Thomas' POV
We're rushed outside the entrance of the cave, covering my ears from the crushing sounds of rock collapsing left and right of me. Spotting Yue and Melanie exiting just head of us as we come into view of the last moments of daylight. Falling to the floor the moment we exit I feel the tensing muscles of my chest beginning to hurt from not breathing. My coughing only making Yasmine's face looked more panicked as we back away from the unrecognisable entrance of the pack.
"You're alive, breathe" She tries to calm me down
"Yeah-no shit" I cough out in between words
"Never mind, you've still got the energy to fight back. Bullying you isn't fun anymore" She pouts, folding her arms and stepping back from me.
"My aren't you such a caring Beta, thank you"
"I'm glad you think so too!" She cheers, spinning and patting me on the head like a child. Our conversation going silent as we over hear Aeon and the Moon Goddess talking between each other.
"Lead him to me, that's all you have to do" She looks frustrated trying to persuade him
"And what exactly can you do that we cannot?" Aeon looks away as if trying to avoid eye contact
She waits a moment before thinking, "I believe you told me that you entered it. That couldn't of been possible without someone opening it. And 𝘐 can open it."
"What do you mean...open it?" His eyes flicker with a sudden interest
"Let me tell you a little secret Oracion. That mirror was rejected by Amaterasu, her beauty reflected within it simply reminded her of what standards she holds herself to. However, she couldn't stand that something else was able to share that beauty with her. And in doing so she left it behind, while it trailed in her shadow through day and disappeared at night. She never cared for it's existence. That chilled breeze you feel against your body at night, that weeping you hear when the sun is gone. It's the child calling for it's mother."
"And your point is?" I'm tired of these riddles if I'm honest, speak.
She screws her face in annoyance but continues nonetheless, "It's childish, it won't listen to anyone but a select few. And as to how you even left it...I can't fathom. Although there was someone who did, a god of tricks you could say. His only hint to the people who went in was, "I had fun". And so time and time again he would enter and leave as if nothing."
"So you're one of the ones who can...open it right?"
"Yes, but leaving it. I myself never dared enter it, the rest of it will be up to the boy you have so much hope in." She glares a little bit at Percy, bringing my attention to Yue who's approaching him.
Kicking a few rocks before leaning beside him and whispering something into his ear. She leaves, walking back into the pack of wolves and leaving Percy to stand awkwardly, rubbing his arm as if feeling chills along his skin.
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Percy's POV
"Somethings have to end, and I know what you are" She shines her yellow eyes at me, briefly tapping on my shoulder and moving on. I reach out to her but my other arm stops me, and audible 𝘛𝘪𝘤𝘬 resonating through my head. I place it down, beginning to stare off at the gathering group of people...I'm me, nothing's changed about me. 𝘛𝘰𝘤𝘬.
-
The chattering of members behind me going silent as we look towards the sky, following a whistling sound once again we watch as the clouds spin together. A mass of red shimmering smoke now filling the space ahead of us. A fissured line in the ground that drained the surrounding water, now acting like a means to separate us from the rising fumes. A boom that sends most of the wolves tumbling to the floor, followed by a shockwave that feels like a punch to the gut. I begin to walk back to the crowd of wolves, standing next to Yasmine and Yue.
"A-" Adam tries to speak, seemingly losing his voice as he glances towards the beast between us. A sinister chill being sent up my spine while I feel the sickness of nostalgia for some reason. Aeon's fur now standing and almost glowing. He takes a step forward, cracking the ground under his foot before it even made contact together.
His advancement halted by a voice from within the smoke, "Well isn't this quite the reunion?" A husky voice chuckles out. My eyes landing on the gleam within the smoke, swaying side to side as it gradually emerges. A natural instinct causing mee to raise my hand, reaching in front of me to grab the girl in front of me. 'I need her' Is all I can think to myself. A smile emerging from me as I hold my breath, I can't help but release a little tone of happiness for some reason.
My action being interrupted by Yue's call of desperation, "PERCY!" She drags the attention away from the beast over the hill. She sweeps my legs from under me, an action I could barely even register had hit me as I hit my head against the floor. The grouping of people now huddling over to me and holding back Yue as I blink away my blurred vision. The voices of what I presume to be screaming are now silenced out from the crashing waves inside my head.
Images flashing inside my head...two Lycans, one of black and another of white. Throwing each other around like nothing, these Lycans that dwarf the homes of a human. Playing like nothing more than children within a playground. My eyes focusing on the figure of a pure moon white, his body stopping as if in a freeze frame. All just to give me a toothy grin before continuing to play with his brother. I feel less like myself...our memories and thoughts beginning to become the same. This body...doesn't feel right anymore.
Another call of the voice bringing me back to consciousness as I register it clearly, the distorted audio of two voices speaking at once. "My father, origin of the Wolves we know today." The voice shifts in pitch, "And 𝘮𝘺 father, origin of the Lycans that deserved the world." I get up with my head ringing, ignoring the individuals that are fighting next to me with Yue's hand attempting to barge past them.
I lean against Aeon and cause him to flinch back a little, I feel my lips release a name I'm unfamiliar with. "Hati".
As if responding to me he says another name, "Oneiros". He grunts, taking another step forward but becoming sensitive to a sound not too far from us.
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A feminine voice speaks in a soft pitch, "You're going to learn how to do this yourselves, I'm not doing it again" I glance at her regal clothing, noticing the memorable colouring and patterns. Persephone.
The previous silence of the wolves now replaced with growling as they sense the new presences. The two pairs of green eyes making their way through the dark shade of the surrounding forest and into the open dried plains of dirt. "How are you Adam!?" Athena's casual stroll gets interrupted by Adam tackling her to the ground.
"I didn't think I was gone that long" She laughs to herself, picking their bodies back up by pressing her hair to the ground. His quiet gaze saying enough as he stares into her eyes, "Did you get taller...?" He sounds disappointed in himself
"Maybe...or maybe you're just shrinking"
"Fuck no, ageing doesn't suit me!" He pouts, making me smile as he appears more like himself, pulling her hand along but pausing when he see's Chris form appearing just behind her. Peering their eyes onto each other in respect before continuing on as we group once again. The pack members now treating Chris the same as Aeon as they split apart, not wanting to even stand in the same zone as him.
"Alex!" She awkwardly darts into the crowd, hugging onto him alongside Thomas and Yasmine.
"Alpha...?" He speaks as if not knowing how to address her
"I've always told you call me Athena dumbass, I've never liked being restrained by a title...although Queen of the Underworld does have this ring to it" She laughs, roughly rubbing her hand into his head along with the other two, "I missed you two idiots too!" Athena cheers before noticing me with wide eyes.
"Perc-" Athena tries charging towards me, only to be stopped by Chris' hand.
"Chris what's wrong?" She stares at me with a look of sadness but doesn't dispute it
He glimpses towards me, giving a cold eyed glare of uncertainty that makes my stomach sink a little, "We can save that for after, right now focus on that" Chris points towards the dissipating smoke.
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Chris' POV
The boy beside me is not the same one I watched grow up and get scared of the slightest sound in the dark, I can feel something scratching inside of me trying to get as far away from him as possible. I will always be loyal to Percy, but for the sake of our safety. That is not Percy.
"Are you all done gathering like flies to shit?" The voice emerges again, a sinister growl leaving his mouth while he audibly begins to walk forward with an army of red eyed wolves just behind him.
"The man who wanted a dream, and yet here we are. About to start a war." I feel my body tense up with rage by just speaking to him
"Ah and that would be the brother I've so wished to meet once again, aren't you?. I felt you...since that day I saw you weeping like trash. Unknowing of your gifts, you grew and grew. The body of a pure god gifted to you on a silver platter and you did 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 with them." The beast in the smoke now emerging to show his red tipped claws and projecting white coat.
"And what about you? Where's your gifts and so called power you showed that day? Cause all I'm feeling from you right now, is fear" I watch as his eyes begin to swirl in the same fashion as Eden's, the golden hue with clouds of dark swimming throughout...the eyes that only the three wolves could have.
He pauses a little bit before leaning down towards a man with emerald eyes, his face deadpanned with all emotions removed from it. "I'll show you that power I've earned, the power that I have gained for the benefit of our own world." He suddenly smiles, focusing his eyes onto me. "And I think you'll find it...nostalgic."
"Wh-" I attempt to speak but my voice was hushed like a child, the air becoming thick and heavy as I open my eyes in realisation.
"Now...what did she say...?" He snickers to himself, "Feel...the ground shake." An immense pressure abruptly causes some wolves on both his side and our own to instantly flatten into the floor. "Feel...my world quake." The ones that endured it now forced against the hard ground, unable to breathe or visibly shaking. The sickening images of Eden's head being grabbed by him. False memories of him devouring her. The warmth in my stomach beginning to ignite.
I inhale a breath, "You...aren't even as strong as her". I stand firm alongside Aeon and the Alphas.
"What!?" He ceases, sending a gust of wind outward from his shout.
"You couldn't fully imitate her power, could you?" I ask, while Aeon stares at me with interest.
A sudden pound against the floor making us stand on guard from the growing beast as he lifts his head again. "That's what I get for devouring a half baked bitch, isn't it!?" Oneiros laughs, acquiring the overconfident stance he started with.
"No, it isn't. I've felt that girl's power, you just weren't able to come to terms with her." Aeon's hand raises to point, a storm beginning to form from above the crowd of rogues. "We took those mortals of their lives...took their spirit in and used it for our own. But what you didn't consider is what that spirit wants for themselves, did you?"
"They're all mine!? Why wouldn't I be able to do whatever I want with them!?" He tenses up out of annoyance, reaching for a rogue's neck while Aeon continues to speak.
"Nothing but an ignorant child. Even in my frenzied state I came to terms with those children, each and every single one I granted their wish. To be saved from the ones causing them pain. I felt it in that girl's power, she's mad and has every right to be. So for the sake of her...and every other lost person. I'm going to have to do this." He leans down but Oneiros doesn't budge. Instead squeezing the rogue of his choosing. A sudden burst of blood now coating his body.
"If-" His eyes now shaking with an uncontrollable hate, lifting his foot towards more rogues. "I can't harness the gifts...that I've rightfully obtained." 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘱, the crunching sounds of a skull against the floor. "Then nobody can" 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘱 he grabs another one, throwing it under his foot and repeating the same. Over and over until the bodies begin stacking into one pile of mushed organs and bones.
The action causing Athena to cringe with disgust, "What have you done!?" her eyes light up with hate. Unable to tell if her body is shaking from anger or fear, nonetheless she shifts in place. Followed by Yasmine, Thomas, Melanie and a hesitant Yue.
"The curse...he's trying to use it, and admittingly there's nothing to stop him from doing exactly that." A disfigured woman in the back speaks over his killing tantrum. Meeting eyes with her she simply stares as if in acknowledgement with a feeling of confidence washing over me. I feel as if I should know her.
"Focus!" She screams at me, causing me to turn my head towards the blood soaked beast.
"Why...go through all this just to kill me? Why take so many lives for your own cause?" Aeon nearly pleads out
"You think...I want to kill you!? All I've ever wanted is for you to recognise me, realise I'm capable of more than what that pathetic human flesh could accomplish! But look at me now father!" He raises his arms in the air with a wide smile, meeting the exact opposite reaction to Aeon lowering his head in shame.
"I'm sorry" He whispers out. A visual demonstration of an overflowing glass cracking as Oneiros completely drops his arms down, staring with a hopeless look in his eyes.
"Join me...join your family, look what I did! I brought this one into your life!" He grabs a green eyed man that looks nothing more than an ordinary human. "He's your grandson! And he's strong too! Aren't you proud of me!?" His reasoning sounding like a pleading child crying for attention.
"I'm sorry" Aeon repeats in defeat of his emotions, the red clouds of sparks from the rogue's blood now engulfing us and ceasing any form of power we had before.
"I JUST WANTED THE WORLD TO BE PEACEFUL! UNITED AS ONE!" He screams out with spit flying around like a rabid dog. Cries of same man who manipulated those like Scarlet and those before her.
"And look where that brought you...everyone united...to kill you" Aeon waves his arm towards us all, looking back with what looks like remorse in his eyes.
Oneiros' frustrated emotions leaving him no spare motions to express how he feels, the man next to him appearing intimidated by the roaring of the beast beside him. Until it all freezes as if clicking into place, rain beginning to fall and washing the blood off his fur. "I won't...stand for it." He murmurs out, raising his arm towards us. "I won't...I've came to far, done too much, killed too many. I cannot let you stop me here father." He throws his elongated claws into the mud in front him leaning closer to the ground and embracing an animalistic stance much like Aeon's. The pitter pattering of everyone behind me taking a stance for themselves.
"I WON'T STAND FOR IT!" He booms out, causing the horde of wolves behind him to charge alongside him. And so we follow in reaction to what will now be the grounds filled with wasted life.