The fear-based tests commenced significantly earlier than a healthy wake-up time and were scheduled to end after dinner. Like the other participants, Hades had given me a specific time to meet him in the castle foyer. From there, I would be escorted to the test location. Because the tests took a considerable amount of time per person, we each had about a half hour time slot.
Hades had told me to meet him at midday, emphasising that it wouldn't reflect well upon me if I was late to meet the Three Fate Sisters. Just to be safe, I arrived at the foyer ten minutes early, pacing through the space in a loosely fitted top and straight pants. I worried I would be underdressed for the occasion, but a 'Fear Test' didn't necessarily scream lavish gowns or even jewellery. If the Sisters judged me for my appearance, then that was better than being uncomfortable and potentially failing as a result.
I almost screamed when Hades materialised in front of me, the only hint of his arrival being the flash of shadow that preceded his appearance. I put a hand to my chest, feeling it rapidly rise and fall.
"Give me a break, the test isn't supposed to have started yet," I stated, exasperated.
"A true leader of the Underworld would be ready for anything," he stated simply, the disapproval clear in his tone. I didn't bother pointing out that I had no interest in being a leader. "If my sudden appearance scares you, then you'll certainly have trouble during the test."
I swallowed thickly; my throat dry. If I performed badly in the test, though, that would allow Hades to reap from the conditions of our oath and allow him to hurt Kadyn. I had to pass this test, both for Kadyn and Leo.
"Best to get this over with," Hades said, holding an arm out.
I shot him a look. "You're offering me your arm?"
"We have to get to the Sisters' location," he said simply. "This is the fastest way there."
My entire body froze. "Wait, you mean you're going to teleport us there?"
He sighed as though it took him great effort. "I don't teleport anywhere, but I certainly speed up the process. Now grab my arm so we can get on with it."
I eyed his arm suspiciously, like it was about to grow its own head and tail. Hades looked about as displeased as me of the idea of contact. With some reluctance, I did as he said and could do nothing as the world span around me. It was like Hades had mentioned–we weren't disappearing in one place and appearing in another, but the process was so quick that from the outside it certainly looked like that. Rooms blended into a concoction of colours, and warm air ripped at my face, alerting me to the fact that we were now outside the castle. The sensory overload sent my brain into overdrive, and nausea threatened to rise up into something much worse.
One minute I was standing in the castle foyer, the next minute I was all but thrown into unyielding darkness. I sensed the moment my feet met uneven ground and dug my fingers into Hades' arm when we stopped so that I wouldn't end up sprawled in the deep blackness.
"We're here," Hades' voice rumbled.
As soon as I knew I could stand on two feet, I removed my hand from his arm and blinked in an effort to gauge our surroundings. I winced as the wind continued to whistle around us, pushing my hair into my eyes. I pushed it away quickly, trying to ignore the icy feeling forming at the base of my neck. Heart beating loudly in my chest, the next thing I noticed was the smell. The stale air had an overwhelming smell of slimy linchen that made me scrunch my nose. Unlike the Underworld that I had become used to, the air here was moist and stuck to my skin like glue. The only light came from behind us–the direction we'd come.
Slowly, the piercing dark began to ease, and cold, wet stone took its place. The stone surrounded us entirely, making it clear we were in some sort of cave. That also explained the uneven ground–as I looked downwards now, loose bits of rock rolled under my feet, slick with water. Stalactites hung from the ceiling in a threateningly low fashion, sharp enough for me to prick my finger on. Water was dripping down its sides, with the sound of each droplet splashing against rock muffled by the wind.
From my basic understanding of science, I knew we had to be nearby a body of water. But that must mean...
"We're underneath the Lake of Lost Souls, aren't we?" my voice carried through the cave, echoing against its walls.
Hades ran a hand down his sleeve, as if to wipe off the germs from when I'd touched him, but he couldn't hide the look of surprise on his face. "That's correct. They live here in the tunnels beneath the Lake, but I am unable to escort you any further. You will have to travel the remainder of the cave by yourself..." he paused, "feel free to slip on some rock along the way."
I scowled at him, thinking of a hundred different names I could call him but deciding on the pragmatic route: "And how am I supposed to see when I don't have the light from outside?"
"You will figure it out. I'll meet you back here in half an hour when you have finished your test."
"Do me a favour and hit that large head of yours on some rock on the way out," I deadpanned. The image of him accidentally impaling himself on one of the stalactites was enough to lighten my dark mood.
"I owe you no favours," he said, before he vanished, and the shadowy tell-tale signs of his presence disappeared with him.
Angry at his flippant departure, I kicked one of the rocks at my feet and sent it skidding until it hit the wall. I had no doubt he purposefully left me here with limited information. He probably gave Cleo a whole orientation, I thought bitterly. How was I supposed to pass these tests if he didn't help me? It was like he was striving for my failure, just so that he could invoke his rights under our oath.
Sighing, I started to make my way through the cave, moving carefully over wet stone and avoiding wobbling rocks. My breath caught in my throat when I stepped on something that looked mysteriously like bone, and decided I didn't want to start thinking down that path. My concerns about the lack of light were answered when I turned a corner to the cave, and was faced with millions of glow worms clinging to the ceiling, creating a dazzling display of light as though I was facing a clear, starry night. The beauty of the cave distracted me momentarily and I skidded on a rock, falling hard onto my back. Pain flared where I'd hit my lower left side. In the quiet, still cave, the noise was as loud as a trampling elephant. The lights winked out and I was cocooned in darkness.
Great, I'd forgotten the part where glow worms could "turn off" their light with any external stimuli. Forcing myself upright, I stayed crouched in the pitch darkness and waited until they resumed emitting light before continuing to make my way through the cave.
A few moments later, the cave opened up into a large cavern, and the glow warms were swapped with masses of spiderwebs. No, wait. I peered closer–what I thought were cobwebs was actually tiny threads of string. They hung on either side of the room, sweeping across the ceiling in various lengths and sizes.
Down the centre of the room, a pathway was lined with stone pillars. Each pillar was topped by a small fire, though there was no wood or kindling to keep the fire alive; the fires were alive of their own accord. I knew from looking into the small sparks of flames that they were ancient and had been burning since long before I was born. Their very presence made me feel hollow and insignificant.
I moved down the pathway slowly, well aware of the fact that I was being watched. At the end of the room, sat three cloaked women on high-backed chairs. Their black hoods were so large and positioned in a way that I was unable to see any higher than each of their noses. Off to the side of the chairs, stone benches held a wide variety of trinkets, from scales, scrolls to wax tablets. A pair of sterling silver scissors drew my attention as it gleaned in the firelight beside a large crystal orb.
"See anything you like, child?" a cold, severe voice called, making me stiffen.
I looked back at the three figures, unable to tell who of the three had spoken to me. Each of their lips were set into hard lines, their eyes still blocked from my view. I didn't know how they knew where I was looking, when they themselves were unable to see me.
Panicking, I wished I asked Hades if I needed to bow or curtsey before the Sisters. Erring on the side of caution, I hastily bowed and cleared my throat before saying, "Your scissors caught my eye. They're...very nice."
The Sister seated in the far-right chair spoke, "Those scissors are the tool used to end the fate of humankind. 'Nice' is an understatement."
I clamped my mouth shut, sweat beginning to pool on my forehead. Ten seconds and I'd already offended one of the most powerful beings of all kind.
"You are here to meet your fears," the middle spoke with certainty.
"Yes," I said slowly.
"My name is Lachesis, the Apportioner. Allow me to introduce you to my sisters," she said, glancing towards the Sister in the left seat, "this is Klotho, the Spinner..." then looked to the seat in her right "...and Atropos, the Inflexible."
Klotho spoke up, "Together we are the Three Sisters of Fate. I spin out the present moment."
"I determine the future," Lachesis added.
"And I preside over the past which cannot be altered," Atropos finished.
Unsure what to do with them, I folded my hands together to stop myself from shaking. "It's nice to meet you," I lied. "My name is Serena."
"We know," they stated in unison. I flinched.
Lachesis raised her chin ever so slightly. "You are the heralded child of the Goddess of Spring and the undesired child of the ruler of the Underworld," she said. "You pose a threat to our world."
My eyebrows furrowed together as I went back over her words. I could understand being Persephone's daughter and the demigoddess Hades hated most, but the accusation she made about me being a threat?
My confusion must have been written clearly on my face, or the Sisters were able to read my mind, for Klotho said, "The ruler of the Underworld is to uphold the balance of mortal souls, providing the deceased with an afterlife marred with flame. As Persephone's descendant, your kinship for life means your participation makes a mockery of our proud rite and history."
Frowning, I said slowly, "So I'm a threat to the Underworld because I don't want to kill or betray anyone?"
"You are a threat because you stand to work against what we have tirelessly worked towards," Lachesis replied.
"I never wanted to come here to begin with!" I exclaimed. "I was forced into the tournament against my will."
"Your participation could have been avoided," Atropos pointed out, "had you forfeited your life." The steely tone in her voice informed me she wasn't joking.
"Yet you and your predecessor continue to plague the Underworld with your existence and throw out the balance of our world," Lachesis continued.
Unable to help myself, I scoffed. "Unless Persephone lied to me, you were the ones who gave Hades permission to let her stay in the Underworld in the first place. I wouldn't even be here if you hadn't made that decision."
"Persephone's residence was supposed to be a temporary arrangement, one which we regret allowing," she replied.
I frowned. "And you didn't think to tell her that at any time between then and now?"
From the corner of my vision, I spied Atropos' knuckles tightening over the arm rest of her seat. But it was Lachesis who smoothly replied, "Our roles as the Three Sisters of Fate are significantly more uninvolved than you might expect." For once, I thought I detected a bit of emotion in her tone–bitterness. Perhaps things hadn't been as within their control as I'd originally expected. I filed away that thought for later.
"We act at the behest of the Underworld," Lachesis continued, "and are to keep our opinions to ourselves. For the most part."
"But let us not stall any longer, sister," Klotho said.
"Yes, we must continue with the trial so that we may return to our work," Atropos agreed.
"Good point, sisters." Lachesis stood up from her chair, and the others followed suit. "Are you ready, child?"
I didn't want to say no and remind them I was still doing this against my will, so resigned myself to nodding. "Let's get this over with."
They moved down the stairs which distanced their thrones and formed a triangle around me. Their cloaks swirled around them, never once providing a hint of the appearance of the faces hidden beneath their hoods. As they surrounded me, I half expected to smell curdling milk or something else equally as disgusting but was pleasantly surprised when they smelt of fresh rainwater.
When they were all in position, an equal distance apart from each other, their heads dipped slightly, they began to chant. The language was indecipherable, but I found myself feeling more and more relaxed as they spoke softly in unison. Their words formed a cocoon around me and rocked me gently until everything faded into black and I fell into a blissful sleep.
*****
Slowly, my body began to awaken. The feel of soft cotton stretched out beneath me, cradling me gently. I rolled over in it, revelling in its comfort and familiarity. I opened my eyes, blinking away my sleep and fatigue as the room came into perspective. I was in my bedroom. I shot up, restrained by my bed sheets tucked in around me. I flung them aside, revealing my bare legs as I stood up. I was dressed in an old pair of pyjamas.
My room looked as though it was my own, but in a way it also wasn't. It was as though I'd travelled through time, to a couple years ago. My dance trophies stood proudly on the top of my dresser, and a dress that I'd since grown out of was strewn across a chair I'd long since donated.
One thing was familiar though; a picture of Camilla and I pinned to the wall. It was surrounded by an old mood board I'd created. The photo had been taken on Camilla's fourteenth birthday, and our faces were smashed together as we grinned brightly at the camera. I remembered that day vividly as though it had been yesterday. Camilla had hired a theme-park-worthy number of inflatable water slides for our entire class. A smile crossed my lips as memories resurfaced of Camilla skidding down the slide and belly flopping into her pool.
Banging from downstairs alerted me to the fact that I wasn't alone. It sounded as though the sound was coming from the kitchen. My heart stopped. It must have been my Dad. I threw my bedroom door open and raced through the hallway, down the stairs and all but flung myself into the kitchen.
As I'd predicted, Dad was here, washing the dishes. His greying hair curled softly against his ears. His face was framed by a familiar set of silver glasses, perched low on his straight nose. Upon hearing me, he turned to face me, his face the portrait of utter shock.
"Dad," I murmured, on the verge of tears. "I'm so happy to see you."
With tight shoulders, his gaze flickered warily to behind me, then settled again on my face. A moment of silence passed. I'd expected a smile to break out across his face and for him to embrace me with one of his big bear hugs, so was stunned by his portrait of stillness.
"Who are you?" He asked, turning to face me.
My lower lip trembled. "Dad, it's me. Serena."
With a pang of sadness, I realised he couldn't recognise me. Slowly, he reached for a kitchen knife he'd just cleaned. It gleamed threateningly in the light, soap suds dripping onto the floor.
"Dad," I said, more urgently now. "Put the knife down. I'm your daughter. Why don't you remember me?"
His hands shook as he gripped the knife tighter. "You're not my daughter. Get out of my house right now or I'll call the police."
Tears sprung to my eyes, blurring my vision. I wiped them away. Dad was now standing right in front of me, a menacing gleam in his eyes.
Panicking, I flung open the kitchen cupboard door and let it slam in his face. I used the distraction to sprint out of the room towards the front door, only to find that it had been barricaded shut. My dad's yells bounced down the hallway as he charged after me. Wasting no more time, I sprinted up the staircase, taking the steps three at a time, and closed myself back in my bedroom. I could use the window to escape, even if it meant I'd likely injure myself. I spun on my heels, and screamed when I came face to face with dad. Before I could escape, he raised the knife–
–And then I was pushed backwards, teleported to a different location. I fell onto a patch of freshly cut grass, grazing my hands and knees with dirt. Panicking, my hands roamed my body, searching for an injury. My breaths came out short and sharp, and my head grew light.
"Serena!"
I looked up. I was at Camilla's fourteenth birthday party, sitting in her backyard. Camilla ran over to me, her bright eyes squinting against the sun. She was in the middle of a growth spurt, and her legs were much longer than her body as she took long strides towards me. Her face was flushed with excitement, and small freckles coated her nose from too much time in the sun.
"You missed the diving competition we just had!" Camilla exclaimed. "I think I impressed Derek, because he was talking about how we should go swimming together in the holidays. I need to start planning what bathing suit I should wear already. Do you think he asked me out on a date? And oh my God, you should have seen the look on Ashley's face! She was totally jealous but won't admit it. I think she thought Derek had a crush on her."
My head was reeling. I put out a hand and Camilla helped me stand up.
"Oh, and I almost forgot! I found you because we need to take a photo together," she continued, waving the camera in her hand. She snapped a picture of us before I could even react. I blinked. "We can send it to your mum." Her eyes widened. "Oh, sorry, Serena."
I frowned, my brain now muddled. My mind and body were acting of their own accord, and even though I knew my mother was long dead by the time of Camilla's birthday party, the trance I was in was working hard to make me believe otherwise. I blinked and shook my head. "Why are you sorry? That's a really good idea."
Camilla sucked in a quick breath. "Because your mum is gone, S. She's dead."
I laughed. "Very funny."
Camilla frowned, looking around us as though I'd gone crazy and she wanted to get away from me. "Are you feeling okay, Serena?"
Our classmates began to gather around us, forming a tight circle. Suddenly I wasn't feeling so warm and happy. The water dripping down my bathers and legs was as cold as ice, freezing me to my bones.
Horrified by Camilla's act, I said, "I'm feeling fine. I just wish you would stop acting like she's dead."
Everyone in the circle gasped.
"What?" I exclaimed.
"She is dead."
I cradled my head in my hands, feeling more and more like I was going to pass out. Everyone in the circle began to move inwards, crowding around me. Following Camilla's lead, they started to chant and kept pushing towards me, staring at me with eerily vacant eyes.
"Your mother is dead, Serena."
"She's no longer here."
"She left you."
Desperately, I tried to wave them away and push through them, but escaping was impossible. Their bodies formed a solid wall, blocking me easily. For all of my efforts, escaping would be like trying to climb over a solid, steel wall.
"Leave me alone!" I cried out, covering my eyes with my hands. I needed to escape from this nightmare. I stayed in that position for longer than I could count, steadying my breathing as my heart rate calmed. My classmates' incessant screaming faded into background noise, and then disappeared altogether. The only sound remaining was of laboured breathing–whether it was my own, or someone else's, I was unsure.
Reluctantly, I squinted my eyes open and removed my hands from my face. I stilled when they came away slick with blood. My heart stopped working. A body was lying in front of me, blood gushing out from a wound in their chest. It looked like it had been caused by a large knife or sword. From the position of their body, I was unable to see who it was. A squelching, wet noise told me that they were only just breathing.
"Oh my God," I murmured, horrified. I flung myself into my hands and knees before them, rolling over the body so that I could see their face. In my panic, I froze.
Staring glassily into nothing, their face so pale it could compete with a ghost's, was Alek.
"Oh my God, Alek, can you hear me?" I asked, shaking his shoulders slightly.
No response.
But then there was a faint flicker of his eyes. He was so badly injured that he must've been on the brink of death, looking into the afterlife. Just as he no doubt was about to take that next plunge, a myriad of swear words came to mind. I looked around for something to help stop the bleeding, but my surroundings were oddly a white vacuum of time and space. No one was going to be able to help me. And I was still wearing my bathers, goddamnit. My hands already drenched in Alek's blood, I placed them back on top of his injury to try to prevent the life from leaking from him.
Tears brimmed my eyes, making my vision blurry. Alek was fading in and out of my sight, but I wasn't about to remove my hands to try to brush the tears away.
I growled in frustration. "Live, Alek!"
The pressure seemed to have had some effect, for his next breath was deeper than before, and his eyelids fluttered drowsily.
"Serena..."
My eyes widened. "Alek! I'm here. Stay with me. You have to stay with me."
I looked around wildly and screamed for help, but my voice echoed off the white walls, ricocheting until I heard my own screams repeating back to me.
"Th-thanos," he whispered weakly.
"Thanos did this to you? He stabbed you?"
The slightest nod of his head confirmed his answer. "I wasn't...strong...enough."
I bit my lip, trying to reign in my emotions at the utter sorrow in his eyes. I'd never seen him so vulnerable and afraid. I'd been so used to him being the crutch that I could rely upon, that I couldn't even comprehend that this was the same Alek that I knew.
Wait a minute–Alek would never admit that he wasn't strong enough. I wasn't even sure he could be bested by a sword.
And that was the problem–it wasn't likely to happen.
It wasn't real life.
None of this was real.
I hadn't seen my dad, and my mother was certainly still alive.
I combed through everything that I could remember. Memories of walking through a cave and meeting with the Three Fate Sisters started to reappear in my mind. I'd met the Sisters for the First Trial, being the Fear Test...and then my memory went blank. I was in the Fear Test right now and should be able to control my surroundings if I was strong enough. I took a deep breath, and it was like stepping into fresh air. My thoughts stabilised, and I was able to take a mental step back to actually assess the situation.
Alek was still lying below me, an ominous picture of death, but rather than continuing to compress his wound, I took my hands away. This time, my hands came away clean, without the faintest trace of blood. Now that I'd realised Alek wasn't actually hurt, he had also disappeared from view. The tightness in my shoulders began to loosen. Then the room started to spin, so I slammed my eyes shut. I could still feel the whirring of the room even behind closed eyelids.
The air around me shifted, and then I opened my eyes and sucked in a huge gulp of air. The sweat was falling steadily down my face and neck now, the events of the last few minutes engrained in my mind. The Three Sisters of Fate stood in front of me, their lips set into stony neutrality.
I placed my hands on my knees, exhausted. "So? Was that it? Did I pass?"
The Sisters took a moment to bow their heads together, conversing in some silent way of theirs. I stood upright as they finalised their deliberation and then straightened, prepared to give me an answer.
"You passed, Serena," Lachesis declared. "You may now continue on with the rest of the tournament."
I put my hands on my hips and tilted my head back, letting the relief soak through me. "Thank you. I'm guessing I can go now?"
"My sisters and I would like that," she replied in that monotone voice they all shared. Right. They didn't like me and probably had hoped I'd fail. If Camilla was been in my position right now, she would have clocked Lachesis for saying that. I suppressed the anger that I was feeling as I gave them an over-exaggerated bow and spun on my feet, beelining for the tunnel. I was still shaky from having faced some of my fears, but I let myself feel the accomplishment of passing the first test.
One down, two to go.
However, that triumph faded when one of the Sisters spoke up as I stepped into the tunnel, "We will be seeing you very soon, Princess of Hades."