Spirit of the Panther (House of Hades/Frank Zhang Fanfic)

XVI. Battle of the Witches Pt 1

As we walked, I felt on edge. There were areas that a monster could jump out from. I cast out my senses and I couldn't feel anything. There were no monsters around us. It didn't make sense. It probably meant there was going to be a sneak attack or a surprise from Gaea herself.

I reached behind me and felt Frank grab my hand. He squeezed tightly, giving me comfort. I wasn't normally an anxious and nervous person but being down here reminded me of Tartarus. I was trying not to remember being in hell but it was hard.

The chilliness was encroaching on me. It felt like I was breathing in ice. It could've just been me but I didn't see anyone shivering in even the slightest.

We continued down the dark tunnel. I raised my chin, casting all of my bad thoughts away. I couldn't enter a fight distracted. Hecate always told me that. She always told me to control myself and not to panic. I couldn't panic while my friends needed me.

I focused on my footsteps. The ground was unstable and shook often. I could feel how much it had weakened during the centuries. They were old. Very old.

Frank stopped, still holding my hand. I looked back at him. His eyes were wide and he looked a bit surprised.

I tugged on Frank's hand. "Hey, Frank, can you stop freaking us out? Please, honey?"

"I'm alright," Frank said. "Just that . . . I heard a voice."

"I told you guys," Nico said. "It'll get worse. We should -"

Hazel held her hand up. "Wait here."

She disappeared into the darkness ahead of us. About thirty seconds later, she returned.

"Scary room ahead," Hazel warned. "I wouldn't panic if I were you."

"Those don't go together," Leo and I murmured at the same time. We looked at each other and laughed. We continued forward and it looked a bit like a cathedral. Dozens of tunnels snaked away.

"I wouldn't touch anything," I said.

"Wasn't planning on it," Leo murmured, causing me to smile.

Jason looked around. "Which way now?"

Nico looked uncertain. "This should be the room where priests invoked the most powerful spirits. One of these passages leads deeper, to the third level and the alter of Hades. But which -"

Frank pointed at a doorway. "That way."

I looked at the doorway and saw a faint outline of a ghost. It was looking directly at Frank.

"Why that one?" Hazel asked.

"You guys don't see the ghost?" Frank asked.

"I do," I said.

"I don't," Nico said.

If the Underworld kids couldn't see it, then something was wrong. Hecate could have power over the Underworld, but I wasn't as powerful as Hecate. Most definitely not as powerful as Nico or Hazel, kids of the Underworld.

"We need to go down that exit," Frank said. "Now!"

I grabbed Frank's arm to stop him from going over the ground. "Frank, stop. The ground is unstable. Let Hazel scout it out. We don't know what's underneath us and we don't want any of us going through the ground."

"Hurry, then," Frank urged.

Frank drew his bow and hurried Hazel farther. He was scaring me and everyone else. I saw the ghost too but I couldn't make it out entirely. I don't know what it did to Frank. I couldn't even see it anymore.