The Hidden Truth: The Rise [NOT EDITED!]

Chapter 25: Bianca

        The four of us stood in a straight line, side by side, gawking at the entrance to the entrance of Olympus. The pressure of what was yet to come felt like it was crushing me to death. It seemed as if there were two, one ton bags of schist forcing the oxygen from my lungs.

         Leo placed a hand on my shoulder, “Ready?”

         I nodded. My head still spun with the Fear that those monsters had shown me: a tall boy with dark brown hair lying on a tile floor with me hanging over him crying as Nico and the others tried to pry me away, a bright blue blast, Jo yelling at me while pink highlights dangled from her hair, plus so much more. For all I knew, they could have been showing me twenty years into the future with how many unpleasant things I witnessed. Or maybe. . . it was all fake.

         “Bianca,” Leo said, snapping me from my thoughts. I turned to face him, "Everything is going to be fine. No, better than fine. You have your flaming hot boyfriend with you, a child of the god of war, who would do anything to protect you, including facing the gods’ wrath, and Nico, the offspring of the Lord of the Underworld, who is scary stealthy. Seriously, we should really think about getting him a cat bell or something.” He continued, causing me to smile and let out a small laugh. He’s right, as long as I have them, there’s nothing I can’t face. Not even death. Or in this case, if I’m right, my father.

         Together, our group entered the building. For the first time in a while, I was ready to take the future head on. With our heads held high, like we owned the place, we marched over to the desk where the security guard sat.

         The guard wore a dark blue silk suit with a way too small hat on his huge head. His feet were kicked up on the desk with a car magazine resting on top of his legs. The name tag on his breast pocket was faded and scratched up so severely that I couldn’t make out a single letter written on it. He continued to flip through the magazine as if we had never arrived.

         Looking around, I could faintly see what this place looked like when all Manhattan was asleep and the campers were fighting the Battle of Manhattan. I wish I was there for that!

         Leo leaned over and whispered in my ear. “I see all the Athena campers becoming demigod tour guides here.” He switched to a geeky voice, “The Empire State Building is the current location of Olympus, the home of the Greek gods. Olympus is located on the 600th floor. The Empire State Building was built by the architects: Shreve, Lamb, and Harmon. When the center of Western Civilization in the world moved to America, Olympus moved itself to America in turn. It then anchored itself at the top of the Empire State Building. The Olympian gods and goddesses will meet twice a year here for the Winter and Summer Solstices. The wind gods: Aeolus, Boreas, Notus, and Zephyrus, protect the top of the building from anything and anyone who might attack from the air. There is always a guard in the lobby who tries to persuade all that there is, in fact, no 600th floor, but if you can prove to him that you are a god or demigod, he’ll grant you the key to go up.”

         I shook my head at Leo, laughing lightly before leaning over the counter. “Excuse me?”

         The guard looked up at me, “Yes?”

         “We would like the key to the 600th floor, please.”

         He scoffed, “Sorry, but there is no such floor.”

         “Come on,” I complained, “I know that you know there’s a 600th floor, and you know I know there is a 600th floor, so why not make it easier on both of us and just hand over the key?”