The Prometheus Spark

Hestia spoke. "I can get you there."

Everyone turned.

"To the spring?" Colton asked.

Hestia nodded. "Apollo may know what it is, but I know how to reach it. It lies beneath the cliffs of Arcadia, beyond the Veil Ridge. The old river still runs through it. That's where she's bound herself."

Apollo stepped forward. "Bound herself?"

"She went willingly into hiding when the Titan War ended," Hestia explained. "To bury her power. To silence memory. Not for her sake—but because she feared the gods would use her. That Zeus would use her."

Kevin glanced toward his stack of drawings. "She's broken, then?"

Hestia's eyes didn't waver. "Not broken. But cracked enough that she doesn't always speak plainly. You may not get direct answers. Only fragments."

Colton looked toward Apollo. "Can we work with fragments?"

Apollo hesitated, then nodded. "If it's true… and if she shows us even a glimpse of what she remembers, I might be able to trace

Hercules's location."

"That's all we need," Colton said.

Kevin stood, rubbing his arms. "Then we should leave soon. Before Hermes finds another way to twist this."

Colton stepped forward. "Wait. Kevin—no. You've barely had time to—whatever this is you're going through… you're still not

right. It's been a week since I've gotten you out of that place. You still haven't slept, Fuck, Kevin, you haven't even eaten."

Kevin looked at him, his voice low but firm. "I

don't know what to say to that. But I feel fine. Like, I feel great. I can help."

His words hung in the room like smoke.

Apollo crossed his arms. "He's right."

Colton turned. "What?"

"We may need him," Apollo said. "You saw what happened with Selene's memories. Kevin's tied to the Underworld now. That

connection might be the only reason we even have a shot at reaching Mnemosyne."

"But it's dangerous," Colton argued.

"Of course it is," Apollo said. "Everything is now."

Kevin stepped closer to Colton. "I'm not asking your permission. I'm telling you I'm going. If I can't sleep, if I can't rest—then

I'm going to do something with it."

Colton hesitated. Then nodded, just once. "Alright. But you stay close."

Kevin gave the faintest smile. "You wish."

Colton turned to Hestia. "You'll stay here?"

"I always do," she said softly. "My duty is to guard the flame. And you've lit something in the world that's catching fast."

He looked to his mom, who had remained quiet through most of the talk, hands folded in her lap. She stepped forward, arms wide, and pulled him into a tight hug.

"You're going to do something great," she whispered. "You already have."

He swallowed the knot in his throat.

"I'll talk to you through the orb," she added. "You won't be alone."

Colton stepped back, trying to smile. "Tell me you love me sometimes. It helps."

His mom wiped a tear and nodded. "Every chance I get."

Kevin gave Hestia a respectful nod, then to Colton's mom. "We'll bring something back worth remembering."

Hestia leaned on the iron rod. "Be careful. The path to the spring isn't guarded by monsters. It's guarded by what you've forgotten… and worse, by what you want to forget."

Apollo raised an eyebrow. "Cryptic."

Hestia gave him a thin smile. "It's her domain, not mine."

Colton shouldered his pack. "Then let's go talk to the goddess of memory."

Hestia raised her hand. The air

shimmered.

A circular portal bloomed into view

above the stone floor, rippling like light through water. The fire beside it dimmed.

"I don't know how long I can keep it

open," she said, her voice clipped with strain. "So hurry."

Apollo, Colton, and Kevin exchanged a

look, then stepped forward together.

The portal swallowed them.

They landed on uneven stone, a dense

haze already swirling around their ankles. A low fog stretched ahead, cold and faintly glowing—unnatural, like it was alive. Just beyond it, a narrow veil of mist hovered, almost pulsing.

"That's it," Apollo said. "The Memory Veil. I'm not too sure I know what will happen when we step through. Be prepared for anything."

Colton swallowed hard.

He stepped forward and passed into the

mist.

Everything vanished.

He blinked. The light changed. The

chill was gone.

It was warm. Sunny.

He was standing on a sidewalk in front

of his old elementary school.

Confused, he looked down—and realized

he was holding a hand. Larger. Familiar.

He looked up.

"Dad?" he whispered.

Marcus. His father.

Marcus smiled, looking down at him.

"You okay, buddy?"

Colton's throat closed. His eyes

welled up. "Dad—oh my god, Dad—I missed you. So much."

Marcus laughed lightly. "What? We've

been here for ten seconds. I haven't let go of your hand yet. I'll see you tonight when I get off work, okay? We've got big plans."

Colton's body shook. He remembered

this. It was his 7th Birthday. It was the last time he ever saw his father. The day he died. He had dropped Colton off at school that morning and never came home.

"No. Please. Just—just take me home,"

Colton begged, holding tighter to his father's hand. "Let's go home. Skip school. Please."

Marcus smiled at him but there was

confusion in his eyes. "Come on, Colt. What's gotten into you?"

"I don't feel good," Colton said,

desperation rising. "Something's wrong. Just… don't go to work today. Please."

Marcus crouched slightly, voice soft

but stern. "Colton. School. Now."

He peeled Colton's hand off and turned

to go.

"No—Dad, wait—!"

But the world shimmered.

Now he was somewhere else.

Gray. Dim. Freezing cold.

Shadows danced on the ground like ink

in water.

The same sidewalk—but wrong. Twisted.

His father stood in the distance, shoulders stiff, glancing around nervously.

"No—no—get out of there!" Colton

screamed, but nothing came out. His voice was gone.

He tried to run—but his feet wouldn't

move. He was rooted to the floor.

Shades began to crawl from the edges

of the shadows. Grotesque. Clawed. Their limbs stretched unnaturally, faces empty but for hungry eyes. Black liquid dripped from their mouths.

They encircled his father.

"DAD!" Colton sobbed, thrashing—but

stuck.

The shades pounced.

Colton screamed.

And then he was on his back.

Air rushed into his lungs as he opened

his eyes to a blue sky overhead.

The taste of ash in his mouth. The

smell of sweat and smoke.

He was being dragged across the stone

by the armpits—gravel scraping beneath him.

He looked up.

Kevin.

Kevin's face was pale with effort, but

determined. He strained to pull Colton farther from the mist.

Colton coughed hard. "What… what

happened?"

Kevin didn't answer. He was already

turning back.

"The mist—Apollo he's still in there,"

he said, wiping his forehead. "I need to go back in. Stay here. Don't move."

Without waiting, Kevin plunged back

into the fog.

Colton rolled onto his side, heart

still thudding, chest heaving.

A minute passed.

Then another.

And then came the dragging again.

Kevin emerged from the veil, this time

struggling to pull Apollo's limp form.

The god's armor was dulled. His head

lolled.

Colton stumbled to help, grabbing

Apollo's other arm, and together they pulled him free from the fog's edge.

Apollo groaned, blinking slowly.

He looked at Colton. Then Kevin.

He didn't speak—just stared.

There were tears still steaming from

their faces.

Neither asked what the other had seen.

They both turned to Kevin.

And Kevin…

Kevin was fine.

Dry-eyed. Steady.

Unshaken. 

Didn't even look like he broke a

sweat.