Aiden woke with a start, his body aching from the battle. His mind was still foggy, replaying the events of the night before. The sanctuary’s ancient power had saved them, but barely. They had only managed to drive the Harbingers back; they hadn’t won. The thought gnawed at him.

The room was bathed in the soft glow of dawn, the quiet contrast to the chaos of the battle calming, but only slightly. He sat up slowly, wincing as his muscles protested. Selene had warned him about pushing his powers too far, but in the heat of the fight, he hadn’t cared. Now, his body was paying the price.

As he rubbed his temples, the door creaked open. Lila slipped inside, her face soft with concern.

“You’re awake,” she said, closing the door behind her. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I got hit by a truck,” Aiden muttered, managing a small, tired grin. “But I’ll survive.”

Lila sat on the edge of the bed, her eyes scanning him for any signs of serious injury. “You should’ve let Selene heal you properly last night. That kind of magic takes a toll, Aiden. You can’t keep doing this.”

He sighed, leaning back against the wall. “We didn’t have a choice. If we didn’t stop them, we’d all be dead.”

Lila bit her lip, nodding slightly. “I know. I just—” She hesitated, looking away for a moment before meeting his gaze again. “I don’t want to lose you, too.”

Her words hung in the air, heavy and filled with an unspoken fear. Aiden’s chest tightened, guilt gnawing at him. He knew she was worried—about him, about all of them—but he also knew that he couldn’t pull back. Not now.

Before he could respond, there was a knock at the door, and Elias entered, followed by Selene. Elias gave Aiden a nod, but his expression was serious.

“We need to talk,” Elias said, getting straight to the point. “Selene’s found something.”

Aiden frowned, pushing himself up further in the bed. “What is it?”

Selene stepped forward, her silver hair still glowing faintly from the power she had channeled the night before. “The sanctuary is compromised,” she said quietly. “The wards are too weak to hold off another attack. We need to leave.”

Aiden felt a knot tighten in his stomach. “Leave? But we barely made it out last time. Where would we even go?”

Selene’s gaze flickered to Elias, and Aiden caught the tension between them. Whatever they were about to tell him, it wasn’t good.

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“There’s a place,” Elias began, his voice strained. “An old stronghold. But it’s dangerous.”

“More dangerous than facing the Harbingers here?” Lila asked skeptically.

Elias nodded grimly. “It’s… complicated. This stronghold belonged to the gods, but it’s been abandoned for centuries. No one knows what’s inside or what kind of traps have been left behind. But it’s our best shot at finding something that can help us.”

Aiden’s mind whirled. A hidden stronghold of the gods? It sounded like a death trap, but they were running out of options. The sanctuary couldn’t protect them anymore, and the Harbingers would only grow stronger. If they didn’t make a move soon, they wouldn’t survive the next attack.

“So, what’s the catch?” Aiden asked, narrowing his eyes at Selene.

Selene hesitated, her eyes flicking to the floor. “The stronghold is hidden in the Underworld.”

The room went silent. Even Lila, who had remained calm through most of their conversations, stiffened at the mention of the Underworld. It was the one place no demigod wanted to go—dangerous, unpredictable, and ruled by powers even Selene couldn’t control.

Aiden’s stomach turned. “The Underworld? Are you serious?”

“I wouldn’t suggest it if there were another way,” Selene said softly. “But the Harbingers have connections to the Underworld. They’re tied to the old magic, and if we want to defeat them, we’ll need to understand that magic.”

Aiden ran a hand through his hair, his thoughts racing. Going to the Underworld was risky, but they didn’t have much of a choice. The Harbingers weren’t going to stop, and staying in the sanctuary was a death sentence.

“When do we leave?” he asked finally, the weight of the decision settling on his shoulders.

“Tonight,” Elias said, stepping forward. “We’ll need to move fast. The Harbingers will be watching us.”

“Great,” Aiden muttered, pushing himself out of bed. His body still ached, but he had no time to rest. They were about to dive into an even bigger mess than before.

As they made preparations for the journey, Aiden’s mind drifted back to the Harbinger’s words. This isn’t over, boy. The Harbingers had some kind of plan for him, and he had a sinking feeling that their next encounter would be far more dangerous than the last.

Lila came up beside him as they packed, her voice low. “Are you sure about this, Aiden?”

He glanced at her, seeing the worry in her eyes. “I’m not sure about anything anymore,” he admitted. “But I know one thing—we can’t stay here.”

She nodded, biting her lip again. “Just… promise me you won’t do anything reckless.”

Aiden chuckled, though the sound was hollow. “Reckless? Me? Never.”

Lila gave him a small, exasperated smile, but her concern didn’t fade.

As the sun dipped below the horizon and the shadows grew longer, Aiden’s group gathered at the edge of the sanctuary. The entrance to the Underworld was far to the north, hidden deep in a forgotten forest. Selene had already mapped out the route, but Aiden knew it wouldn’t be easy.

He glanced back at the sanctuary one last time, the ancient stone walls bathed in the fading light. This place had once been a refuge for the demigods, but now, it was little more than a crumbling fortress, unable to protect anyone.

“We’ll come back,” Lila said softly, as if reading his thoughts.

Aiden nodded, though he wasn’t sure he believed her. The path ahead was dangerous, and the Underworld was full of mysteries they weren’t ready for. But they had no choice. If they were going to survive, they needed answers.

And the Underworld was the only place left to find them.