I snapped myself awake, screaming my head off.

I jolted upright; panting wildly like I've been running for days. My wrists were still chained with iron bands, stained with dried blood, and were attached to the wall.

I still couldn't believe me and my sister were in prison. It's been over three months, since they captured us. The memory of them killing our mother was still in my head. My head hurt like mad and my skin stung like it's been soaked in boiling acid. I felt homesick for New York, since we were imprisoned in Colorado.

Chloe looked terrible, even though she was asleep. Her dark hair was a mess, her face was bruised and dirty, her clothes were tattered and she had her wrists chained like mine were. She's lost weight and looked terribly weak.

I stood up, my legs feeling like they were on fire, and looked at my reflection in the mirror, which hung on the corroded stone wall. I looked worse than Chloe. My raven-black hair looked as if a scorpion had made a nest in it. My skin was pale and bloody. My clothes were torn and shredded and my dark blue eyes were bloodshot from tiredness.

Proculus, the Prince of the Hurricane Throne, the demigod son of Poseidon.

That power-hungry murderer - even remembering or saying his name makes me shake with uncontrolled anger. He was there that day, when they kidnapped me and Chloe. He killed our mother and brought us all the way to Colorado, which was hundreds of miles away from our home in Brooklyn, New York. I still remember that evil smile on his face, when his sword pierced our mother's chest.

After transporting us to Colorado, they threw us into this cell, chaining us to the wall like we were wild animals or something. Two days later, Maximus came in and explained who he and the rest of the others were. They were known as the 'Storm Guard', a kind of cultural society that worships Poseidon, due to his powers over the storm. Their job is to protect the power of storms everywhere in the world, even creating storms once in a while for sports. They even have their own army, which Maximus (who is a member of the Storm council) is the general of. He's been the general for over a thousand years, while Proculus has been the Prince for seven hundred years. Every now and then, the Council would elect a new Prince to come along but that rule was now against the law, since Proculus wouldn't allow it.

He seems really intent on being the prince forever.

Sighing through my nose, I reached into my ripped army jacket pocket and brought out a thick leather book - a diary if any of you mortals are wondering.

You might not know it, but some of you might be demigods like me and my sister, and that maybe this diary might help you understand what we've been through. Maybe this could help you understand exactly what some other demigods are like in the world.

Unlike a few I could mention ...

I unclipped the pen from the diary, turned over some of the recent entries and started to write:

10th November 2012.

Day No. 72

I dreamt of Mom. It was the first time in months. I still can't believe that it's been three months already since that day.

And yet, we're still here, in the wretched Princes keeping. He's still putting us through more torture and misery, while at the same time enhancing our strength, speed, our invulnerability, powers, telepathy, eyesight and smell, which we DIDN'T even need in the first place.

He keeps on saying that we would appreciate what he and his Storm Guards were doing to us - since we would need them for what is to come.

Since Chloe and I are both demigods as well, we are supposed to need strength and powers. But they've been putting us through hell in order to do so, because we're children of Poseidon as well.

I still can't believe it's been over a year now, since our Olympian father went missing. Chloe and I were only seventeen years old. We were KIDS! Where is he and why won't he help us?!

Why couldn't he help save mom from her murder?

Never mind. We're here, but not for long - we have to get out of here, one way or another. As I've said back in Diary Entry No. 2, our mother said that we would find some answers in Los Angeles. I promised her that we would, and I am not intent on ignoring her dying wish.

This is Marcus Dimascio, son of Poseidon and Sarah Dimascio.

Diary Entry No. 72

Just as I placed my diary back into my pocket, our cell door creaked open and Maximus, the general of the Storm Guard, stepped in.

Up close, he looked about forty five, since his hair was starting to turn grey. He had obsidian coloured eyes and was wearing his armour on. The breastplate was enchanted, so it held a miniature storm within, more like watching a storm through your bedroom window. He wore his black, long-sleeved tunic beneath his armour and his sword hung at his side - a metre long blade made of pure silver.

"On your feet, Dimascio," he said. "You and your sister are summoned."

"By Proculus I take it?" I muttered.

Chloe's eyes flickered open. She sighed as she got up.

She looked at Maximus and groaned.

"What do you want now?" she demanded.

The old man looked at us sadly. Of all the members of the Storm Guard, he was the only one who has shown us kindness, maybe because he could see our suffering. After Proculus killed our mother, he practically escorted us away from Proculus, before he got the chance of tormenting us, which the Storm Prince complained about. At night, Maximus would sneak us in some bread with shredded beef, since he couldn't stand watching us starve. He was pretty much the only one we could trust.

"I am sorry for you and your brother, Chloe," he calmly said. "But you know what Proculus is like - he's worse than Tantalus, and that guy was a right nasty piece of work. Anyway, that's not why I'm here. I came here with a message as well as checking if you and your sister are alright."

I frowned. "Why do I sense that I'm not going to like what it is you've come to say to us?""

Maximus walked over and grabbed my chained up wrists. He grabbed a key from his pocket and unlocked the bands. I rubbed my hands, which were saw and red.

"Proculus wants to give you something as a gift," the general said as he unchained Chloe. "Maybe he will give you your freedom."

He sounded doubtful about that.

I took a painful step forward and started to fall to the ground. Maximus caught me in time.

"I don't need help," I snapped at him, shoving his arm away.

"Yes, you do," Maximus sternly said. "You need it, more than you think."

"What I need," I told him, "is to get out of here."

The general looked at the open door, as if he's looking for anyone listening to our conversation. He then looked back at me.

"I know, son of Poseidon. Most of the council members, excluding Proculus, can see your mistreatment. They actually feel sorry for you and wish for your release."

"Then help us," Chloe pleaded. "If you can do that one thing for us, then do it."

"It's not that easy," Maximus stressed. "If we do help you get out - and that's a big if - Proculus will stop at nothing to make sure you are returned to your cells."

"Please," I begged. "I can't take this anymore. If I stay here for another three months, I'll go insane."

Maximus closed his eyes and sighed. He opened them again.

"I'll inform Titus and Perses," he told us. "They're bound to help. In the meantime, come with me right now. The Prince doesn't like waiting."

He handcuffed our hands with tight leather bands and escorted us out into the main hallway.

The hallway was pure marble, like the inside of an old temple. Metal torches lined up the whole of the hallway, giving it a dark and sinister look, making it look more evil than before.

Along the way, soldiers filed in behind us. They had their visors on, so I couldn't see their faces. They had the same armour as Maximus, except that Maximus had a dark grey cape fastened onto his armoured shoulders. They were all armed with black spears.

"How many soldiers are there again?" I whispered to the general.

"In the Typhoon Army, there are over five thousand of us," he whispered back. "Behind us, it's just over fifty. They've all been informed on what I've promised you two, so don't worry about them."

"How do we know that they won't change their minds?" Chloe demanded. "We'll be sitting ducks if they decide to attack us!"

"I've told them that they will be executed if they defy me," Maximus told her. "That got their attention."

We continued walking until we came to a huge set of wooden doors. Maximus pushed them open and stepped into the room, the doors closing behind him. In that moment, a soldier came up to Chloe and me.

"Here!" he hissed. He slipped a silver cylinder into my back pocket. "This is a sword. You press the button on the top of it and the sword activates. Use it when you're in dire trouble."

He turned to Chloe. He brought out an archers glove and slipped it onto her hand. "This is a bow. You clench your hand and the bow appears. You follow me?"

We both nodded. "Thanks," I quietly said.

The soldier scowled. "Don't thank me yet."

The doors opened. Maximus had a grim look on his face. "Come in."