(I haven't written OoO in a long while, please forgive me if they're a bit OOC)

The first thing Bryan opened his eyes to was deep red brick that sent his heart into immediate cardiac arrest.

'Why am I back here?!' He shoved himself up with great difficulty and scooted back until he was pressed up against the wall, chest growing tighter with every movement. The cool bricks under his fingers were colder than ice. Bryan was familiar with ice by now, but this wasn't like Jakey's ice.

This was stinging his skin with a bitter greed. He yanked his hands away and rubbed them together while his bracelets jingled. Trying to bare his surroundings, he pressed his clasped hands against his beating chest and forced his breath to a standstill. It was the complete opposite of what Mitch told him to do when having a panic attack but at the moment he could barely picture what he looked like, much less what else he said.

He recognized the T-shaped area where the throne once stood, where he'd killed Kaykrae. Which meant the large, open window Jakey had used to get in and out of the castle wasn't far away. He took in a deep breath and readied himself, acting without thinking was unbecoming. He just needed to get out and find Jakey or Mario.

"Oh Bryan~"

He leapt to his feet and reached for his knife, but his hands only grappled at empty air. Panic threatened to set in, but he tried to shove it away into a metaphorical safe. He was a powerful demigod, he could stay firm on his feet in battle without a weapon. But every inch of the doomed memory room kept poking holes in that confidence.

Bryan turned the corner to try the open window only to dead stop and choked down a scream. Seductive Rose was laying across the windowsill. The world became simple white noise as it rose up and floated between him and his only way out.

"There you are. Finally, you've come back to your senses."

"No, no no no-" Bryan choked on his own dry mouth and swallowed. 'You can speak!' "Mario destroyed you. I saw it myself!"

"Did you really think simple lightning from a puny demigod could beat what we have?"

'He isn't puny.' The air around him grew hotter and he felt himself yearning for the hurtful cold of the floor. "We-we have nothing! You don't control me, you have no hold on me anymore."

"No silly hold is needed. Do you think I can't feel everything you're feeling now, your true thoughts? You miss me." It tutted like someone scolding their distrustful ex. "You miss the power I gave you. What you were able to accomplish with it. You know deep down, you'll never be able to gain that high of power again.

"The upper hand on those campers that dared pry us apart. Such a shame you grew a guilt-ridden soul. But no worries, that pesky guilt can be taken care of. If you did it once, it will come easily to you once again."

"You made me do all that! I didn't want to hurt my sister and friends!"

The Rose glowed brighter and suddenly reared straight towards him in a flash of blinding purple light. Bryan yelled and stumbled back, his sandals scraping the floor. His back hit the wall corner and he clutched the bricks as the sword flew at him.

It stopped just short of stabbing and pinning him to the wall. Heat came off it in barrels and Bryan wiped the sweat off his forehead. He was still scared but now also unapologetically furious it was making him do something as ugly as sweat.

"I'm not finished with you yet, Bryan." Seductive Rose's once soothing and alluring voice now grated his ears, digging into his mind and harshly pulling at his free will. "Maybe this time, Jakey can join the coseige alongside us. Live up to his true potential."

True potential. Leomadon. Bryan gritted his teeth and mentally kicked the door on the voice's trespassing presence. "I won't let you anywhere near him. He's too good for your treacherous ways...he's making me too good to ever let you in again."

"You won't have a choice in the matter."

Seductive Rose tilted towards him and Bryan willed his feet to run. Or dodge. Or move of any kind. But he stayed bolted to his spot as the curved tip of the sword touched his chest. A twinge of heat burned into his clothes and Bryan let out the built-up scream.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Bryan? Bryan!" Jakey shook his screaming boyfriend, not bothering to be too gentle. "Come on, wake up!"

His eyes flew open, blinking at the ceiling then slowly roaming down the cabin walls until finding a very concerned and confused demigod. "J-Jakey? We-we're in the cabin."

"Yeees, we are," he said carefully. "We're in your cabin at Camp Oasis." He swept the bangs sticking to his forehead out of his face, revealing his red and panicked face. He let his hand run cold and touched Bryan's cheek which he leaned into. "Did you have a nightmare?"

"Y-yeah. Seductive Rose was back and it wanted to take me back a-and it mentioned taking you too and I just-" Tears streamed down his cheeks and Jakey wiped them away.

"Don't worry, I'm right here and you're safe now." Jakey opened his hand and held it just over Bryan's head. Tiny snowflakes danced across his palm before falling and littering the demigod's hair. A few hit his face and Bryan giggled, making Jakey smile.

"That better?"

Bryan nodded. "I-I don't think I can go back to sleep. Can we go somewhere else?"

"Sure. I think Mitch might be awake, we can go see him at the docks." Jakey helped Bryan up and together they headed towards the beach, securely closing the cabin door behind them.