The hybrid's destiny

*Olympus II*

I woke up on the cold hard ground.

I slowly sat up taking in my surroundings.
The first thing I saw was a curtain of water fall to my right, it was so beautiful that I could literally see my reflection on it.

I stared at my reflection for a while... Only noticing after a short while that I felt weird, strangely light.

I remember those incantations hurting my brain senseless. The first thing I tried was my magic.
I breathed out in relief seeing I still had my powers. I tried shifting and shifted successfully.

With my white furred wolf's reflection on the water fall I tried to look for a reason why I felt this light.

Figuring I could ask Eve or Alana why,  I tried contacting them but my mind felt.... Empty and strange almost.... Isolated.

I knew this feeling.... It was the feeling I deemed normal all my life until I shifted.

What did they do to Eve and Alana? I was livid.

Shifting back, I turned around to find a way to get back to that temple but got a huge scare instead.

All this while I was standing so close to a cliff with hot lava at the bottom.

I didn't know why I didn't notice it earlier as I looking at the water fall.

I slowly advanced back to the direction of the waterfall.
I decided to go through the waterfall and get out of whatever this place was, Water was better than getting burned and roasted. I turned right meeting the same waterfall, I used my magic to pave the curtain of water open but it didn't budge. I tried again several times but nothing worked.

I turned around frustrated and immediately screamed in fright.

The cliff space between the waterfall and lavafall seemed to have gotten smaller and smaller with every spell I cast. Fear seeped through my bones as I finally registered my situation.

It seemed this was a test of some sort. Whoever was testing me seems to want me to go through the lava and not the waterfall. But I didn't give up so easily and tried to dive head in first into the waterfall without the use of magic.
I braced myself for a wet cold feeling but instead got immense pain on my skull. I looked up with a pained face to see that the waterfall had gotten frozen.
I felt like crying out of frustration and pain.

What was I supposed to do?

Turning around I saw that the cliff was cut short again, the edge now being two steps away from me.

It seemed I had one more chance still the cliff to my feet which was practically hugging the frozen water fall.

I took a deep breath trembling and praying that this was going to work.

I had never felt so helpless as I did right now.

I casted a spell that would make rocks float and make a bridge across the cliff and sea of lava.

If I said I was surprised, it would be a lie as I just hoped for a better outcome.

The cliff melted down once more to my feet as I stood on the edge.

Taking deep breaths and closing my eyes, I tried to remain as calm as anyone would be in this situation.

I was done for and that was fact.

I stood, not moving an inch afraid that the slightest movement of mine would lead me tumbling down to be roasted meat.

At every peak of my eye lids the sea of lava I saw gave me a heart ache.

Figuring it was better to gaze at the frozen waterfall than gazing right at the sea of lava, I shifted sending little rocks down the cliff and into the lava. Taking deep breaths and shaking off the thought that those rocks could be me if I tried moving again, I continued shifting and turning my feet to the direction of the waterfall until my body followed suit.

I took deep relieved breaths as I faced the frozen waterfall.

Staring at my now much clearer reflection, I felt at peace. Coupled with the fact that I couldn't see the cliff and sea of lava he-
Wait.

I couldn't see the cliff and sea of lava.

Like literally. I couldn't see it's reflection on the frozen waterfall... At all!

I only saw an endless ground of soil like the one I was standing on.

I thought that the test was finally over and breathed in relief.

That relief was short lived as I turned my head to see the sea of lava glaring right straight at me.

Fear gripped again as I stood frozen like the waterfall in front of me.

I glanced at my reflection and it's back ground again to see it was like before; a never ending ground of soil.

I took deep breaths trying to make sense of what was happening. Was this all just a hologram of some sort?

I slowly and carefully bent down picking up a small rock I threw it down.

Oh no!... I was definitely not a hologram.

I watched as the lava melted the rock in seconds.

I looked at my reflection again and it was the same.

At that moment my brain suddenly chose to remind me of the bits of what that priestess said to me before I blacked out.

"_Remember not all you see is true, the eyes itself_ decieved."

Was that what that priestess meant? That my eyes are deceiving me?

It was the only pausible explanation now so I took it.

So... it means that it's not all true? But what if_ What if it isn't true and the first step I take would lead me straight to be minced and roasted?.

I shook my head to get rid of that possibility.

I had an idea....

I knew I'd never be able to walk through this illusion of lava with eyes wide open.

Since it was my eyes were the ones deceiving me I figured I'd just close them.

So I took the risky bargain, closing my eyes, I took a step.

The platform under my feet felt solid but I didn't dare rejoice yet.

Taking another then another and another. My confidence grew with each step taken but I still didn't dare open my eyes.

I just figured I'd walk without looking letting my feet lead the way.

I walked on for some time before hitting head first into something hard and stone-like.

Taking a few steps back I looked up finally opening my eyes.

What greeted my eyes first was the ancient stone bare mouthed gate.

It basically consisted of two stone pillars standing at opposite ends and a stone pavement joining the two at the top.

On the stone pavement was scribbled words that made me sigh in relief.

'Ye that trusteth not in what ye cannot see shall not see Olympus.'

I have reached the gates.....