The War Against Chaos (Completed)

Chapter 12

(AN/ Okay, so I thought I had posted this chapter last week, but apparently not. Now you get two chapters in a row)
     Surprisingly, no monsters attack us on the way back to camp. By the time we see the familiar path approaching, it's completely dark out. We jump out of the bus, landing in the light layer of snow that covers the ground. I shake the snow off of me, running through the barrier. When we enter...nothing has happened. I can see outlines of people walking around, but everything seems calm.
    "So...what do we do?" Leah asks.
    I look around, "Should we try and get some sleep?"
    "What if Eris attacks while we're sleeping?" August says, fidgeting with their bracelet.
    "I think we'd probably hear it", I respond.
     Leah yawns, "Yeah, you're right. I feel like we should stick together though."
     "You guys could come over to my house. I'm sure my parents would allow that."
     "Alright, let's go," Leah says, walking off in the opposite direction.
     I laugh, "Um, Leah, my house is over there."
     She runs back over, "Lead the way then." They follow me down the path and into my house. My parents sit at the table with Connor, talking. 
     I come up behind my mom, "I'm back."
     She jumps up, throwing her arms around me, "Oh thank the gods!" My dad comes over, hugging me as well.
     Connor comes over right as we pull apart, "What? Am I not important enough?"
     I shove him playfully and he gasps, "Aelia! How dare you?"
     I turn to my mom, ignoring him, "Can August and Leah stay over? We thought that we should probably stick together."
    She nods, "Of course."
   We walk up the stairs and lay out blankets on the floor for us to sleep up. I lie there, looking up at the ceiling, falling asleep to Leah's soft breathing.
    That night I dream about the prophecy. Pictures flash through my head, but they're moving so quickly I can't make out anything. Rachel's words echo, different conversations, Eris's words. Then a picture starts becoming clearer. Someone's standing in the woods holding a sword, they look so famil-
    BOOM!
    I jump awake, shaking August and Leah. We grab our weapons which are perched on the table and rush outside to see a large fire creeping towards the cabins. The sun is just coming over the horizon, painting the sky with bright oranges and yellows, similar to the fire. Campers rush out, some trying to drench the flames. Another explosion, near the woods. Leah, August, and I rush around, trying to see where they are coming from. The prophecy said that Eris will rise when everything is destroyed. Camp is destined to be destroyed and this is only the start. I'm scared, and this time it's not just for me and my friends. It's for everybody. Everybody here is in danger.
     "What's going on?" Leah yells over the chaos.
     "I'm not sure, I-" Suddenly, the ground beneath us shakes and the air fills with smoke. It's so heavy I can't see them anymore. I hear them calling out as I stumble around. When I finally get far enough away from the smoke that I can see what's around me, I can't see them anymore, I can't even hear their voices. That's when I realize that I'm deep in the woods. It's eerily silent so I walk forward, trying to see if anyone else is in here. I get the urge to keep walking, farther and farther away from camp. I have a feeling that I'll find someone, or something. I know I shouldn't, and I know that I'm terrified, but I can't control myself. The next thing I know, I'm so far away that only the faint outline of smoke is visible in the distance. Overnight, the snow has melted away, leaving only small patches of ice covering the ground. As I go deeper, I feel myself shaking, my breath coming out like puffs of the smoke.
     "Hello? Is anybody here?" I call out. Nothing, just like I expected. Dew glistens on towering trees that are casting dark shadows on the floor. I hear a sound behind me, and turn around quickly. Whoever's there takes that opportunity to grab me from behind. I grab my sword trying to fight them off. They have a hood covering their face, so I can't make out who, or what it is. I'm able to defend myself, but the person keeps backing me up. I unfortunately don't notice the ice until I'm slipping. I crash to the ground, my sword skidding away from me. I try to reach for it, but they kick it away, leaving me completely defenseless. Underneath the dark cloth I see the person smile, and I crawl back, going directly into a tree.
     The person slowly takes their hood off, "Did you miss me?"