Midnight Sun pg.19

"He's right. This is amazing. We have to tell everyone! We don't have to live in the dark anymore! We can finally go to our real home!" As she said this, she walked toward Jack and stood by his side.

"Helia..." Phaeton said in disbelief.

Suddenly, Hal burst through the roof entrance, with Merope and Dioxippe right behind him. But they were also taken aback by the sunlight and Hal manages to reach Jack without any problems.

"Jack! You're alright!"

"What about you? You look like you got mugged twice over!"

"Nothing but some bruises, a black eye, and a bloody nose. I'll be fine. What I want to know why she's with you!" Hal demanded, pointing a finger at Helia.

"She's on our side now, but I'm not sure if the other three are going to be as cooperative..." Jack replied, watching the sisters carefully.

"Let me worry about that. I'll do my best to show them the truth," said Helia.

Merope and Dioxippe moved forward to meet their sister. Merope grabbed Helia by her cloak in a fit of fury.

"Is it true? Have you really joined the side of those liars?!"

"Just what do you think you're accomplishing by believing them?!" Dioxippe chimed in.

"Dioxippe...Merope...my sisters...don't you see? These boys were right. The sun is back, and the surface is habitable again! We just can't kill them when the proof is right there in front of our faces! We have to take them with us, help them convince our father and everyone else that it's safe to come up here; that we're no longer stuck in the dark."

The sisters were at a loss for words. Both of their minds were now filled with mixed emotions and neither of them were sure of what to say. Merope was the first to speak after letting Helia go.

"Do you mean to say...father lied to us?"

"Yes." Helia nodded sadly.

Merope looked down at the ground in shock. Dioxippe had an epiphany after hearing this and dropped to her knees. There was a look of great sorrow on her face.

"My God...this whole time, we've been asked to harm anyone who disobeys and goes up against the word of Helios, and he's been manipulating us to keep his people ignorant. We've complied with every one of those orders without question. We're horrible. I'm not sure who is worse, him or us."

Merope helped Dioxippe to her feet. Like her sister, tears were i her eyes. She looked at Hal specifically when she spoke again.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. and...I know you may never forgive us, especially Dioxippe and me, but please, let us help you."

Hal, no longer angry at the sisters, gave a slight nod.

"You know what...it's alright. You were following orders. All you've ever known is how to live in the world of Helios. And now that you've finally seen the light...quite literally actually...you know that what you did was wrong. Besides, we're going to need your—"

"Oh, SHUT IT!"

Everyone turned toward Phaeton. He held the metal pipe that Jack used to block the door and started to move toward the brothers, preparing to swing the pipe onto their heads. Helia, Dioxippe, and Merope stood in front of Jack and Hal to protect the brothers. Phaeton paused, now faced with a dilemma: while he wouldn't hesitate in killing the brothers, he wouldn't be able to lift a finger against his own sisters.

"The sun has returned! So what if it has?! If father wanted to keep it a secret from everyone, he must've had a good reason for doing so!"

While Phaeton was putting on a big show, he knew deep down that what he was saying wasn't true and that he was just trying to rationalize his father's actions. It was clear on his face that he was afraid to let go of how things were; when he spent his life in a state of blissful ignorance.