It was just like Ares said, I woke up on the floor of a dark room, there was a chandelier hanging with candles lit across the room. A cold breeze came in through the broken windows, I'm glad I dressed warm last night. I checked my pockets, no riptide, he must have found a way to make them not reappear. I noticed that everyone was awake now, there was a tension in the room, I'd probably die alongside most of these people, maybe I'll be the first target, maybe they all have some hatred towards me, or they're afraid of me.

"Rise and shine everyone! One last thing I forgot to mention, there's potions around, some are healing, others are poison, it says on the bottle, but the contents look the same. You have 10 minutes to get to where you want to be, starting now!" He shouted and everyone scurried away, but I ran to the window, grabbing a shard that was the almost the length of a pocket knife. It'll do. Most people went downstairs, because going down is a lot faster, of course a couple hundred still went upstairs. I was alone on this floor now, I think.

I didn't waste time, I went into a room and barricaded the door with a chair, there were still candles lit in here so I can partially see. I grabbed one and looked around everywhere, I found some potions, one healing and one poison. I should switch them, if he said the contents look the same, and that's what I did, and then I put the fake healing potion somewhere hard to find so it wouldn't seem like I switched them.

Honestly, I'm terrified, I don't know where anyone is, what the building looks like, I don't have a real weapon yet, and if I die right away, I'm just proving to everyone that I'm weak and a wuss. I can't let that happen! I continued to search, I found a pocket knife and I hid it in my sleeve. Suddenly, the door started rattling, and I hid, they might get in here. The door busted open and I held my breath, I could knock them out, I could kill them. I could let out every piece of anger I have by stabbing whoever this is, stabbing them until I can only feel desperation, and fear of myself.

"I know someone is in here! I have a gun!" It was a girl, probably Ares cabin. Guns? There's guns? I have to get out of here, but she has far range advantage, I don't know if I can get to her without getting shot. "Come out now!" She shouted, and i crouched, getting ready to throw the burning candle when she doesn't see so she can turn around. That's what I did, I threw the candle to the opposite side of the room, watching as the wood starting burning, I saw her turn and I rushed her, hitting her in the back of the head, she crumbled easily. I checked her body, there was no gun, liar. I checked her pulse, she was alive, I won't kill her, I can't.

I stomped out the fire before it grew any bigger, glad for the wave of warmth. I heard footsteps coming close and I hid again, watching the person who came in check the pulse of the girl I knocked out. The guy who I didn't recognize stabbed her three times with a long shard of glass, then walked out effortlessly. I couldn't heal her, I needed the healing potion for myself. Some of these people don't care about others, they wants to win, they don't want to lose their lives. I don't want to die to someone like that. I was angry, I took out my pocket knife and crept out of my hiding spot, checking the pulse of the girl, who was still alive.

"I won't make it, just kill me." She cried, she was awake! "Make it as painless and quick as possible, I beg you," she cried more, quietly, and I bit my cheek. I'm not killing her, she was already going to die, I'm just helping her.

"What do you want me to do?" I said nervously, "how do I make it painless and quick?" She raised her hand and pointed at her neck.

"Stab me here." She stuttered, and I rose the pocket knife, and begged quietly for her to forgive me, and I swung it, blood squired and hit my face, but she was dead. Her head limply fell to the side and I backed away, wiping my face, a mix of blood and tears, this is what really killing someone feels like. I was sad, she didn't deserve it, even though she wanted to kill me. I was angry now, he just left her to suffer! He knew she wouldn't last but left her to suffer, now it's his turn to suffer.

The horn sounded, and I walked out, it's safe right now, must be dinner. I can see how many people are on this floor now, dinner and water on each floor. Time flew by faster than I realized, now I just hope each day goes by this fast, if I live through the night. I saw the man who stabbed the girl, he was a little taller than me with a broad frame, but he was a bit more awkward looking than Ares kids typically are. He looked like Apollos kid, but must have some relation to Ares because telling by how much blood he had on him, she wasn't his first victim. We all sat awkwardly at the table, grabbing what we could, I focussed on water, although I did eat plenty. There were flasks, and I grabbed one, filling it with water, this will last me until tomorrow morning.

"Perseus! Aren't I glad to see you!" Someone bellowed behind me, and I jumped, turning and seeing Ares, who looked me up and down, almost surprised to see blood on my face.

"Not entirely willingly if I'm being honest. I'm only here because Annabeth said she wouldn't if I did." I frowned, how pointless it was, she would have backed out anyways if she found out that she would find out regardless.

"Ah but your participating, some part of you must enjoy this, your wild side," he whispered to me, like the devil on my shoulder, whispering evil thoughts to me.

"I only saved your daughter from suffering, she was stabbed three times and left to suffer, I freed her from that." I said simply, although I was full of guilt.

"I'll be honest, you probably could have saved her, but you're selfish, you just didn't want to waste your healing potion on her, you're afraid of dying." Ares scoffed at me, and I bit my cheek. "At least by the hands of other people, many people where the same way, 20 people killed themselves as far as I'm aware. Why haven't you?" Ares asked, not keeping hushed anymore, there's an audience he has to appease to, the gods are probably finding some joy in this, same with some demigods. It's our nature, violence and fear, we've dealt with it so long it's all we're used to.

"I don't want to kill myself out of fear, I'm not a coward." I said before taking another bite of bread, I might be full but I have to eat, I have to make it till tomorrow. "Besides, I have people who want me to survive, so I'm going to try." I said surely.

"That didn't matter to you the other night, the night before last night if I think correctly, you know Hades can sense that type of thing, suicide, death. And gods don't usually keep quiet among each other." I knew what he was referring to, after Annabeth broke up with me, I attempted but quickly stopped when I realized Nico would know right away.

"Matters to me now." I said, and Ares left, great, announced to everyone at camp, fun. I grabbed some more food and put in in my pockets, leaving.