[ex animo]

The first thing Sera felt on her ascent into consciousness was the stinging pain behind her eyes, like someone had socked her right on the bridge of her nose. The second was the musky air clinging to her face: cavernous air, like they were deep within catacombs.

Sera blinked the haze out of her eyes, catching her breath. She was in a small earthen cove, lined with gold. Braziers of fire hung from the walls near an entryway into the rest of wherever they were. Daphne and Jared were slumped nearby; their hands and feet were bound.

Sera tried to run for them, only to find out that she wasn't spared from being bound either. She bit back a curse, eyeing the doorway carefully. She could hear distant noises, but if she worked quickly, she could hack her way through the ties on her hands and feet.

Bending forward to reach her ankles, Sera strained her fingers for her feet. She always kept a spare knife in the lining of her boots, and hopefully, whoever had captured them wouldn't have thought to disarm them. Sera shut her eyes and stretched...and was rewarded with the chill of the knife's silver metal in her hands.

The noises in the distance were getting louder. Sera adjusted the knife between her bound hands, biting back the yelp as it bit into her skin, and cut her way through the fabric tied around her wrists. She sighed in relief as soon as her hands were free, getting to work on the ties around her feet. She hacked through those, and prepared to move to her friends, if not for the sudden voice.

"Sit back down, sweetheart. You're not going anywhere." A craning female voice chided.

Sera's bow materialized in her hands, arrow already strung. She pulled the string back to her cheek, whirling around to see a girl about her age looking back at her. The girl in the entryway had a mane of obsidian hair, with eyes like embers. However, anytime Sera's vision blurred, she saw a creature made of bronze, flame, and...was that a donkey leg?

"I'm sorry, you must not have heard me properly," The girl spoke, her voice clearing Sera's vision. She was back to looking like a normal teenage girl, but her eyes still flickered like flames. "Sit down."

"I'm afraid you don't see the silver arrow aimed right for your head," Sera spoke, pulling the arrow back even further. The bowstring strained. "Let my friends go."

The girl's lips curled into a sinister smile. "Can I keep the mortal boy? He's cute."

Sera let the arrow fly. The girl moved faster than Sera had ever seen, a blur of black and ember, before she was right before Sera, her cold hand on Sera's wrist. "Sit—down." She threw Sera backwards with a force she hadn't anticipated, and the Huntress hit the wall.

"Now," The girl said cheerfully. "We haven't formally introduced each other. My name is Alli, and I'm the one who captured you and your silly friends. You are?"

"I have a feeling you know," Sera spat, fighting the wince in her words. She half expected to see an imprint of herself in the wall behind her for all the force that Alli had thrown her with.

Alli gave her that serpent's grin again. "Yes, Sera Brennan. I do know who you are. As well as Jared Knight and Daphne Danvers. I don't normally hunt girls, but for you two infernal huntresses, I'll make an exception."

"Gee, thanks," Sera grumbled. "Why'd you capture us?"

Alli crouched by Daphne and Jared's slumped figure. She averted her attention to Sera, and that's when Sera saw Daphne open her eyes. The daughter of Aphrodite winked, then shut her eyes again.

"My master ordered me to," Alli gave Sera a look that in girl speak, translated to 'Is she kidding me right now? "The Father will not have you three intruding on his plan."

Sera felt her heart begin to pound. She needed to keep Alli distracted so Daphne could strike, but something felt off.

"So the Father knows we're coming?" Sera tried to sound shocked.

"Uh, duh," Alli stood up, a dubious look in her eyes. "For Hunters, you're not that stealthy. Especially you, Brennan. You reek of heroism."

"It's my preferred scent," Sera hedged. "You should try it sometime."

Alli bared her teeth—and that's when Sera saw the fangs. Fangs, flaming hair, donkey legs, bronze?

"I'm an empousa," Alli hissed. "I don't do heroics. And frankly, when I'm done with you, you won't either." She lunged.

"Daphne, now!" Sera called.

Alli knit her eyebrows together, whirling around to meet Daphne's fists of fury. The empousa went down with a thud, and Daphne breathed out shakily, waving her hand.

"What is she, made of metal?" Daphne muttered a string of curses in ancient Greek.

"Bronze, actually," Sera said. "But we should go."

The Huntresses darted for Jared, who was just now coming to. He blinked at them blearily, no doubt confused by the shape he was in, but didn't ask questions—for once.

"I had the weirdest dream that we were kidnapped by donkeys," Jared rubbed his temples after Daphne relieved him of his bonds. His vision fell on Alli, unconscious and sprawled on the cavern floor in her demonic glory, and his eyes widened. "Holy--!"

"Let's go!" Sera grabbed Jared's hand, ignoring the spark she seemed to feel rushing up her arm. She lugged Jared to his feet, and together with Daphne, they darted for the entryway.

The trio sprinted down a cavernous corridor, passing various coves and hollows filled with shadows and flame. The entire maze they were in was lined with gold, with odd symbols that reminded Sera of hieroglyphs as they passed. However, as Sera was too busy admiring the craftsmanship, she didn't see the boy rounding the bend just as she was.

"Hey, watch where you're—oh." Sera prepared to explode on this guy, but one look into his sea-green eyes, and she felt like she was in a dream.

"It's you," The boy breathed. "I've been wondering who you were for the longest time."

For a moment, Sera and the boy only stared one another down. He was about Sera's age, maybe a year or two older, but he felt...timeless. His eyes were like Caribbean seas glittering under sunlight, his hair dark as night.

"I'm sorry, do you two know each other?" Jared interrupted spitefully.

Sera tore her eyes from the boy's, which proved to be a feat, and turned back to her friends. Their gaze flicked between Sera and this mystery boy, with no ounce of love lost between them.

Sera turned back to the boy. "Look, I don't know who you are, but can you help us get out of here? We need to get to Glacier National Park as fast as possible."

The boy's lips parted like he had a different idea, but he nodded. "I know a way. You three might not like it."

"Try us," Daphne chimed.

The boy waved for them to follow, and with a tentative glance, Sera, Daphne, and Jared followed after him. The boy lead them around corners that Sera hadn't noticed before, and while a breeze of doubt flew through her mind, the storm of reassurance she'd felt upon looking into this boy's eyes quelled it.

Sera jogged ahead to keep up with the boy, darting around another corner. "How do you know me?"

The boy's turquoise eyes turned panicked. "What do you mean?"

"You said you've been looking for me," Sera continued. "Normally, that's not a good sign on my end."

They hurried down a different path: dustier, older, frailer. It looked like an abandoned gold mine, the kind from an old western movie.

"I swear on the Styx that I mean you no harm, Sera Brennan," The boy said. "But...sometime or another, we were fated to meet."

Before Sera could speak again, the boy stopped before a wooden door with a triangle outlined on it. He pointed to Daphne, jerking his thumb back towards the door. "Touch the delta."

Daphne, dazed like the rest of them, trudged her way forward. In the distance, a muffled noise like an army was running through the corridors shook the walls. Dust fell from the ceiling as Daphne pressed her hand to the wood, and the delta on the door illuminated.

"The Labyrinth," Daphne's eyes widened. "But how—"

The boy held up a hand. "Please, no questions. You'll be safe—well, as safe as you can be—through this door. He'll help you through." He pointed to Jared, who was glaring at him all the while.

"How do we know this isn't a trap?" Sera asked.

The boy looked straight into her eyes and deeper, like he was peering straight into her soul. Sera saw glimpses of light and a little girl with eyes like this boy's, she heard laughter like the babble of a waterfall, and she felt the feeling of mortality wash over her once more. Then just like that, it was over.

"I made you a promise, Sera," The boy said gravely. "I tend to keep my promises."

The mountain's walls shook again, and more dust fell from the roof of the gold mine. Alli and her monsters were approaching; if they didn't move now, they'd be dead.

"You really have to go now," The boy said.

The door hissed open and Daphne and Jared darted through.

"Sera, come on!" Jared called. "We've gotta go!"

"Can I get your name?" Sera tried.

The boy smiled sadly, and opened his mouth to speak, but at that moment, his face changed entirely. It was the face of a warrior, and his nostrils flared as he turned back to the entry to the gold mine. An army of monsters stood twenty yards away, ready to attack.

"Your quarrel is not with the Hunters," The boy bellowed. "Your quarrel is not for many years."

A man's laughter boomed through the gold mine, shaking the walls. "As long as the Brennan name exists, I will not cease to hunt them down."

Sera took that moment as her cue, but even as she, Jared, and Daphne darted down the Labyrinth's corridors, she couldn't stop thinking about the boy in the mountain. He'd known her very soul, and while the rest was misty and hazy, Sera knew one thing for sure: that feeling of mortality in her vision would be hitting her sooner than she had thought.

~~

After what felt like hours, the trio skidded to a stop. Jared claimed his brain was about to burst, and Daphne and Sera added that their feet were about to as well. They slumped against the Labyrinth walls, resting up.

"So where do we go from here?" Daphne asked, retying her blonde hair back into its ponytail.

Jared shrugged. "Continue on to Glacier National Park, it seems."

Daphne shook her head. "No, not that. What's our plan of attack?"

Sera racked her brain for what Alli had told her in the cavern. It felt like a lifetime ago for how long they'd been running, but she managed to remember. "The empousa said she captured us because her master, the Father, knew we were getting too close."

"The Father?" Daphne wrinkled her nose. "I don't know any myths relating to a father. Kronos, maybe? Ouranos?"

Sera bit her lip in thought. "No, if the Titans were rising, things would be a lot worse. It's something else, someone else that we're not thinking of."

There was a moment of silence, before Jared erupted into laughter.

Sera and Daphne locked eyes before averting their gaze to the mortal boy. "I'm sorry, is something funny about all this?"

"It's just," Jared laughed. "I'm not even a part of this world you're all in, and even I know who this is."

"Care to share?" Sera asked.

Jared took a deep breath, recovering from his laugh. "The Father of all monsters. That explains all the monsters that have been after us since day one."

Sera knit her eyebrows. The father of all monsters? But that meant...

"Oh, no," Sera breathed, realization dawning on her. The temperature in the hall seemed to drop, and maybe it was Sera's imagination, but rumbling laughter like thunder echoed down the hallway.

"Am I right?" Jared asked.

Daphne's eyes widened as well. "Pray you're wrong, Jared. Pray you're wrong."

~~

Before Sera fell asleep, the atmosphere felt like that of a funeral. Upon realizing just what awaited them at Glacier National Park, what had taken Phobos' trinket, they'd prepared for battle. Jared had deemed them close, and Sera and Daphne used next to all of their drachmas to contact the Hunters and Camp Half-Blood, asking for reinforcements and preparation for what could be Armageddon.

But then, Sera had fallen into dreams, a blessing she hadn't received in days.

The world seemed brighter as Sera walked down the sidewalk of a sleepy, summer neighborhood. A blazing sun beat down on her, but she didn't feel its heat. The only thing she felt was the hand in hers.

"Pretty, isn't it?" He asked.

Sera shrugged. "I've seen better." She teased, smiling up at him.

He laughed—Jared's laugh. He swung their linked hands. "I'm glad you found your way back to me, Sera. Some things are fated to be."

Sera's lips curled into a soft smile, and Jared leant down to press a sweet kiss to her lips. He pulled away, and suddenly, the boy from the mountain was smiling back at her.

Sera turned her gaze forward to see a little girl, only a few years old, dart to the shoreline. The neighborhood was gone, replaced by a sandy beach as sunset painted the sky orange and pink. The little girl giggled as the tide rolled in, lapping over her feet.

"I want her to stay this old forever," Sera said, leaning her head on the boy's shoulder. "Can she?"

The boy released a breathy laugh. "If only."

The only sound was the waves rolling in, the little girl's laughter, the sound of Sera's heartbeat.

"When will I have to tell her?" Sera asked, a tight feeling in her chest.

"Whenever you think is right," The boy decided. "Although, the longer you take to tell her, the harder she might take the news."

"She's strong," Sera countered. "She'll be able to take it."

The boy shook his head. "She's fated for great things, I can promise you that much, Sera. But..."

"But?" Sera hedged.

"But when the time comes, she finds out on her own. I can see turmoil between the two of you when she does find out about...that. It'll throw off everything she knows, it'll make her question a lot, and she might lose track of what's important." He warned.

The little girl's laughter was louder now. "Mommy! Daddy! Come play!"

Sera pressed her lips together. "Do you have to go?"

The boy smiled sadly. "I'll try to see you when I can." He looked out to the little girl by the shore, the little girl who shared the same turquoise irises as he did. "She'll barely remember me until her time to join my world comes."

Sera lowered her head, fighting the coil of tension wrapping around her heart. His fingers lifted her chin up delicately, the sunset behind him like a halo.

"I love you both," He whispered. "Never forget that."

And he disappeared in a flash of light, until the image changed and Sera was elsewhere, standing amid shrapnel and ruin: an abandoned building. A shrouded figure stood before her, with images of Sera and Jared and Daphne lining the walls. The figure turned, silver irises blazing.

"Allow me to show you the light."

~~

Sera woke with a start, staring into Jared's blue eyes. She panicked, hooking one leg around his and rolling until he was beneath her. She held a thing knife to his throat, blinking the sleep out of her eyes.

Jared blinked back in fear and partial humor. "Morning to you too."

"Oy, lovebirds, enough wrestling," Daphne called. "We've got history to make."

Sera allowed the situation to flood back to her. She'd been dreaming. Jared had woken her up. Now this happened.

Sera awkwardly got off of Jared, slipping the knife back into her boot. "Sorry about that."

Jared shrugged, although his cheeks were blazing pink to the tips of his ears. "Don't mention it."

Daphne tossed Sera her backpack, swinging her own over her shoulder. "Alright, troops, let's move out."

Jared headed to the front of the group, maneuvering them through the remainder of the Labyrinth. Eventually, the path turned to a dirt road, like a forest trail. It smelled like alpine air all around them. Before they knew it, sunlight was filtering in through a sheet of leaves.

Jared pushed the leaves out of the way, stepping out of the Labyrinth. "Oh, yeah, we're here."

Sera emerged from the maze, breathing in the fresh air, with Daphne bringing up the rear. They stood on a hillside overlooking a mountain range. A pool of crystalline water formed a large lake in the center of the valley. And looming at the top of the highest mountain was a thundercloud, like a storm was about to break.

"He's here alright," Jared confirmed. "And if we don't get moving, he's sure to bust out."

Sera took a deep breath. Her bow materialized in her hands, and she relaxed slightly with the feeling of the sleek metal. She could do this. She was a Hunter of Artemis, she was a timber wolf, she would not fear what awaited her in that mountain.

The Father of Monsters and the god of Fear might have sent her fear, but they'd both find out soon enough that this pretty little Huntress was just as fearsome as the beasts she'd bested.

"Let's go."