ZENITH ➸ avengers x pjo au ✔️

n for nightmares

❝ NO MORE MERCY,
NO MORE PAIN,
NO ESCAPE.❞

Suffocation, that's all Kara felt as the toxic air filled her lungs. Her sight was blurred, and pieces of glass cut into her feet through her half-torn sneakers but she had to move. She had to make it to the River of Fire.

Her legs gave out as blood seeped into the broken shore of Phlegethon, the River of Fire, but she caught herself with her hands, the shards of glass on the ground impaling themselves deep within her skin and bones.

Unable to stand or walk, the daughter of Poseidon crawled to the river with her remaining strength. The toxic air had filled her lungs, leaving her unable to breathe. The lack of oxygen and blood loss made her feel even more light-headed. She could barely keep her eyes open as her hands reached into the liquid fire.

Kara scooped up the liquid fire, using the last of her willpower to bring the liquid to her mouth to drink it, draining it down her throat. At first it tasted like sand but then the magical effects of the river of pain started to kick in, making her cough and splutter, as she started to regain her breath and could see clearly. But every breath of the poisonous air still scorched her lungs.

Once she regained all her senses, her mind and body only registered one thing; that she was still stuck in hell. Alone and armed with only her sword and bow. Jumping into the River of Fire sounded like a better idea than that at the moment.

Her dream started to shift; flashes of pain, blood, death, hope and despair. She felt every flash of emotion pass by her, every single one of them, until she was standing at the edge of the Abyss.

She stared out into the empty darkness which contained nothing to see, but held the beginning of everything. As she stared deeper into it, the darkness engulfed her and the scene shifted.

The waters of Cocytus, the River of Lamentation, surrounded her, encouraging her despair and desire to just give up. At that moment, Kara just wanted to give into the River of Lamentation, surrendering to its song of hopelessness.

She just wanted to lie down and give up on the war, on Gaea—

No, Kara thought, her will to keep fighting returning with a sense of vengeance. With a yell, she shook the pit itself, allowing her powers to pulse, sending all the water around her into the air.

Her eyes began to glow and burn with immense intensity. Rage filled her mind, determination to make Tartarus, the Primordial god of the pit and his Lover, Gaea, fade into nothingness.

She summoned her blade, Riptide, which shone with exquisite glory, as it reflected the light from the aquatic fire burning in her eyes. Her mind was clouded as she willed the River of Lamentation to part around her while she walked out of the river and onto the deceitful body of Tartarus. She concealed the negativity of the place, bottling up the emotions that were forming inside of her.

Images began to blur together, fasting forward as she watched herself fight through hell, using blood-bending on every creature she encountered, ripping them from inside out, hearing their howls of anguish.

The dream slowed, showing her facing a woman with grey hair and sunken eyes, Akhlys, the goddess of misery and poison.

She watched herself as the goddess surrounded her with the death mist and quickly threw orbs of poison at her. Taken by surprise by the goddess's action, some of the poison had managed to hit her, making her scream in agony.

Kara felt herself overcome the poison as rage overtook herself and felt her power pulsing inside of her. She felt the ichor pulsing through the misery goddess and with a scream of primal fury, she willed the poison out of her system and back into Akhlys, who's eyes widened in surprise and fear.

When the goddess tried to flee, she screamed in unimaginable pain. Akhlys's body was squirming as her veins began to glow gold. The poison splashed directly onto her, eating through her robes and skin.

The goddess turned her head, so she was facing directly at Kara.

The daughter of Poseidon didn't want to stop. She wanted to choke the goddess. She wanted to watch Akhlys drown in her own poison. She wanted to see just how much misery Misery could take.

She raised her hands, making a grabbing gesture, as Akhlys's body suddenly shook and the goddess began to thrash violently. The daughter of Poseidon's face turned into one of gruesome determination as she controlled the ichor inside the goddess.

Kara felt the golden ichor obey her commands, and with a savage yell, that shook the whole pit itself, she pulled the goddess apart.