(Side Effect)

Ares POV

Things pass by in a long dragging blur.

Apollo bashes through the door. "What- Oh, put her on the bed."

I obey, Apollo bolting upstairs to get something from his room—which I think is unsanitary.

He comes back with a box of something and sets it on the ground.

"Her pulse is low..." Apollo mutters, frowning.

"What does that mean?"

"It means," he sighs. "She's either dying, or having a vision. Probably both if I'm being honest."

"How do you know she's having a vision?"

"Because, she's talking about things that could only be in a vision, or she's drunk. Which is highly unlikely knowing her."

I glare at him. "Wow you're an asinus. What's she saying?"

"It's all in Danish." he sighs. "I can only catch parts. Plus, they're things I think she wouldn't want you to know."

"Mmm 'kay."

But that only brought more assumptions on what she was saying.

"Can I try something?" I ask.

Apollo looks at me like I'm the Colossus of Morons.

"Alone?"

"No."

I shrug. "Okay, just don't say how weird this looks."

Apollo looks at me like I'm a bomb ready to blow, or its concern. I don't know which it is.

"What are you gonna do?"

I close my eyes. "Just watch." Korri? You there?

She shivers. "Yeah."

I grin. Yes!

"Wha-"

"Shh."

"What are you doing?"

I ignore him.

Why am I trapped?

Explain.

I can't. I-It's going off.

Wake up.

I can't.

I'm starting to panic.

What happened?

You just passed out. Apollo tried doing his heal-y shit. Didn't work.

She sighs. At least I'm not dead?

"What are you doing now?!" Lola yells.

Her jaw drops.

Shit.

"For the sake of Jupiter..." her lower lip trembles, then she glares at me with steeled hate. "I was about to leave when I heard you guys flip out. What happened?"

"Nice saying," I say. "But I'm not a twit. Apollo is though."

"HEY!" Apollo snaps.

"Can you stay longer?"

Bye, Korri whispers, and that warm feeling that's there when she's in my head, leaves.

Lola's eyebrows raise. "Why?"

"'Cause I need you to keep everything here up and running."

"Tell me the real reason."

"Well, I'm leaving. I'll be back, as soon as I'm back you can go. If I'm dead," the words sting my own mouth, "then you can stay here without me bothering you. Win win."

"To where?" they ask.

"None ya concern."

"It's mine." Apollo hisses. "I'm your brother."

"Half brother." I correct, getting to my feet. "Plus, you wanted me dead for a while."

"Just spill it." Lola glares at me.

"Niflheim."

"No." Apollo says. "You are not ever going there."

"What is that place?" Lola asks.

"Basically it's Tartarus." He explains. "Or better known as the land of the dead."

"I don't really care whether he goes or not." Lola looks at Korri. "But you're not leaving Ares. You can suck it."

When did Lola start caring about my well being-

Oh. Whoops. She's not.

Apollo looks at me and Lola and back again. "Huh?"

"I need to talk to Hel." I protest. "She'll know."

Apollo blinks. "What does she have to do with this?"

"She," I breathe. "Was Sol's bio mom."

Apollo and Lola look at me confused.

"Sol was adopted. She told me when I was little."

"I'm confused." Apollo says. "So, is Zeus still her dad? And if so, why would they do that? And this is not a question I ever thought I'd ask."

"Who knows." I sigh. "Hel doesn't even know."

"Point?"

"She had a connection with her anyway. Besides, the reincarnation."

"What?"

Blood pools in my palms. "Korri...is the reincarnation of Sol."

"But I thought she couldn't reincarnate again." Apollo frowns.

"I can't believe I'm asking this," Lola says, "but are you okay?"

She points to my hand, and Apollo opens his mouth to say something, but stops himself.

I open my bloody hand. "It's just a thing that was... how do I say this? A 'side effect'. That I got for being Ares."

Zeus, Apollo mouths.

I nod. "I need to get some answers. Sol may have only been the daughter of a goddess. She still could reincarnate even if she isn't a full-blooded Divine."

"Okay," Lola interrupts. "Who is this 'Sol'?"

"S-she was my sister." I mumble.

"Oh."

"Y- If you're gonna go, you might wanna say goodbye first?" Apollo points to Korri.

I smile. "I'm gonna be back before she even knows I'm gone."