To live is to struggle 2/2

Around a week had passed and Christina's wound didn't get better. The ambrosia helped with the poisoning, but the deep cut was still there.

The entire group took a heavy hit on the scorpion's attack, all blamed themselves. Having Christina in this state slowed them down a lot, forcing Luke to carry her instead of his own backpack meant that Thalia had to carry two backpacks, her own and Luke's. Annabeth carried her stuff as well as Christina's things, so overall they were going slower and simultaneously growing more and more tired.

It had been a long time since they met in Virginia, they already went across Pennsylvania and New York, meaning right now they were in Connecticut. Luke knew very well what else was in Connecticut, relatively close to their current location actually. As much as he didn't want to go back, he knew they had no other choice right now.

As they made their way to Luke's childhood home, the group grew more and more tired. Monster attacks didn't stop, forcing them to fight over and over again. This fights grew harder and harder as well, on each monster attack they needed a longer time to kill their enemies and each time the fights got closer to their defeat.

They had already created countless shelters along the way, but none had anything that could help them now, and none would be safer than Luke's house right now.

It took them around another week to get to Luke's house. The mood was pretty down, Christina had fever and the other's had their bodies covered in small cuts and bruises. Among them Thalia was the worst one, while Luke carried Christina on his shoulders Thalia was the one doing the most fighting, now she had a bandaged arm that she couldn't move, caused by a dracaena that stabbed her with a sword before she could activate her shield.

Once they where in front of the house, Thalia and Annabeth sighed in relief. Annabeth started taking bandages out from her backpack to change the ones covering Thalia's arm, which had began to bleed once again. Luke on the other hand was very tense, standing in front of the door... the door of the house he swore to never return to.

"You shouldn't have returned!" said a loud voice, making the three look in it's direction.

.

[ Christina pov ]

Christina knew this was not real, she was perfectly aware that this was just a product of her imagination, influenced by the fever. That's right... this was nothing more than a fever dream, nothing more than a realistic nightmare.

Despite knowing all this, despite her vast experience in managing through nightmares, despite surviving monster attacks and fighting while ignoring the fear... she knew she was outclassed this time.

A single white dove was in front of her, looking directly into her eyes as if it already knew everything. Christina felt danger unlike ever before looking at the dove, her fear increased countless times when the dove's peak opened.

"Quite the disappointment you are..." said the dove, it's eyes changing from black to red.

Christina wanted to run, but her feet her stuck to the floor.

"There is potential, of course, but that just makes it an even greater insult." continued the dove, it's wings slowly opening as if it was about to take flight.

Christina wanted to speak, but the words were stuck on her mouth.

"I didn't expect my 'husband' to actually do this you know?" said the bird, pronouncing the word husband with slight disgust.

Christina wanted to take her eyes away from the bird, but they remained looking at the same spot, ignoring her pleas.

"Sigh, he should have just stuck with laying traps to catch us... but to involve his own daughter in this..." continued the dove while the feathers of it's opened wings started falling down one by one, creating a very creepy scene.

The fear in Christina's heart grew with each feather that fell to the floor.

"I didn't expect him to go and do... 'this' while in a fit of anger." continued the white bird, while the feather kept falling until none remained in its wings. "Don't take this personally dear, after all... love, while beautiful, is also cruel to all, more unfair than anything else."

As soon as the bird's words stopped, all the feathers on the floor levitated and launched themselves in Christina's direction, covering the arms of the girl who was still paralysed by fear.

"You do good in fearing love, few fear me as much as you do right now. Be glad I am interested enough on what your choices will be that I am letting you live." with those threatening words, the dove disappeared.

Once the bird was gone, Christina dropped to her knees while breathing heavily, sweat falling down her neck and back.

"T-There is no w-way this i-is a d-dream." said Christina, her heart beating faster than ever before. Inwardly, she was slightly relieved that the 'bird' was gone, however she still couldn't take the fear it caused her out of her mind.

Once she calmed down a bit, she looked at her arms, wondering why they were covered in feathers. Her mind was also full of questions regarding the words the 'bird' said, however the feathers worried her much more right now. Moving her arms a bit, the feathers remained glued to them.

While she was wondering what to do, one of the feather's colour turned from white to red while a sizzling sound started coming from it.

"Ouch!" exclaimed Christina, noticing the feather burning her skin. One by one the feathers started chaining colour, each time they did they would burn a part of her arm, making her scream in pain.

After what felt like an eternity, nothing remained in her arms except by the arms themselves, which now had a charred appearance. While tears, product of the pain, escaped Christina's eyes, she watched as what remained of both arms slowly turned to ashes.