It took about five minutes before Persephone realised her two companions were walking. Leo carefully guided her as the trio walked on, the daughter of Hades deeply focused on her thoughts. Once she jolted back to reality, Persephone felt sick, her pocket heavy from where the letter Aeolus had given her last year sit. 

She cringed as she realised Leo would quiz her about the exchange eventually; he'd ask why she saw her mom when she looked at Nemesis. He'd ask why Nemesis knew about the letter she'd been given on their quest last year. And he'd ask what was so important on said letter, why it mattered so much.

And of course, she'd probably have to tell Percy and Annabeth, and then Jason and Piper, and then Hazel and Frank would have to know because hey, they're all on a quest together, they can't keep secrets. Then Coach Hedge would have to know because he'd their protector-

She groaned internally.

Hazel glanced at Persephone, realising maybe now wouldn't be a good time to ask what Nemesis meant. So instead, she turned to Leo. 

"Who is Aunt Rosa?" She asked.

Leo hesitated. It didn't take a genius to realise that Leo's mind was just as scrambled as Persephone's.

"Long story." He said. "She abandoned me after my mom died, gave me to foster care."

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah, well..." He started. Persephone nudged Leo's arm, trying to give him a reassuring smile. He appreciated the gesture, even if his smile did look a bit pained. "What about you? What Nemesis said about your brother?" He glanced at the daughter of Hades as he said this, gauging her reaction.

Hazel blinked, harshly. "Nico... he found me in the Underworld. He brought me back to the mortal world and convinced the Romans at Camp Jupiter to accept me. I owe him for my second chance at life. If Nemesis is right and Nico's in danger... I have to help him."

"Sure," Leo said. "And what Nemesis said about your brother having six days to live and Rome getting destroyed... any idea what she meant?"

"Leo..." Persephone croaked. He glanced at her, and she shook her head. 

Hazel had already scrambled up the largest boulder she could find, letting the two below her catch up. Persephone went first, her foot slipping before she caught herself. She turned and reached her hand out for Leo to take, but he simply shot her a confident look and squared his shoulders.

"No need, Hermosa." He told her, brushing her hand aside, gently. He tried to scale the rock gracefully, but ended up looking anything but. Sure enough, he lost his balance, tipping backwards. Persephone reached forwards and grabbed his hand with hers, pulling him up. However, she pulled a bit too hard, letting Leo fall on top of her at the top of the boulder, Leo's hands supporting him from putting his weight onto her.

Again, Leo was reminded of the beautiful blues and reds swirling in her dark eyes.

"Thanks." Leo whispered. Persephone smiled, despite the hues of red covering her cheeks. Leo sat up and pulled the girl with him, suddenly hyper-aware of Hazel's audience. 

"So..." Persephone hummed.

"When we were talking to Nemesis," Hazel began, trying to change the subject into something a bit less awkward. "Your hands... I saw flames."

 "Yeah," He said. "It's a Hephaestus power. Usually I can keep it under control."

"Oh." Hazel put one hand over her denim shirt, like she was protecting something. The atmosphere turned even more awkward.

Leo gazed across the island. Persephone could practically see the little gears in his head turning- overthinking every single thing he'd heard since stepping foot off the Argo II. The space between his brows creased and he kept drumming a little pattern onto Persephone's hand, which she couldn't recognise. What she did recognise, though, was the tell-tale signs of Leo's mind playing with his insecurities.

"Leo," Persephone gently brought him out of his thoughts. "Don't take anything she told you to heart."

"What if it's true?"

"She's the goddess of revenge." Hazel reminded him, joining in the conversation. "Maybe she's on our side, maybe not, but she exists to stir up resentment."

"We should keep going." He told them. "I wonder what Nemesis meant about finishing before dark."

Persephone and Hazel shared a look, realising Leo's attempt to change the subject.

"And who is the cursed boy she mentioned?"

"Because a cursed boy is just what we need." Persephone complained. 

"What we need." A voice spoke.

Persephone whipped her head around to the direction the voice came from and saw... nothing. Well, at first. Then she caught onto the slightest of movement. A young woman was standing only ten feet from the base of the boulder. Her Greek-style tunic was the same colour as the rocks surrounding them. Her hair was a mix of blondes, browns and greys, which blended in with the dry grass. Whenever she would stand still, she would blend back into the background, until she moved again and Persephone could find her. What concerned Persephone the most is that whenever she blinked, she couldn't remember the face of the woman. 

"Hello." Hazel said. "Who are you?"

"Who are you?" She answered. She sighed as she spoke, like she'd answered Hazel's question a hundred times before her. 

Persephone twirled her ring around her finger; being a demigod was never simple, and encountering a girl who could blend into her surroundings... well, Persephone didn't want to take any chances.

"Are you the cursed kid Nemesis mentioned?" Leo asked. "But you're a girl."

"You're a girl." She answered.

"Excuse me?" Leo said.

"Excuse me." Said the girl, miserably. Persephone met Leo's eyes and made an 'o' shape with her mouth. 

"You're repeating..." Leo stopped. "Oh. Hold it. Persephone, Hazel, wasn't there some myth about a girl who repeated everything-"

"Echo." Hazel answered.

"Echo." The girl agreed. Persephone smiled. They were finally getting somewhere. 

"I read about her when I was younger," Persephone began. "You were cursed to repeat the last thing you heard."

"You heard." Echo said.

"Poor thing." Hazel said. "If I remember right, a goddess did this?"

"A goddess did this." Echo confirmed.

Leo scratched his head. "But wasn't that thousands of years... oh. You're one of the mortals who came back through the Doors of Death. I really wish we could stop running into dead people."

"Dead people." Echo seemed to chastise.

Persephone crossed her arms and pursed her lips, a single brow raised. Hazel looked down at her feet. It was then that Leo realised he was the only one who hadn't died.

"Uh... sorry." He muttered. "I didn't mean it in that way."

"That way." Echo pointed towards the far shore of the island.

"You want to show us something?" Hazel asked. She climbed down the boulder. Leo looked at Persephone, who shrugged and followed the younger girl. 

"You sure you're real?" Leo asked Echo once they'd gotten up close to her. "I mean... flesh and blood?" Persephone smacked his arm.

"Flesh and blood." Echo touched Leo's face, making him flinch. Persephone rose a brow.

"So... you have to repeat everything?" He asked.

"Everything."

Leo smiled. "That could be fun."

"Fun." Echo repeated in the most non-fun tone Persephone had ever heard.

"Blue elephants."

"Blue elephants."

"Kiss me, you fool."

"You fool."

"Hey!"

"Hey!"

"Leo," Persephone hissed. "Give her a break."

"A break." Echo agreed.

"Okay, okay." Leo rose his hands. "So what were you pointing at? Do you need our help?"

"Help." Echo agreed