Still Fighting (Open)

[Aaron Shade]

Shade was silent, taking in Julien's reason gratefully. For now, he would allow himself to push aside the guilt. It stirred within him like a torrent trying hard to get out, meet his common sense, and he would break out of this place. But Hades had made sure to keep it locked up inside of him. Rebellious thoughts could be as dangerous as rebellious words. In the end, he just found the resolution to nod. His eyes were filled with conflict, though, like he was trying to wrap his head around the concept of disliking his father. He found it impossible, and gave up.

"Please don't speak ill of my father anymore. It just makes it harder for me. I've already had Lauren tell me over and over." He sucked in a deep breath to calm himself. He knew that feeling where impressing the ethereal parent was a priority. All demigods knew that feeling.

The news for the safety of those innocent made him frown. "They're doing fine right now. But not for long. Persephone is planning something. Many gods haven't been heard of in a while now. They are beginning to take sides. I believe my father knows this. He's getting restless. No demigod should have the ability to be immortal, though she shouldn't have her life ended so quickly for her mere existence either. For now, the Camp is undisturbed. We are waiting for her move."

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[Julien Roux]

Julien nodded, sensing his defeat. If he could not sway Shade away from his father, perhaps there really wasn't hope. It's one thing to disagree with his father's actions, it's another to stand against him. While the son of Demeter was grateful Shade at least knew right from wrong and knew what Hades was doing is wrong, he also knew he wouldn't fully turn against him without absolute reason. "Very well," he whispered, letting out a sigh, taking note to speak with Lauren, soon, about this ordeal. Maybe she could shed some light on the situation, like a daughter of Apollo would be expected to do? He only hoped.

At least Tina was safe, from what Shade has told him. "Keep me updated," he said, humbly. Julien's words were soft-spoken, but each of them told a story - one of desperation and worry for his fellow campers, still living. He wouldn't be able to live with himself, so to speak, with the knowledge he could have done more to help or, at the very least, been there for those recently deceased. "And any word about Kat? Any specifics?" he asked, hoping for a reassuring answer, no matter how unlikely such a thing was.

[Aaron Shade]

Julien regarded him for a while, and he found himself growing uncomfortable. Was he judging him for his words? He ached thinking about loathing his father. Maybe it was a mindset he had after Hades had messed with him. Shade let out a sigh of relief when he finally agreed. "Thank you," he wasn't quite sure why he had been so worried about the matter. It irked him.

The son of Hades nodded, "Um, yeah, I will. Don't worry." They both knew that it was impossible not to worry. He also found that he cared for Tina, Terry, Matt, and all the other campers. But Silene crossed his mind, and he had to stop himself short, tears filling his eyes. He blinked them away swiftly, brushing them away with a sleeve.

The mention of Kat brought him back to reality, and he shrugged. "She disappeared when I...visited her. I killed someone, and she was just gone the next moment. My father can't trace her, and he's getting frustrated. She's gone into hiding. And many gods are missing from Olympus. Zeus isn't happy either."

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[Julien Roux]

Julien flashed a smile in reply before moving on to more serious subjects. "Wait, you mean there was another after me?" he asked, in regards to Max's death. "Who was it?" He began to grow worried. Still being unaware of the existence of Silver Creek, Julien had assumed the death was that of another camper. Quickly, Julien thought of every camper he had known, whether they were exactly close or not. Had Seline fallen victim to Shade? Could it be Zeke? As malevolent as he was, Julien would not wish death upon him. What about Hayden Silver? Or, perhaps, Cascade? A close friend of both Julien and Tina. The son of Demeter cut his thoughts off, not being able to stand them much more.

"So, are they taking Persephone's side? Have any of the major twelve gone missing?" he asked, pressing for more answers. Being in the Underworld left him in the dark, in more ways than one. He was beginning to grow sick of the dismal place, no matter how prestigious the area he was in was. Instead, Julien worried for the well-being of others, still alive He wanted no more than to rest assured the war would not come to pass and the situation would be settled. Unfortunately, such assurance was hard to come by when the gods were involved, especially Hades.

[Aaron Shade]

Shade's eyes were filled with guilt and sorrow at the mentioning of Max. He took in a breath and nodded. He pulled out a slip from his pocket, handing it to Julien. The note unfolded without a crease like it hadn't been folded at all before. The white material seemed translucent at times, then with a few wisps of white passing across, it returned to the appearance of normal paper. The words were hand written, spun out of ink as black as night.

"Clotho who spins the thread of life from her distaff onto her spindle, Lachesis who measures the thread of life with her rod, and Athropos who cuts the thread of life and chooses the manner of a person's death, transcend the regulations of Hades' realm in this request to the son of Hades, Aaron Isely. This is a direct order, and we will not tolerate failure or his decline. An anomaly known as Paige Max Zarate, daughter of Chronos, has the ability to transcend the will of the Fates by hindering time. Therefore, we hereby order Aaron Isely to end the life of Paige Max Zarate, who resides in Silver Creek Academy for demigods, or he shall face death himself."

Shade shifted uncomfortably, waiting for the ghost to finish the declaration. He remembered receiving it, a hard lump forming in his throat out of bitterness. His real name was there, a name he had never seen before. He only recognized his first name, Aaron, but it felt horrible to know his full name since it was in an order to kill someone that he couldn't reject. He wouldn't mind dying as a consequence, but if it was from the Fates, it was serious.

"My father wanted me to go. Kat heard about her, and she was going to ask her to reverse time before this all started. If I had left her all alone...maybe this-" he stopped shaking his head. It had been his fault. "I went because my father wanted me to kill Kat along with the girl. I killed her, but Kat got away, and no one has seen her since. As for the god that left..." He wrinkled his nose, thinking and counting up the council. "Demeter, Poseidon, Hermes, Artemis, Dionysus, and Apollo." Six against six, not including the minor gods. He had a terrible feeling that this war was already inevitable. The pregame was already too far in.

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[Julien Roux]

Julien took the letter, examining every word. Silver Creek Academy? He'd never heard of such a place. Another safe haven for demigods. Apparently, these demigods were especially extraordinary. A daughter of Chronus, who can manipulate time, itself? The son of Demeter had never known such a person could exist. So much power in one demigod was extraordinary. She could have had the potential to shape the entire history of the world to her own pleasing. Perhaps... just maybe... it was best now that she was dead. There had to have been a better way, though, than using Shade as no more than a footsoldier doing all the dirty work. Couldn't a tree have fallen on her or she could have drown? Something? Anything that wouldn't pin the guilt upon Shade!

"I... wow," were the only words to escape Julien's lips. The idea the Fates would command Shade to kill another demigod was beyond him. Then, he noticed the name written. "Wait, Aaron Isely?" he asked, brows furrowed in a questioning manner. "Isn't your last name... y'know... Shade?" Aaron Shade - this was the name Julien had learned. The name of the kind, shy camper who had gone on the quest. The name of the monster who betrayed his own kind and killed Julien, taking Tina hostage and imprisoning Terry. Aaron Shade, the identity of the boy who had orchestrated the escape of Terry and Tina and disapproved of his father's actions, regretting his compliance. Who, exactly, was Aaron Isely?

Then came more news. Six of the twelve Olympians had run off to join Persephone. Her parents, the sea god Poseidon and the nature goddess Demeter; the messenger, Hermes; the archer twins of the sun and moon, Apollo and Artemis; and, perhaps the most surprising, the insane god of wine and parties, Dionysus. It didn't make much sense. Couldn't they come to a compromise? Punish Persephone, rather than her innocent daughter.

[Aaron Shade]

Shade swallowed, shrugging like it wasn't a big deal. "I was born not knowing my legal name. My mentor that taught me everything-" he glanced off at the training fields in Elysium, where the said mentor spent most of his time, "-gave me the name. He ended up dying just like everyone else by my hand. I went to camp after that. His name was Dodge Coleman. He was a good person. He doesn't blame me. Much like you." His voice caught in his throat. Later, he had realized the son of Hermes had been Terry's brother. He had yet to tell him.

"I don't remember anything after I was born. I probably saw my mother, but I only see and outline when I try to think of her. When I try to summon her...I get scared." He felt silly, admitting this to the son of Demeter, though it was entirely true. He sighed, leaning against the wall in frustration. "I wonder who I'll have to kill next. If I kill someone I love-" He didn't even want to think about it. His chains flickered just slightly, appearing, but not turning black like a warning that he was about to cross the line, and then they faded again. He gripped a crystal key that had been in his pocket earlier tightly. It glowed, tinged with blue on the surface. It was ice, if studied closely, but the key was tinted with a spell that would keep it frozen, and not uncomfortably cold.

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[Julien Roux]

Julien was becoming more and more confused the more questions Shade answered. If he had been trained by a mentor in the mortal world and went directly to camp after his death, where does the whole Underworld slave come into play? Deciding against asking more questions, fearing he was making Shade uncomfortable, the ghost instead focused on something else. "I'm sure he was a great man," he smiled. "And you will be, too, just wait." The ghastly demigod could sense the guilt in the son of Hades's tone as he mentioned his mentor. He must blame himself for his death. "If your mentor doesn't blame you, you shouldn't blame yourself. There are things out of your control, right now, and there always will be. Things happen, but they all happen for a reason."

Hesitating a moment, he continued. "If I hadn't died, for example, I wouldn't be much help to the world. I'd still be sitting around up there, steering clear of Silver and worrying about Tina and Terry who could very well still be down here." Smiling, reassuringly, Julien added, "the pieces are falling into place, here, and the world is slowly improving, because of it, life by life."

[Aaron Shade]

Shade stared at Julien, and to his surprise, when the ghost finished, tears were welling up in his gray-hazel eyes. The memories of Dodge threatened to spill over his mind. Ever since he had regained all his memories, he had been broken by the image. The struggle to cope with his history had left him mentally unstable. It left him with an inability to properly deal with traumas. He was no hero. He was a mess. Just like he had told Lauren. Why did she believe it? Why did Julien believe it?

The son of Hades was still young, after all. A fifteen-year-old could still cry. And he wiped at the tears viciously with a sleeve like he was furious for them being there as they fell. "I'm sorry," Shade said quickly, "Sorry." he shook his head because he knew someone in the end had to die. Someone in the end had to make a sacrifice. "The Fates do not believe in happy endings. You of all people should know that best. To be truthful, I am afraid of not being that sacrifice." He held out the crystal key to him, showing the icy detail. It was the key to the locket she always wore.

"There are two keys. My powers, and this cursed key you hold."
"Haha, so you like me enough to place a curse on me?"
"No! No, don't say that. Please don't..."
"Hey, look Silene, calm down. I'll be fine..."

A cursed key? He didn't quite understand why she gave it to him or why it was cursed. Something about only those who she began to care about enough to love would come across it. And like a repeating history of the cursed, they would touch the locket, and would be plagued with bad luck until they ended up with the key...or died. Well, the key was giving him plenty of bad luck...but when he wanted to throw it away, his arm froze, growing incredibly heavy. He found that the it was pretty much everything he cared for. "The worst thing about death...is the fact that you'll miss those you love." He looked at the ghost, as if asking him about who he loved.

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[Julien Roux]

Julien smiled, warmly, actually happy Shade was wiping away tears. It was another sign he wasn't completely a pawn to his father. He still held emotion and regret for more than just those who've recently fallen victim to his orders. "It's okay - really."

"W-what is it?" he asked, quizzically. An icy key. It seemed to be dry, not melting in the lukewarm heat of the Underworld, but still was made of frozen ice. The son of Demeter opted to ignore the statement made after Shade displayed the key. He nodded, solemnly, but did not give input. Shade knew he loved Tina like a sister and the other campers as friends - though none close. However, he did not wish to move on to his family life. After all, Julien was hated by his grandparents and was ignored by his father... while the man was still alive.

[Aaron Shade]

Shadeswept away the last of the tears, regaining control over his emotions quickly. There was barely any sign of his sorrow earlier other than the trace of sadness in the depths of his hazel gray eyes. He closed his fingers tightly around the key like if it melted, he would die. But it wouldn't melt. Not yet, hopefully.

"It's Silene's," he finally explained after finding his voice once again, "She gave it to me, and I made her a promise to come back. She promised to me to watch over the camp until we returned from the camp." He smiled bitterly at the irony, "Who would've known she would have to protect the camp from me."

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[Julien Roux]

Julien stood speechless for a moment, awestricken by the news. "Silene's key?" he asked. "A key to what?" He had a suspicion Silene and Shade were close, before the quest, from the tings he'd heard around Camp when people talked about the son of Hades before his betrayal. Of course, Julien had simply assumed they were no more than rumors. Both campers kept to themselves and maybe talked once or twice, but that didn't mean anything. Julien had talked to Lauren multiple times, but nothing was going on between them beyond friendship. Now, it seemed, the rumors turned out to be true. Why else would Silene trust him - she wasn't the trusting type.

(Sorry, it's so short.)

[Aaron Shade]

Shade tilted his head slightly at Julien's question. A key to what, exactly? "A key to something that's most precious to her. I'm not quite sure why, but her mother gave it to her. It's a locket that's enchanted to spread bad luck around her. This key has the same effect, but it's more minor. It's supposed to keep me from falling to the full effect from looking inside her locket..." He shook his head. He hadn't believed a word she said, claimed. He wasn't so sure now. He could sense a godly aura from the key and her locket. It was a power that was from that of the goddess of snow.

"It sounds so ridiculous, but she believes it. She pushes people away because of it, I guess." His voice was tired, sad. He wouldn't be able to see her for a while, and that in itself was pain. It was odd how he couldn't keep his promise, but she was guarding her promise. He was afraid she would hate him.

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[Julien Roux]

Julien listened, intently, absorbing every detail. "The same locket she always wears around her neck?" he asked. If so, then he'd seen it, before. It seemed like Silene would protect that locket with her life. It brought up the question of what was inside, but Julien knew better than to ask. It was not his business and he knew better than to stick his nose where it didn't belong.

It all made sense, though... well, for the most part. Silene seemed kind enough, not the rude demigod the other campers made her out to be. Julien had just figured she was shy and the rudeness was more of a front. A curse, however, fit perfectly. The one question remaining: if the locket was bad luck, why keep it?

[Aaron Shade]

Shade nodded in reply, his expression of of exhaustion. He was being stressed here and there, and he often wondered when he could just be let go. He found himself agitated by everything, worrying about everything...very much like lost souls he had met before and observed. His father himself had talked with him before.

"You see those ghosts wandering on the edges of the field?" he had asked, "They're so desperate to make it back to the surface, but it is impossible because they are bound to the Underworld in death. They worry, worry, worry...to the point that their minds will be consumed. This is what it truly means to be mad."

His words had left a chill in his memory. Was he insane? Well, at least he was still thinking about it. So he still had a grip on reality. He studied Julien, wondering that if over time, he would be like those lost souls until someone else joined him. Holding out here while a war started, and more demigods being sent down was pressure on the mind indeed. "At camp, when I attacked...so many of them looked so hateful and afraid. You know which side I will have to stay on. I'll look into those eyes again. How far will I have to go the next time? There's no other way..."

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