attempt to stop the bleeding and preparing yourself for the impact. However, he crumbled into dust a few hundred meters above the ground, leaving you free falling on your own.
Felix swooped your way on his brown pegasus and caught your waist. Your arms immediately wrapped around his torso. Jisung took down the last gryphon in your peripheral view. You started to smile, but the brown haired boyâs eyes widened. He shouted: âLook out!â
The actual last monster seized the pegasusâ gaskins with its claws and pulled them, making him go upside down. Felix and you fell face first off the winged horse, holding each other tightly. You couldnât even see the gryphon butchering its prey. Jisung slayed the monster with a well-aimed arrow and sped up to catch you both.
He wasnât quick enough. You were swallowed by the shadows, leaving the Apollo kid behind with a pegasus as confused and worried as he was.
seven.
Felix woke up in a cave with low light coming from torches dispersed on the walls. You were passed out on the floor but didnât look injured, which was good.
He scanned his surroundings. It was a rectangular room with a door on the far left. It seemed like there was no one else with you. He sat on his legs, put down his sword and brought your head on his lap. He poured a little amount of nectar into your parted lips.
He felt a presence behind him, but was too late to act. The invisible form dragged him away from you, your head hitting the ground with a soft thud. He tried to fight back but got tossed head first in the dirt. With a grunt, he got on his knees and looked around, but there was no one. As he got up, he felt claws scratch his chest, ripping his orange shirt in the process. He yelped, took a knife out of his belt and aimlessly sliced through the air all around him.
He saw your body move. Thinking you were waking up, he let down his guard and ran to you. He tripped on something metallic and fell down. Looking behind him, there was just the muddy floor.
âGet on your knees,â a feminine voice ordered, her words resonating dangerously across the room. âDonât move.â
He was now on his knees, facing you with a blank expression as if he wasnât in control of his body anymore.
The first punch he received in the gut hurt like hell, but his face and body remained motionless like a doll. Then, he received blows on his ribs, his cheeks, his jawline. It was enough for him to faint. The pain was blinding him but he kept his eyes open. He watched, helpless, as you slowly stood up, glaring his way. No, you were looking somewhere above him.
âShow yourself, blood sucker, so I can make you pay,â your voice was calm yet threatening.
Keahi laughed, moving Felixâs face so you could see all the bruises she gave him. It was a bad idea on her part because you were now fully pissed. Seeing him like this⊠After what she did to your mom, you wanted to end her life so badly.
The ground blackened around you and the air dropped to freezing. A black flood of anger, pain, guilt and grief poured out of you in waves, hitting the monster and Felix. The latter experienced your worst memories. The pain, guilt and grief from the death of your mom, your hardships, the anger âno, hatredâ you felt towards the empousa that made your life miserable.
âStop this!â she taunted.
It seemed to get Felix out of his trance.
âY/NâŠâ he murmured and hit the floor.
All the pain he received in the last minutes knocked him out. This scene made you more furious, if that was even possible at this point. The waves became thicker and stronger, making Keahi loudly hit the nearest wall.
âYouâre just a kid! You might be powerful, but not powerful enough to destroy me and my sister.â Desperation was evident in her voice. âIf you keep going, youâll kill the boy too.â
You went at it for several more seconds. It was hard to stop, you wanted her dead and your emotions took over your judgment. Although, one look at Felixâs limp body was enough for you to snap out of it.
You reached for your sword and threw it in her direction like a javelin. It planted itself in the wall. The empousa disintegrated and a golden ring fell on the floor. The waves stopped and the flood slowly dissipated. Before you could take a step towards Felix, you passed out again.
Jisung was patrolling from the air, alert for any movement on the mountain, without being certain you were even there. Several minutes later, he saw black smoke coming from a strange rectangle on the ground. Getting closer, he realized it was a hatch.
The pegasus landed on the floor next to it. Jisung dismounted and opened the hatch to a dark corridor. He waited for the dark Underworld stuff âmeaning you were probably thereâ to disappear completely before venturing inside, his bow ready.
At the end of the damp corridor was a single door. He entered and found his friendsâ bodies on the floor, a hand extended to each otherâs direction. He flew to Felixâs side, poured nectar into his mouth, winced when he caught sight of his bruises and chest, then gave you the same treatment, relieved to see there weren't many physical injuries.
He didnât want to leave any of you alone and he couldnât move both of you at the same time. He was about to sit down when he spotted your sword in the wall. He grabbed the hilt and pulled it out with much effort. Something golden was on the floor so he picked it up. It was a golden ring.
Spoil of War? It didnât seem like it, but how could he know? He wasnât there. He put it in his pocket anyway. Felix opened his eyes and immediately went to your side. He reached for his backpack.
âI already gave her nectar.â
Felixâs head turned so fast his neck cracked. âYou scared me!â
âSorry.â Jisung walked over. âLetâs go, this place is creepy.â
The Iris kid was sending worried looks your way the whole time they spent carrying you outside. He related his version of the facts. How he was manipulated and hit by an invisible woman, experienced your pain, and passed out once the charmspeak wore off.
âItâs been a hell of a couple days, huh?â
âTell me about it.â Fresh air and sunlight did Felix some good.
âLetâs sleep a bit before facing death again, shall we?â Jisung offered.
They took sleeping bags out of their backpack, Jisung with a bit more difficulty due to the lionâs pelt taking up most space. Both enveloped you in yours, then they argued on who should take first watch.
The brown haired boy won. He wasnât injured and Felix visibly needed rest. He changed into a new t-shirt and insisted on being woken up a few hours later, though.
He dreamed he was in the same dark place again. The fire was cackling, lightening up the monsterâs face and body. He was definitely terrified of her.
It felt like she was waiting for him. âTomorrow we meet, demigod. Tomorrow, you die.â
He wanted to yell: âWeâll defeat you, like we did all our enemies until now.â but no sound could leave his lips.
âOh, but theyâre nothing compared to me,â she exclaimed like she heard his thoughts somehow. âFighting me will make everything you endured so far feel like a walk in the park.â
That didnât make him feel any better about the whole quest and their chance of survival. He was scared for his friends, for himself.
Hecateâs words replayed in his mind. âYouâll soon have to prove you can keep your distance, for your own sake.â Even if he thought his encounter with the empousa was a proof in itself, he felt dread. Something even worse was about to happen, he could feel it.
Felix woke up alert, but it was night.
âJisung!â he complained, but he found him fast asleep next to him.
You, on the other hand, were awake, preparing a snack and humming an old song. You were so pretty with the sun lighting your hair and skin.
âHello, Rainbow Boy. Here, eat this.â
You handed him toasts of cheese and an apple cut into quarters, but he just stared at you instead of taking them.
âY/N,â he murmured like a whisper, a relieved sigh.
He engulfed you in a bone crushing hug, his nose buried in your neck. You hugged him back like you could, the food still in your hands.
âAre you okay? I was so scared.â
âI would be better if I could breathe,â you joked.
He apologized and let you go but stayed close, thanking you for the food.
âWhat happened back there? Do you know what monster it was?â
Your smile turned into a hard look. âNone other than my momâs murderer, Keahi.â
He reached for your hand, drawing smoothing circles on the knuckles with his thumb.
âI wonder how she made herself invisible. Itâs not an empousa power,â he wondered.
âThere was a ring.â
âA ring that makes its wearer invisible⊠Sounds familiar.â
âI have no clue where it is, though. Perhaps still in that cave.â
âWait. Kingâs circle? Gyges was a king who found a golden ring in a cave. âCircleâ could mean the ring. Was it golden?â You nodded. âThen we need to get it back. It could help us on our next step.â
âNo need,â Jisung yawned as he stretched, âI have it right here. Call me Bilbo Baggins.â He took the ring out of his pocket and gave it to you.
âYouâre a lifesaver, I hope you know that,â you thanked him.
He smirked, âI do know, but being acknowledged is always appreciated.â
âSo⊠If, hypothetically, I put this onâŠâ you said, doing so. âIâll become invisible.â
âYou literally are, right now.â Felix tried to touch your shoulder but you werenât there anymore.
You sneaked behind them and pressed a finger on their sides, watching them squirm and whine.
âOK, OK, sorry.â You took out the ring and threw it in Felixâs direction. âYou should keep it.â
He had great reflexes, so he caught it easily. âWhy me?â
âI already got the lionâs pelt and itâs taking way too much space, so a ring would be too much,â Jisung answered, shrugging innocently.
Rolling your eyes, you elbowed him. âYouâre the best choice. Youâre the most selfless out of us. I trust you.â
He wanted to argue but decided against it.
He trusted you too.
eight.
Jisung took a few minutes to say goodbye to his pegasus. He thanked him, stroked his mane and gave him a treat. Felix apologized for his companions, for which the winged horse nudged him and bowed before flying away.
âBefore we go, I think I need to tell you guys something,â the brown haired boy mumbled.
Felix and you exchanged glances and offered him sympathetic smiles.
âLetâs sit,â he continued. Once you were, he took a deep breath and got into it right away.
He talked about his past. How, when he was seven, he lost his half brother in a car accident. How he ran away to the park near his house after an argument with his step dad, how his little brother went to look for him then. How he was busy pitying himself when he heard the crash. How he blamed himself for the whole thing. How he swore to never run off again because he didnât want his mom to end up this way too. How he decided to bury his feelings and never speak of this, ever.
âJisung⊠None of it was your fault,â you assured. âYou were so young⊠Iâm so sorry.â
âJi, thank you for sharing this with us. Weâre here for you. It wasnât your fault.â
âThanks guys⊠I had to tell someone before we went to our ultimate death.â
âNo way youâre dying today, I wonât allow it. Youâll get back to your crush.â
âOK, chill Y/N, I donât have a crush.â
âThe redness on your face says otherwise, buddy,â Felix laughed softly.
Jisung had lessened his burden like Hecate had suggested, and it worked. He felt better, ready to move forward.
The sun was rising. You had to get to the mountain next to the one you were currently on. The only way now was by foot. And you had to be back by the end of the day.
Easy enough. No, it was definitely not easy.
But you had to try.
On your way to the monster, you explained the plan you fashioned to the boys while they were asleep. After a lot of complaining and noâs, they finally accepted it (mostly because they didnât have better ideas). Although Felix refused to use the ring.
Three hours later, the boys and you finally set foot in the clearing. All around were old trees and, in the center, was a large cauldron on top of a bonfire. Next to it was a block of stone with a bronze helmet on top of it. So it was the helm. The monster was there, chanting in a language that resembled latin.
âLamia,â Felix whispered, swallowing loudly.
âAh! Children, at last,â Lamia exclaimed with a charming yet dark smile.
âWe came for my fatherâs helm.â
âThe same dad that abandoned you?â
It was true, you still resented him, but bringing everyone back safely was a priority.
âYeah, I guess. Itâs that one I presume?â you asked as you pointed to it.
âBusted,â Lamia laughed falsely before putting it on her head.
She became invisible and the fear emanating from the helm paralyzed the three of you.
It was unsure what exactly happened. Was it your survival instinct or were you more powerful than the helm itself? Whatever it was, you were able to parry the attack with your sword. There was no time wondering how you could manage that.
Without being able to see or hear where she was, you warded off every attack she threw. You were about to get the upper hand when she grabbed Felixâs mortified body. You could see it in his eyes.
âYour sister tried that and regretted it,â you spat.
Lamia reappeared when she took off the helmet, keeping it under her unused arm.
âSheâs weak. Iâll make sure to let her know when sheâs back.â
Of course monsters will always be back, no matter how much we slay them.
âYou know,â she resumed, âyour dad thinks heâs all mighty and powerful because he rules the Underworld. Yet his precious helm was too easy to steal. And he sends his beloved daughter to death for this?â
Her claws enveloping Felixâs neck and Jisungâs shattered breath gave you a hard time thinking about your next move. You couldnât be reckless again.
You had to save them.
âLeave them alone. Letâs do this one on one.â
âWhy would I accept your proposition when I have the upperhand, sweetie?â
You scoffed. âCome on now. Are you scared to face a kid? Youâre acting all-powerful and invincible, but fighting me is too much?â
Her expression hardened. Pride touched.
Bingo.
Lamia shoved Felix on the floor, a vicious glare throwing daggers at you. You had to restrain yourself from jumping her right this instant.
Distancing her from your friends was vital. She put the helmet back on as you were moving around to cause her back to face them. Not wasting any time attacking, you slashed your sword here and there, not letting her ripost. However, you were getting tired. She took advantage and ripped your arm with her claws. You stumbled and closed your eyes, groaning.
âAlready down? Youâre making this too easy,â she mused after taking the helm off again.
Felix and Jisung regained their senses away from her. They were ready to fight. Jisung was bow ready and Felix was summoning light.
When you opened your eyes and got to your feet, you realized they were waiting for a sign. From you.
The pressure of leading was growing but you tried to bury it inside. You couldnât deal with more anxiety at the moment. You focused on Lamia, who was grinning from a false feeling of victory, and shouted, âNOW!â
The three of you gave your all and hit her at the same time. As Felix struck her with blinding light, Jisung shot her in the back and you pierced her heart. You enjoyed her look of surprise when she disintegrated in a shrill scream. All that was left was the helm of darkness falling to the ground with a clang.
Clenching your arm, you fell on your knees. Felix engulfed you into a tight hug.
âThis is gonna sound controversial, but I think that went well,â Jisung said as he picked up the helm.
âYou must all be fools if you think you can take me down that easily,â a feminine voice taunted.
She was at the other side of the open space, Mist slowly dispersing around her. How did she do that? The marks on your arm were real, so when did she create the Mist? How could you not have seen it coming?
Realizing he actually didnât have anything in his hands, Jisung quickly shot arrows her way but she managed to dodge them and put on the helmet. Felix couldnât get up, fear keeping him grounded.
You witnessed, helpless, Jisungâs body being thrown across the clearing. Anger building up inside you, you got to your feet and charged.
Certainly you couldnât hear or see her, but you could feel her. Probably due to your connection to the underground. But despite your best efforts, you couldnât seem to have enough to wound her. It was almost as if she didnât need the helm at all, like she could end you all with or without it. Like she only used it for extra fun.
Your limbs started to ache. Panting, you planted your sword on the ground. You could feel Lamia laugh triumphally.
Concentrating, you opened a crevasse that allowed skeletons to rise and surround the monster. They closed in on her, and eventually started attacking all at once. She effortlessly took them down one by one in an elegant dance.
There was only one thing left to do but your friends were here and the least thing you wanted was to hurt them.
âI have a question. Does your mom know what youâre doing? Arenât you scared of retaliation?â
It was interesting enough for her to take the helmet off. âWhat are you talking about, mortal? Hecate does not care about whether you live or die today.â
Felix joined Jisung at the far end of the open space. It was now or never.
âI wouldnât be so sure. She came to see us yesterday, you know. She might punish you later when Iâm done with you.â
âI do not care about Hecate!â Her voice was trembling, though. âYouâre irritating. Iâll deal with you first.â
âI wouldnât have it any other way,â you whispered to yourself.
As she put the helmet back on for the nth time, the floor blackened. You let the flood of black smoke leave your body while the temperature dropped. It wasnât as strong as when you faced Keahi, but anger and pain were still present. It affected her, but not enough to end her.
Felix analyzed the situation and summoned light, except he didnât know where to hit. You tried your best to show him by sinking Lamia into the floor to her calves. The movement caught his eye. Rainbow sparks shot from the sky into her skin. You felt her scream in pain.
It still wasnât sufficient. She was getting restless and you were getting desperate. What more could you do? It seemed to have worked the first time but it wasnât real, how could you be sure it would work this time?
The flood was getting thicker, your hand tightening around the tilt of your sword. Of course, you could just try it again and if it didnât work⊠then you would have tried until the end.
Breathing heavily, you walked up to her. Raising your sword, you whispered a âgood byeâ before slowly but surely pressing the blade into her heart.
Lamia didnât just sit back. She yelled, sinking her claws into your chest and arms at the same time. You endured the pain but gasped when an arrow pierced through her neck and passed you by a few centimeters to finish its course in the nearest tree. Multicolored flames burned her too, until the helm of darkness fell to the ground in front of you.
âY/N!â Felix ran to you. âNo, no, noâŠâ
Blood was dripping from the multiple claw marks. He caught you when your knees gave out, helping you down and maintaining your head on his hand.
âJisung,â he desperately called, âyou need to do something.â
âAlready on itâŠâ
Felix pressured on your shoulder wound with his free hand while the brown haired boy roamed through his backpack. Blood ran through his fingers.
âStay with me, Y/N, please.â
You smiled faintly. âWe won this time, right? Thatâsâ thatâs good.â
He brought you closer to him. âYeah, thanks to you.â
âMove, loverboy,â Jisung ordered.
The Iris kid did as told but kept pressuring your wound. âYouâre gonna be okay, I promise.â
These were the last words you heard before fainting.
nine.
You woke up to a moving vehicle, your chest and arms tingling with every bump it rolled over. Jisung was talking to someone you couldnât see, and Felixâs hand was intertwined with yours. More than that, you were seated next to each other, your head comfortably laid on his shoulder.
Jisung looked behind him and gave you a gummy smile. âSleeping beautyâs awake at last!â
âAre you okay?â the boy next to you asked as you sat up straight.
You nodded and realized you were in a minibus. Unless you were mistaken, there was no vehicle whatsoever on the mountain last time you checked.
âIndeed! You needed a drive home. Thatâs where I came in,â a man said joyfully.
You blinked when you saw Apollo driving and waving you hello through the rear-view mirror.
âI had the brilliant idea to offer the lionâs pelt and the ring of Gyges to my dad and hoped he would grant us a little help to get back to Olympus safely and quickly,â he explained with a satisfied face.
It was exceptionally brilliant that he accepted.
During the rest of the road trip, Apollo was relating some of his adventures to whoever listened. The return was smoother than the outward, allowing you to rest a bit. The blonde boy had a worried face whenever he laid his eyes on you.
On Mount Olympus, Hades was here with the Olympian Gods, on his seldom used throne. His proud stare was weird to witness, especially when it was directed towards you. You gave him back his helm under Apolloâs loud praise for his âson and his companionsâ bravery on this perilous odysseyâ. The Gods thanked the three of you and got on with their immortal lives.
Iris winked at her kid, mouthing âIâm proud of you.â and they all left the palace.
You did the same, the boys walking to the elevator while Hades, who was following you, asked for a chat. You agreed, staying back to hear what he had to say.
âI know that blessing you with this much power made you a target. Honestly, I canât take them back. But I know youâll use them well. You proved during your journey that you were mature and strong enough. Youâve made me proud.â
Hearing these words filled you with a warm feeling, which you despised. It was too soon for you to warm up to him.
âI didnât do it for you. I did it for mom.â
He nodded in understanding. âSheâs in Elysium you know? She wants you to live a long, fulfilled life before seeing her again.''Â
You were about to tell him youâve known for years, but he turned around and left.
You thought about your mom, and how at peace she was right now. At that moment, you decided to let go of the negative thoughts obscuring your judgment and decisions. Your mom was waiting for you, and you intended to make her proud of you.
Jogging to your friends, you smiled, happy that was finally over. Obviously you knew more danger was coming, but youâd be okay as long as your friends were there with you.
ten.
Back at camp, the three of you were acclaimed, the respective head counselors of your cabins personally greeting each of you. They looked particularly proud. The fervor of the return having dissipated, you sat in the Big House with Chiron before dinner time, to relate your journey.
âSo yeah, it turned out we had to get the helm of darkness back from Lamia,â you said.
âThe piece of the way back was the lionâs pelt and the last challenge was in the Yellowstone national park in Wyoming,â added Jisung.
âThe Kingâs circle was Gygesâ invisible ring,â Felix divulged.
âIâm glad youâre all back safely,â Chiron smiled.
âI have a question, though,â Jisung raised his hand. âHalf-blood death. Did it not come through?â
âIt did. Lamia was a demigod, daughter of Hecate and Queen of Libya,â Chiron explained, âshe was turned into a monster by Hera.â
âExplains a lot,â you muttered.
Jisung returned to his crush friend from the Hephaestus cabin while Felix and you walked together to your cabins. During your little walk, the Aphrodite kid, AKA the pretty painter, came to see you. It shocked you to see him in front of you, and it shocked you even further to see the two greet each other like old friends.
âIâm glad youâre back, Felix,â he said, a genuine smile on his face.
âThanks Hyunjin. Iâm happy to be back.â
âHello Y/N.â
He knows my name!! How does he know my name??
âHuh, hiâŠâ
âFelix talks about you aââ
âThatâs great,â the blond boy cut him off, ears reddening, âbut we have stuff to do before dinner. Bye Hyunjin, see you around!â
âLix,â you called as he rushed you to the cabins, âhow do you know him?â
âWe came to camp together. Why?â
Realizing he was âjustâ a pretty painter for you and that you were more interested in Felix than him, you smiled sheepishly.
âNothing, I never asked how or when you came to camp.â
âOh, well, we were seven kids on the run after monsters attacked our school, and satyrs finally found us and brought us here. We were between six and ten.â
He stopped in his tracks when he realized you werenât following anymore. When he turned around to face you, you hugged him, burying your face in his neck. He stroked your back affectionately.
âIt mustâve been hard. Iâm sorry.â
âHey, itâs okay, we made it without too many problems.â
After a good dinner and a wholehearted singalong, you ended up on the beach, eyes fixed on the stars. Hearing footsteps approaching, you only looked over when he sat next to you.
âPretty cloudless sky, huh?â
âYeah,â you agreed, âbut the stars are prettier on your face.â
It was unknown which one of you was blushing more.
âSorryââ
âY/Nââ
âYou first,â you offered, hiding your face into your cold hands. Or was it your face that was hot?
âI came to a conclusion while on that awful quest,â Felix announced, folding his arms on top of his knees. He looked at the horizon. âI canât bear the thought of losing you. Seeing you hurting tears me apart, and I think what Hecate meant by âmy own sakeâ wasnât my safety, but rather my heart after seeing you suffer.â He sighed. âI guess what Iâm trying to say is that⊠I love you, Y/N,â he finished, daring to turn your way.
He was met with you facing him and staring at him intently, tears forming in your eyes. âFelix⊠There are not enough words to express how much you mean to me. I literally cannot live without you. I love you so much.â
The embrace you two shared was worth a thousand words.
As you let go of each other, his eyes trailed on your collarbone, where a mark was visible above your orange t-shirt. You followed his gaze and touched your bruised skin. You locked eyes with him and smiled softly.
âThese will make badass scars.â
thank you for reading! if you enjoyed, please let me know and here's the masterlist<3
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