The darkness was suffocating and I started to hyperventilate. The green guy must've heard it andstopped."The Chamber isn't far from here. It'll all be over soon." He says. He meant to reassure me but itdidn't help. It was like being in the cell in the Underworld all over again. But this time I'm notstopping the world from ending. There was no saving me now. No Erebus to magically poof out ofnowhere or Nerth to carry me off or Madelyn to spar with. I cringed as I thought of the betrayel that Ihad seen in her eyes, the rage that hid behind her green eyes."I'm so sorry Madelyn." I say and realize I had said it out loud. The green guy stopped and i almostran into him if not for the tiniest glance I took before taking another step. He turned to look at me, hisyellow eyes wide."Did you say, Madelyn?" He asks me quietly."Yeah, I didn't mean to... it's too painful now." I say and I do mean it. I had stabbed her in the back.Not literally but it might have well as been. He stared at me and got that look again."where?" He asks me."Elysium." I say, very confused and a tiny bit creeped out. He gasped and took a step back. Hegrabbed me up and I looked him directly in the eye. They had a wild craze to them."What did she look like?! Did she have blonde hair about medium length and brillant green eyes? Didshe have a tiny scar right under her chin?!" He asks me in rapid succession. I tried to wiggle free buthis grip was like steel. To be honest it was creepy how he knew what she looked like. I carefullythought back to what she looked like: blonde hair, green eyes, right hair length... i didnt know aboutthe scar though. Then I remembered while we were sparring I had seen a tiny white line under hercheek. how did he know her?! I ask myself. He didn't me go and his grip was starting to hurt and Iwas too exhausted to fight back."How do you know her?" I ask him and he suddenly lets go of me. I fall to the ground with a thumpand the wind gets knocked out of me. I wheeze as I hear him mumbling."Can't be... She should've lived...Said she died of old age so... impossible to get in unless..." Helooks at me and helps me up."My bad. Sorry I just didn't think that she acheived Elysium or not. She deserved it but I wish Icould've seen her one last time before hand. I had so much to tell her..." He says, trailing off. I wason high alert with this dude."How do you know her?" I ask him again. He sighs."She probably never mentioned me. My name is Saul Aetós, Son of Athena." He says and it clicks inmy mind. Of course. Thats how he knew her. She was his best friend before he died. She had saidsomething about being on patrol and being attacked i think?"Your Saul?!" I ask him, wondering why he was...well...a monster. He gave me a fanged crookedsmile."So she did mention me. huh its good she hasn't forgotten me." He says then looks at me."I'm guessing you have a ton of questions." He says and looks at the ground. I nod. He gripped hishead and growled slightly. I took a step back. He finally stopped grimacing and looked at me again."Master again, he wants us to hurry up since your friends seem to be doing better then he thought."He says with a hint of malice in his voice. My friends. Thier still alive. I think and thank all the gods. Ididn't want to go further into the dark chamber, I wanted to run and help my friends. But I had topress on. We walked in silence for a while and I tried to come up with ideas as to why Saul was here."Madelyn's been looking for you." I whisper. He locks up but keeps walking."Really?" He asks me quietly. I nod. He looks ahead with that look in his eyes again. I finally waspuzzling it out. I saw a light up ahead and the numb feeling came over me again."You loved her didn't you." I ask him as we were a few feet away from the corner where the light wascoming from. I knew the answer. He didn't say anything immediatnly."Yes. I did." He says, almost to himself. I nod. I suddenly felt sympathy for the guy. We both werevery similiar. Both loved someone we could never be with. Him, his lover in the Underworld, minepossibly about to join her. I looked at him."I think she loved you too." I tell him. He doesn't look at me but I see a tear on the side of his green face. The light was right in front of us now, turning the corner would reveal it's source.I sucked in a breath. He looks at me."Don't worry, I'll make it as painless as possible." He says."Thank you." I tell him."Saul." I say right as we're about to turn the corner. He looks back at me."Will you please spare my friends? Just until after the whole process? Their all I have left right now." Iask him. He seems taken aback by the request but surprises me by nodding."You have my word." He says and it was my turn to hold back tears. We start around the corner.There, sat on an incline of stairs, was a statue. It sat motionless on its throne, its blank eye fixatedstriaght ahead. At me. Saul nodded me forward and I took hesitant steps forward. The lush purplecarpet felt strange under my feet, almost like it was rippling. Saul bowed to the statue."Master, I have brought you the Vessal." He says and nothing happens. Then the statue's mouthdraps open like on a hinge and it's head tilts to the side creepily."Ahhh Granddaughter of Athena and Apollo. We meet at last face to face. Welcome to my humblehome." EO's voice emits from the statue. The power of the voice echoed throughout the room. Ididn't say anything."You have done well servant. Is the Chamber ready?" He asks. Saul nods."Yes my lord." He says, still in a bow."Good, then lets not waste anymore time shall we? I'm ready to be rid of this stiff and useless body."He says and I almost scream at the horrible grinding noise. The statue moves and slowly walks downthe stairs. I wanted to run out of the room and claw my ears out. The noise of that stone rubbingagainst itself was almost unbearable. He slowly lead us behind the throne and into a hiddenpassageway I hadn't noticed. Guess thats why its hidden. I think sarcastically to myself. The statue'shead turned to Saul."Stand guard here. My army is strong but demigods can be pesks when their determined." EO saysand Saul nods. I look at him one more time. I didn't see him much as a monster anymore. More of alost being, life taken from him too early and hes been forced into this fate. I could relate. He looks atme and nods reassuringly. Go. He mouths and I take a deep breath. I walk down the hallway withEO, alone.ok side note, normally I would end the chapter here butttttttttttttttttt i rlly want to make this thechapter with the ✨ emotional damage✨ so I'll keep going 😁 . grab ur tissues and a pillow to rageon bc ur about to be emotional wrecked.I walk down the hallway and the first thing I notice is how cold it was. I was shivering within a fewseconds. Had it not been so dark, I probably would've been able to see my breath. EO was unfazedand kept screeching along down the hallway which felt more like a tunnel. We finally reached the endand he waved the door open. It magically moved and we walked in before it sealed shut behind us. Isurveyed the room. It was circular and massive, easily over a football field wide. There was two'pedestals' in the middle of the room and the high brick walls meet in a dome formation at the top.Torches lined the walls and gave the room a eerie feeling. Just being in there made shivers run upand down my spine. EO turned to face me."I will congradulate you on making it this far. Maybe your not as pathetic as I thought originally." Hesays but I don't respond."But your true test is now. This is the Chamber. The process you are about to experience wasinvented thousands of years ago by a Titan. That titan passed it on to his apprentice before the godscasted him down into Tartarus." He says and I could hear the layered bitter malice in his voice. "Theapprentice never forgot it. And now they finally have a use for the knowledge." He says and climbsonto one of the pedestals. I just stand under mine, frozen in place. All my life, I had dreamed ofadventure and the thrill of glory and being known and here I was, wishing I hadn't even thoughtabout that. I wished to go back and enjoy those precious moments with my family instead of being locked in my room or alone in the hollow training for hours at a time. But those made me strongenough for this. I tell myself. In a sense I was right. I wouldn't have made it through everything if notfor those hours, if not for all that work. But I still longed for that time back, even for just a minute."I don't have all day!" EO says and I cringe. The steps leading up to it seemed to stretch for aneternity as I climbed them. with each step, I felt the wieght crushing me. Each step, a piece of me Ihad forgotten about showed itself in the front of my mind. I saw everything for what it was in a newlight. Even on the bad days there was something good, something that made it unique to me. Withone of the final steps, the drawing came to mind. I thought back to the day the image had first beenplanted in my mind. It seemed crazy to think it had already been a year and yet so much hadchanged. The image hadn't made sense but looking at it now, I saw the details I had not understoodin a new clarity. I understood them. As I reached the final step, it clicked. The final piece of a puzzle Ihad been looking for. Grey had told me he unlocked his power from truly finding who he was. Thewhole time I had been looking in the wrong place to find the key to my power. It wasn't adrenaline orjust by chance, it came from the moments where I found the intermost parts and feelings of myselfand channeled it. Seeing my life before me... I saw who I was. I was Audrey Jane Baxter, Daughter ofLura and Devin Baxter, Granddaughter of Apollo and Athena, sister of Greyson Baxter and ErebusShan, leader, friend, lover, and fighter. These truths fueled that hidden part of me. I looked thatstatue straight in the eye. I wasn't who I was before. A Baxter doesn't back down from a fight, and ifI'm going down, I'm gonna take him down with me. I tell myself and let my mind take control of thesitaution and think it out. With my heightened abilities, I could think faster and harder. I was ruling outthings by the second."Cute glow. Won't help you now. So you will feel a light tickle but that's normal, just let it happen.The more you fight it, the worse it gets. I will be taking your form and making it my own. Shouldn't beTHAT painful but I've never experienced your side of things so. Hold still." He says and I feelsomething lock my legs in place. I try not to let my sudden immobility panic me but it wasn't helpingme. I need a weapon but also need weakness... Saul help?... No... EO in control... Maybe if Lola andBen were here.... THATS IT!!! I think and realize what had to be done. It was risky, riskier then Iwould've liked but it's the only one that had a chance. First I need Lola and Ben... If their still alive. Ithink and remember Saul's promise. I have my backup plan on hold just in case but I prayed it didn'tcome to that. I was about to yell to see if I could get Saul's attention when fire shot up my legs. Iscreamed out in pain as it spread like a wildfire through the rest of me. Had not some invisible forceheld me up I would've collapsed. EO laughed and the mouth of the statue started pouring out apurple mist. It was like Code Green with Cypher but this was not that. It snaked its way to me. I letout another scream of pain as the pain increased and tears ran down my cheek. Ever read HarryPotter? Well theres a part where Bellatrix tortures Hermoine. Think that pain times 5 and thats what Iwas feeling. I couldn't think straight. Still the purple mist crawled ever closer. I imagined all thehorrible things it could do. Another wave hit me and I let out a strangled scream and gasped as I gotlifted off the ground. I tried to move but I still could barely even move my fingers. The snake was soclose. I needed it too be close but not yet.I need Lola and Ben. I think desperatly. The pain dug its claws deeper and I whimpered pitifully. EOlaughed again but it was interrupted by a loud banging. We both looked at the door and then it gotblown off it's hinges.When the dust settled, a figure roared and two more followed it. Saul was glaring daggers at EO andbehind him were Lola and Ben. I would've yelled their names if my voice wasn't died. But both tookone look at me and yelled my name. I let the silent tears fall and I looked them over. Lola hadscratches and long jagged cuts all over her. One particularly on her arm that needed to be bandagesoon or it could be a real problem for her. I gulped when I looked at Ben. He looked barely alive, skinpale white, even from here I could tell his breathing was bad, and he favored his unwounded side. Helooked up at me. So many unspoken words passed between us. I was so relieved and terrified at thesame time. He was on the brink of death but about to fight the world's evilest being. He whisperedmy name and it clicked inside me again. I need to focus now. I think. For them. I think and channelmy power. It came roaring back to me and dimmed the pain to be more bareble to think. So that's what I did. EO was cursing at Saul and Saul was about ready to pummel him. I prayed Saul couldkeep him busy while I tried to talk to Ben and Lola and explain my plan. The snake had paused inmidair, waiting for EO's orders. I looked frantically at Lola and Ben. I could barely move but I pushedthrough as much as I could and was able to move my hand ever so slightly. I moved it away. I needthem to stand back. I had to let EO complete this part then do it. But not fully complete it or I'll nevermake it. I tell myself and make a noise in my throat to get EO's attention. I made the motion still andLola and Ben still hadn't seen it. I was starting to worry but I succeeded finally when Ben pointed andheld Lola back."NO! I'm not leaving without you Audrey!" She yells and I was torn in half. I didn't want them to leavethis time. Ben didn't saying anything. Maybe he hates me. I think and I try not to dwell on it. I focuson the snake who was moving toward me now. I tried not to let the fear take over. I repeat to myselfwhat I was and I feel the power return. I ran more calculations in my head and waited for just theright moment. He has to be in 4.3 inches before release. Must build it up then be ready. I think andlet the pain rock me back in forth. It was the worst pain I had ever experienced, even worse thenNerth, even worse then my leg. My healing power helped a little but not enough to keep me fromscreaming one more time as the snake touched me. It was like someone was drilling hot metalthrough me very slowly and at the same time my whole body seemed to be breaking down into tinypieces. I yelled again and couldn't focus. I looked toward my friends again and I met Ben's eyesagain. They were an anchor for me. I kept locked on them as I steadied myself. I looked back at thesnake and gritted my teeth and counted the tiny measurements."NOW!" I yell and used all the power I had been storing to expel it straight out of me with a powerfulblast. Everything stop and I heard EO yell in rage. I dropped to the ground and caught myself before Ihit the metal floor. Being free instantly changed everything and my power was unrestrained now.Sure I used a ton of it up of it and I felt like passing out but I took one look at Ben and Lola and I sawnot only them but the ghostly images of my family and friends. Not just them, the whole worlddepended on me. I stuffed down the urge to succumb to the darkness and let myself charge again.EO was furious now. The statue he had been using as a host had been blasted into oblivion and forthat I was thankful. A small victory. I had forgotten about my sword until now and unsheathed it justin time. A dark form rushed me and pushed me all the way back. I pushed with all my might andcalled on some of my power to break free and get a good luck at my new opponent. EO was now ahumanoid shape of pure deep purple but its was tipped with green along the edges. He wielded hissignature crude sword which was made of the same matter as him. I braced myself and continued tostore tiny bits of my power away for the next big hit."FOOLISH MORTAL! YOU HAVE ONLY DELAYED THE INEVITABLE! PREPARE TO DIE!" EO yellsand rushes me again. I run at him as well and find I could levitate a little and let it drive me forward.When our weapons met, sparks flew from the metals. I pressed hard but he pressed harder. I wasforced back and gasped as his blade grazed my arm. I cringed and bit down on my lip to keep fromscreaming."Ok, now I'm done." I say and let the full force of my power take over. It was like an ocean comingover me and the room lit up completly from it. We stared each other down. He growled and poundedhis fists together. Shades dripped off him and formed to look near identical to him. I grimaced butstayed strong. They charged me and I was about to hit the first one when a blur of red took it down. Iwatched as Panic ripped the things dark throat out. I turned and looked to see Ben holding his handout and straining with concentration. he was controlling the wolves. Son of war’s curse will decidetheir fate in the end. I think. It meant the wolves, his ablilty to control them to help or harm us. Inodded to him gratefully and went back to the fight. Famine ran past me to tackle another and I letmyself have a small smile as I slash at one of the shadows. It melts out of the world after touchingmy blade. I cut down two more before they started to swarm me. For being total shadows, their nickspacked a punch. I bit back a yelp of pain at the newest one on my leg. My magic went straight towork and healed it the best it could. I could feel the power dwindling though. I needed all I had formy plan. I backed away and saw Lola fighting two in the other corner. I ran over to help her andquickly got rid of them. She was breathing heavily. "Nice of you to join." She says. I don't respond and focus on killing the fighters. When we reached adead period where EO was making more, I looked at my friend. She was bruised and battered andthat cut on her arm looked horrible but she was alive. Before I could react she gave me a bonecrushing hug. I hugged her back and felt tears ready to fall."gods you scared me so bad. Don't ever do that to me again." She says and I hug her tighter."I promise." I tell her. She pulls away."So boss, whats the plan?" She asks me, serious and joking at the same time."I need to get him alone. I have a plan but I need to wear him down enough. If not, plan B isn't thebest but it'll work." I explain. She nods and looks at EO."Make it quick." She says and I nod. Before I charge back in, I run my hand over her arm and watchthe skin magically stitch itself back together. She inspected it and she didn't get a chance to thankme before I ran back into the fray. I readjusted my strategy and ran at them full charge and plowedthrough the cuts and bruises to reach EO. He stood over it and snickered. I jumped up and met hisblade in midair. We exchanged more blows and I slowly noticed that he was stronger then I hadcalculated for. Running the math in my head, I would run dry faster then him. I just need him to apoint where I can blast him one last time before I run out. I think and fight on. The shadow warriorsseemed to be dwindling as we got further into the fight. But so was my speed and healing. Cuts andgashes took longer to heal and one on my arm wasn't at all. I grimaced. I need to before I can't. Ithink and trade two more blows before stepping back slightly. I pulled everything from every tiny partof my body and packed into a tight concentrated ball inside my chest and prepared to launch it. Iwas determined and despreate. If this didn't work, plan B was the only thing that would keep us fromworld destruction. I clumped all of my anger, hurt and pain in there too. I looked EO dead in his whiteeyes."Adios." I say and blast him with the full might of my power. It was like a flaming silver and gold sunpulsing toward him. He yelled and raised his arms futilely trying to protect himself. I let it go andhadn't realized I was floating and landed on the hard steel and bit down on my cheek. so harddrawing hot blood in my mouth. I looked at my leg and saw my ankle bending at a weird angle. Itentatively touched it and sucked in breath through my teeth. It was definitly broken. I looked up andsaw the remenants of my power in wispy trails and didn't see EO. I let out a tiny laugh and reliefspread through me. I turned to see Lola and Ben looking at me in awe and joy. WE HAD DONE IT!!!WE HAD BEATEN THE IMPOSSIBLE!! I was about to stand up and run to them when something toldme to duck. I did and not a moment too soon. A shadow dagger whipped millimeters past my headand I went back on high alert. I turned around and all the color drained from my face. Before mestood EO, alive. He shook off some of the rubble that had fallen from the ceiling and laughed at me."You think a tiny flame is gonna destroy me?! Well surprise! Your wrong!" He says and laughs more.I started to hyperventilate. No... no no I killed him. I think to myself but I dove to the side as anotherdagger whipped toward me. I gasped for breath and kept dodging the incoming blades. Ben yelledsomething and one of the wolves rushed EO. He casually picked it up with his magic and tossed itagainst the wall where to fell, motionless. One by one, Ben's wolves attacked and met the same fateas the first one. Finally, he was left with one. This one I had never seen before. Midnight black withwhite eyes it uttered a low growl and stood infront of, almost as if he was protecting him. Oblivion.Ben muttered something to it and it nodded to him. I howled and morphed bigger then before. Itshook itself and fixed EO with a death glare. Ben shoved Lola aside from helping him and he climbedon top of Oblivion and they charged together. I watched EO raise both hands and I let out astrangled yell as I braced for the worst. Ben yelled and Oblivion growled with him and they didn'tstop."BEN!" I yelled but he didn't stop. EO laughed and glowed green. I tried with everything I had I try tocrawl over to them and I stretched out my hand and willed any power I had left toward it. All thatcame out was a tiny ball of light that shot only a couple feet before fizzling out. Ben and Oblivionstepsided and were about to ram EO when the green light enveloped them. I thought they for surewere goners but something strange happened. The green was replaced by maroon red and theybroke free of it and Ben sliced with his sword. Direct hit. It stabbed EO through the side. EO doubled over and looked at the sword. I waited for him to go down. Oblivion and Ben yelled in triumph butdidn't notice that he wasn't down yet. But it was too late. EO ripped out the sword and plunged itinto Oblivion's massive flank. Oblivion howled in pain and Ben was flung from his back and lay in acrumpled heap on the ground. EO's laugh got more malicious."BEN!!" I yelled and crawled over to him. Lola rushed over to and helped me. I muttered his nameover and over as I inspected the damage. He was breathing too hard and too shallow at the sametime. I carefully felt around and found at least 3 cracked ribs and a broken arm. I then sucked in abreath when I looked at his side. The bandages were doing nothing. Blood coated it and dark blackpoison veins spread out of it and all over his chest. No wonder he couldn't breath. I sobbed. Lolaheld me."It's not your fault." She says. I break free from her grasp. I stand up and look at her."No. thats just it. It IS my fault. All of it. From the moment we left camp. Well I'm sick of makingthings worse. I know what I have to do." I tell her and summon all of the energy I could spare. Iforced anything I had left power wise into my hands and they glowed a faint golden and silver.Before she could say anything I placed my hands on Ben's side. I pushed all I had into him. Iwatched through blurry vision as the viens slowly receded back towards the bandage. But i knew itwasn't enough."Get him to my dad. He'll know how to help him. Or at least manage it." I tell her as I shakily got up. Istumbled and Lola was the only thing that stopped me from hitting my head. She helped me to myfeet."Audrey its not your fault. You didn't mean to make him like this. It was EO's fault not yours. I'veknown you too long. You would never do this to him." She says. I sigh."Maybe not but I still have to do this. I need you to trust me one last time." I tell her and dread the extsteps I have to take."Ok, but you have to promise me that this won't involve you dying. Because I can't lose someoneelse. Especially you." She says and I hug her and thank the gods she can't see my face. I hated thebile in my throat."Thank you. I promise." I tell her and feel my heart wrench. "I need you to help me fight him. Justenough so I can put plan B into motion." I tell her. She nods and smiles her wicked smile."Easy enough. Whats plan B?" she asks."You'll see." I tell her and try to force enthusiasm into my voice. She nods and smiles bigger. If onlythe blast would've worked. I think and choke back all the tears and regret for this final moment."Lets do this." I say and we run together. Well her running and I limping. I didn't have any magic leftto heal my leg so I was forced with excurtiating hops. My sword felt a million pounds heavier and Icould only see through blurry vision. Lola just ran straight up to him and hacked at all decoys he sentat her. I eventually got to the place I need to be. The pedestal. I sighed and realized my problem. Iclicked my sword into my bow and took a look. I had one arrow. One shot to make it count. But Icouldn't with all the decoys surrounding him. I cursed."LOLA!! Draw the decoys away!" I yell at her and I didn't think she heard me till she started runningbackwards and the figures followed. Perfect. I think and take one last look at Ben. He had somehowgotten to his feet, or what he could and a smaller version of Oblivion supported him. He looked evenworse despite the healing. His leg hung limply as Oblivion pretty much dragged him toward the edgeof the arena."Thank you." I whispered quietly to Oblivion. I knew he wouldn't hear me but I just wanted to say it."LOLA! Get out of the way and wait for my signal!" I yell to her and she nods with her face scrunchedin concentration. She backs up even further and I focus. I pull back my bowstring and flick the arrowinto place. It took everything I had to stop shaking and hold the bow steady enough to aim. I couldn'tthough. Cue more curses and me banging my hands against my good leg to snap them out of it. Ipulled up my bow just in time and had milliseconds to process what was happening."Tut tut. We can't have you getting any ideas now can we?" EO says and hurls dark energy at me. Itried to jump away but my leg protested and shot more fire up my leg. I ended up flopping on theground and I felt a crack inside me. I couldn't breath. The fall had knocked all the wind out of me. As i wheeze and try to get air back in my raging lungs, I don't notice the pedestal collapsing right on me.a stone falls right next to my head and I look up to see it come tumbling down right on top of me. Ibraced for the on coming bricks and knew this was it. Being crushed by bricks was the leastimpressive possible death I've been through but I knew it would be awful. And i was so close todefeating EO. I futilely reached out to pull myself out of harms way but it was no use. I say shapesrunning my way and urged them to stay away. But just before the first stone hit me, somethinglanded on top of me and covered me from harm. I looked to Ben holding me close."Ben... no..." I said weakly but held him closer and felt him grunt every time a brick hit him. It's killinghim. I thought with a sickening horror and I tried to get us out of all the bricks but we were trapped.The pain was slowly dragging me under. No, I have to stay with Ben. I think desperatly but it was toolate. The relief powered my subconcious and left me trapped in the inky darkness. I don't know long Iwas there but it felt like an eternity. I was able to think a bit but not enough to wake me up. But thatdidn't matter because the only thought I had was about getting back to Ben. I thought I was going tobe stuck in there forever until something shook my entire conciousness and I was brutally sent backto the present. Lola's tear and bloodstreaked face looked straight at me and relief spread over herface."Your alive!" She says in a shakey voice. I groaned and wished that the relief would come back. Thepain was like a raging sea with waves tearing me up on the inside. I looked to my side and let out achoked sob. Ben lay against some of the rocks, his head to one side and a tiny trail of blood comingfrom his mouth."BEN NO!" I sobbed and crawled over to him. His breathing was almost nonexistent. His pulse wasso weak that I almost didn't find it."Ben... Ben look at me... You can't die." I say and his lips twitched. Lola cried behind me."Yeah Wolf Boy." She says. Ben's lips twitched even more. I felt something warm cover my hand andsaw his holding it. His once strong grip was gone. I looked up at his face again. His eyes looked backinto mine. I was so close I could see myself reflected in them. A noise came from his throat. Heshifted ever so slightly and the noise came again, but different this time."I love you." He said softly. I choked up and carefully rested my head on his chest. His heart beatfaintly."I love you too." I told him back and I felt his breathing stop."Ben? BEN?! BEN NO!!" I yelled and tried to do CPR. I looked desperatly at Lola and all I saw was agrief stricken face. No this can't be happening. Not again. I think and try to find any healing power Ihad left and try to save him. I kept cursing at myself for not trying it sooner and kept coming up withnothing. My power was all gone. Not a speck of it left. I screamed and held him tight and Lola hadpry me off him. I fought against her and screamed his name over and over. She made me look at herand I saw the same deep sadness reflected in my own eyes."Audrey look at me!" She said and I calmed down a bit. I was acting like a child. "Look I know this ishard, believe me I feel it to, but we have to keep going. It's what he would've wanted." She says in astrangled voice. I didn't respond."Look your all I have left. First Nerth and now Ben..." She trails off."Their deaths, everything they fought for, won't matter if we give up now. So, are you gonna help medestroy this guy before he takes more from us or are we gonna let all the sacrifices, not just theirs,go to waste and become meaningless?!" She asks me and shakes me. Everything became clear. Isaw how I was so focused on my pain that I didn't realize she had lost them and felt it just as muchas I did. I nod and we embrace."Come on, let's go kill this guy once and for all." She says and helps me stand. I use her as a braceand my bow as another crutch. Every step was incredibly painful but it didn't match the new passionand determinaton in my heart. I had one goal, nothing else on my mind. I was going to kill this guy,no matter what it took. He had taken everything from me, so I would take everything from him. I sawhim smile and laugh."I warned you. The boy didn't have to die. You should've come peacefully and this would've alreadybeen over." He says and I wanted to scream awful things at him for dismissing Ben's death just like that. I stopped and looked at the ceiling.Athena, Apollo, I need your strength. I have to defeat this guy, avenge all those who have comebefore me. I have a plan but it won't succeed without your help. Please, if I ever needed somethingfrom you, now is the time. Please. I plead them silently. Nothing. I sighed and winced as everythingflared up at the single breath. This was going to take everything I had. I looked at Lola and seelooked at me."All for one." I start and raise my bow up even though it sent tsunamis of pain through me. Shechuckled a little."And one for all." She says and we clink blades. Something changed in the air. It was all of a suddenelectric. I looked around and saw a blinding light rocketing to me from the ceiling. It took the form oftwo animals. An owl in silver and a hawk in gold. I laughed and grateful tears slipped from my eyes.the two forms merged and flew right into me. Everything shimmered and I felt a gazillion times better.I felt both of them, Athena and Apollo. I felt their faith in my plan and my abilities."Thank you." I said softly and looked at Lola. She looked shocked and happy at the same time. Ilooked at my bow and saw it glowing bright like my arm. I chuckled and flipped it back into a sword."Let's do this." I told her and prayed that this plan wouldn't fail.SO SORRY IM SO CRUEL BUT IM WRITING THE NEXT CHAPTER AS FAST AS I CAN!!!!!!!PROMISE!!!!!! PLS DON'T KILL ME!! especially u @hogwartsavenger