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Korri POV

I claw my way into a world with lights and...

I can't list anything else.

The lights are burning, and everything a blur.

"Calm down," a voice says, forcing me to lie down again. "You've been asleep for nearly a year. You're gonna be a bit disoriented. Lola! She's awake!"

The sound of bare feet slapping the wood floor makes me nervous and excited.

Someone gasps. "Korri! Are you okay?"

"She's still, a tad disoriented." The first voice says. "She's not gonna be able to talk for a while."

"What do you mean exactly by a tad?" The second person seems pist.

Ares? I asked through telepathy, but the warm feeling in my head is gone.

I'm panicking.

"Ares?" I say again, but all that comes through is a meek whisper.

"Now she's talkin'." The second voice grins.

"But that's impossible." The first voice frowns, his sun colored hair falling in his face. "Can you move your fingers, Korri?"

I lift my hand only to see it entirely purple. My gut contorts, I'm immediately glad I hadn't eaten for a year.

"Well at least that's something." The first voice sighs.

"Apollo?"

"Yeah?" The first–no–Apollo raises an eyebrow.

"Where's Ares?"

"He-" Apollo starts, but someone cuts him off.

"He's being his natural stupid twit-iness, just like always."

I smile. "Hi Lola. But where is he really?"

"He- you can not go chasing him."

I frown.

"But he went to Niflheim."

I bolt upright and curse the damn cut on my leg.

But I stay up.

Baby steps.

I notice that I had been laid out on my bed.

But the last time I can remember being awake was when I went into hysterics.

I spot old blood stained footprints that went around and around the room... Which must've been Ares's.

"Your poison almost completely stopped spreading when you went into that coma." Apollo says. "I doubt that you're gonna die today."

"Thanks for the confidence." I mumble, sarcastically.

"You're welcome." Apollo beams.

Lola rolls her eyes. "She was being sarcastic, you twit."

"Lola," I snicker, trying to hide a smile. "You have something on your face."

She sighs. "I have horrible acne. Not like it matters though."

"I think it's nice on you." Apollo says, as he smiles a cocky grin and receives an elbow to the gut as a reward.

"What?" I asks.

"He's just being creepy," she says, and Apollo giggles. "But anyway, I was hoping you would explain your last words. Ares said something about them just before he left."

"How long was I out for?" I whisper, running a hand through my hair.

"Eight months, twenty days, three hours, twenty two minutes and fifteen seconds."

"I WAS ASLEEP THAT LONG?!" I bite my lip, which makes me dry heave.

"How long was Ares gone?" I ask, after I catch my breath.

"You wanna tell her, while I go get stuff started?" Apollo asks Lola.

"Okay."

And Apollo leaves the room.

"Okay what in the world is going on?"

"Well," Lola says, twirling a lock of her hair. "Uh, he also found out that my birth mom is Apate, when you were out."

"What?"

"I just missed you,"

"Am I hallucinating or are you ill, or vice-versa?" I start to put my hand up to her forehead, but stop when another wave of nausea forms.

"No," she frowns, "you're not hallucinating. And I'm not ill either. Though I may be insane."

"So you and Apollo are, erm, 'friends' now," I muse. "What else has happened?"

"Well you were kinda, paused in time. Ares left for Niflheim. And that's about it."

"Apollo said that I've been out for nearly a year, so..."
Lola smiles. "We were thinking that when you woke up we could have a double birthday, thingy. You and Ares."

"Random question, am I all purple now?"

"Actually, no. You're mostly purple though. Apollo's been trying to stop the spreading, but it hasn't been working."

I clench my fists, feeling paper in my left hand. "What the heck?"

I open my palm—and successfully do not vomit a third time—a little piece paper was slid into my palm, which says:

When you wake up you'll probably realize that I am not there. I am sorry to leave, but I had to change the last, sane words you said to me.

If I do not make it back, at least know that I tried to do something good for once in my miserable life.

I learned that you were the reincarnation of my sister Sol, so I left to get answers.

And know that I will forever care about you more than you will ever realize,

My Fey,

Ares

PS. An apology on the corniness and the lack of polite fair well.

The words bite into me hard, like a thousand stones biting into my old un-scarred childish face.

I shouldn't hurt this bad.

Much less because of a stupid boy who I stupidly cared about.

Lola freezes, her hand up to her mouth when she sees my face. "That's what he meant."

I wrap my arms around myself and shake so hard my chest hurts and I hate it.

I hate feeling like this.

I hate feeling this utterly sad shit all because of stupid people.

                                      Stupid people I barely know,

but care about all the same.                                          

Apollo walks into the room and sighs. "What happened to her?"

"Ares did something dumb." Lola replies.

I just stay quiet.

"He does that a lot." Apollo shrugs.

He steps over to me, and places a hand on my shoulder. "What happened Korri?"

I look up. "Nothing, I'm just overreacting." I say, and glance at Lola with a look that I hope screams, 'I am not overreacting, and you better not tell him that!'

"Here, I'll talk to her," Lola says, and pushes Apollo out the door.

Lola forces a smile. "What did it say?"

I hand her the letter.

"For the sake of Jupiter..." She mumbles, and starts toward the door but pauses. "I'll be right back."

And she shuts the door behind her.