[dum spiramus tuebimur / while we breathe, we shall defend]

Tempest's bronze glow flickered along the dark walls of the tunnel as Tessa made her way down it. She wove around meandering twists and turns, up and over rock piles, and under dangling rock fixtures. All the while, she kept keeping track of how many times her heart pulsed in her chest, thankful for each one.

She glanced over her shoulder again, to make sure that no one or nothing was following her. As of now, nothing was, which both relieved and frightened her. If her dreams were recurring since before the quest, they would have to have been omens of her fate? Right?

As she walked, she took a ragged breath, trying not to get lost in thought. She would have believed that her dreams were bad omens, but what puzzled her was the fact that the vision had changed when Theseus showed it to her. Each time she had dreamt of this tunnel beforehand, she had been stabbed before reaching the clear. In Theseus' version of events, she would be stabbed when she reached an opening.

In all honesty, Tessa didn't know which was worse.

Another flare of anxiety erupted in her stomach, and Tessa forced it down. She needed to relax or else she'd be useless in the fight that was bound to ensue. Focus, focus, focus.

She focused on Mark's stupid jokes, the constant innuendos he would imply if Kaden was involved. She thought of his loyalty in battle, his lightheartedness that would ease any grave situation.

She thought of Reese's good-natured obliviousness, his realistic views on things serving as the equal to Tessa's idealist ones. She thought of his tactics in a fight, how he could go from being oblivious to a girl's advances to more knowledgeable of a battlefield than a child of Athena.

Her mind wandered to Dale's kindness, her endless support for her best friends a constant since the inception of their friendship. Tessa thought of her warm hugs and gifts, despite being a force to be reckoned with when it came to power.

And lastly, Tessa dwelled on Kaden being her anchor, his constant understanding of Tessa and her issues since they met. She thought of his lips on hers, the sparkle in his eyes, how her name on his tongue sounded like it was always full of admiration.

Tessa felt a pang of longing and determination. She could do this for them. She could end this for them.

Tessa didn't realize that the tunnel stopped until the feeling of suffocation that came with being underground dissipated. She emerged from her cloud of thoughts, looking around the cavern warily.

She stood on a platform of rock about as large as a backyard deck. Behind her was more rock, but in front of was a pool of crystalline water. She glanced at the opposite shore, where a balcony stood for tourists to admire the water. With a gasp, Tessa realized it was the same one she had stood on in desperation only minutes earlier.

She was back inside Crystal Cave, behind what she thought was the end of it. She could see the tourists looking down at the water as if it were nothing more, not interested in looking up. They wouldn't see Tessa, anyway. They'd see a wall of rock.

"Enjoying the view?" A voice drawled.

Tessa wielded Tempest, battle instincts kicking into gear. She whirled around, searching for an attacker, but found no one.

That's when the ceiling began to cave in on itself.

The wall of rock behind Tessa began to crumble and disappear, as it had outside. Tessa raised her shield above her in case of any falling rocks, but when she peered back over it, there was no debris to be found.

The small platform had grown into a larger cavern, shrouded by the Mist to even a demigod. While Tessa had been standing on a platform only a few yards in diameter, the cavern floor had expanded to be nearly the size of Bunker 9 back at camp.

"This is who my brother chooses to come defeat me? A pathetic halfblood astonished by the power of the Mist?" The same voice rang out, only this time, it had materialized out of the rock.

A figure walked towards Tessa from the opposite end of the cavern, solidifying into a young man. He looked similar to his brother; dark hair, dark eyes, same brooding expression. However, there was something...unsettling about his gaze. Tessa could see how his abilities could cause a panic, but one look into his eyes and she was prepared to run.

"Deimos," she said at last.

The god made an expression of mock surprise. "Ah, she speaks. Goody." He waved his hand and crossed the cavern, still a ways away from Tessa. A throne appeared out of the rock, and the god sat down within it. Beside the throne, a stand with a single weapon within it.

His spear of power.

"So here are your options." Deimos clapped his hands together, leaning forward in his throne. "You can either head back the way you came and let me commence my plans of heavenly domination, or, I can kill you and your friends. You choose."

"I came alone," Tessa responded quickly. If she could keep her friends out of this for as long as possible, she would.

Deimos smiled wickedly. "Don't lie, Thalassa. It isn't good for you." He snapped his fingers and an orb appeared above his hands. It seemed to be a live-feed vision of her friends, sitting outside the cave.

"Mark Akagi, Dale Alcander, Kaden Gray, and Reese Hale," Deimos recited. "Such powerful kids, and yet my brother chooses you for his champion." He glanced back at Tessa. "Why is that?"

"They didn't audition," Tessa retorted.

Deimos made a face and glanced back at the orb. "Ah, well. They're your reinforcements, are they not? I suppose they need a little distraction." He waved his hand and the orb disappeared. Moments later, screams filled the cavern from the opposite shore, where the mortals were.

"What are you doing?" Tessa demanded.

Deimos ignored her. "You still have a choice to make, daughter of Poseidon. Surrender, or die."

Tessa made a face. "Can I take a rain check?" She asked sarcastically. Her teasing manner fell away to a look of pure determination. "Give me the spear, Deimos." Her heart was pounding in her chest.

Deimos blinked. "You certainly aren't capable of negotiation, are you?"

"There's nothing to negotiate. Hand over the spear and go in peace or else things are going to get ugly." Tessa pretended to give him a onceover. "Not that they can get any uglier than you. I mean, that face. You must not be a ladies' man, huh?"

Even from the distance, Tessa could see the fire in the god's gaze. Her grip on Tempest tightened. She needed to get him mad, to get him to fight, so her friends could come in and get the spear. She only hoped she had enough time left.

"Well, I gave you a choice. I'm afraid times up, my dear." Deimos stood, snatching the spear out of its stand. He swung it around and Tessa watched as the weapon of her pending demise morphed into an obsidian sword.

"Stygian Iron," Deimos noted. "Particularly good at damning souls to the Underworld." He glanced away from the blade and back at Tessa, who stood her ground. "But where were we?"

And with that, the god charged. He swung his blade at Tessa, who brought up Tempest and parried. She whirled around and stabbed, but Deimos blocked her advance. He swung the obsidian blade at her feet, but Tessa leapt up and kicked him square in the chest.

The god stumbled back and Tessa fell to the ground. She flipped back onto her feet, grabbing Tempest from where it had clattered. Standing up, she stalked over to the god.

"What? Couple thousand years old and you can't defeat a lousy demigod in swordplay?" Tessa taunted.

Deimos narrowed his eyes. "I wouldn't have to," he said simply. His gaze sharpened and Tessa understood all too late.

Her muscles tensed and froze. She was paralyzed in her own mind, her eyes locked on Deimos. The god ransacked her mind, bringing forth all of the fearful memories she had harbored in her head since she was young.

Out of the walls, monsters and figures of Tessa's fearful imagination rushed towards her. Characters from horror films, scary stories, and more blitzed Tessa. She screamed at the top of her lungs as figures without faces, Greek monsters, and more got closer and closer until she felt like she was drowning in fear.

"You think you are brave, girl, and you are not. Everyone has fear, everyone will succumb to fear!" Deimos bellowed, forcing more and more fear around her.

Tessa collapsed, still screaming. Images were forced into her mind of her mother's supposed death, of her friends lying in pools of blood, of camp in ruins. She thought of every scary moment she had witnessed as a child, of everything that had frightened her in her whole life. She felt tendrils of smoke touch her face, bites and stabs and scrapes. Blood fell from a cut from who knew where.

And yet, it wasn't real.

A voice, a whisper, breezed into her mind. While a montage of fear played in her head, the voiceover became an encouragement. A whisper, a wind, a gale.

None of it was real.

Tessa forced herself into a kneel, even if the monsters of her imagination were still standing around her, tormenting her. They might have been brought to life now, but they were still nothing, backed up by nothing, fueled by nothing other than fear. And if fear wasn't in control, neither were they.

Tessa forced her senses out into a wave until they reached the water behind her. As soon as the connection was in place, she screamed in defiance at the top of her lungs as the pool of water erupted with an explosion-like force.

She didn't need to direct the wave with her hands, she willed it across the cavern, around and around and around. Her tormentors were swept away, as was the god behind them all.

Tessa stood, Tempest in hand.

A demon of battle incarnate, she stalked over to where the figures of fear writhed, trying to regain control on her mind. Before they so much as got a chance, Tessa stabbed down and watched as they dissipated into golden dust. Monster after monster, dust they all became.

Tessa turned, breathing heavily. Blood fell from scrapes and cuts and fury filled her veins as she walked towards the god still choking out water.

Deimos rolled over, trying to appear in power as he coughed out water. He watched as Tessa approached, and maybe it was her imagination, but she saw panic in his eyes.

"Nice try," Tessa spat. She whirled Tempest in her hands, bloodlust in her eyes. "Now it's my turn."

She raised Tempest to swing, but a sharp flare of pain erupted from her chest as she watched the Deimos before her disappear.

No.

Tessa looked down at herself, at the Stygian Iron blade protruding from her chest. At the blood coating the top of the sword. At the sandy cave floor that flew up and hit her in the face.

And then she saw nothing at all.

~~

Reese knew that there would be no more entertainment on his side of the tunnel for a good while and he wasn't sure how to feel about that.

After Kaden kissed Tessa and she headed into the shadows, he, Kaden, Dale, and Mark sat outside the tunnel on nearby benches. Weapons at the ready, they prepped for battle and waited.

Ten minutes never seemed to feel so long, but as soon as Reese wanted them to fly by, they wouldn't. He checked his watch and saw that only two minutes had passed since the whole fiasco.

Reese groaned, tossing his head back. He promptly hit his head on the back of the bench, causing him to sit up and grip the back of his head in pain. "Ow!" 

His friends looked over at him in puzzlement. They looked around for any sign of an attack, but when they realized there wasn't one, they gave the son of Apollo a look.

"What did you do?" Mark asked, narrowing his almond eyes at him.

Reese rubbed the back of his head. "Don't worry about it." 

Mark rolled his eyes but Reese caught the golden eyes of Dale, who watched him sheepishly.

At the sight of the daughter of Demeter, Reese's heart did a little tap dance in his chest. He'd always thought she was cute and sweet, and scary good at fighting, but could never build up the courage to really ask her out. He'd tried to give her flowers once, only to discover that she was allergic to them.

Reese winced at the memory. He tries to do a nice thing for the girl he likes, and naturally, she's the only daughter of Demeter with a flower allergy. What were the odds.

"Are you okay?" Dale asked, her voice soft.

Reese's attention snapped up and he found himself staring into Dale's hypnotic golden eyes. "Oh, uh, well, yep. I'm doing dandy."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he mentally slapped himself. Dandy? Who even said dandy anymore? Maybe Tessa was right, he did need to get out more. For a guy who was fairly popular back at camp, all of that charm and confidence disappeared if a cute girl was in his presence or there wasn't a bow in his hand.

Thankfully, Dale only smiled. She didn't say anything after that, only turned and started talking to Kaden on his big triumphant moment. The kid was still blushing bright red, even if his green eyes were filled with sorrow.

Reese shook his head at his best friend, but before he could say anything, a scream filled the air.

Instantly, Reese was up, arrow strung. He looked around and peered into the tunnel, but something told him that the scream hadn't come from there. He turned around and saw the tourists from within Crystal Cave sprinting out in a mass panic.

"Think that's our cue?" Dale asked, springing up into action.

Kaden shook his head, although his gold sword was in his hand in a second. "It hasn't been ten minutes. Besides, there was no cue to begin with."

"Then what's going on there?" Mark asked. Mortals were streaming out of the cave quickly, and before anyone else could speak, a guttural roar filled the air.

"That's what's going on," Reese decided. "Come on, we've got some mortals to save." And with that, he lowered his bow and sprinted into the cave, his friends in tow.

It was hard to see where exactly he was going, but he trusted his father to bless him with some sort of illumination in the dim cave. Families and tour guides were sprinting out for their lives, and Reese was about to question what from when he reached a part of the cave called 'The Organ' and stopped in his tracks.

Atop the crystalline structure stood a manticore, roaring at the remaining mortals. From the paths leading towards them, a vanguard of telkhines surged towards them. Reese didn't know what the mortals saw, but it must have been awful if it was enough to make them panic.

Reese fired an arrow at the manticores, making it roar again. He turned back to his friends, firing another arrow as he did. "Kaden, take care of the telkhines. Dale, Mark, you guys get the mortals out. When you're done, go look for Tessa."

His friends nodded and Dale and Mark took off, ushering the nearest mortals out and away from the fight. Kaden surged forward, swinging his glimmering gold sword at the vanguard of telkhines. He yelled in defiance above the sounds of their barks, and Reese forced himself to look away from the odd sight.

The manticore was prepared to spring, and Reese's blue eyes widened. He rolled out of the way as the monster pounced, stringing an arrow as he rolled. Just as the beast landed, Reese fired.

The golden arrow pierced its hide, making the monster roar. It stalked forward, causing Reese to scramble back. He couldn't grab an arrow without provoking the monster. Panic was welling in his stomach, despite the numerous monsters he'd faced and the fights he'd been in.

Reese glanced to the side and grabbed a chunk of rock from nearby. Praying to just about every god that could aid him, he swung it up and over, onto the monster's head. The manticore froze, and Reese used that time to scurry out from under it.

"Reese!" Kaden called. "You alright?"

Reese nocked two arrows in his bow and fired them. They pierced the manticore's hide triumphantly and Reese glanced over at his best friend. "Yeah, bro, I'm great."

The manticore was weakened, but not dead yet, which is what mattered. It limped away, trying to regain its strength and search for Reese's weaknesses. Reese racked his brain for everything he knew about the odd beasts, but his mind was failing him now. His instincts were on overdrive: reach, string, shoot, repeat.

One final blow would finish off the monster, but Reese wasn't sure that his arrows alone could manage it. "Kaden!" He called. "When I say now, throw your sword!"

"What? But—"

"NOW!" Reese fired an arrow at the monster that had lunged once more. A blur of gold whirred past the son of Apollo, skewering the manticore in midair as Reese's arrow joined it. The beast dissolved into golden dust, falling in a shower to the cave floor.

Reese took a breath, clearing his head. He bent down and retrieved the arrows that had been left behind, sticking them back in his quiver. He looked up and saw Kaden stalking over.

The son of Aphrodite grabbed his sword, dusting it off. He looked back up at Reese, turmoil in his eyes. "We should get going. Do you think Mark and Dale found Tessa?"

Before Reese could answer, a bloodcurdling scream ripped through the cavern. It was high-pitched, feminine, and full of fear. And it was Dale's scream.

"DALE!" Reese yelled. He didn't wait to see if Kaden would follow, he just took off.

His sneaker clad feet hit the dusty cave floor as he barreled down one of the paths leading deeper into the cave. He could hear sounds of a struggle further in the distance, what must have been Tessa in battle. However, he was centered on finding Dale and Mark.

He rounded a bend, Kaden in his wake, and slowed to a stop. Dale was crouched down on the ground, rocking back and forth, in tears. She was sobbing hysterically and it broke Reese's heart.

Reese knelt down beside Dale, careful as to not frighten her. "Dale? Dale, what's wrong?" He asked softly.

The daughter of Demeter looked up wildly, and Reese looked into her entrancing golden eyes to find fear. Pure, absolute fear masked her bloodshot irises.

"M-Mark. He went a-ahead. The next thing I k-knew, h-he...there was blood everywhere." Dale sobbed, wiping her eyes as more and more tears flooded out of them.

Reese felt his heart sink to his stomach. He turned around and nodded to Kaden, who swung his sword in practice and continued down the path.

"He's dead." Dale trembled. "He's dead, he's dead, he's dead!"

She collapsed into Reese's arms and the son of Apollo felt his heart break. With his free hand, he stroked Dale's back, trying to calm her down. He looked ahead, to where Kaden had gone.

"Dale, look at me." Reese pulled away a bit, speaking softly as to not upset her. She looked up at him with bleary gold eyes, and Reese forced himself to focus. "It's not real."

The realization flitted across her eyes until it diluted the fear resident in them. "It's not real," she repeated.

"Remember what Tessa told us. Deimos is trying to stop us, so he's using our darkest fears against us. It's nothing more than your imagination. Mark's fine," Reese consoled her—or so he hoped.

"Then where is he?" Dale asked. "We had just finished clearing out the mortals when we came down the paths in search of Tessa. Then, Mark stopped and that's when I saw my fear."

"Uh, guys?" Kaden called. The son of Aphrodite had reappeared at the bend, staring down the way he had come in shock. "I found him."

Reese helped Dale up and together, they embarked down the path. "How is he?" Reese asked as they walked.

Kaden made a face. "That's a good question." He exhaled slowly.

They rounded another bend and froze in place. The tunnel walls weren't covered in blood as Deimos had made Dale see, and Mark was not dead. The son of Iris stood with his katana drawn, frozen in place, his features slack.

"Mark?" Kaden called. He approached the frozen son of Iris slowly, but got too close.

A shockwave of energy radiated down the tunnel, blowing the son of Aphrodite back into the wall. He fell to the ground, hissing in pain.

"Kaden!" Dale exclaimed. "Are you alright?"

Before Kaden could speak, his eyes and ears centered on something that Reese couldn't make out. "TESSA!" He bellowed. His irises were small, like he was petrified. "TESSA, WHERE ARE YOU?"

"Kaden, what—" Reese interjected, starting for her friend.

"Tessa's in trouble! I have to find her! She's screaming, can't you hear that?" Kaden scrambled to his feet, looking to Reese and Dale desperately.

Reese gripped his best friend's shoulders, forcing Kaden to look at him. "Kaden. It isn't real. Tessa's....I'm sure she's fine. It—isn't—real."

Kaden was still breathing heavily, but slowly, he calmed down. "Right," he said shakily. "I still need to go find her though. You guys try to knock Mark out of it, I'll meet you on the other side." He clapped Reese's shoulder and nodded to Dale, before taking off down the tunnel.

Reese turned to Dale, who was watching Mark in horror. "Do you think this is Deimos' work?"

Dale bit her lip. "I don't see what else it could be. It was so weird though. He drew the katana and I guess he just...froze."

Reese circled the son of Iris, staring into his frozen eyes. The dark irises were fixed on a point that they couldn't see, his face slack like he was listening to something.

"I wonder what his fear is, then," Reese managed, turning and facing Dale. "We've gotta knock him out of it."

"But how?" Dale questioned. She walked up to Mark and tried to shove him, but her best friend had become a block of ice, a statue.

Reese tried approaching him, but out of nowhere, the son of Iris moved. "Guys?" His voice sounded small, filled with panic. "Where are you? I can't see you guys."

Dale and Reese met one another's gaze quickly. He's afraid of the dark.

Instantly, they got to work. Dale circled around and tried to pry the katana out of Mark's hands; he still seemed to be frozen in place, even if his voice was working. Reese on the other hand got to work on trying to fill the dim tunnel with light.

He had never thought to use his powers before. He never had to, considering he never ran out of arrows. Using his gift of light just didn't occur to him. Except now it did.

Reese shouldered his bow and took a deep breath. He clasped his hands together firmly and concentrated. He focused on the sunshine at camp, the light that Dale seemed to embody. The flickers of firelight at the amphitheater, the campfire they had sat around on the quest.

A flare of pain erupted within Reese but he needed more light. He needed to save Mark, save Dale, save Kaden and Tessa. He needed to be light.

He focused on the shimmer of Tempest, of Kaden's golden sword. Dale's eyes. The fireworks at camp. His golden bow and arrow. Light, light, light. He needed to be light.

His veins felt like they were filled with fire by the time he opened his eyes. A blinding glow was in between his palms, and with a ragged breath, he spread his hands.

The orb of light he had created dissolved and shot through the entirety of the tunnel, bouncing this way and that. It fell upon Dale, who looked away. It fell upon Mark, who seemed to regain his muscle control.

Then the light faded.

Reese staggered, pressing himself against the wall to regain control. He hadn't felt that much pain since before the quest when...

No. Don't dwell on it.

Reese looked over his shoulder and sighed in relief.

Mark was moving and blinking. "Woah, how long was I out?" He asked, looking around like he was in a daze.

Dale sobbed in relief. "Don't scare me like that again!" She punched his arm before pulling him in for a tight hug.

Mark arched an eyebrow. "Where'd you guys go? I turn around and suddenly everything goes dark." Realization dawned on him. "Oh."

"Yeah." Reese took a jagged breath. "We should get moving."

"Where'd Kaden go?" Mark asked. "Wasn't he here too?"

Dale watched as Mark sheathed his katana, which made Reese wonder why it was out to begin with. "He went ahead to look for Tessa. We should catch up with him."

Mark nodded but did a double take when he looked at Reese. "That light...that was you?"

Reese sighed. "Yeah, I know. Light jokes for days. Let's go." He drew his bow off of his back.

Mark's lips quirked up into a smile. "You know me so well."

"Boys!" Dale yelped. "Focus."

Reese took a step, but at that moment. His body tensed. His heart stopped. He couldn't feel his arms anymore, and when he tried to take another step, his legs failed too.

"Reese?" Dale and Mark's voices were in unison, but they sounded a mile away.

Reese fell to the ground, consciousness dimming as the fire in his veins combusted and everything went dark.

~~

Tessa's eyes fluttered open. She looked around the dark cavern, trying to pinpoint where she was. She was standing in a crowd, a large crowd, waiting on the banks of an onyx river.

If her heart could still skip a beat, it would have. So it really happened. She was dead. She failed.

But something just felt...off.

The souls around her cleared away until Tessa was left at the end of it. A ferry boat approached, and the souls boarded it, headed for the Underworld. The dark water of the Styx sloshed against the shores rhythmically.

"Thalassa Brennan," A deep voice said. "You enter my kingdom at last."

Tessa turned around, her motions slow, like she was in water. She faced a tall man in a dark suit, his black hair greased back. He looked like what a movie mobster might have resembled, like some movie that would air on AMC.

"Hades?" Tessa's voice faraway.

"Uncle, to you," Hades' eyes flared with a lazy fire, and Tessa clamped her lips shut. "Do you know why you're here?"

Tessa blinked. "I'm assuming it's because I'm dead."

Hades shook his head. "It's quite strange. You were stabbed through the heart, and yet you cannot cross the river." He knit his eyebrows together, like Tessa was a difficult puzzle he was trying to decipher. "Quite strange, indeed."

"So, what, I'm not dead?" Tessa asked.

"No, you are. But you aren't. You're stuck in limbo for a moment, it seems." He clasped his hands together. "Besides, your father has requested that I do not permit your death until the time for it comes."

"And that time...it isn't now?" Tessa said in astonishment.

Hades shook his head. "We really don't have much time, Thalassa. Your father wishes to speak with you." He snapped his fingers, and Tessa felt herself begin to dematerialize. "Remember this, however. Try not to get yourself killed. You may not see the Underworld for a while, but do not go and assume I'll let you go next time around."

"Wait!" Tessa called, but her voice was hardly above a whisper. Her body began to combust and the next thing she knew, she was standing in the throneroom of the gods. Only two gods were seated within it, however.

Poseidon laid eyes upon Tessa and smiled. "My daughter," he said softly. "I see you are in quite the predicament."

Tessa took a deep breath—did she need to breathe? She wasn't alive, but then again she wasn't dead either—and tried to stay calm. "Will one of you please explain to me what is going on? I need to go fight! My friends need me!"

"Settle down, girlie," the second god held up a hand. He had a military haircut, and was swathed in blood-red robes. Ares. "I'll explain everything.

"My irreverent son, Deimos, did succeed in killing you. However, only monsters are condemned to eternal damnation through being stabbed with Stygian Iron. You are dead, to a certain degree. Your friends are currently searching for you as we speak," Ares recited, folding his arms. He made a startled face. "Ooh, but that son of Apollo. Not doing too hot."

Tessa made a face in confusion. "But...I need to get back to them!"

"Hades let you go this time, but we need to aid you in defeating Deimos. He's already traumatized you, and your friends, and if you come back, and I do mean if, you may die from your injuries," Ares continued. He got off of his throne, shrinking down to an average mortal size.

"So, what? I might be able to go back but I'll die if I do?" Tessa questioned. She looked down at herself for any sign of the injury, but her body was made of mist. She gazed back up at the gods. "What do I do?"

Poseidon got off of his throne and joined Ares. The two gods stood in front of Tessa, immortal, having witnessed countless deaths in their existence.

Tessa stared into her father's eyes. "You told me I was destined for great things. You can't just let me die."

Her father looked back at her with sorrow. "Are you absolutely sure that you want to do this?"

Tessa's eyes blazed with a fire of determination she had never felt before. She looked to Ares, who seemed like he had a million other things he would rather be doing. "How do I defeat Deimos?"

The god of war shrugged. "You already know that, girlie."

Tessa took a ragged breath. Stay calm.

Poseidon watched her carefully. "Tessa, it is your decision. Should you choose to remain in the Underworld, you'd be granted Elysium. You could live in peace for eternity. We could send in fighters to help defeat Deimos and save your friends."

Tessa looked away. That's what she wanted, right? She wanted to relax, to go back to how everything was. She was tired of being the hero, the expectation, right? And if she went back, she might die from her injuries and Hades wouldn't let her go.

But then again, she had a duty to herself and her friends. She couldn't leave them hanging. Dale, Reese, Mark, Kaden. Her mother. Calum, Nova, Amelie, Flynn. Chiron. Even her father. She owed it to them. She needed to do this.

She heard voices, so many voices, all of a sudden. She could hear rapid footsteps, screams, swords being unsheathed. She could hear Dale, she could hear Mark and Reese, she could hear Kaden. She needed to go back to them. She needed to win.

She needed to be brave.

Tessa's eyes flew open at last.