The Battle Has Begun
The tremors hadn’t stopped. The walls of Hogwarts trembled with the violent force of whatever army Voldemort had brought with him, and the air itself felt thick with impending doom. My thoughts raced, trying to process everything, but one thing was clear—we were about to face the darkest force this world had ever seen. And we weren’t ready.
“Stay close!” I shouted over the chaos. Will was by my side, as always, his fingers brushing mine for reassurance. But even his presence couldn’t keep the fear from creeping up my spine.
The students were panicking, running toward the castle’s main doors. Some were gathering their belongings, looking for shelter, but they didn’t understand. They couldn’t. They hadn’t been prepared for war like we had. They weren’t trained to fight.
Reyna and Thalia had already taken charge of the younger students, ushering them into safe zones, though it didn’t do much to calm my nerves. There was something about the way Thalia had looked earlier—she’d seen the signs, just like I had. I wasn’t sure what was going on between her and Reyna, but we didn’t have time for distractions.
“Angelos!” I called, scanning the area for her. She appeared by my side, her golden eyes gleaming with the same fierce energy I remembered from the gods.
“They’re here,” I said, clenching my fists. “The battle’s starting. We have to fight back. We can’t let them breach the gates.”
Angelos didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she turned her gaze to the distant horizon, her eyes narrowing as if she could see the battle already unfolding.
“I know,” she said finally, voice hard as steel. “But you need to trust me on this. Kronos isn’t the only one you’ll have to worry about.” She gestured toward the sky, and I followed her gaze. In the distance, dark clouds were forming, swirling with unnatural energy. Lightning crackled through the air.
“Is that...?” I started to ask, but I didn’t need to finish. The answer was already there.
“It’s him,” Angelos confirmed. “Voldemort’s alliance with Kronos goes deeper than we thought. They’ve opened the doors to the underworld.”
Just then, a huge explosion echoed from the far side of the castle. Students screamed, and the ground quaked again as the castle’s main gates blew open. In their place stood a massive army—Voldemort’s followers, Death Eaters, and dark creatures I couldn’t even name. I could feel the weight of their presence—cold, suffocating, and all-encompassing.
“It’s now or never,” Will whispered. His voice was calm, but I could see the uncertainty in his eyes.
“I know,” I muttered, my heart pounding in my chest. “We fight. We win.”
As I spoke, the Hunters began to form ranks on the edge of the courtyard, their bows drawn and their eyes filled with determination. Thalia and Reyna stood at the forefront, their weapons ready. Leo appeared beside them, a bag of homemade explosives slung over his shoulder, and a grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“Got your back, Nico,” Leo said, giving me a thumbs-up.
“Good,” I replied. “Keep those explosives handy. We’ll need them.”
Angelos stepped forward. “I’ll take care of the gods,” she said. “You deal with the rest.”
“Are you sure?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
She smiled, a dangerous glint in her eyes. “Trust me.”
I didn’t argue. Angelos was a force of nature in her own right. If anyone could keep the gods from falling apart in the chaos, it was her.
The ground beneath our feet shook again, and I could hear the distant growl of something massive in the distance. Voldemort’s forces were getting closer.
“Everyone into position!” Reyna shouted, her commanding voice cutting through the chaos. “Archers, take the high ground. Demigods, form a perimeter. We hold the line until the reinforcements arrive!”
I turned to Will, who was already looking at me with a steely expression. “We’ll do this together,” he said, voice steady.
“We have to,” I replied.
There was no turning back now. I could feel the power building within me, the shadows that I could bend to my will. I wasn’t going to let anyone I loved fall today—not Will, not Reyna, not anyone. We would fight back with everything we had.
A huge roar echoed through the field, and I didn’t have time to react before an enormous army of centaurs, dark creatures, and Death Eaters broke through the trees at the edge of the castle grounds. The first wave of attackers was here.
I turned to Will one last time, catching his eyes. “Stay close. We’ve got this.”
He nodded, pulling me toward him for a brief but fierce kiss before we broke apart. "Let’s go."
The battle had begun.