pulvis et umbra sumus ( we are but dust and shadow )
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❝ THE END.❞
WHEN MIKE WOKE up, the first thing he heard was the deafening roar of what seemed like thunder, accompanied by a violent wind that swept through the air. He heard Odi calling out Zack's name, and then he saw Zack disappear into the Portal with his arms firmly gripped on Hades.
For a moment, Mike felt nothing, saw nothing ... and then he saw everything at once. Kelsey was sitting on the floor with her chest heaving up and down rapidly, Odi was being held back by Will, Marie had taken hold of the scepter, and Maddi was shouting at her to throw it in the Portal. But Marie didn't. And when the Portal closed, Marie had thrown something onto the ground that broke like shattered glass and a billow of blue smoke rose and then suddenly twelve adults emerged.
Mike didn't know where to look. Too much had happened too fast he barely had any time to process it. He slowly stood up, glancing around as the demigods ran to their parents, some more willing than others. But then he saw one figure, one lonesome figure who was standing directly across the room from him, looking at him with intense brown eyes and softly parted lips.
And then all of a sudden, Atlantis was moving toward him, filling up his vision. He felt as though he were in a dream; she was all he could see. Her hair swayed behind her as she took several long strides to get to him, and then they collided the way stars collided, with such power and cosmic intensity he swore he could've exploded.
"Mike," she whispered into the crook of his neck.
It was the sound of her voice that brought him back to reality. He pulled away abruptly. "You lied to me! You swore to me you wouldn't do anything to risk your life and you lied!"
"Don't be dramatic, Mike. I didn't risk my life," uttered Atlantis. Mike's expression hardened, and she sighed. "Look, I had to do something—"
"But you promised. Does that mean nothing to you?" he asked, his voice practically exploding from his body. And then it dropped to a whisper. "Do I mean nothing to you?"
Her eyes searched his face. "You're such an idiot, Michael Wheeler."
Mike frowned, staring at her in slight anger and confusion. "Do you even know how it felt to see you standing there next to Hades? I couldn't breathe, I felt like I wanted to—"
