The sensation lasted somewhere between an eternity and a moment. When my vision returned, Ilooked around. I think I was in some sort of cave or something. EO chuckled."Finally! Long have I waited to be so close to the moment." He says and I feel his power growingstronger. As soon as I stepped foot out of that portal, all my strength and energy drained out of meand I collapsed on the floor."What are you doing?! We are too close to stop now." EO says. I glared at him."I can't if you can tell." I tell him bitterly. He scoffs."Fine, I have to do everything myself." He says and tries to takeover. I let him, knowing that I wasright for once. He tried to make me stand but he could make me barely move. I could sense hisfrustration. He said a word my mom would kill me for saying and gave up."Fine, but I'm giving you only an hour. After that we have to get going." He says and I nod. I propmyself up against the wall. Sleep came easily. But, it wasn't what I expected. I woke up in some sortof cloud thingie. I didn't really know how to describe it. It was just like clouds all around me. A brightlight flashed and I heard owls screeching. I shielded my eyes until the light lessened. I gaped at whatI saw. A woman with raven black hair and stark intelligent grey eyes regarded me. She wore a greekbattle helmet and an owl rested on her shoulder. I had no doubt in my mind who it was."Athena." I said quietly. Athena looked at me with a blank face. Her eyes seemed to bore into myskull."Audrey Jane Baxter." She says in a flat voice but it echoed everywhere. Hearing her say my namestirred something deep in my memory. Her voice... it was familar. I tried to place it. The owl flew offher shoulder and flew over my head. Of course. She was the voice I had heard in the clearing. Shelooked at me."What are you thinking?!?!" She asks angrily. I take a step back and fear runs through me. Shestarted toward me, grey eyes blazing."I-I d-don't u-u-understand." I say and start to back up. She kept walking toward me."You have the power to save or destroy the world. And you just give up without a fight?!" She says. Ididn't know to say."It took one of the greatest heros of old to stop him the first time and he had the help of the gods. Idon't know why we thought YOU of all people would be able to stop him for good this time." Shesaid and towered over me. I was taken aback. She scowled at me and then turned around andwalked off. I followed her, confused."You were the voice in the clearing!" I say and she scoffs."Of course I was! Who else would talk to you? Apollo maybe but you were always more like me andyour brother was more like Apollo." She says and she bursts into light and reappears in normalmodern clothes and standing over a table full of papers with scribbled writings and drawings. All thenew information that she was spitting was circling my head and making it hard to focus. I took adeep breath."Why am I here?" I ask her finally. She stops her writing and turns to me."Because you were chosen for something great, and if you don't understand that and change whatyour doing right now, the world will end." She says cooly. I understood her but I already knew that."I know, but I don't have a choice. Ben was gonna die had I not-" I say but she glares daggers intome and starts to glow."No. There is always a choice. You just chose the easy and weak choice. Maybe I was wrong, maybeyou are more like Apollo then me, because none of my kin would give up that easily." She says. Iswallowed hard and shame enveloped me. But in that shame, there was a kindle of frustration.Maybe a bit of rage. She didn't know what it was like to fall in love, to try and live life without almostdying or making impossible choices that could save some and kill others. She sat up in Olympus andwatch all of us risk our lives for the world, for THEM, and they not care whether we live or die. ButAudrey, making a goddess angry is a REALLY bad idea. I tell myself as I'm about to make a snappyretort at Athena. Try to approach it differently. I tell myself."Then why me? Why did you choose me of all people to do this? Why if you knew I was going tofail?" I ask her and let the tiniest bit of malice enter my voice. She looked me dead in the eye and I knew I had made a mistake. Just when I thought I was about to become charred flesh she turnedaround and went back to her notes. I heard her mumbling and caught a few words. "just like hermother... so disrespectful... who does this mortal think she is". I was caught up on the just like hermother part. I made a mental note to ask her about it later."Because your the only human who can. Everyone else, your parents, your friends, your brother, theyall can't do it. You are special Audrey. Not only are you linked to Ο Κακός but you also have theblood of TWO gods in your veins." She says as if it was something special."But Grey has that as well." I point out. She looks annoyed but goes on."Yes but he chose one. You on the other hand haven't chosen. True you are more like me but youalso are too much like Apollo for it to make the switch." She says as if its the most obvious thingever. I was starting to put the puzzle pieces together."Is that why my glow if different then Grey's?" I ask her and it sounds weird as it leaves my mouth.She nods."Now your getting it. its about time. Your power along with your connection makes you the onlyperson who can." She says."But I can't control either." I tell her. She looks at me blankly and then goes back to her notes."Yes. But only you can figure that out." She says softly and my hopes deflate. I kick one of thepapers crumpled on the ground in frustration."Then why am I here?" I ask her. She pauses. She stands up and looks at me."Because I can offer you some advice. I don't have much more time before Ο Κακός figures out Italked to you. But think if it this way: A link goes two ways right? If Ο Κακός can get into your headthen can you get into his?" She says and a glowing image of two heads and a silver line runningthrough them appears. she demostrates by making two points of light go back and forth."I had never thought of it that way." I say softly and think hard. The image disappears."time has run out." Athena says and things start to grow hazy."WAIT! what else we're you going to tell me?" I yell. She looks at me."It is not something I can tell you, but you already know it." She says and I sit straight up against thewall. What was that about?! I ask myself.Time to go. EO says in a irratied voice and he makes me stand up. My whole body ached and yelledat me when I moved but I felt myself feeling stronger then normal. She may be mean and not veryhelpful but at least I have something that I didn't have before. I think victoriously and try not to let EOfeel my hope.