Chaewon could only watch in horror as a cloud of smoke consumed the girl beside her.
She rushed forward, if only to try and help , but before she could get within a foot of where Yunjin had been, the smoke had faded and Yunjin was gone.
Hades' sword clattered to the ground, the only indication that she'd been there at all.
There was a beat of paralyzing silence.
"What have you done?" Eunbi asked breathlessly, and Chaewon distantly registered the rage simmering beneath her voice.
Chaewon could only stare at the area where Yunjin had been standing beside her only moments ago.
"She belongs with her father." Hades said simply, his deep voice thrumming with indifference towards them. Chaewon whipped her head around to face him, a sudden primal rage gripping her heart.
These gods, they were all the same. The thoughts and feelings of mortals meant nothing to them; they were less than bugs to this man. This man, who saw Yunjin as nothing but means to an end, as a way to stop a war that shouldn't have been waged to begin with.
Hades may have been Yunjin's father, but he did not love her as a father might. He did not see her as a person, only a weapon.
"Bring her back." Chaewon spat, uncaring that she faced such a powerful being. "Bring her back right now."
Hades simply stared at her, his face unchanging.
"Chaewon..." came Sakura's hesitant voice from behind her.
Perhaps she could see the anger brewing beneath Chaewon's surface. Chaewon barely cared. The grip on her sword became tight enough to make her knuckles turn white.
As Chaewon glared at the man before her, his eyes suddenly softened, glinting with something like sympathy. "Let her go, child." he said, his voice softer. "She was never yours to begin with."
Though these words may have been an attempt at comfort, Chaewon's rage only grew.
She raised her sword and charged. "She doesn't belong to anyone!" she cried, wildly swinging her sword at the god who stood before them.
But Chaewon's sword only cut through a cloud of black smoke.
As soon as he'd appeared, Hades had vanished, and he'd taken the sword with him.
Chaewon fell to her knees, her sword falling limp in her hand. He was gone.
And so was Yunjin.
" We need to get back to New York. "
They'd never rushed to the airport faster.
It didn't matter - the risk of flying, the possibility of Zeus striking them down - none of it. All that mattered was getting back to New York as fast as possible.
Hades meant to strike against Olympus, and it was only a matter of time before his forces were completely assembled.
They needed to warn everyone.
While they waited on Sakura to finesse them the best tickets they could find on short notice (once again, they were all thankful for her charmspeaking abilities), Yeji and Eunbi worked on trying to contact camp through Iris Message.
Chaewon and the others waited anxiously in the lobby of the airport, glancing between Sakura at the front desk and the bathroom where they knew Yeji and Eunbi were struggling to create a rainbow strong enough to establish a stable connection.
It was fortunate that Eunchae had been able to fish a drachma out of her bag at the last moment, since Yeji had run out back in Denver.
Chaewon paced around the lobby, nearly running a hole through the carpeted floors. Kazuha and Eunchae sat on a bench next to her, looking as anxious as she felt. Ryujin and Jimin, meanwhile, were making sure everyone had the proper supplies for the journey ahead. Thankfully, the mist would disguise their weapons from TSA well enough.
It was a five and a half hour flight to New York, and they weren't sure they'd make it in time to even help defend Olympus.
Still, they had to try.
Sakura finished with the tickets at the same time Eunbi and Yeji emerged from the bathroom, looking a bit less anxious than they'd been before.
"Eight tickets for a flight leaving in half an hour," Sakura said, already picking up her stuff and handing out the tickets. "We've got to make it through security fast, everyone."
Everyone grabbed their stuff as Yeji and Eunbi explained the situation. "Chiron is organizing the camp as fast as possible." Yeji explained. "By the time we get there, a full defense should be set up around the Empire State Building."
"He said to hurry," Eunbi added. "They need all the fighters they can get."
Chaewon sighed, shouldering her back and quickly following the others towards security.
This was going to be the longest flight of her life.
By the time the flight was over, Chaewon was an anxious mess, and she was sure the others felt the same.
Every bout of turbulence, every announcement from the pilot had set her on edge, afraid that Zeus would strike them down before they even made it halfway there.
Still, they managed to make it there in one piece, and Chaewon sighed with relief as they pulled into the New York airport.
It took them nearly an hour to get out of the airport and make their way towards downtown, where Chiron was sure to be setting up the proper defenses.
It took them around seven hours total to make it home, and they could only hope they were able to get there before the battle began.
As they approached the Empire State building, the streets seemed to clear of people, as if they knew what was coming.
"Chiron must have manipulated the mist or something," Eunbi said, glancing around the empty streets. "Warned the mortals to leave while they still could."
"It's better that way," Eunchae replied grimly. "We don't need any mortals dying in this battle."
Chaewon's heart stuttered a little at her words. The whole time they'd been on the plane, she'd been so worried about getting back home in time, she hadn't considered the real implications of this battle.
Demigods were going to die. Her friends, her family.
This wasn't just a training exercise, or some stupid game of capture the flag.
No, this was war.
And there would be casualties, no doubt.
"There!" Eunbi's voice interrupted her grim thoughts.
She looked up as they rounded the corner, and Chaewon was satisfied to see the layers of defense the camp had been able to prepare in the time it took for them to arrive. Across nearly four city blocks, campers were spread out, setting up traps and landmines, stacking up sandbags to create cover, and setting up areas in the buildings nearby for the archers.
Chaewon was particularly satisfied to note the three massive catapults the Haephestus kids were working on setting up closer towards the end of the street.
"Hades hasn't attacked yet." Sakura sighed, and Chaewon couldn't help but share her relief. They got lucky, finally.
Still, Chaewon couldn't shake the fact that something was off. Why had it taken so long for Hades to strike? Why did he wait for them to collect his sword if he seemingly knew where it was the whole time?
And, most importantly, why did he take Yunjin?
She knew the prophecy said that Yunjin was the key to winning the war, but since they'd returned his sword, the war should be stopped in its tracks. Wasn't that the reason the war was happening to begin with? As far as they knew, Hades was angry with his fellow Olympians because they stole his weapon of power.
But clearly, he'd known where it was the whole time.
So how did Yunjin play into all of this?
She wouldn't fight for her father, that's for sure. She was too stubborn for that.
Chaewon smiled a little at the thought.
"Girls!" Chiron called for them from the front of the building, waving them over. "I'm glad you made it. We'll need all the help we can get."
Only a few minutes later, the girls were helping prepare defenses around the main city block, the one closest to the Empire State Building.
Chaewon knew the building was somehow the entrance to Olympus, but she couldn't conceptualize exactly how it could lead to the domain of gods. It likely had to do with magic, but she didn't know for sure.
Next to her, Kazuha and Eunchae were furiously making arrows, filling both their quivers and stashing the leftovers in buckets next to them. Ryujin and Jimin practiced sparring, and Jimin looked absolutely terrified holding her sword.
Chaewon looked on with sympathy, noting the girl's weak grip on the weapon and her unfamiliar swings as Ryujin gave her pointers. Jimin wasn't a fighter.
But today, she had to be.
Yeji and Eunbi walked up and down the streets, helping to further organize the other campers and making sure everyone in their respective cabins were prepared.
While Sakura walked around and checked in with everyone in the Aphrodite cabin, making sure everyone was accounted for, Chaewon simply sharpened her sword, staring ahead at the street before her.
Whatever was coming, she'd be ready.
And as soon as this tedious battle was finished, she would bring Yunjin back. She would journey to the Underworld if that's what it took. She would face any obstacle, any beast or monster that waited for her, that dared stand between her and Yunjin.
Even if it took swimming across the River Styx, she would bring Yunjin back to her.
"Are you ready?" Sakura's soft voice grabbed her attention, and she sighed, finally tearing her eyes away from the end of the street. "It shouldn't be long now."
She was right. It had already been longer than they'd expected, and it was approaching sunset. Chaewon hoped Hades wouldn't wait until night to attack, but it was foolish of her to wish otherwise. Of course he would wait until after sunset.
They would battle under the cover of night, acting as the final line of defense between Hades and Mount Olympus.
"Chaewon?" Sakura asked, taking a seat next to her on the sidewalk. She laid her sword across her lap, mirroring Chaewon's posture.
"Sorry," she replied, shaking her head. "I'm just a bit...distracted."
"Worried about Yunjin?" Sakura asked, raising an eyebrow.
Chaewon was surprised, but she shouldn't have been. Sakura had always been more observant than most, and Chaewon hadn't done a very good job of hiding her feelings for the daughter of Hades.
Chaewon didn't respond, but it was answer enough for Sakura.
"Me too," Sakura admitted.
Chaewon sighed. They were all worried about Yunjin. She was their friend after all, and whatever Hades was planning, it wasn't with good intentions. "I just don't understand." she finally spoke up. "We did what we were supposed to. We returned the sword, the war should be over."
Sakura nodded. "I know, that's all I can think about." she agreed. "Hades knew exactly where his sword was hidden. He was just waiting for us to show up."
"He was waiting for Yunjin," Chaewon finished.
"The sword was always a trap," Sakura said, coming to a similar realization. "This whole quest...he just wanted Yunjin the entire time. I'll bet Ares is involved too. I mean, he led us right to the sword."
"But there's something I don't understand..." Chaewon said, shaking her head and turning towards Sakura. "I get that Yunjin is supposed to be the key to winning the war - but how? She would never fight for Hades."
"No," Sakura agreed. "She wouldn't. Not willingly."
Silence followed her words.
Not willingly.
As Chaewon opened her mouth to respond, alarm bells interrupted whatever she would've said.
Both Sakura and Chaewon shot up, gripping their swords a little tighter as a flurry of activity began around them. Campers ran to their stations, people yelled for weapons and supplies, archers took their positions.
And when the two of them looked down the street in front of the Empire State Building, the alarm bells suddenly made sense.
"Ahead!" a camper screamed from the side of the building, pointing further down the street. "Enemies approaching from the west!"
Hades was indeed approaching, slowly making his way down the street in a large chariot pulled by two skeletons that resembled horses. Around him, an army of the undead marched forward, staring straight ahead with empty pits for eyes. They held all manner of weapons - swords, spears, maces.
And they were headed right towards them.
Chaewon raised her sword, and as did Sakura.
They were ready. This is what they'd been preparing for.
Although, as they moved to charge forward, they weren't expecting another call from the other end of the street, from the second lookout stationed at the opposite side of the building.
"More enemies approaching from the East!" He cried, ringing another alarm bell.
Chaewon turned, expecting to see more undead soldiers approaching.
And she was right, there were even more of them, swarming the narrow street and running towards the campers.
What she didn't expect was another chariot leading this army, a mirror to Hades.
"Is that..." Sakura breathed.
Chaewon's sword went limp in her hand as the chariot approached and she met eyes with the rider.
Yunjin rode towards them, eyes empty and cold. Dressed in a traditional black toga and wielding the Sword of Hades, she'd never looked more like a descendant of death himself. Dark shadows curled around her figure and trailed behind her chariot, a clear reminder of the power she controlled. A crown of red-tinted laurels adorned her head - a symbol of honor, no doubt gifted to her by her father.
"She's been charmed." Sakura said, her face twisted in horror.
And as Yunjin approached, the Sword of Hades held high as she led the army of undead soldiers directly towards them, Chaewon knew Sakura was right.
After all, Yunjin would never help Hades.
Not willingly.