Bows & Beauty

Chapter 16

"Please, please let them go." Irene begs as she squirms inside the invisible force. She could not bear seeing both Seulgi and Joy writhing and fidgeting while beads of sweat trickle down in their sleep. Irene knew Morpheus is giving visions of nightmares towards the two, and she herself had witnessed before back in the days when one of the campers had gone crazy after being torment with those dreams given by Morpheus.

Irene continues to plead, "We only wanted to close the entrance of the Underworld. We just need your help to wake Thanatos and shut the entrance." Hypnos remains quiet but he soon walks back and forth, his eyes search deep into the nothingness ahead and alas he spoke, "If Thanatos awakes, he still could not close the entrance entirely."

"What do you mean?" Irene asks in bewilderment, as she knew it is only Thanatos and Hades himself, who is able to control the entrance with their powers, "It has only been Thanatos all along guarding the door, why can't he close it?" Hypnos strides sluggishly towards his sleeping brother, and points, "Look. Don't you think there's something missing from him?"

Irene strains her eyes, trying to budge off the sleepy syndrome threatening her, and she watchfully scans Thanatos who had his wings shielding him. What is it that is missing from the God, Irene could not figure out. Thanatos is always famous for his big wings, his torch, and Irene knew there was something else, but her mind could not process and think of something at the moment. "I'm not su—"

"—his sword," Wendy feebly spoke from behind. She was almost slurring in her words when she explains, "Thanatos...wings...torch...s-sword girt. For all whose...whose—"

"For all whose hair is cut in consecration by this blade's edge are devoted to the gods below." Thanatos finishes off Wendy's time consuming sentence. "Yes, as this girl solved, my brother, Thanatos, has a sword by his side. And as you can see, the sword is missing." Irene did not utter a word, signalling Hypnos to continue, "Without his sword, his powers would not be as strong as before and the Doors of Death can be easily cracked and open. So in a conclusion, that if, I wake up my brother, it will be as pointless as before, unless..."

"Unless I retrieve back his sword?" Irene implies, "If I get back the sword from whomever who took it, Thanatos will be able to seal the door tight, won't it?" Hypnos nods, "Then let's make a deal. You must wake my friends and Thanatos, and we'll search for the sword and Thanatos guards the Door in the meantime." Hypnos then notifies, "But the sword is in the hands of the demigod who threatens me. My trust for demigods had not been far great lately."

"I swear upon Athena's name, that I will get your sword and bring it back to Thanatos." Irene firmly declares, and a few seconds later, the invisible force that binds them were gone and they fell to the ground with a thud. Irene heave herself up, looking behind to see Wendy and Yeri waking up from their daze as they shook their head vigorously to shake off the sleepiness they felt earlier. Another groan from ahead and Irene eyes immediately pounce on Seulgi and Joy who sprawls on the ground, looking completely drained.

Irene's legs quickly had a thought on its own as it dashes towards the girl, "Seulgi!" Irene embraces Seulgi, who looks rather pale and her eyes were slacking off time to time, "Seulgi, I'm here." The girl in her hold manage to muffle her name before looking up to her, a stupid grin form on her face and Irene felt like kissing the girl right there and then but she controls herself.

"Take your friends and go now." Hypnos instructs, as he swift his hands and a cloud of darkness floats to the ground, vanishing, and revealing Seulgi and Joy's backpack. "Thanatos will be in deep rage when he wakes up so go! And do not forget your promise, child." Irene reassures, "I won't!" And she gestures the other two who were helping Joy to stand up, to get out from this place. Irene was about to carry Seulgi up before she refuses, "It's okay. I can stand. Let's get out of here." And the five of them quickly fled.