Oliver woke up the next morning with a sense of urgency, the kind that gnaws at the pit of your stomach and won't let go. The dim light of dawn filtered through his window, casting long, eerie shadows across his room. He quickly dressed, his hands shaking slightly as he buttoned his shirt, and grabbed his backpack, his mind racing with thoughts of Mary. She was the one person who had always been there for him, through thick and thin, and the thought of her worrying about his sudden disappearance filled him with a mix of guilt and determination. He had to make things right.

As he rode through the quiet streets, the familiar clatter of his bike providing a comforting rhythm, he passed the place where he had fallen yesterday. His breath was visible in the cool morning air, each puff a reminder of his reality. The events of the previous day replayed over and over in his mind: the mysterious room, the strange taste of the water, the revelation of his new identity as Erebus, and the surreal tour through the Crossroads. It all seemed like a dream, but the faint scar on his cheek was a tangible reminder that it was all too real.

Approaching the school, Oliver slowed his pace, trying to collect his thoughts. How could he possibly explain everything to Mary without sounding completely insane? He knew the name Erebus would mean very little to her, and he doubted she would believe a word of it if he just blurted out that he was now the God of Darkness. He needed a plan, a way to ease her into the truth.

The schoolyard was already bustling with students, but Oliver's eyes quickly found Mary sitting on a bench near the staircase. Her face lit up with relief when she saw him, and she rushed over to meet him, her movements a blur in his anxious state.

"Oliver! Where have you been? I've been worried sick!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him with a force that almost knocked him off his feet.

He hugged her back, feeling a wave of comfort in her familiar presence. "I'm sorry, Mary. I didn't mean to worry you. Something... something happened, and it's really complicated."

She pulled back, looking at him with concern etched deeply into her features. "What do you mean? Are you okay?"

Oliver took a deep breath, steeling himself for the conversation ahead. "I'm okay, but there's a lot I need to tell you. It's going to sound crazy, but I need you to trust me."

Mary nodded, her eyes filled with a mix of curiosity and concern. "Of course, Oliver. You can tell me anything."

They found a quiet spot under a tree, away from the bustling noise of the schoolyard. Oliver struggled to find the right words, but eventually, he just started from the beginning. He told her about waking up in the mysterious room, meeting Hypnos and Thanatos, and discovering his new identity as Erebus, the God of Darkness.

Mary listened intently, her expression shifting from confusion to amazement as he spoke. When he finished, she sat in silence for a moment, processing everything he had said.

"Wow," she finally said. "That's... a lot to take in. But I believe you, Oliver. I've always known there was something special about you."

Oliver felt a wave of relief wash over him. "Well, special doesn't always mean good," he joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Mary gave him a playful smack on his shoulder, smiling despite the gravity of the situation. "You're the most honest person I've ever met. Of course, I believe you. Plus, the scar on your face is a pretty solid piece of evidence. There is something odd about it. But what does this mean for us? For you?"

"I'm still figuring that out," Oliver admitted, his mind racing with the possibilities and dangers ahead. "But I know I have a lot to learn and a lot of responsibilities now. The gods in the Crossroads are helping me understand my powers and what I'm supposed to do. But I'd hate to put you in danger. I'll try everything in my power to protect you from harm."

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Mary nodded thoughtfully, her hand still holding his. "I know, Oli. Well, whatever happens, I'm here for you. We'll figure it out together."

Oliver struggled to focus for the rest of the day. It wasn't as though he felt like a completely different person, as he still had the same feelings and ideas as before. His mind was still his own, yet something in him had changed. A strange and ominous feeling was crawling around on his back, and he felt more than ever to have to have a hole within him. Like the darkness he had now been unified with had just settled within him. Like it had made home in his mind. His mind started racing once more and his attention to the English lesson he was in vanished as he slipped deeper into his own mind.

He couldn't shake this feeling. It’s like a shadow, lingering just beyond my reach, whispering doubts and fears. I’m still me, aren’t I? My thoughts, my memories, my dreams—they’re all intact. Yet, something is undeniably different. It’s as if a part of me has been hollowed out, replaced by this cold, creeping void.

he tried to focus on my work, but his mind drifted. He felt a this relentless, invisible weight pressing down on him, a constant reminder of the change he couldn't fully comprehend. He couldn't pinpoint when it started, but it must have been . It's as if this darkness has seeped into his very core, intertwining with my essence.

" Am I the same person I was yesterday?" he asked himself. The rational part of him insisted he was, yet he still could not ignore this nagging sensation, no matter how much he tried to. It was more than just a feeling—it was a presence. It moves within him, a silent companion that he couldn't shake off. " I can almost feel it slithering across my skin, settling into the crevices of my mind, making itself at home," he tought once again, his mind seemingly suck in an endless loop.

He wondered if others could see it. Did they notice the shadows under his eyes, the way his gaze seemed distant, as if he was looking at something they didn't see? Or was it all internal, a battle waged within the confines of his own consciousness? he couldn't decide which was worse—the fear that they would notice, or the fear that they would not. He didnt't want to share his secret with any more people, as he still didn't know what kind of risk it was to just share something like that.

This hole within him, it was like a void that absorbs all light, all warmth. It left him feeling cold, detached. he thought back to the words of Hypnos.

"The darkness is not just an absence of light, but a force in itself. You will learn to manipulate it, to travel through it, and to harness its strength."

Would this feeling pass once he had harnessed that strenght?

He went through the motions, but there was a disconnect, a barrier between his true self and the world around him . He could laugh, he could smile, but it was all surface-level, a facade to keep others at bay. I had been this way for what seemed to be ages now, but since the awakening it had seemed even stronger than before. It worried him. What if it only gets worse from here.

What if this darkness never left? What if it became a permanent part of him? The thought terrified him. He tried to push it away, to bury it deep within, but it resurfaced, stronger and more insistent. It was not just in his mind; it was in his soul, his very being. He was becoming a prisoner to his own mind. A fleeting though considered telling the other gods about him. But he reconsidered. What kind of pathetic god of Darkness would he be if he couldn't even harness the dark within himself. Even as a new God, the fear of being a failure was bigger than the drive to ask for help.

How did he have to fight something that feels like a part of himself? How was he to reclaim the light when the darkness feels so all-encompassing? The questions swirled in his mind, unanswered, unrelenting. Ionce again couldn't help but feel that this is a battle he had to face alone, yet he yearned for someone to understand, to see the turmoil beneath the surface.

He took a deep breath, trying to ground himself. The familiar scents and sounds of his surroundings offered a fleeting comfort. But it was only temporary, and he knew it. The darkness was still there, lurking, waiting. I had to find a way to coexist with it, to navigate this new reality.

Maybe, just maybe, there was a lesson in this, one Hecate had planned for him. A strength to be found in confronting his own darkness. But right now, all he felt was the weight of it, heavy and unyielding. He had keep moving forward, because what else can he do? But he couldn't deny that something had changed, and he no longer the person was that he once was.

Just like that, minutes had slipped into hours. Even when he went home after school, his mind hadn't calmed down. He found a bit of solace in the thought he wasn't completely alone, having the support of Mary. Still, he had to get ready for whatever Hecate was preparing for him. As the sun disappeared over the horizon, he couldn't help but feel anxious. After all, he had no idea what to expect.