Immortals | ✓

beginning of the end

day three

━━ αθάνατοι ━━

THE chill in the air is a testament to what awaits. The day begins with a snow storm, a gentle warning. Zeus awaits Persephone's daughter's choice, so does his brother. The snow melts in the forest afar, Hades is burning a path for his servants, Reus is not far behind. The world rests on the edge of chaos; unaware and unbothered. 

Around the barriers, the world is changing. 

Art and Aethera await her mother's orders. It is critical to maintain the force field which means their supporters have to remain hidden for longer, away from the battlefield. Every second feels like torture in the middle of the dreaded await. 

Aethera breathes in the air, trying to calm her nerves for the hundredth time since morning. For the first time, Art's touch hasn't given much solace. Melinoe stands behind her daughter, determined to step in front of her when the time arrives. She passes a silent prayer to Nyx, begging her to help her granddaughter once again. Her best hope rests on a primordial Goddess. 

Art passes Roy a small smile, the genuineness of it is questionable in the eye of the storm that brews behind him. Art's eyes flicker to Aethera before completely shifting to the snow capped forest in front of me. Regret fills in faster than expected as he holds her close. In the past one month he had fallen in love, an act that had seemed foreign to him for years. In that same month he had almost lost his love in a new life. He had changed, he had travelled countries, he had gone back to London and never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that London would leave him with bitter memories. 

A few steps away from him stood a person who had been nothing but a myth for most of his life. Never mentioned, never talked of. His great grandfather had met him yesterday, in flesh. He had barely got to hug him again before he stood in front of the house, ready to go to war with Gods of unimaginable power. 

The sky is angry, but so is the God of the Underworld. 

"Reus is here," Melinoe is the first one to break the spell of silence that had been cast on all twenty of her supporters who stood around the house. "Rubyn and Clarissa will hit the northern border with Varun and Karolina soon," she informs those around her. Soon, Jace and five others leave to guard the borders. 

"Will you be able to do it?" Art asked Aethera soon after. 

"Hopefully," she muttered, knowing well enough that her powers were untrained. She had never used them for an actual combat until a few days back. This was all happening too fast for her. Clearly, a small doubt was cast over her abilities but the plan still relied on her. She couldn't step back, not now. Not when she knew the years of struggle and battles that had ensured her survival. 

"Melinoe!" Reus had arrived sooner than expected. "Sister! We don't need a force field between us!" he yelled from afar, standing merely a step away from the barrier. 

"It's okay," Melinoe kissed her daughter's forehead as she stepped in front of her. The porch had fallen silent in waiting. 

Aethera knew that for the first time it was her powers that they had chosen to rely on. The barrier would soon come down. The fire in her palms was their only protection; only element strong enough to keep everyone except Hades and Zeus away. 

Days ago she had seen it for the first time and until yesterday, increasing it had caused her headaches. She had barely been able to extend the fire till the edge of the basement where she trained relentlessly with her mother and her ghost army. But this was different.