In one second, the demigods watched as Jihyo’s arrow was about to make contact with the Python as if in slow motion. In the next, they were thrown back by the force of the impact. Golden dust exploded and rushed outwards in a wide radius, similar to a mushroom cloud.

The Python was no more and its overbearing omnipresent presence was gone.

No more dancing shadows.

No more lingering whispers or hisses of doubt.

The cavern somehow became brighter, the shadows no longer appearing like malicious portals. Golden dust shimmered as it clung in small clumps in midair.

A series of groans and grunts pierced through the cavern. Momo slowly sat up, groaning because she landed on the cold stone ground on her back. With her golden trident still in hand, she twisted the handle to sheathe it; it returned to a golden ring, gleaming as it sat adjacent to her weapons ring on her hand. Gold paired with silver.

Chaeyoung also recovered from her fall slowly. She leaned back on her arms as she sat up, still in a daze but finally able to breathe easy now that the Evil was defeated. And by them no less!

Jihyo sighed in deep relief. She twisted her bow, the weapon glimmered gold as it returned as her ring. Jihyo’s legs trembled before she flopped down unceremoniously. Her body wasn’t tense or stressed any more; in fact, it’s the most laid back since they’ve started the quest!

The three demigods stared at each other in silence. Feelings of disbelief and awe and, of course, post-battle fatigue settled within Momo. She could see the same feelings evident on the faces of her friends too.

We did it… we really completed Hercules’s 12 Labors and defeated the ancient evil Python.

Once the realization began to sink in, smiles and grins slowly stretched across their faces one by one. Momo swung her arms around Jihyo and Chaeyoung’s shoulders. She swayed them left and right as she let out a loud and joyful laugh, feeling as free as she could now that the heavy weight of the quest had been lifted from their shoulders. The two demigods let themselves be swayed while joining in on the laughing.

The golden dust shimmered again, the image like a hundred thousand fireflies glowing in the now luminous cave.

Before anyone could say or do anything, the golden dust let out a strong pulse. It was strong enough to echo throughout the cave. The demigods stood up in alarm. What now? What could possibly appear after they defeated the mythical Python?

All of the golden dust rushed back to the epicenter of the blast, like an explosion being reversed. It swirled and swirled like a golden cyclone. The gold kept whirling until it started to condense into a single point. Light flashed and then there was a golden sphere simply floating in the air.

Momo had to squint her eyes to study the bright orb of light. She could make out triangular shards orbiting the golden orb, like moons orbiting a planet.

The demigods were hesitant on what to do next. How do you casually approach a glowing gold light orb the size of a panda? Should you even?

Luckily for them, the orb made the next move. It pulsed a number of times before circling the demigods, sprinkling them in warm rays of light. Any knicks or scraps on their skin began to heal instantly. Then it made a lap around the cave, clearing any remaining and unnatural shadows before whizzing straight towards the exit.

Jihyo let out a gasp as she smacked her forehead, the action letting loose an impressive clap of noise, “The Rays of the Sun! How could I forget!”

The Daughter of Apollo ran after it, with Momo and Chaeyoung following her in a similar rush. They backtracked their way to the cave entrance, climbing uphill and bypassing the small graveyard of animal bones once again. Upon exiting, they were hit with natural beams of sunlight.

The previously deteriorated mountain clearing didn’t exist anymore. Any trace of it was simply gone.

The mountain looked straight out of a tourist book with vibrant hues of the environment. The surrounding vegetation bloomed like it was a well-kept garden. The water was crystal clear and glittered in the sunlight. Speaking of, the sun shone bright above. No sign of dreary darkness or shadows was to be found like before they had entered the Python’s lair.

“We did it… we really did it guys!”

Momo’s words came out as a quiet tremble, her voice reflecting her condition—mainly relief and exhaustion. This entire quest took a toll on her; so much traveling, fighting, strange encounters and near-death experiences.

She gathered her two friends in her arms essentially forming an impromptu group hug.

“I’m… so happy we made it through together.”

A sniffle came from the hug (most likely from Chaeyoung). “Stop it… you’re gonna make me cry.”

Jihyo laughed gently. It felt so good to laugh leisurely like this again.

The demigods basked in their shared victory and happiness a little while longer. Each of them were feeling a bit overwhelmed; pride, joy, and relief was the common emotion currently dancing in their bodies and hearts.

Slowly, Momo drew back from the hug, but remained close enough to still be in their personal space. She faced them and uttered the sweet words they were all thinking of, “Let’s go home.”

Chaeyoung nodded enthusiastically. A bright smile formed on Jihyo’s lips. They both watched as Momo dug through her backpack and brought out something familiar. Three translucent balls were passed out to each of them. Souvenirs from Eurytion from when they had visited the Triple G Ranch.

“Alright!” Momo looked back and forth between her two companions. “Let’s get back to the Camp!”

Simultaneously, the three demigods crushed the translucent orb in their hands. There was a loud pop that echoed. A clear bubble grew from the crushed remains. It grew big enough to encompass the group before blinking them away with another loud pop.

All that remained was the revitalized blue and green mountain clearing. The spring water rippled in time with the breeze. Birds chirped and the trees swayed gently. There was no trace of the prior darkness, as if there never was in the first place.