"As of midnight, we're at war with the Ennead."

Melody sinks into her seat, her mouth falling open. The other Grecian apprentices sit around her in the common room, sharing her look of panic. Gabriel, the next in line to inherit the title of Zeus, drops into his seat after delivering the terrible news. He combs his fingers through his blonde hair, his usually cool demeanor lost to worry.

"You're joking, right?" Mark says with a weak chuckle. He looks around the room, his beady eyes jumping from person to person. His smile fades when nobody joins in with the joke. He clears his throat, speaking in a thick Brazilian accent. "But, what about Oliver? Wasn't he-"

"You honestly thought he could fix things?" Gabriel snaps through his teeth. "You met him, he's a coward."

"You have no idea what it's like, being a god," Lucas warns, gripping the arms of his chair so hard that they creak under his thick fingers. He stands, easily twice the size of the other two boys. "And he was forced into it, with no training."

"He was afraid of his own shadow," Gabriel says, waving his hand. "Sit down, now's not the time to argue. We need to prepare for the war."

"You think Zeus will do it?" Mark says, his voice low. "Maybe he's bluffing?"

"He isn't," Lucas and Gabriel answer at the same time. Kayla, the last apprentice, leans towards Melody. Her usual smile is gone, and she brushes her long blonde hair behind her ears nervously.

"What do you think? Do you-" Melody claps her hands, her eyes flashing a deep amber. The air ripples in the middle of the group, then splits open, revealing a scene beyond the small room. It's dark, illuminated only by the pale light of the full moon hanging above. The rift shows a long dock, wide enough for half a dozen people to stand shoulder to shoulder.

On one side of the dock stands a group of four, huddled together defensively. They're all in their mid-teens, the oldest looking to be Gabriel's age - 17. At the front is a boy with dirty blonde hair and a scar over his eyebrow. He's wearing a dark hoodie, shouting mutely at the other group. The oldest of the group - a boy with short red hair, blue eyes, and holding a strange curved sword - holds him back from charging. Standing behind them is a pretty girl with long brown hair and sharp eyes, wielding a bow and arrow. The last boy is Hispanic and short - or rather, is hunched over in fear. In his white-knuckled grip is a long silver staff, with two snakes extending from and wrapping around the shaft. The head sprouts a pair of small wings. The apprentices all recognize it at once; the staff of Hermes.

"What is this?" Lucas breathes, watching the confrontation with wide eyes. On the other side of the dock is another group, their features obscured by shadow. One of them steps forward confidently; a boy with slick black hair in an unbuttoned shirt. He grins and speaks to Oliver's group, but no sound comes from the image.

"I can't hear them," Gabriel grunts. "Make it work."

"I'm trying," Melody snaps, forcing her power into the rift. It fuzzes and blinks, making a small crackling sound. The two groups argue back and forth mutely for a few minutes, the image fading in and out. Then, with a pop, the image clears.

"By causing a war!?" The blonde roars, pulling free from the boy holding him back. He thrusts a finger at the other group accusingly. "You're not going to fix anything! Think about it - hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis! Think of everything the gods will throw at each other - hundreds of people will die!"

"We won't let it get that far!" The black-haired boy counters, baring his teeth.

"Who are these two?" Lucas says as they continue to argue. Mark shrugs, leaning closer.

"That's Jake," Melody says, her voice shaking. "He's the apprentice Hades."

"You know him?" Kayla asks, her hands over her mouth. "I thought we weren't allowed into the underworld. And they aren't allowed up here."

"Hecate is the exception," Melody says, waving her hand dismissively. She's not paying attention to Jake, or even the New Hermes the others told her about. Her eyes are locked on the other boy, the one facing them down. He's wearing a black bow tie around his neck like a choker, letting the collar of his shirt hang freely. His nose is thin but pointed, and he has deep dimples on his cheeks as he grins. His front teeth are slightly crooked, but he displays them proudly. His eyes glow dark green, like moss or the colour of snakes. His hair is black and jelled smooth, with a small ponytail in the back.

Melody's heart sinks with a feeling of dread. Marcus.

"You can't change the gods with war," Jake hisses, glaring at Marcus darkly. "They'd rather destroy themselves than work together."

"Then I say let them," Marcus spits back. Melody flinches, feeling a part of her heart shatter. She grips her shirt, chewing her lip painfully as Marcus continues. "When they're gone, it will be up to us to run the world. And we can change things ourselves." Jake grabs the front of Marcus's shirt and yanks him in threateningly.

"You know this isn't what Mel means. She'd never agree to this."

All eyes turn to Melody. Her fingers shake, and she stares at her hands in horror. I caused this. It's all my fault, she thinks. She jumps when Kayla reaches over, touching her arm softly.

"Mel, what's going on?" She whispers. "What did he mean, this isn't what you'd want?" Melody looks around the room, seeing the mix of emotions on her friend's faces. Fear. Worry. Suspicion. She swallows her fear, raising her head high.

"It means we need to stop them," She says, rising from her chair as she tries to level her voice. "I don't have time to explain. We need to show Zeus-"

"He won't listen," Gabriel says, his voice dripping with venom. He stands as well, glaring at Melody darkly. "Especially if you have something to do with this." Melody recoils back as if he slapped her across the face, but collects herself quickly.

"Fine - then we've got to go stop it ourselves." She decides, waving her hand through the rift. It blinks away, and the glow in her eyes fades, returning them to their usual blue. "Jake and Oliver are going to need all the help they can get. If we-"

"I don't think so," a harsh voice cuts through the room, and Melody flinches. Everyone turns to the entrance, an archway cut into the marble walls. A woman stands there, her face twisted into a scowl. Her long black hair is done into a braid, which is draped over her shoulder and rests in her folded arms.

"H-Hecate!" Kayla squeaks, glancing at Melody. Melody meets Hecate's gaze, balling her hands into fists to keep them from trembling.

"You're not going anywhere," Hecate says, her eyes drilling into Melody. "Zeus sent me to make sure you don't pull one of your usual stunts."

"We have to do something," Melody says, trying to keep her voice even. But in the face of a god - her godly teacher, no less - she has to fight to keep her breathing slow. She squares her shoulders, raising her head high. "If we don't-"

"Then we go to war," Hecate confirms, striding into the room. She's wearing a long, elegant dress, decorated with all kinds of beads and ribbons of every colour. The dress jingles as she moves, and she stops in front of Melody. "I know the risks. But like I said, Zeus sent me to make sure you don't do anything." She looks at Melody intently, her eyes flicking to the others after a moment.

"So we just wait around for a war to start?" Mark says, sinking further into his chair. "That's so dumb, we should-"

"You're here to make sure I don't do anything," Melody says slowly. Hecate nods, offering a thin smirk. Melody immediately turns to the others, her heart racing.

"You four go," She says quickly, staring at each of them in turn. "They're in Louisiana. You'll have to find your way there." She turns to Mark with a nod. "There should be plenty of rivers."

"I can do it!" Mark says, jumping to his feet. "Water is my domain! I'll have us there in no time!"

"But, I can't fight, I'm-" Kayla starts, but Melody shakes her head.

"You don't need to, just make sure nobody gets killed. Think of it like..." She pauses, racking her mind. "Like the Trojan War! If anyone gets hurt, it's up to you to bring them back here, to safety." Kayla's eyes light up, and she nods happily.

"I can do that!"

"What about you?" Lucas says, glancing at Hecate. "What are you going to be doing?" Hecate raises an eyebrow, clicking her tongue.

"That doesn't matter," Melody says, though she knows exactly what's waiting for her. "You just need to go. If Marcus is involved, then they're probably going to be facing Fenrir as well."

"Fenrir, as in the Norse Wolf?" Gabriel says skeptically. "And how exactly do you know that?"

"We don't have time to argue!" Melody snaps. "I promise, I'll explain everything when you get back! But for now, you need to go!" She closes her eyes, raising her hands above her head. She begins chanting, taking slow, even breaths as she weaves her spell. A magical door opens in the wall, letting a crisp breeze blow through the room. Melody's eyes snap open, glowing with amber light again.

"This will take you outside Mount Olympus. From there you're on your own - you have an hour before Zeus declares war." Lucas and Kayla nod, dashing through the door. Mark follows close behind, but Gabriel holds her gaze, narrowing his eyes. "Go!" Melody shouts. Gabriel huffs, following the others through the doorway. Melody lets out a deep sigh, the door fading as she releases her hold.

"Thank you," She breathes, turning back to Hecate.

"I'm just doing what I was told," Hecate says with a mischievous chuckle. "If Zeus wanted me to watch all of the apprentices, he should have said so. But he just said to keep an eye on mine." She winks, ruffling Melody's hair. "Now, it's time for some training."

"Not the pit-" Melody begs, but before she can finish, the ground disappears from under her. She freefalls, letting out a quick yelp of surprise. She quickly twists, throwing her hands out as she nears the bottom of the hole. Magic courses through her fingers, and she slows, landing gently on her feet.

"Sorry, sweetie - this is for everyone's good!" Hecate calls down. "I've also made it stronger than usual - if you make it out before morning, you can go help!" The top of the hole shrinks until it disappears, leaving Melody in complete darkness. She sighs, snapping her fingers. A small orb of light floats from her palm, but it does little to illuminate the magical gloom. She sets to work unravelling the spell keeping her there.

Stronger is right, she thinks as she works. The Pit is the current Hecate's version of magical training. Normally, there are three or four enchantments layered over a simple binding spell, and Melody just has to dispel them one by one until she can escape. But this time is different - she can't even find the first layer of protective magic, let alone a way to dispel it. On top of that, a small voice in the back of her head keeps crying out her greatest fear; you caused this. It's all your fault.

Two minutes turn to five, then to ten, and then to twenty. Melody's hands start to shake as the guilt builds, pressing down on her more than the darkness and silence of the Pit. Tears build in her eyes as images flash through her mind - the horrible death and destruction that could be happening right now. The things that she's powerless to stop. And the things that she caused.

After what feels like an eternity, Melody drops to her knees, her whole body shaking. She rolls onto her side, hugging herself tightly and sobbing to herself. She lets out deep wails of misery and guilt, pressing her face into her hands. Jake's voice rings through her ears, "You know this isn't what Mel means. She'd never agree to this." And in the darkness, she can only give one response.

But I did.