The forest loomed around them as the group pressed on, the morning sun struggling to pierce the thick canopy above. Ikenna's thoughts were a storm of their own, churning with questions about the mysterious man who had attacked him during the night.
The others hadn't said much since the encounter. Marcus trudged ahead, his hammer resting across his shoulder, while Maria's sharp gaze darted to every shadow as though expecting another ambush.
"Alright, enough of the silent treatment," Ikenna said, breaking the tense quiet. "Who was that guy? And don't give me the 'we don't know' routine. You two clearly know something."
Maria stopped abruptly and turned to face him, her expression unreadable. "We don't know who he was," she said, her tone clipped. "But we've heard rumors—about people like him."
Ikenna raised an eyebrow. "People like him? You mean creepy guys with glowing red eyes and a bad attitude?"
Marcus sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "They're called Shades. They're…servants, sort of. Messengers for darker forces. Not monsters, exactly, but not entirely human either."
"Shades?" Ikenna repeated, the name rolling uneasily off his tongue. "Why would one of them care about me?"
Maria crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing. "You're the son of Zeus. Do you really need to ask why?"
"Yeah, but it feels personal," Ikenna shot back. "He said I don't even know what I am. What's that supposed to mean?"
Maria hesitated, and for a moment, Ikenna thought she might open up. But then she shook her head. "It doesn't matter. What matters is that we stay ahead of them."
Ikenna clenched his fists, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. He hated being kept in the dark, especially when it felt like everyone else knew more than he did.
As the day wore on, the group moved at a brisk pace, the terrain growing steeper and rockier. By midday, they reached the edge of a wide ravine. A rickety wooden bridge stretched across the gap, its planks weathered and uneven.
Maria stopped and surveyed the bridge with a critical eye. "This doesn't look promising."
"No kidding," Marcus muttered, tapping one of the wooden posts with his hammer. It creaked ominously. "You sure this thing can hold our weight?"
"It's either this or we backtrack and lose a day," Maria said. "We'll go one at a time. I'll cross first."
Before anyone could argue, she stepped onto the bridge, moving carefully but confidently. The planks groaned under her weight, but she made it to the other side without incident.
Marcus followed next, his heavier frame making the bridge sway slightly. Ikenna watched nervously as his friend reached the other side, then looked back at him expectantly.
"Your turn, Zeus boy," Maria called.
Ikenna took a deep breath and stepped onto the bridge. The wood felt brittle under his feet, and the wind rushing through the ravine didn't help his balance. He kept his eyes fixed on the other side, trying not to look down.
Halfway across, the bridge let out a loud crack. Ikenna froze, his heart leaping into his throat.
"Don't stop!" Marcus shouted. "Keep moving!"
Ikenna took another step, but the plank beneath him snapped, and he fell, his fingers just barely catching the rope railing.
"Hang on!" Maria yelled, dropping to her knees on the far side.
The bridge swayed violently as Ikenna struggled to pull himself up. His hands burned from the rough rope, and the chasm below seemed to stretch endlessly.
"Come on, Ikenna!" Marcus shouted. "You've got this!"
Gritting his teeth, Ikenna summoned every ounce of strength he had. Lightning crackled faintly around his fingers as he hauled himself back onto the bridge. His legs shook as he scrambled to his feet and sprinted the remaining distance.
When he finally reached solid ground, he collapsed to his knees, breathing hard.
"Nice save," Marcus said, clapping him on the back.
Maria offered him a hand. "You alright?"
Ikenna nodded, his breath still coming in short gasps. "Yeah. Just…remind me not to do that again."
Maria smirked. "Noted."
The terrain beyond the ravine was even more challenging, with steep inclines and narrow paths winding through jagged cliffs. As they climbed higher, the air grew thinner, and the temperature dropped.
They reached a plateau by late afternoon and decided to rest. Marcus built a small fire, and Maria pulled out the map to check their progress.
"We're close," she said, tracing a route with her finger. "The Oracle's temple should be just beyond that ridge."
Ikenna leaned back against a rock, his legs aching from the climb. "Great. So we're almost to the part where we find out how doomed we are."
Marcus chuckled, but Maria didn't respond. She stared at the map, her brow furrowed.
"What's wrong?" Ikenna asked.
"Something doesn't add up," she said slowly. "If the Oracle's temple is this close, why haven't we seen more resistance? The Shades, that water guardian…they're not enough. Not for something this important."
Ikenna frowned. "You think it's a trap?"
Maria nodded grimly. "I think it's always a trap."
That night, Ikenna couldn't sleep. The stars above were bright, but the chill in the air seeped into his bones. He lay on his back, staring up at the sky and wondering what Zeus thought of all this. Did his father even care?
The sound of movement pulled him from his thoughts. He sat up quickly, his hand instinctively going to the dagger at his side.
Maria stood a few feet away, gazing out at the horizon. She looked more relaxed than usual, her usual sharpness softened by the moonlight.
"Couldn't sleep?" Ikenna asked, walking over to join her.
She shook her head. "Too much on my mind."
"Like what?"
Maria hesitated, then sighed. "This quest, mostly. I don't like not knowing what we're walking into. And I don't like putting my trust in a prophecy that might not even make sense until it's too late."
"Yeah, prophecies are kind of the worst," Ikenna agreed.
Maria glanced at him, a small smile tugging at her lips. "You're surprisingly easy to talk to, Zeus boy."
"Don't let it go to your head," he teased.
She laughed softly, then her expression grew serious again. "We've got a long road ahead, Ikenna. And things are going to get worse before they get better. You need to be ready for that."
Ikenna nodded, his gaze fixed on the horizon. "I'll be ready."
But as the shadows stretched across the landscape, he couldn't shake the feeling that something—or someone—was already waiting for them.