"Y-You mean that it's true?"

Alex watched in horror as her mother took a deep breath before responding. "I didn't know it wasn't your d-Simon, not the first time."

"The first time?" Alex leapt to her feet, unable to keep from raising her voice. "How many times were there?"

Josephina turned to her daughter, reaching out to grasp her, only for Alex to step back out of reach. "Lexi, I-."

"How many times?" She stessed each word lowly. Her mother's shoulders dropped at her tone. "Twice."

"And the first?"

"Daniel."

Alex dropped back into the chair. "You're telling me both of us were, were his children?"

Through her blurring vision, Alex could faintly make out the tears beginning to stream down her mother's face. Without another word, Josephina walked away towards the stairs, dissapearing as she went up.

This is impossible, this can't be real.

Her mind was reeling, a migraine beginning to form as she buried her face into the palms of her hands and squeezed her eyes shut, willing for this all to go away once she opened them again.

The faint steps from upstairs grew louder as her mother returned. "Lexi."

She refused to look up, not yet. "What?"

"Here."

Finally she glanced up, her mother's hand outstretched to her and holding a velvet black box. Alex frowned, her words coming out harsher than intended. "What's this?"

"Something he gave me last time we met...it was for you."

Hesistantly, she grasped the box, bringing it to her lap before opening it.

There in the box lay a small golden branch with gold olive leaves, laid delicately on a cushion. The inside of the box had and enscription in gold, but Alex couldn't understand the Greek writing. She could read what it said, however, and she looked up at her mother in confusion. "Why does it say my name?"

Josephina's eyes shone with tears as she nodded towards the box. "Read the words out loud Lexi."

Alex glanced back down at the insription.

Η Αλεξάνδρεια, η κόρη του Άδη Αγησιλάου, σε καλεί

"I Alexándreia, i kóri tou Ádi Agisiláou, se kaleí..."

As she said it outloud, she suddenly understood. Alexandria, daughter of Hades Agisilaos, summons you.

The lights of the house began to flicker, flashing time and time again before they went out completely. It suddenly went dark, depsite the fact that the sun was still up outside, Alex could see nothing in the house or around her.

"Mother?"

There was no response, only silence. "Mom?"

"I Alexándreia, i kóri tou Ádi Agisiláou, se kaleí."

The words she had muttered moments ago echoed around her, as though she were in a cave. Once, twice, and then light.

She was no longer home.

The lights were now torches, and she no longer sat on the chair she had been on.

Now she was standing in the middle of a darkened room, unable to make out the various objects and funitures there despite the torch lights.

There was a growl, and Alex nearly jumped out of her skin as she spun towards the source of the sound.

The growl deepened, and from the shadows emered a paw the size of a boulder, then another.

Alex backed away until her back hit the wall of the room, trembling uncontrollably as the head of a massive dog soon followed the paws.

Then another head, and another.

Cerebus.