Playing hide n seek

Deep within the forest, the three of us cautiously traced the path back to the facility. From the trees, Chloe scans the surrounding for any danger she could see while Malorie and I stay low on the ground. We didn't take Bea along for it was too dangerous, but instead, we had her wait at the port where they had landed.

The forest wasn't thick and with the moon so bright, the path was so visible, spotting something will be easy. But so far, even after reaching the facility, we didn't encounter anything. Not even a single animal, which was quite weird. Circe's island being animal-less didn't give a good feeling. It only meant a stronger predator had indeed appeared within the vicinity, and as Bea had stated, the whole place had indeed become run down. Walls had gotten cracks with open holes, windows were broken that shards had fallen on the ground, traces of arrows can be seen all over places, and these statues scattered almost everywhere, only their clothes were left unpetrified. It became more and more like the dream yet I'm no longer dreaming and it was starting to freak me out.

Another few steps in the facility, I recalled some events of my nightmare and realized that the two boys that wanted to kill me were Daryl and Ethan. A shooter and a silver sword swinger. But I couldn't find the reason why they would do that to me. Sure, I still owe them a car but I don't think they would go to such an extent. Yet the dream felt real that it started to scare me.

"Is something wrong?" Chloe worried, placing her hand on my shoulder.

"Now what? Getting scared after all the trip we had?" Malorie ridiculed, then a loud bang similar to Daryl's gun resonated from above us that really scared the heck out of Malorie. Well, serves her right for being too cocky. "W-what was that?"

"It's from above us," Chloe said then took the initiative to lead the way for Malorie was too frightened to even walk straight... Me? Oh, I was in the back, making sure no one gets left behind... But truth be told, I was also afraid. I just didn't make it too obvious for them to see.

But the more we got closer to the stairs, the more I started not feeling well. I just walked past two hunters of Artemis, broken into two and their upper bodies were the only thing that was left undamaged. Then, statues of armed men broken into pieces were laid on the staircase with only the head being left untouched. Thinking these people were once alive gave me the chills. There's nothing that can turn them back now, even if we tried putting their pieces back.

Clouds began to form the moment we had taken a step on the highest ground, and the moon's brilliance disappeared in the process. Only the six lamps gave us sight in this wide space and even three of them flickers. Again, the presence of statues could be seen as they were scattered every part of these floors, in a posture as if they were battling something.

"... I don't think I'd be much of a help..." Chloe said, breathing heavily. She wasn't like that earlier yet looking at her state, it was as if she's starting to have an asthma attack. Meanwhile, the fatigue within me and Malorie suddenly kicked in as if the exhaustion from before was delayed and only had appeared.

"Just what the heck is happening!?" I worried, panicking a bit. Okay, I was really tense up inside, but I couldn't say it.

"It's the moon's brilliance... Mother's gift can't be used if the moon isn't at visible sight..." she reasoned.

"So that's why I don't feel too good..." Malorie complained.

The clouds became so heavy, they started to cause a downpour. Droplets of rain showered from the sky, until the puddles became little floods. But aside from the rapid drops of rain, slithery feet slide through the puddles, creating a sound that's getting closer and closer.

"Close your eyes!" Daryl yelled, then fired two gunshots that destroyed the nearest lamps, and hid us in the veil of darkness.

In the state of an unexpected event, someone furry took ahold of us then brought us further away from our previous footings while we hear stones crumbling apart with having an impact on something. "Woah! That was close..."

"Ethan!? You were here too!?" I asked upon realizing that stupidly familiar tone.

"Of course I am. I'm Daryl's partner, remember?" he replied.

"Never mind. Malorie, you okay?" I asked.

"Well, my back hurts but that means I'm alive and a good thing, right?" Malorie asked for assurance.

"How about you, Chloe?" I asked then from the vicinity of light, someone crashed. "CHLOE!!"

Crashing through the statues saved her from the fall yet she didn't escape the injuries caused by the crash. She was still in deep exhaustion and now, in a lot of pain. And as she endures, the snake showed herself as she had stepped within the range of flickering lights. From behind, she was as tall as a lamp post. With little snakes as strands of hair and the lower body of a snake.

"It's Medusa!" Malorie gasped.

The creature suddenly slithered closer to Chloe, intending of attacking, and as she learned its advance, she tried reaching for her bow. But the bow she had, had snapped in the crash and her action leads her into gazing upon the eyes of the creature by accident, slowly turning her into stone.

"No!!!" With the feeling of rush, I accidentally stepped into the light, revealing my presence. But instead of me, Ethan was the one who became petrified as he pushed me towards the dark. It happened right before my eyes and saw who the creature actually was. "Rose?"

She heard me speak her name then she suddenly squealed in pain as she holds her head and began moving randomly. In a state of distraught, she tried smashing the statue of Ethan with her tail and almost did if I didn't block it. That tail of hers left a stinging and painful mark within my upper body, and the statue behind was pushed to a great distance, it was almost near the edge of the building.

"You idiot..." I said to Ethan yet there's no way he could ever hear it. Turning into a statue was equivalent to death. "Why did you save me!?"

The rain even got heavier and lightning started to appear from the sky that the whole place lit up from time to time. But it also gave sight to her and revealed where everyone was every strike of light. A very bad situation, especially for us.

There's no longer point in hiding so Malorie jumped to strike Rose from behind yet she was sent flying as her tail smacked her upwards. But as she falls, the lightning appeared again that brightened the whole place for a second, and in that second, I saw two things. Malorie falls from the sky in a petrified state and Daryl tries to catch her.

I could no longer see the two for the lightning had stopped yet I didn't hear stone breaking apart to tell that he failed to catch her. There was nothing but silence, and ripples made by the rain until the rustle of water sounded from the slithering.

It wasn't close to what had happened in my nightmare but there's wasn't any different either. Everyone was still in stone form and I was left alone. No matter how I think of it, I could no longer escape this cursed destiny. This destiny of mine which everyone has to die.

"Rose! Why are you doing this!?" I questioned yet all I could get as a response was her, squealing as if all of this isn't her will like what had happened to Ethan when he turned. "Please stop!"

All of my yellings only made her drawn to my path that I couldn't evade as she entangled me with her tail. Suffocating as it was, I tried not to open my eyes only called out her name, thinking it would bring her back yet the strangling only strengthens and the pain started to come close to unbearable until I could no longer hold my eyes from being shut.

With the moonlight once again shining bright and the clouds dispersed, my eyes had caught into hers. But what I saw in her eyes was pain and tears, then once again she started screaming. "It burns!"

I was released from being constricted as she scowls in pain and randomly wiggled around. I looked at myself yet I wasn't petrified to stone. My limbs are still limbs and I can still pretty much move my body. It was strange why the curse did not work on me and got me wonder if it's because my mother was Athena, the origin of the curse. But to be joyful for the curse to not work wasn't what I had felt for the moon had uncovered the veils of darkness on this damaged rooftop. Daryl was also in stone while holding Malorie who was covered with strange vines. There's no longer anyone left that survived and compared to that dream, Eric's petrified state wasn't in sight.

I started blaming myself for all of this mess that happened because of me. If I hadn't revealed myself and stepped into the light, everyone could still be alive. Now, all that was left in that dream was me killing the beast in rage yet I can't even pull a drop of anger within me for it wasn't Rosalia's will. What had been injected into her is causing this mess.

How did Ethan turn back into himself, the nonstop question I've been pondering inside of my head while she hasn't made her move. The only thing I could remember was him on a near-death experience which was too risky to on her. But I could no longer think of other ideas for she had snapped from the agony and started coming towards me, filled with rage.

All I could do was slide and dodge her every assault, as I squeezed my brain for a way for the both of us to stay alive in the end. Until I slide in the wrong direction, leading near Chloe's statue where she had dropped her sword. Rose was on the move and speed wasn't decreasing that only gave me two options. Try killing her to a near-death state or dodge and let her crash on Chloe's statue.

In the end, I took the rapier and pierced her chest as I leaped before she could get near Chloe's remains. And as our eyes meet again, she started screaming and began thrashing that I've gotten tossed into the floor with the sword at hand. She continued her squirming until she had reached the edge that even after I ran, I couldn't make it into her and she dropped to the ground floor.

After falling at that height, there was no longer a way she could survive. I tremble in fear, just watching her static body from above as I curled up in guilt. It's all my fault, I mumbled to myself. Despair soon consumed me that I could no longer hold out my tears. I cried and cried, letting out all of those heavy feelings inside my chest but it seemed infinite that no matter how long I cried, the pain still lingers.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." I cried as my tears mixed up with the puddles of the storm. The reflection of my face on the water distorts at every teardrop then I saw the ghost of Malorie standing behind me "I'm sorry... Because of me, you're dead..."

"Who are you calling dead!?" She complained. Well, I really did thought she was a ghost until she smacked me in the head, which actually hurt a lot.

"You... You're alive!? You're not a ghost!?" I gasped, then poked her chubby arms. "It's like real flesh..."

"Quit it! Of course, I am alive. But I was dead for more than five minutes, I thought I'd be crossing the river of Styx! What's with these stupid vines anyway!?" she complained while ripping off weeds and vines tangled all over her.

"Crossing the river of Styx would be impossible in that state. My old man told me those who gaze in the eyes of the gorgon cannot pass the river" Daryl explained.

"Well, never mind. Can we just go now and pretend this night didn't even happen! I'm really dead tired of just what happened." Malorie said.

"I don't think I can..."

"Come on, you just saved us. Be happy with it" Malorie argued.

"That's not the case!"

"Oh, for crying out loud. You two are hurting my eardrums..." Chloe groaned as she was still quite injured. "So she's gone, huh?"

I couldn't speak a word but she understood right away the situation that she became crestfallen and I understand why. They've been friends for more than I am to them and losing someone close to you, never really gives peace in one's mind.

But with the atmosphere all gloomy and downcast, Ethan came in so great of a timing, breaking the mood as he howled in the symbol of Artemis.

"Ethan!?" His timing was quite really unruly in the gloomy atmosphere.

Yet the troublesome puppy just laughed and stupidly replied "Sorry... I can't help it"

"What an idiot" Daryl mumbled, grinning at him. Again, that smile of his tickled something that brought a smile to my face.

But that smile didn't last for I recalled that in exchange for a shallow victory, was someone's life. And more life had perished downstairs. I could no longer think of how should I face Bea, now that my sins for her had increased. First was her home and family, and now, her friend.

No matter how I think of it, it all points at me and my mom. How my life affected theirs. There's nothing I could do but put an end to these vile experiments. This scheme Rose was involved with, only leads to a shorter string.

"Let's go check and see if someone survives downstairs" I suggested, but what we found was still the same. Broken stone statues and very tarnished interiors.

There was no sign of life, except for... well, us.

"Do you know how to break the curse? Like how you undid ours" Chloe asked as she examines the broken parts of the statues.

"I'd want to try too but... I don't know how"

"Don't bother. There's no saving these cracked statues with their current state. Some parts are missing and some have been pulverized that's beyond repair." Daryl mentioned.

"Dea!!" Ethan screamed, rushing from outside the facility. "It's about the girl we fought! She's..."

Upon hearing about her, I quickly run outside in thought that she might have survived. I couldn't let Ethan finish what he was about to say in the rush of looking for her and when I found the place where she was in, she's... "... gone."

Blood had stained the ground, yet only the rapier was found stuck on the ground.