She was sealed deep underground, the walls were filled with ancient Greek runes scribbled on stone plates.

The atmosphere was heavy and the sound of water drops surrounded the cave.

Jaclyn and Hestia stood in the front completely slicing any monsters that came near.

While Yuki ended up filling the role of the vanguard.

Hestia’s hands lit up with a small flame as she began to look around the seal.

“Hmm, this seal seems to be more challenging than I had expected, unsealing her might take a while, my assumption is that it should take around an hour for me”. Hestia sighed as she looked at the seal placing one hand on it. “The release in energy will attract monsters, what I wish of you two is to guard me the moment it becomes unsealed”.

Jaclyn stared at Hestia squinting her eyes as she placed her hand on her shoulder.

“Fine, do your best”.

Hestia’s hands glowed with a godly aura, a gentle blue light emanated from the seal. The pieces that made up the seal began to rotate and transform. The stone tunnel began to shake more and more, small pebbles dropped from the ceiling.

Yuki held her hands together as the hair on her skin began to stand.

The surrounding air became rapidly cold, freezing cold, the thermal energy around them was absorbed into the seal.

The cave trembled, an eerie groan reverberating through its ancient stone walls as Hestia pressed her glowing hands against the seal. The runes, once dormant, pulsed violently with divine energy, their jagged edges twisting and shifting as if awakening from centuries of slumber. The air itself grew oppressive, thick with an unspoken warning, an ancient power resisting its unsealing.

The rhythmic drip of water from the stalactites echoed like a ticking clock, each drop a countdown to something neither Jaclyn nor Yuki could fully anticipate.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Then, a deep, guttural growl resonated from the darkness beyond.

Jaclyn tightened her grip on her sword, her crimson eyes narrowing. “I hear something coming.”

Yuki’s breath came out in white wisps as the temperature plummeted. The shadows at the edge of their torchlight shifted unnaturally, twisting and elongating as unseen figures slithered forward. Clawed fingers scraped against the stone, a sharp, piercing screech slicing through the already-tense silence.

Hestia exhaled sharply, her focus unwavering as the seal resisted her magic. “This is not just any simple lock, this is quite challenging .” Her fingers dug into the stone, veins of radiant energy coursing from her palms into the cracks. The temperature dropped even further as the surrounding air was devoured into the seal, causing frost to form along the jagged edges of the cave.

A monstrous roar split the air, deeper, closer. Yuki’s pulse quickened.

Then, in the flickering torchlight, they emerged.

Crawling from the darkness, grotesque figures with hollow, soulless eyes lurched toward them. Their flesh was torn, revealing blackened bone beneath pulsating veins of sickly blue energy. Their mouths, twisted into unnatural grins, leaked thick, black ichor that sizzled as it touched the ground.

“They’re spirits of the dead crawling back onto land this must be due to Thanatos’s death, as long as they don’t get bodies they won’t do anything”.

Jaclyn stared down at the disgusting creatures that clawed at her feet, her eyes unwavering.

Yuki was freezing, her body huddled into teh corner as the ghouls stared at her, their void like eyes staring into her.

“These things are really freaking me out and its goddamn cold here”.

“I mean it could be worse, but we’ll only have to endure it for an hour”.

Jaclyn said so calmly, her entire body wasn’t even phased by any of this.

“I don’t really need to be here do I”?

“Life is but a fleeting moment, we should learn to cherish those we have and the time we spend together”.

“Shut up will you? Who do you think you are? Confucius”?

Hestia’s hands lit up with a warm flame that lit up the surroundings, her frozen skin began to warm up as the icicles that hanged above them melted.

Yuki collapsed in pleasure, her entire body felt warm again.

“Oh my god, that feels so good”.

Half an hour had passed as the seal began to crack, a glow began to emanate from the stone seal.

The seal fractured, the runes began to twist and shift.

Hestia wiped the sweat off if her forehead as she watched the seal began to fold upon itself, the ground began to shake. A deafening roar came from within the glow, a hand reached out of the seal.

“She has returned”.

Her fingers had long nails and her purpled hair stuck out like a sore thumb, her eyes glowed blue and her face was a familiar sight for Jaclyn, a pretty face at even a stoic woman like herself could marvel at.

Athena had returned in Ning Xin’s body.

She held her jaw to see if she could even speak properly.

“I’m thirsty, can you guys fetch me a glass of water”?