Chapter 65 – The Awakening
Dante sat alone in the quiet corridor of the hospital, the sterile white walls and faint beeping of machines creating a strange, almost peaceful backdrop to his racing thoughts. He leaned back against the cool surface, arms crossed, eyes half-closed as he processed everything that had happened. Well, what do I have to do now? Bella will probably take a while to wake up, since her body is adapting to becoming half-dragon. The transformation isn't instant—her cells are rewriting themselves, merging human fragility with draconic resilience. It could be hours, maybe even a day before she stabilizes. But I have to get back here before she wakes up so she doesn't punch a hole through a nurse's chest due to loss of strength control. That kind of power surge in a hospital room would be a disaster broken bones, alarms everywhere, questions I can't answer. And think I'll go to Camp Half-Blood to let everyone know we're okay. After all, before coming to Olympus, I opened a passage home for Sally, so she must have already met Percy in these two days. Percy probably hugged her the second she stepped through, tears and all. So I just have to let them know I'm fine. After all, after that rage of mine—the sky turning black, the roar that shook the world they must be really worried. They probably think I started the apocalypse or something.
His thoughts were interrupted by a soft voice from the side. "Dante... can we talk?"
He turned his head and saw Alice standing there, her usual confident posture replaced with something hesitant, almost vulnerable. Her golden eyes looked down for a moment before meeting his.
Alice looked at Dante and said embarrassed: "You know, the fault for all this happening was mine. So I'll understand if you don't want to see me anymore."
Dante didn't hesitate. He stood up, crossed the short distance between them, and gently pulled her into his arms. "Good thing you're okay."
Alice froze for a split second in surprise, then melted against him, wrapping her arms around his back with surprising strength, burying her face in his chest.
Dante looked down at her and said softly: "I can't stay mad at you, you know that."
Alice lifted her head slightly, a small, relieved smile breaking through. "It seems I have a lot of luck being so loved like this."
Dante smiled back, cupping her face gently before leaning down to kiss her. She responded immediately, her arms sliding up to wrap around his neck, pulling him closer. The kiss deepened for a long moment, full of unspoken relief and gratitude, before they finally parted, foreheads resting together.
Dante then guided her to sit on one of the stiff hospital couches. He sat beside her, their shoulders touching. He looked at her and said: "So I only have one question. Did those vampires who attacked Bella say anything?"
Alice thought for a bit, replaying the chaotic scene in her mind. "Well, they said she had the scent of a guy who kicked one of them out of a bar in New York."
Dante, hearing that, let out a long sigh and rubbed the back of his neck. "So it's my fault. It seems I have to be more careful from now on."
Alice looked at him confused and asked: "How is that your fault?"
Dante met her gaze and explained calmly: "I saw some vampires starting a fight with a group of normal people. They were even planning to drag them outside the bar to kill them. I stepped in the middle, threatened them to leave the place quickly. I think the vampire who attacked Bella was in that group. If I had known they would cause so much trouble later, I would have killed them all at once."
Alice, seeing the guilt flicker across his face, reached over and held his hand tightly. "You have no fault. How could you predict this would happen? You did what you always do—protected people. That's who you are."
Dante smiled at her, squeezing her hand back. "Thank you so much for the support. But now I have to go take care of something."
Alice tilted her head. "What do you have to take care of?"
Dante said: "You know Camp Half-Blood where I went to do the mission with my uncle? Since I left there running and causing that mess you saw in the sky, I have to go back to let them know I'm okay so they don't worry about anything."
Alice smiled softly and said: "Yes, then go."
Dante leaned in and gave her one more gentle kiss. After a few lingering moments, they separated.
Dante said: "So I'm going there, dear."
He stood, walked out of the hospital, found a quiet alley behind the building, and opened a shimmering portal to Camp Half-Blood. The familiar scent of pine and sea salt hit him as he stepped through.
Dante walked toward Percy's cabin, the camp paths quiet under the afternoon sun. But before he could take another step, Annabeth launched herself at him from the side.
Dante's reflexes kicked in—he opened his arms instantly and caught her mid-jump, spinning slightly to absorb the impact.
Dante said: "Careful, it's dangerous. What if you get hurt?"
Annabeth shouted at him angrily, fists lightly pounding his chest: "Idiot! Do you know how worried I was when I saw you leaving like that and you still stayed two days without saying anything? What do you think I am
Dante hugged her tightly, one hand cradling the back of her head. "Sorry. I should have warned, but things were really complicated."
Annabeth slowly calmed down, her breathing evening out against his shoulder. She pulled back just enough to look at him and asked: "What happened to make you so angry?"
At that moment Percy appeared with Grover trailing behind. Percy crossed his arms and said: "Yes, I'd like to know too."
Dante said: "Well, it's a long story." He then looked at Percy and asked: "But you already met your mom, Percy?"
Percy smiled, the relief clear on his face. "Yes. She already came here to see me and said she's safe. Thanks for bringing her back to me."
Dante said: "That was nothing."
Grover said impatiently: "So you're not going to tell us why you left looking like you were going to cause the end of the world? After you left like that, all the gods were waiting for a destruction or war, but a few minutes later the weather was normal again. So everyone was left confused."
Dante said: "Well, let's go to a more private place to talk." He pointed toward the cabins, noticing a few other demigods staring curiously from a distance.
Percy nodded. "It's better then. Let's go to my cabin. There we can talk properly."
They started walking toward Percy's cabin, the group quiet but tense with anticipation.
Arriving there, Dante sat on the worn couch with Annabeth settling into his lap, her arms around his neck. He looked at them and began explaining the attack his sister suffered from a vampire and how she almost died—that he had to give her his heart to save her.
After he finished, the room fell into stunned silence.
Then Percy said: "Wait. So you literally ripped out your heart and gave it to her?"
Dante said: "Yes, that's it. After all, there was no other way. It was that or let her die."
Percy said: "Man, what can I say? I can only say that you love that sister of yours a lot. After all, that's no small thing. Even with the hydra's super regeneration, it must hurt like hell to do that."
Grover said: "I just feel sorry for the guys who try to ask your sister out. How do normal humans compete with that? That's a rigged game."
Annabeth said: "Honestly, I don't know if I praise your act or complain about you acting with so much lack of responsibility. What if something happens and you die? You didn't think about me, did you?"
Dante held her tighter. "I know. But I couldn't let my sister die."
Annabeth said: "I know that. But I still have the right to be mad at you."
Dante sighed. "Yes, ma'am. You can be mad at this irresponsible guy here."
Grover and Percy exchanged amused glances. Percy then said: "Well, but it's good to see that everything ended well in the end. We returned the master bolt to Zeus and prevented a war, even with some setbacks in the end, but we managed to complete the mission."
Dante smiled. "Well, it's true. You guys did well in that." He then looked at Annabeth and asked: "And you, how was the conversation with your mom? Was it good?"
Annabeth said: "I really can't have much to talk about. After all, we barely know each other, so there wasn't much to say. But it was possible to get to know her a little better."
Dante smiled. "Well, that's really good." He then glanced at his watch. "Well, guys, I have to go. My sister could wake up at any moment. I don't know how my heart will behave in a human body, so I have to keep an eye on it."
Percy said: "You can go, man. We understand if you need to."
Annabeth said: "Well, since you already did this irresponsible thing, it's better you go so there are no consequences for innocent people."
Dante smiled and kissed her deeply. After a lingering moment they separated. He said: "Yes, I'll be careful. And if you need anything, just call me." He handed her a small note with his cell phone number. "Just call me and I'll come as fast as possible."
Annabeth smiling said: "That's a very comforting promise coming from someone with teleportation power."
Dante stood, opened a portal in the corner of the cabin, and stepped through, emerging in the alley behind the hospital.
He walked quickly toward Bella's room.
Arriving there, he saw her eyelids fluttering—she was starting to wake.
Dante approached slowly, heart pounding for reasons he couldn't quite name.
Bella opened her eyes fully and said confused: "Where am I?"
Dante said gently: "Well, my favorite sister is now in a hospital."
Bella, hearing his voice, turned her head and saw him. She smiled weakly. "I'm your only sister and of course I would be the favorite."
Dante sat carefully on the edge of the bed. "Yes, you have a good point." He then asked: "Do you remember what happened?"
Bella's expression darkened as the memories flooded back—the vampires, the sudden attack, the pain. She started trembling, her hands clutching the sheets. She looked down at her chest and saw a faint dark blue light pulsing beneath her skin like a heartbeat made of sapphire.
Bella was in shock and asked: "What is that?"
Dante gently took her hands. "First calm down. Breathe deep."
Bella followed his instructions, her breathing slowing until the light faded and disappeared.
Now calmer, she asked: "What was that?"
Dante explained carefully: "Well, there was a problem saving you because your original heart was almost completely destroyed. So you only had three days to live. And as you know, the queue to receive a heart is huge. Getting a heart in three days is no more than a dream or super miracle for that to happen."
Bella said: But I was going to die because there were no hearts available for transplant, how is it possible for me to have this heart now
She looked at Dante, noticed the soft blue glow reflection in his eyes, and realization hit. She stared at him trembling and said: "The heart I have is yours, right?"
Dante said quietly: "Well, it seems you got me."
Bella's voice cracked: "How is that possible? How are you alive?"
Dante said: "Well, I have super regeneration and it just regenerated another one. But I confess it hurt a lot. I really didn't want to do something like that
Bella said in shock: "Why did you do something like that? You could have died if your regeneration failed. After the first time you take out your heart..."
Dante smiled softly. "Well, I couldn't let my sister die when I can help. Right? If I can't even protect who I love, what's the point of having all this power?"
Bella whispered: "You idiot. How am I going to repay this? We're siblings, remember? I can't repay this."
Dante said: "Technically we're more not."
Bella asked confused: "How so?"
Dante explained the DNA change, the shift from human to dragon, the impossibility of shared blood anymore. After he finished, Bella looked at him with wide eyes and said: "So you're saying you were born as my half-brother because you were my father's son, but when you became a dragon your entire DNA changed and it's as if you were human and now became a bear. It's impossible for us to have the same DNA because we're not even the same species anymore. Is that right?"
Dante said: "Well, you simplified it well, but yes."
Bella said: "I understand." She suddenly threw herself into his arms and kissed him.
Dante was surprised for half a second, then wrapped his arms around her and returned the kiss deeply. After a long moment they separated, breathing heavily. She crawled fully into his embrace and whispered: "Your heart and mine beat at the same time."
Dante held this older sister in his arms and thought: Ah, what a mess. In the end I ended up with Bella. Well, but at least better than a vampire project and a husky on steroids. At least with this I avoid a certain baby becoming the adult companion.
Bella noticed his distant look and asked: "What were you thinking?"
Dante looked at her and said: "Well, nothing." He kissed her forehead tenderly. "You've become half-dragon. We're going to have to test what you gained afterward. For now, don't touch anyone. The strength you used to hug me could tear a normal person in half."
Bella said: "So I became a dragon too? I'm part of this world now?"
Dante said: "yes I just have to teach you."
Dante hugged her tightly, resting his chin on top of her head, and thought: Well, at least she's alive despite the setbacks.