DEMIS (A Clash With Lightning)

27

"Eeek!" Keith screeched as he was suddenly teleported about a thousand feet into the air.

He clung to the platform beneath him for dear life, his fingers gripping the edge as he dared to peek below. Clouds floated beneath him, and Circe's island looked like nothing more than a speck in the vast expanse below. The sun blazed overhead, its warmth pressing against his back but offering little comfort.

A voice whispered in his ear, sending a chill down his spine. "The son of Apollo, of course, relies heavily on the sun. Can you survive in total darkness?"

Keith whipped his head around to see Circe standing over him, still wearing the same dress from earlier.

"Come on," he tried to reason with her. "Does this have to be so high in the air?"

She merely smiled at him, offering no response before disappearing—and with her, the light of the sun vanished, leaving him in total darkness.

"Shit," he muttered.

It took a moment for his eyes to adjust. Ten pillars, including the one he stood on, glowed faintly, providing the bare minimum of light. This was going to make it almost impossible to use his powers. Fortunately, he still had his father's armor. He wouldn't be completely powerless.

A deep rumbling shook the pillar beneath him. He crouched down, gripping the edge once more, his pulse hammering in his ears. Even in the darkness, he could remember all too well the abyss that stretched beneath him. Squinting, he spotted a shadowy figure materializing on a distant pillar. It wasn't human. Its body was made entirely of black smoke. The shadow man stood perfectly still, waiting to see what Keith was going to do.

Keith shifted into a fighting stance, instinct telling him that this creature was the key to completing his trial. Sweat prickled at the back of his neck. He felt exposed, vulnerable without light. The figure shot toward him at inhuman speed. Keith threw out his hand, attempting to summon a fireball—nothing happened.

"What the—?" He barely had time to react before a fist slammed into his cheek, sending him flying.

He crashed onto a separate platform, groaning as he scrambled back to his feet. His mind raced. His powers weren't working. Without them, there was no way he could win.

He just needed to wait out the eclipse. Circe couldn't block out the sun forever. If he could dodge long enough, his powers would return. He dodged a few more brutal attacks. It felt like half an hour has passed by. As the shadow lunged at him again, he realized the truth—this wasn't temporary. The sun wasn't coming back anytime soon.

Panic threatened to overtake him. Ever since he could remember, he had never been much of a fighter. He'd known Apollo was his father his whole life, but he'd only recently learned how to use his powers. He was strong because of those powers. Without them, he was... useless.

He barely dodged another attack, his breath coming in short gasps. Looking up, he searched for any sign of light breaking through, but the darkness remained absolute. He became desperate.

Think, Keith. Think.

The faintly glowing pillars caught his attention. They varied in height, and their light—however weak—still existed. A wild idea formed in his mind.

The shadow creature lunged again. This time, Keith didn't retreat. Instead, he leaped toward it. As it aimed another punch at his face, he ducked and tackled it midair, directing the momentum toward a shorter pillar. He scrambled onto the platform just as the creature slammed into the glowing surface.

A horrible hiss filled the air as the light burned its smoky form. It forced itself onto the platform. It limped just slightly, clearly in pain.

Keith exhaled sharply. That was it. The creature was made of shadows—any amount of light, no matter how small, could hurt it.

The creature clawed its way back up and charged again. Keith dodged, spinning behind it and driving his foot into its back, sending it tumbling into another glowing pillar. The figure screeched, steam rising from its form as the light seared it.

A grin spread across Keith's face. Maybe he could win without his powers after all. He just had to be smart about it.

And then it hit him—he had spent his whole life resenting his father, but the moment he gained Apollo's powers, he had relied on them completely. He had spent years loving the human side of himself, but the second he had something more, he had dismissed his own strength.

The realization settled in his chest, warm and solid. He didn't need Apollo's powers to survive. He could take care of himself. He just had to use his brain.

As if in response to his epiphany, the darkness lifted. The sun blazed back into the sky. The shadow creature let out a final screech before dispersing into nothingness. Keith winced and covered his ears at the beast cried in agony.

Before Keith could even process his victory, the pillars beneath his feet began to sink.

"Oh, come on!" he shouted as he plummeted toward the ground.

His stomach flipped as he fell, the wind whipping past him. He was charging towards the ground in a free fall. He squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for impact.

And then—

He was sitting at a table.

Keith blinked. Circe and Rose sat across from him. Rose's eyes were wide with shock, while Circe smiled at him expectantly.

"Well done, Keith," Circe said, amusement in her tone. "You were the second of your friends to complete your trial."

"How did I get here?" he demanded. "I was just falling to my death!"

Circe let out a musical laugh. "Of course, I wasn't going to let my guest plummet to his demise."

"You really did just appear out of nowhere," Rose added, still looking stunned.

"You two are the ones who appeared out of nowhere," he argued, rubbing his temple. "What are we even doing here?"

"I'm simply enjoying a cup of tea while we wait for your friends to finish their trials," Circe said with a shrug. "Rose refused to drink any, though."

"Probably the safer choice," Keith muttered, sinking back into his chair. He let out a breath and stared at the intricately designed ceiling, a smirk playing on his lips.

He had won—without his powers. Despite his doubts, he had done it.