[The sky above the Doors of Death crackles with dark energy. Debris falls from the crumbling cavern ceiling, the air thick with ash and blood. Leo Valdez, face streaked with soot, struggles to keep his footing as the ground trembles. A sudden explosion erupts nearby, the shockwave knocking him off balance. He reaches out desperately, fingers grazing the crumbling ledge—but he falls, his friends’ screams fading into the abyss.]

[Darkness swallows him. The fall feels endless until he crashes into an icy, sluggish river—the Cocytus. The water is thick, chilling him to the bone. Pain, guilt, and sorrow surge through him, overwhelming. Memories of his worst regrets assault his mind: his mother’s face in the fire, lonely years at camp, fear of never being enough. The river clings to him, whispering every failure, dragging him under.]

Leo Valdez: “N-no… not like this… I can’t… I can’t breathe—”

[His voice is a rasp, choked by despair. But deep inside, a spark flickers—literally. A faint ember ignites at his fingertips. Gritting his teeth, Leo focuses on it, channeling his pain into fuel. The ember grows, fighting the cold until flames burst around him, steaming against the cursed water. His body aches, but the warmth brings clarity. He kicks, thrashes, and breaks the surface, gasping.]

Leo Valdez: “I’m not… done yet.”

[Shaking, he drags himself onto jagged rocks. The landscape of Tartarus stretches around him—twisted and nightmarish. Shadows move in the distance, drawn to him. But Leo clenches his fists, flames flickering weakly in his palms. He’s alone, terrified, and broken… but alive. And as long as he’s breathing, he’s not giving up.]