* Ben *
They called a meeting to discuss what was happening. I felt out of place in the meeting room at first, though there were many strange things within. It was chaotic and interesting. I began to settle into the atmosphere.
"May I have some order?" The centaur, Chiron, clapped his hands. "Jason and Nico proposed this meeting to discuss something of importance."
The room quieted down but wasn't quite silent.
Jason leaned on the table. "Some of you have met my cousin." He nodded at me. "And I'm sure many of you are curious about what's been going on." He looked at me, which was my cue.
Suddenly the room felt foreign again. I swallowed and took a breath.
"Hi, uh, my name's Ben," I started hesitantly like I was introducing myself during my first day at school. Someone giggled. "Uh, right, so, I'm a ghost."
Full silence this time.
"Like, actually? You're a for-real ghost?" a girl at the table asked.
"Yeah..."
"How are you here???" someone else said, furrowing his brow.
"Er, well, I'm not actually sure. I'm not like you though. I wasn't a demigod." I shrugged uncomfortably. There was a pause. I took a breath. "I did some bad things after I died. I regret all of it. After I died I was vengeful and some evil people wanted to take advantage of that. Now that I've turned my back on them, they'll want revenge. They'll try to spread ruin, fear, and despair wherever there's someone who's willing to help me. I'm sorry to have brought my problems to you."
No one spoke, staring with wide eyes.
"Sounds like a Tuesday," a guy said. The tension was broken by laughter. A girl stood.
"I will help you. Many of us were given second chances, so why shouldn't you be given one?" she held out a hand. I took it gratefully, nearly melting with relief and gratitude on the spot. Jason began to lead a discussion on defensive strategies. He asked me about the enemies we would be facing and I gladly gave him information about them. Hell, maybe these demigods would be the key to wiping out the killers and monsters I'd been companions with.
A girl with wild red hair watched me from the side of the room. I shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. We made eye contact. She held it for a few moments that felt like eternity stretching darkly across the space between us. Then she turned and walked outside.
I snapped out of a daze I didn't know I had been in. Leaning over to Jason I whispered, "Hey, is it all right if I step out for a sec?" He glanced at me and seemed to understand I wasn't feeling well. He gave me a nod and smile. I smiled back then darted out the door in pursuit of the red-haired girl.
Outside a few drops of rain occasionally fell from above. The girl was standing a few meters away from the porch, her face turned toward the gray sky. Scattered drops of rain fell against her skin, tracing the freckles on her cheeks. I didn't know why, but everything felt slow and unsettling.
She turned to me. "Felt too stuffy in there..." I couldn't figure out if she was telling me how she felt or if she was asking me how I felt. Both, I realized. "My name is Rachel," she told me, her green eyes filled with shadows, burning into my soul. Then she turned her face back to the sky, closing those eyes. Somehow, I knew her quietness was wrong. I didn't know her, but she felt unlike herself.
"Ben—"
She suddenly stopped talking and swayed on her feet. Her eyes began to glow.
"Blood of sky, blood of soul,
Each shall have felt death's tole.
Sacrifice is their fate,
The future shall not wait."
That was a prophecy. About me. About Jason. Damn it. He's going to die, I realized. We were supposed to have a chance at a happy future. Hadn't we both been through enough? This felt like the universe was laughing in my face while I was bleeding out.
Rachel's eyes had stopped glowing and she was dazedly looking around. She saw me.
"Did I give you a prophecy?" she asked. I just nodded. "What was it?"
"It doesn't matter," I said stiltedly. She didn't look convinced but she didn't push it any further.
"Well, if you need anything..." She trailed off.
I shook my head and turned away. What did this mean for us? Were we really so cursed? Yes. Of course we were.
Jason is going to die. I felt numb as I walked through camp. The clamor of activity faded into a ringing haze in the background. He's going to die and I'll be alone again. I wondered, for a moment, if that was a selfish fear. I clenched my teeth and sprinted for the woods. Tears trailed down my cheeks, surprising me as I ran. They mixed with drops of rain until I made it to the cover of trees. I stopped and stood, staring up at the canopy above me, as Rachel had stared at the sky.
"Well, you're certainly hard on luck." The voice startled me. How hadn't I noticed someone else was there? A woman with curly hair and fierce gold eyes seemed to materialize from the shadows.
I took a step back. She set off so many alarm bells and so much anger. "Who are you?" I asked tensely.
She grinned, a sneer, really. "I am Nemesis."
I hesitated. "Whose nemesis are you?"
A laugh unfurled from her. "Everyone's."
"What do you want?" I asked her.
"Balance. You could use a little luck, and your old friends could use some humbling," she said, twisting a small piece of paper between her fingers.
"I'm listening..."
"Good. I saw those two who tracked you down earlier. I gave one a quick glimpse of myself, and based on his reaction, they are vulnerable to us. I don't like their power going unchecked. They are not meant to be immortal."
"What do you want from me?" I asked with suspicion.
"To relinquish your cousin in favor of preventing war. I am asking you not to try to save him. I am asking you to be alone once more, to return to those monsters, to be my agent, to save Jason's home. Are you willing to sacrifice everything for him?"
I swallowed. "Yes."
She smiled, eyes gleaming. "Then you shall be rewarded greatly when your time on this earth is done. You shall join your cousin in the fate of fallen heroes."
"I will spare him the conflict on my behalf, as you ask," I said grimly.
"Then say your goodbyes, Ben. Come back to me when you are finished." She waved me off, cracking open a fortune cookie. I heard her scoff at the fortune as I left.
***
Jason gave me a confused frown when I gestured for him to step outside with me. He handed something to a girl next to him then walked over to where I stood in the doorway.
"What's up?" he asked, following me outside with a frown.
"I have to leave," I croaked out, hoping he couldn't see I'd been crying.
He blinked. "What?"
"I can't let you fight and face casualties on my behalf."
"Of course you can! We're family, we protect each other!" he said, straightening his posture, a defiant gleam in his eye. I gave a genuine chuckle, which came out a bit strangled.
"That's what I'm doing." I put a hand on his shoulder. "You don't need to worry about me. I'm going to take care of this. Then... then we can be at peace together. I need you to trust me," I said, looking at him with fondness. He looked back at me with experienced weariness.
"I trust you," he said, shoulders sagging. "What made you change your mind?" he asked.
"I suppose divine intervention," I laughed. He gave me a knowing look and smile.
"I hope you're ready for whatever happens next."
Dropping the humor, I smiled back sadly. "It'll all work out in the end. I know it will, even if it takes a while."
We stood together on the porch for a few minutes, watching the rain fall to the earth. I'm not afraid anymore, I thought, peace settling over me.
"I should go," I said, turning to him.
He nodded, his eyes reflecting the sky, turning it from gray to clear blue.
"We'll see each other again. For some reason, I'm sure of that," Jason said. He didn't look at me, just kept the sky blue.
"I know we will. There's no doubt in my mind," I replied, standing at the top of the porch stairs.
"See you then," he said softly as I took my first steps.
"See you then."