[Jupiter High School's Junior Election Results]
[Class President Winner: Jacob Wright]
[Vice President Winner: Abigail Lawson]
[Class Secretary Winner: Kinsley Hanson]
[Class Treasure Winner: Marko Dent]
"Where's the listing for the Class Photographer Winner?" I said aloud trying to read my school's notice board in the main hallway. Our main hall normally buzzed around noon, and the Junior Class Election results released today only drew in more bodies. I found myself surrounded by dozens of my peers who were fighting for an inch of space to view the outcome of the most recent election.
I had hoped to steal a glimpse of the results and leave without drawing any attention. If I had won, I could celebrate in private away from the hustle and bustle. If I lost...well there was no way I could have lost. I was the only person in our class that showed any interest in photography. I was the only person with an actual film camera.
I read through the first page of names on the board, no listing for the Class Photographer Winner.
"Dang," I muttered to myself.
My voice barely carried past the shouts and cheers of the voters congratulating Jacob for his Class President victory. Victory was a nice way to describe the Class President race. It was a massacre. Jacob was the most handsome guy in our grade, with golden blonde hair, sky-blue eyes, and a smile that melted girl's hearts.
I really can't help but hate the guy. He was mister-right. He was HIM. And he wasn't even that bad of a guy. From what Abigail had told me, Jacob spent most of his free time volunteering at homeless shelters. He could have been Superman for all I knew. By the way people were surrounding and praising him, maybe Jacob actually was.
"I can't believe I won, John!" I heard a soft voice to my side, as well as a light tug on my jacket sleeve.
I glanced over to my side and found my friend, Abigail Lawson, staring at the notice board with wide eyes. She was never good at containing her excitement. The new Vice President of our Junior class let out a little squeal and clapped her hands together. Her long brown hair softly slapped my shoulder, as she grabbed my arm and pulled me closer to the notice board.
"Well, you better believe it." I softly chuckled, unable to hide my blush. As I nervously fixed my shirt's collar, I jokingly asked, "Should I start addressing you as madam Vice President?"
Abigail smirked at me and giggled, "You'd better not, Doe."
Abigail grabbed one of the Election Winner roster stacks and began flipping through the pages. I already knew what she was looking for.
'Please, just let me win for once. Let me win at this one thing so I don't ruin her special day.'
"Yoooo, you won bro!" A voice boomed over Jacob's flock of followers. I knew who it was before my eyes even made it over to the source of the sonic boom. It was the Bolts' star quarterback, Roger Fields.
While Jacob dominated the halls as the golden boy of academics and charity, Roger dominated the football field as the golden boy of sports and athletics. When Roger was just a freshman, his record on the field was rivaling our senior QB at the time. There were rumors that NFL scouts were hovering around him even now.
Roger and Jacob shared a brotherly embrace, which was followed by Roger pulling Jacob into a friendly headlock. Roger shouted, "My boy is the President now! Y'all better make sure to put some respect on his name!"
The whole hallway erupted with cheers again.
"Here it goes!" I heard Abigail squeal with excitement.
I frowned as I saw Abigail was on the very final page of the election roster.
"The Winner for Junior Class Photographer is on the final page? Really?" I say, trying to hide my annoyance with a joking tone. "I mean when the Bolts get to the state championship and bring it home, who is going to make sure we have a photo to frame our school's history? When our class graduates with a record-high GPA for the entire state of New York, who is going to take the photos of the valedictorian? When-"
"John…" Abigail whispered.
I knew I had lost before Abigail said a word. The look on her face said it all. I bit my lip to prevent myself from letting out a nervous chuckle. Butterflies began fluttering in my stomach suddenly.
As Abigail opened her mouth to speak, I waved her off.
"Don't say it." I quickly said, shaking my head. I let out a nervous chuckle and begged, "Please. Just tell me...Mary didn't beat.
I could see Abigail's heart sink for me. Pity for me covered her face now. I looked down at the paper she was holding and it said, 'Class Photographer Winner, Mary Sue.'
"Mary Sue." I chuckled and jabbed a pointer finger at the paper. Mary was a new transfer student who had arrived from England a few weeks ago. Apparently, her mother had been some big-time influencer over in the UK before their move to the US.
I glanced around the large group of students that had amassed in the Main Hall, trying to see if Mary had even arrived to see the results. I noticed Shelia Tojo awkwardly standing at the back of the crowd. She had run against Jacob for Class President. She caught me staring at her and she scoffed at me and began walking away.
Abigail patted me on the shoulder, and she said, "I swear, I thought you were going to win! Your photos have always been so professional and crystal clear! All the time you'd spend finding the best angles, lighting-"
While I can tell Abigail is trying to cheer me up, I can't help but feel a bit annoyed. Since we were kids, she's always been a winner. She was always chosen first for sports. She was always popular in all the circles. She was always smarter. Always faster. Always better. She'd asked me to help her learn photography but I never found the time to teach her anything because I dreaded the inevitable reality that she'd end up being better at that than me too.
If this were a WebNovel, she would be the main character. I bet I'd be the guy that dies in the first chapter.
As I opened my mouth to speak, a sudden and violent tremor rocked the entire Main Hall.
THOOOOM!
I landed on my butt as the school continued to violently shake. Several students around me also began slamming again the floor due to the violent shaking.
THOOOM!
Abigail let out a scream of terror as another loud crashing noise rippled through the school like a clap of thunder. Almost everyone in the hallway, students and teachers, was on the ground now.
"What is happening?!" Roger shouted, leaning against a locker to try and keep himself upright.
I tried to push myself up, but the shaking kept me off balance. Every attempt to get to my feet caused me to get nauseous.
THOOM!
This new explosion of noise was shorter, but much louder. I covered my ears instinctively to try and block out this terrible noise.
Then it stopped. The earthquake that just brought our school day to a terrifying halt disappeared as suddenly as it appeared. I waited on the ground, still pressing my hands against my ears, expecting another sonic boom to blast through the school and rupture my eardrums. I felt something warm and soft against my back, and it caused me to jump in shock.
I glanced over my shoulder, and much to my surprise, it was Abigail grabbing onto me for dear life. She had tears streaming down her face, blood dripping down her eyes, and her eyes were locked shut in fear.
"Abby. Are you alright?" I asked, trying to shake her out of the fearful state she was in, but she shook her head and refused to open her eyes.
"What the hell was that?" Jacob said to my right, struggling to get to his feet. I could see blood dripping down the side of his head as well. The sonic thooms that rippled through the school must have caused his ears to bleed as well.
I pulled myself up, using the notice board to support my weight. My knees were buckling beneath me, barely supporting my weight. As I tried to steady myself, I looked at Abigail who was still shivering with her eyes closed.
I reached out to help her up when my ears exploded with pain.
THOOOOOOOM!
"AAAAAAAARGH!"
I grabbed my ears and collapsed under my weight when this final explosion of sonic seemed to ripple through my very being. As I lay on the ground in pain, everyone around me seemed to be shocked or confused by my outburst.
Before I could even contempt the permanent brain damage these explosions had caused, I suddenly heard a regal voice speak out to me.
CHILDREN OF JUPITER, HEAR MY CALL.
Everyone turned their eyes to the origin of this voice. I wasn't sure if it was brain damage I most definitely had, or the sheer shock of this whole ordeal. But I swear a half-naked man was standing at the end of the hallway. The man had chrome-like skin that seemed almost liquid, as it flowed around him. He wore a silver crown on his head, with each point of the crown arching back and fluttering like little wings. He wore what appeared to be a plain white toga that covered most of his lower body, but only a portion of his torso. On each of his heels were two silver wings that seemed to flutter.
"What is happening?" I tried to ask, but a wave of nausea slammed into me and it took all my willpower to not throw up.
I wasn't the only person baffled by this stranger's appearance. Mr. Hamilton, the Junior Biology teacher got to his feet and shouted at the stranger. Mr. Hamilton was shaken up but he looked unharmed. His ears weren't covered in blood at least.
"Who are you? What did you do to us?!" Mr. Hamilton shouted.
The stranger glanced at Mr. Hamilton and his voice seemed to be projected into the air without him having to move his lips.
Please hold your questions. I will answer them in due time.
Mr. Hamilton rushed over to the stranger, grabbing hold of his toga and yanking him over. The chrome man simply frowned as the Biology teacher pulled his fist back to strike him.
Mr. Hamilton was suddenly gone.
I mean, he was just gone. I'm not sure if my brain was not processing what was happening. Maybe whatever happened was just too quick for me to perceive it, but my Biology teacher whom I had conservations, whom I had asked to write me a recommendation for college admissions, whom I begged to give me extra credit so I could scrap by with a B- in his class, was gone.
There was nothing left of Mr. Hamilton but a red gooey mist covering the area he had been standing in. And in that red gooey mist stood the chrome man, glancing at each of us with an uninterested look.
I am here to deliver a message from the gods to the children of Jupiter. I will not tolerate any distractions from my work. All of the unchosen, fall to your knees.
Every single adult in the area slammed to the ground at almost breakneck speed.
I am Hermes, Messenger of Olympus. And I bring you news of a Great Tragedy that will befall your world.
Hermes, the chrome man suddenly appeared at my side in an instant, offering a hand to Abigail who was locked in pain, trembling at the sight of him. I could only imagine what she was thinking.
Hermes grabbed Abigail by the wrist and yanked her to her feet.
I tried to take a step forward to help Abigail, God knows I tried. But I found myself locked into place. I wished I could say it was because of some magic spell. Some kind of unseen force was locking me into place like it had locked the adults in the room. But it wasn't.
I was simply just too scared to move.
A Great Calamity is approaching your world, children of Jupiter. It will overtake your homes. It will eat away your fields, boil your oceans, kill your elders, and corrupt your seeds.
"What are you talking about?" Someone said behind me. I gave a glance over my shoulder to see one of my peers trembling behind me. He was short, kinda chubby, and had soft brown eyes hidden behind a large pair of glasses.
I was half-expecting to see Hermes burst through him in an instant as he had done to Mr. Hamilton. But when I looked back at Hermes, he had turned away from our side of the Hall and was addressing the other side of the group. The man knew how to work a crowd at least.
But do not take this news of Great Tragedy and fall into despair. The gods have smiled upon you today. You have all been given hope. You have been chosen to face this Great Calamity and emerge into a grand new world. Even the unchosen have found favor with the gods today.
Hermes gave a small smirk to the adults who had their faces still pointed at the ground.
In one minute, you will all receive sponsorship offers from gods who have chosen to support you. They wish to see you survive and burst forward into the new Oasis that they will raise after the Great Calamity razes your world. The gods smile upon you children of Jupiter, and they will drag you to greatness.
"No way," I whispered to myself, trying to process what was happening in front of me. This was something out of fiction. But it was happening to me. It was real.
I glanced over at the pool of blood that was once my biology teacher. This was too real.
I just saw a guy die in front of me. Someone I had known for months had just died in front of me. He was murdered by this…this silver man who claimed to be a messenger from the gods.
HAAAAAAAA
A voice rang out, almost like a choir of angels, drowning out the silence that Hermes had left in the hallway. A small rainbow appeared in front of every single student in the Main Hall. Over a hundred students in the Main Hall now had a mystical rainbow hovering in front of them.
I heard several of my peers yelp in surprise. I only hoped that my shock was contained by the sudden appearance of this rainbow in front of me.
I heard screaming and shouting from nearby classrooms as well. I guess the rainbows were appearing in front of all the students in the school. Was this happening at just our school, or was this all over New York City? Was this some kind of nationwide attack that these supposed gods were unleashing on us? Was it a global calamity?
If you have multiple sponsor requests, you may choose the god you wish to be your sponsor. But choose carefully. We can be very vindictive if you ignore us and hurt our feelings.
Hermes directed his eyes at Jacob, who was glancing at the rainbow in front of him. Hermes gave the Junior Class President a blank stare, and I immediately felt bad for Jacob. I would hate to be in his position. Multiple names were written and glowing golden on Jacob's rainbow. It was hard to read his list, but one of the bigger names was definitely Zeus. Another name on Jacob's rainbow list was Hermes. Jacob gulped and immediately moved to touch Hermes' name. Jacob's rainbow disappeared in an instant.
Hermes' blank stare turned into a smirk, as he directed his attention at the other students in the hallway.
You all have two minutes to choose your sponsor. I will return and then we will begin.
In an instant, Hermes was gone.
"WHAT IS HAPPENING?!" Someone yelled in the background behind me.
I could see several of the adults trying to get up to their feet now, but they were still locked into place. I could hear banging on a classroom door next to me, and I ran over to the door and tried to pull the knob.
The door wouldn't open at all.
"Hey, what's going on in there?" I shouted, trying to be heard over all the panicking in the hallway now that Hermes was gone.
I heard a girl's voice from the other side of the door. She said, "This silver guy! He called himself Hermes. He showed up out of nowhere after the earthquake! He killed our teacher! Now he's making us pick some name off of a floating rainbow in front of us!"
"That guy was just out here with us! How was he in there with you too?" I asked when I felt a forceful pull on my jacket sleeve.
I whipped my head over to see Abigail, who was panting for air. She looked less panicked than before, clearly trying to pull herself together.
Abigail said, "John. I have three different names here. Who do I pick?"
I looked at Abigail's list of sponsors.
[Ares]
[Aphrodite]
[Athena]
Of course. All of them would be stellar picks for Abigail.
"I don't know. Let me take a look at my sponsors and see if I have any of-"
"Are you serious?" I couldn't help but say my thought aloud, as I looked at a completely blank rainbow. I don't know why I didn't notice it before, but there was not a single name on my rainbow. No Zeus. No Ares. Nothing. My rainbow was completely blank.
"No way," I whispered to myself.
This seriously could not be happening to me again. First the Class Photographer, now this! Although, at least my not winning Class Photographer didn't mean I was left defenseless if I got attacked by some Greek mythology monster or goon. What's next, am I gonna get eaten by some Hydra, or have to fight against a titan?
Wait, if Hermes is actually real, does that the Hydra is real too? Did titans exist?
Abigail's voice snapped me back to reality.
Abigail shook her head and stared at me, "John. Listen, I don't know what's going on. But I will do my best to protect us both. Don't worry."
"Dang it." I growled, balling my fist. Of course, this would happen to me.
"Who the heck is Kratos?" I heard Roger say to my left, as he pushed on a name on his rainbow, "Like the guy from the video game?"
Dr. Long, one of the school's few overqualified teachers, whispered next to me, as he was still on his knees and facing the ground, "John. What's going on?"
I tried to muster up the strength to say something, when Hermes appeared in front of Dr. Long, looking down at the teacher. Hermes looked annoyed at first, but then his blank stare returned and he glanced around at all of us in the hallway.
You have ten seconds to choose your sponsor.
Everyone who still had a rainbow in front of them began franticly tapping away at their rainbows on names. I tapped my rainbow but nothing happened. I tapped it again and nothing happened.
Abigail tried to help me by tapping my rainbow as well, but even her touch did not cause anything new to appear.
"Come!" I shouted in frustration.
"Excuse me, Mr. Hermes. I do not have a name on my rainbow. Is mine broken?" I nervously asked the messenger god.
Insanity.
Hermes tilted his head at me, and I narrowed my eyes at the Olympian. He gave me a look of pity. Any pity that he had vanished when my rainbow evaporated. Hermes had already turned his attention away from me as he addressed everyone in the hallway and presumably the entire school as well.
Children of Jupiter. You have been chosen for greatness. Your sponsor god will now grant you a gift to face your first Heroic Trial. You must use this gift to not only survive but overcome this trial.
"What tri-" Jacob started, but Hermes suddenly appeared in front of him and grabbed the Class President's mouth to keep it shut. Hermes smiled and continued.
Three Legendary Beasts have appeared on your campus. They will have the symbol of Omega blazing above them. You must defeat these Legendary Beasts to start the first Heroic Trial. If this Heroic Trial is not revealed and beaten in the next 2 hours, everyone on within the Jupiter Grid will be cast into Tartarus, Child of Jupiter or not. Now take your gifts and get started.
Once again, I found myself in awe, as every student in the Main Hall was suddenly flooded with golden light. Abigail was engulfed by a golden light, and as she emerged from the light, a golden spear appeared in her hand. The spear seemed too heavy for her to lift properly, so the spear tip dropped to the ground cracking the tile beneath it.
Roger emerged from his shower of light, but he didn't have some kind of spear or weapon. He seemed like an entirely new person. He was already a large muscular individual being the star quarterback for our school, but now he had the physique of a literal Greek god. His dreads went now wrapped in a tight man bun on his head.
Several students around me continued to come out of their golden showers with either weapons, tools, instruments, or enhanced physiologies. I couldn't help but to continue shaking my head in frustration.
"Are you serious?" I said out loud, glaring at Hermes. "HEY! How come I didn't get a sponsor?"
Hermes looked at me and he tilted his head for a moment. He then said said, "Oh."
thom.
It was quiet, and it was quick. It was a sound similar to the crackles that had rocked the entire school earlier. But this time it wasn't loud enough to rock the school. It wasn't even loud enough to rock my entire body.
The crackles were replaced by two simple pops that I could barely hear. They were faint. I would have missed the pops if I had not known what the pops were and where they were originating from.
Unfortunately, I knew where they had originated from. They came from inside my head.
I let out a cry of horror as everything went black. I don't know how I could tell, but I knew my eyes had suddenly popped and exploded inside their sockets.
I felt myself hitting the ground, as I began rolling in pain. I tried to grab at what was left of my eyes.
"Children of Jupiter. Kill the 3 Legendary Beasts to start the Heroic Trial. You have-"
Everything had already gone dark for me, but my panic shifted to dread when my hearing went out too.
Am I going to d