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Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

D ante blinked as the world around him shifted, the golden hues of the ancient temple vanishing in an instant. His heart raced, and for a brief moment he felt disoriented.

When everything stilled, his eyes darted around, searching for any sign of where—or when—they were.

They had decided to leave after the morning meal and after they'd freshened up. It was midmorning before they had stood on the balcony and wished the beauty and the serenity of that peaceful world goodbye.

Now the familiar scent and heat of Georgia hit him, and he realized with relief that they were back in Hidden Creek.

The giant cover of the silo loomed high above them. He knew that it was the same place and time when Brea had sent them away. A few candles flickered in the corners, casting shadows across the gathered faces. Everyone was still there, frozen in surprise as if they hadn't noticed Dante and Amy had been gone for what felt like days. Everything was the same as when they'd been whisked away. Had only seconds passed here?

Amy's hand tightened around his, her breath catching as she looked around the room. Dante felt her tension shift, a sharp intake of air, and he followed her gaze to where Joe and Liz stood. Joe's arm was protectively around his wife's waist.

"Joe!" Amy's voice broke the silence, excitement bubbling up inside her as she darted forward, releasing Dante's hand. "Liz—oh my god!"

Joe's eyes widened in shock as Amy ran up to him, practically tackling him into a hug. "What—what just happened?" Joe stammered, bewildered. "You just left, and then?—"

Amy laughed, pure joy in her voice, cutting him off. "I'll explain everything, but first—triplets!" She pulled back and placed her hands on Liz's large belly as she beamed with excitement. "I know that you and Liz are having triplets!"

Liz, who was standing beside Joe, blinked in surprise. "Wait, what? How do you know?—"

Amy clapped her hands together, practically bouncing on her toes. "Long story, I'll explain later! But I saw them, met them—the triplets! Congratulations!"

Joe looked utterly confused but a smile tugged at his lips as Liz, still processing, placed a hand on her belly. "We haven't even told anyone, we wanted it to be a surprise."

Everyone around them watched the exchange and since she'd just spoiled their surprise, everyone gathered around them and congratulated Joe and Liz on the news.

"What's happened? How did you see them?" Xtina asked.

"Seriously, so much to tell you all!" Amy replied breathlessly, glancing back at Dante, as if to share her excitement.

Dante smiled at her, feeling the warmth radiate from her joy. Her reunion with her family felt like the first peaceful moment they'd had in days. But the weight of everything they'd experienced—the gods, her visions, their new powers, the ancient prophecies—it all still pressed heavily on his mind. And now they had returned to a world that had barely noticed they were gone.

How much would it change now that they were back?

"Dante!" Jacob's voice cut through his thoughts. He turned to see his boss walk over and shook his outstretched hand. "Welcome back, I guess." He chuckled. "Nice digs."

Dante glanced down at his tunic and groaned. "Yeah, I'm desperate for a change of clothes and a cup of coffee."

Michael jumped in and said, "How about we head back to our place? You can both change and fill us in on what you've gone through."

"Yeah," Xtina added, her arms crossed over her chest, "and you can tell us why you're both so tan and practically glowing. What did you do, go on a magical vacation or something?"

Dante chuckled and exchanged a glance with Amy, who was still buzzing. "Something like that," he replied. "We were… uh, in the past. Like, ancient Greece."

Jess jumped in as she raised an eyebrow. "You what now?"

Amy finally pulled herself away from Joe and Liz and rushed back over to where Dante was standing.

"It's a long story," she said, her voice still filled with excitement, "but we were sent back in time—like, way back. We met Prometheus, met the three Fates, and… and fought off a god, sort of."

"You saw the Fates?" Mia asked. "Did you understand anything they said? What did they say?" she added quickly.

"Lots," Amy sighed. "No, not really, but I guess, now we do understand what they told us." She shrugged.

"You guys are okay though?" Jacob asked as they all started making their way out of the silo.

Dante nodded, still feeling the residual energy from the godlike powers he'd awakened. "Yeah, and we've been fighting gods for many lifetimes. Like we said, it's a lot to take in."

"Okay, so you time-traveled, met some gods and the three Fates, and now you're back with suntans and new clothes. That about sum it up?" Mia said as they climbed the stairs in a single line.

Amy laughed, her energy contagious. "Pretty much. And that's not even the craziest part."

"We've got powers now," Dante added, glancing down at his hands as if the glow might still be there. "It's… hard to explain, but we've unlocked something," Amy said.

"Pandora is awake?" Mia asked.

Amy nodded slowly. "I guess so since I can remember all our past lives."

"What sort of powers?" Mia asked after a moment of silence.

"I'm really strong. I can create weapons from out of thin air. I can understand any written or spoken language. I can see an opponent's moves before they make them. I'm immortal. Oh, and I can fly," she said, matter-of-factly. "We can fly," she corrected. "Dante… well, he's really strong and kind of invincible now."

Michael let out a low whistle. "Damn. That's some next-level superhero shit."

Dante smiled, but there was a weight behind his words as he added, "It's not all fun and games, though. There's more going on—big things. We've got a lot to figure out."

Amy's expression sobered a bit as she nodded in agreement. "We were told that the final battle is coming, and we're going to need all the help we can get. We need two more people if we're going to win."

"Who?" Jess asked.

"Elpis," Mia and Lucas answered together.

Dante and Amy glanced at them. "How did you know?"

"Only Elpis can stop Moros," Lucas answered.

"And Pandora will waken Elpis when it is time," Mia added. "We too visited the Fates," she added dryly.

"Right." Amy nodded.

At least no one thought they were crazy. He and Amy might have been the ones chosen by the gods, but they weren't in this fight alone. They had their friends and their family. They had a team.

The group stepped out finally into the field above the silo and its underground hidden mazes of rooms and chambers.

As they headed back towards Xtina and Michael's house to regroup and talk through everything, Dante hung back for a moment. He glanced at Amy, who was laughing with her brother and Liz. He enjoyed seeing her smile, which was wide and so full of life. At that moment he felt an overwhelming sense of peace.

They were back. And together, they were ready to face whatever came next.

Then Jacob slapped him on the shoulder. "Why don't you fill me in quickly as we walk?"

For the next fifteen minutes, as they made their way across the dark field, he gave his boss, who was also one of his best friends, the rundown.

By the time they stepped into the house, Jacob and a few others, including Lucas, Michael, and Joe, were all caught up since they had walked together. The rest of the group had followed Amy closely as she talked quickly about some of the visions that she'd seen.

Thankfully, Michael and Xtina gave them a change of clothes. Once they were out of the ancient attire, they all gathered in the living room with a fresh pot of coffee and they filled everyone in on what they'd discovered.

He was grateful for the warm, familiar clothes and space, not to mention the smells and taste of freshly brewed coffee. He and Amy both enjoyed two cups along with some freshly baked cookies Jess had made.

As Amy explained the rest of what they'd gone through, Jacob sat at the table, leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed. Lucas stood by the window, staring out with a pensive expression, while Joe hovered near the coffee pot, refilling mugs. The rest of the group sat around listening, hanging on every word they said.

Amy was very animated as she caught everyone up. She spoke with urgency and determination.

Dante sat on the couch next to her and added bits to the story where he could. The relief of finally being back in regular clothes helped him relax.

The gods weren't just an abstract danger—they were real, and they were coming. Soon. He looked at Liz, knowing that they only had a month after the triplets were born.

"Okay," Xtina said, clapping her hands together to get everyone's attention. She stood by the coffee table, her sharp gaze sweeping over the room. "Let's break this down. Amy, you said the gods are going to attack a month after Liz gives birth to the triplets?"

"October tenth," she said with a frown as she leaned forward. "Joe told me." She glanced over at her brother. "I was sent ten years into the future, long after…" She shook her head. "You told me that Moros and Thanatos will lead the charge."

Joe let out a long breath, his hand resting protectively on Liz's shoulder as she sat beside him.

Dante noticed that Amy didn't mention the fact that Liz would die in that first wave and that Joe would be left to raise the triplets alone or that, in ten years, everyone in the room would die as well.

The room fell into a tense silence, everyone absorbing the gravity of what they were up against. Dante could feel it in the air, the unspoken fear, but also a shared resolve. They'd faced danger before, but this… this was different.

Michael leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "So what exactly are we up against? We need details."

Amy's eyes flicked over to Dante, and for a moment, he felt the warmth of their connection surge between them. She turned back to the group, her voice steady despite the weight of her words. "It's not just Moros and Thanatos. There will be others—minor gods, creatures… Harpies. We're going to have to rely on our powers, all of our powers, to stop them."

"Seriously? Harpies?" Jess shook her head. "Do we even know what all of our powers are? I mean, we know most of our abilities, but have we really explored yours? What about Elpis, once she arrives or awakens?"

"Elpis is my sister Hope," Dante broke in and several people in the room gasped.

"Seriously?" Mia asked, slightly shocked.

"Yes," Amy agreed. "I've seen her and talked to her. Well, Elpis at any rate. She was Hope but… not." She shook her head.

"Like when I met you as Pandora first and then met Amy." Mia smiled. "I get it. We've been so worried about finding the pair of you, I never figured we'd get lucky that someone here would already know her."

"How do we get her back in town?" Jacob asked.

Amy nodded. "We need to figure it out—and fast. Dante and I… we've been learning things about our abilities. We're stronger together, but we also need everyone else. All of us will have a part to play. First, however, we need to get Hope back in Hidden Creek and find Prometheus."

"I'll handle that," Dante said quickly. "We've seen Prometheus's physical form, so it will be easy for Amy and me to spot him," he pointed out.

"Then what?" Lucas asked. "Do you know how hard it was for Mia and me to keep from telling Amy who she was?"

"You can't tell them who they are," Amy said. "Just like Mia knew what to do, I'll know when and what to do to help Elpis and Prometheus take their paths."

Dante took a deep breath. "Amy's right. We've faced these gods before in our past lives, but this is on another level. Something tells me that this is the end game. These gods, they're not just going to come at us with brute force. They'll play with our minds and twist our realities. We need to be ready for anything. And we need to be united."

"Yeah, but how?" Ethan asked from where he sat, Brea's hand resting lightly on his arm. "We don't even know what they'll throw at us. And how the hell do we fight multiple gods? We pushed Moros and Thanatos back when they attacked individually, but how are we supposed to do it when they come at us united and with an army of…"

"Harpies," Jess and Amy finished for her.

Amy crossed her arms, her expression fierce. "We fight them the way we've fought everything else—together. Our powers, our bond, our connection… that's what gives us an edge. We just need to train, to prepare."

Selene, who had been quietly listening, spoke up. "Amy's right. I can feel it. We're not just fighting them physically. This will be a battle of wills, of hearts. They'll come after what we hold most dear."

Colt jumped in. "We have already started by figuring out exactly what each of us can do. We've been training every week. We'll add Amy and Dante to our sessions. Then we'll strategize. If we're stronger together, we need to learn how to combine all of our powers."

Lucas shifted from where he stood at the window, his arms crossed over his chest. "And we'll need a plan. Now that we know when they're attacking, we need to make sure Liz and the babies are safe. Along with the rest of the kids."

"The silo," Amy jumped in. "It's where everyone goes. We need to fill it with food, water, necessities. It's our stronghold. At least…" She stopped and shook her head.

"For a while," Dante finished for her.

The room grew quiet. Everyone seemed to understand what he was saying.

"Then we'll start there," Jacob said as he stood up.

Dante glanced at Joe, who was frowning, his jaw clenched tight. Liz's hand was resting on her growing belly, her expression tense but resolute. She met Dante's eyes and nodded, determination flickering in her gaze.

"We'll be ready," Liz said softly. "Whatever happens, we'll be ready."

Amy smiled at her sister-in-law, pride and affection in her eyes. "We will. And we're not alone in this. We have each other, and we have allies. Prometheus said others would stand with us when the time comes."

"Prometheus," Xtina said, raising an eyebrow. "Prometheus gave fire to humanity."

"Yep," Amy replied, leaning back on the couch, her arms crossed. "He's our brother and has been guiding us… sort of. Like I said, he and Elpis are…"

"Mated," Dante finished as he took Amy's hand in his. "Like the rest of us are."

Brea shook her head in disbelief. "Okay, so let me get this straight. We have a month to find and wake Elpis and Prometheus, figure out how all of our powers can work together, train, build an underground shelter, and then prepare for an epic god showdown. No pressure."

Dante chuckled softly, the tension in the room easing a bit as Brea's sarcasm lightened the mood. "Amy has seen that we've faced worse in past lives," he said with a grin, but deep down, he knew this was going to be unlike anything they'd ever experienced.

As the group began to strategize, discussing training schedules and potential defenses, Dante caught Amy's eye. Her smile was small, but it was filled with the same fierce determination that had carried them through everything so far.

And as he looked around the room—at his friends, his family—he felt a swell of hope. They would face the gods together. And they would win.

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