The snow fell in thick flakes over the mountainous forest, turning the scene into a frigid and treacherous battlefield. The night was clear, illuminated by the silver glow of the full moon, and the air was charged with the tension that preceded an inevitable fight.
Thalia held Aegis on her left arm, the Medusa-head shield reflecting the moonlight and casting a golden glow on the untouched snow. In her other hand, she wielded her celestial spear, lightning pulsing at its tip like a restless beast.
Beside her, Zoë already had her bow raised, a silver arrow resting against the taut string. Her gaze was sharp, assessing the enemy formation with the precision of an experienced hunter.
What they were facing was no ordinary threat.
Surrounding them in the clearing were at least a dozen empousai, their flaming eyes glowing in the darkness, their donkey legs sinking into the snow with a disgruntled hiss. Behind them, three enormous Laestrygonians roared, their bluish skins appearing even more frightening under the reflection of the ice.
But the worst was the creature in the center of the group.
A drakon.
The monstrous serpent raised its black-scaled head and let out a roar that shook the branches of the trees. Its breath reeked of sulfur and rotting flesh, and its yellow eyes gleamed with cruel intelligence.
"Good," Zoë murmured, pulling the arrow to her cheek. "We hunt something worthy tonight."
Thalia smirked, twirling her spear. "Try not to have too much fun."
The Hunters were positioned in a semicircle behind them, all with their bows raised, waiting for the command. Artemis, in her teenage form, stood beside them, her silver eyes shining with a predatory gleam.
"Zoë, take half the Hunters and bring down the Laestrygonians," Artemis ordered, her voice calm and firm. "Thalia, you take the front. Your spear's electricity should be enough to ward off the drakon. Don't let it swallow you."
Thalia snorted. "Yes, milady."
The monsters advanced.
The Hunters loosed their arrows with deadly accuracy, the silver projectiles slicing through the air and piercing the chests of the empousai before they could take a single step. The creatures shrieked before dissolving into golden dust.
Zoë and her archers glided through the snow like shadows, shooting at the Laestrygonians with methodical efficiency. The giants roared in fury, smashing trees as they tried to reach them, but Zoë was quick, each time a monster tried to attack her, another Hunter had already shot a well-aimed arrow into its eye or knee.
Thalia didn't have time to admire the strategy.
The drakon roared and lunged at her, its tail sweeping the snow towards her like a lethal whip. Thalia jumped back at the last second, rolling over her shoulder before rising and throwing her spear.
Lightning exploded against the monster's scales, illuminating the forest in white and blue. The beast roared, shaking its head, but it didn't fall.
Great.
"Feel free to shoot it anytime, okay?" she yelled to the Hunters.
A rain of silver arrows pierced the drakon's side, and it roared in pain, turning its head towards them. Thalia took advantage of the distraction and ran through the snow, sliding under the monster's belly while summoning more electricity into her spear.
"Hey, ugly! Down here!"
She thrust the spear into the thin skin of the drakon's belly and released the electric shock. The monster convulsed, flames escaping its mouth as it tried to react.
Before it could crush her, Artemis appeared in a leap, landing on the monster's back with superhuman lightness. Her bow shimmered silver, and with a single shot, she drove an arrow directly into the base of the drakon's skull.
The creature let out one last roar before collapsing sideways into the snow, trembling one last time before dissolving into golden mist.
Around the clearing, the last monsters were eliminated.
The Laestrygonians crumbled under the precise blows of Zoë and her Hunters, and the remains of the empousai had already dissipated in the wind.
Silence fell over the forest.
Thalia wiped the snow from her face, panting, and looked at Zoë, who was in the same condition.
The two stared at each other for a moment.
Then they smiled.
"You're getting better," Zoë admitted.
"Thanks. You weren't so bad yourself," Thalia retorted.
Zoë rolled her eyes, but Thalia noticed she was suppressing a smile.
Artemis walked between them, surveying the battlefield. "Good work. I expected no less from you two."
Thalia felt a silent pride grow within her.
As silence fell over the forest, Thalia wiped the snow from her forehead and looked at Zoë. A few days ago, any moment of quiet between them would have been charged with tension, every exchange of glances an undeclared war, every word a spark ready to explode.
Zoë never liked her. That had been obvious from the start, despite having put aside their differences during the mission to rescue Artemis. Due to her becoming the new lieutenant of the Hunt alongside the daughter of Atlas, the two returned to their old ways.
And, to be fair, Thalia didn't care to like her either. The leader of the Hunters was rigid, old-fashioned, and bossy, and Thalia never dealt well with authority figures. And, in the beginning, she found the way the daughter of Atlas always seemed convinced she was right about everything unbearable.
But now...
Now, fighting alongside Zoë felt natural. Trusting her was instinctive.
Perhaps it was the time they spent hunting and battling together. Perhaps it had been the daily coexistence, the moments of silence around the campfires, the exchanged glances in the midst of chaos, where no words were needed for one to understand what the other meant.
Or maybe, Thalia thought, what united them was the fact that, deep down, they weren't as different as they liked to believe.
Zoë was loyal to the bone, and that was something Thalia respected more than anything else. When Zoë said she would protect someone, she did so to the end, without hesitation, without doubt. Thalia could see that loyalty in the way Zoë looked at Artemis, in the care she had for the younger Hunters, in the way she never backed down, no matter the enemy.
And, in a strange way, Zoë reminded Thalia of herself.
She was also stubborn, she also refused to lower her head. She also carried the weight of past mistakes on her shoulders, even if she pretended she didn't.
Thalia didn't know when, exactly, the rivalry between them turned into respect. Maybe it was the first time Zoë entrusted her with the command of a hunt. Or when Thalia covered Zoë in battle without even thinking. Or when, after a difficult day, Zoë simply sat next to her by the river and stayed there, saying nothing, just staring at the moon with her.
She was starting to see the Hunt as her home.
It was strange to think about that.
For so long, Thalia believed her place was beside Luke and Annabeth, wandering aimlessly, surviving day after day. Then, when she arrived at Camp, she thought she belonged there. But there was always something restless inside her, a desire for more, for something beyond the magical borders of Camp Half-Blood, even more so after she learned all about Luke betraying her new home and joining the enemy of the Gods...
Anyway, the Hunters gave her that.
The wind in her face, the freedom of the road, the feeling of belonging to something bigger. The Hunters were her sisters now, and Artemis... Artemis believed in her, and Thalia didn't want to disappoint her.
But even now, even feeling that certainty growing inside her, her thoughts drifted.
Ikki...
It had been a few days since she had spoken to him.
She wondered how he was. If he was still getting into trouble, if he still made that smug face when he wanted to annoy someone, if he was okay.
And Annabeth? And Grover?
Was Camp okay?
She pressed her lips together. She shouldn't be thinking about this. She had made her choice. This was her life now. But Camp was still a part of her, and some people – some connections – weren't so easily broken.
Maybe, if she had a moment, she could send an Iris message. Just to make sure everything was okay.
But not now.
Now, she needed to focus.
.
.
.
.
Camp Half-Blood...
Silena Beauregard left the Aphrodite cabin without a word, only after her sisters and brothers had pulled her out of her reverie to go teach Pegasus riding lessons.
On the way, although two days had passed since the decision, the other demigods were still talking, debating Chiron's decision and the new counselors. Ikki's magic had changed everything.
Some gained powers they never imagined having, others weren't so lucky. This caused a reorganization in the cabins: those with demigods with special abilities were now led by them, while others continued with the same counselors. It seemed fair. Balanced.
Silena didn't care.
She walked through the courtyard, not really seeing anything around her. The whispers, the theories, the discussions... everything seemed distant, as if she were submerged underwater.
Only one thing mattered.
Ikki's forgiveness.
She stopped for a moment, observing the rest of the campers. Some were excited, others frustrated. Some seemed to want to blow something up just to see if they could get a new power too.
She didn't feel any of that.
Silena walked through the camp without really seeing where she was going. Her body moved reflexively, as if on autopilot, but her mind was far away. Lost in memories.
She remembered the day she met Ikki.
He had arrived at Camp Half-Blood in a not-so-discreet way, which was typical of him. A new demigod, powerful, mysterious, with that almost supernatural presence that made people stare at him endlessly.
Chiron asked her to show him around the camp, and she obeyed without complaint. At first, Ikki was reserved, observing everything in silence, asking occasional questions. But as time passed, he relaxed. They started to really talk. And that's how it all began.
They became friends.
Ikki always liked to say that she was one of the few people who weren't affected by his perfect appearance. That she saw him as he really was, without getting lost in the almost inhuman beauty that made so many demigods stutter in front of him.
But now... something was strange.
No one talked about Ikki's appearance anymore.
Before, he was the kind of person who caused reactions wherever he went. People stammered, averted their eyes, fidgeted. Even the most experienced demigods seemed affected. But now... nothing.
It was as if, suddenly, everyone had stopped noticing what was once impossible to ignore. As if he had become just another camper.
Anyway, putting that aside, it was a lie that she wasn't affected by it.
She was also affected. Perhaps more than anyone. But not because of his appearance. Yes, Ikki was beautiful in a way that defied logic, but what really attracted her to him was who he was.
The best person she'd ever met.
Ikki could be cold and closed off to the rest of the world, but with her? He was different. Someone who laughed at the little things, who offered silent support when she needed it, who stayed by her side even when she didn't deserve it.
They went through a lot together.
But now... she didn't even know if she still had that right.
The weight of guilt crushed her more than any armor or sword could.
And if she had to pay with her own life to recover what she lost...
Then so be it.
She smiled slightly as she continued walking towards the stables.
While the daughter of Aphrodite was lost in her thoughts. On the other side of Camp Half-Blood.
Annabeth loved the Camp Half-Blood library. It was one of the few places where she could find some quiet, without magical explosions, training shouts, or some camper freaking out because they discovered their divine parent was a minor god no one remembered the name of.
It was the perfect place to study architecture. Or, at least, it should have been.
She flipped through a book on Greek columns, jotting down some details about ancient temple structures, but her mind was... wandering.
Without realizing it, her fingers gripped the pencil and began to doodle absentmindedly in the corner of the page.
When she looked down, she frowned.
She wasn't drawing columns or architectural plans. She wasn't sketching a new design for Olympus or a fortification layout for Camp.
It was a drawing. A small sketch of a boy.
Ikki.
Annabeth felt her face heat up.
The straight dark hair that fell to the middle of his back. That subtle tilt of his head, as if he was always about to let loose a provocation that would make her want to punch him and kiss him at the same time.
Great. Now she was drawing the boy she loved without even realizing it. Ever since she decided to say 'screw it' to the idea of him liking Artemis and try to pursue him, this happened more often...
She closed her eyes for a second and took a deep breath.
"Focus, Annabeth," she murmured to herself.
But focus was difficult when Ikki existed. He was like an architectural problem impossible to solve, a labyrinth without an exit, a riddle without an answer – and she hated riddles without answers.
Irritated, she grabbed the eraser and erased the drawing with more force than necessary. As if that would solve anything. As if that would make Ikki disappear from her thoughts.
But, of course, that wouldn't happen.
Because, like it or not, Ikki always ended up coming back to her mind. Like a stubborn scribble that refused to be erased.
She sighed in frustration before trying to concentrate again.
Meanwhile, at the archery training area, Bianca di Angelo crossed her arms as she watched Nico hold the bow as if it were a spear. Beside her, Will Solace let out a long, patient sigh.
"Okay, Nico," Will said, adjusting the boy's arms. "First, stop holding the bow like you're ready to stab someone. This is a bow, not a trident."
"You say that because you've never tried," Nico muttered, frowning as he pulled the bowstring.
Bianca rolled her eyes.
"Just pull the string and shoot. It can't be that hard."
Nico released the arrow.
The projectile looped through the air, completely missing the target and landing... in the middle of a haystack, where it ricocheted and fell to the ground with a pathetic thud.
Will bit his lip, trying (and failing) not to laugh.
"Well, at least no one died," he said.
Nico glared at him.
"Oh, great. Next time, I'll aim for you and see if I improve."
"Hey!" Will raised his hands, feigning offense. "I'm the instructor here!"
Bianca shook her head, but a small smile formed on her lips.
"Have you tried shooting, Bianca?" Will asked, picking up another arrow and handing it to Nico.
She blinked, a little surprised.
"Hm? Never. I mean, I use daggers more..."
"Well, then today's your lucky day." He grabbed another bow and handed it to her. "Let's see if accurate aim runs in the family."
Bianca hesitated for a second before accepting the bow. It was heavier than it looked, and the feeling was strange, different from the daggers she usually trained with.
"Hold it like this," Will guided her hands into the correct position. "Now pull slowly and... release."
The arrow flew across the field... and hit the target.
It wasn't a perfect shot, but at least it didn't fly off into a parallel dimension like Nico's.
Her brother made an indignant noise.
"Oh, come on?! She gets it on the first try and I can't even get close?!"
Will patted Nico's shoulder sympathetically.
"Some of us just have natural talent, man."
Nico huffed, crossing his arms as he stared at the arrow lying on the ground.
"I still don't see why we have to learn to use other weapons," he grumbled. "Daggers and swords are complicated enough."
Bianca raised an eyebrow. "Because it was Ikki who suggested it."
Nico remembered this and made an expression of obedience, unable to argue against it. If there was anyone they trusted to know what was useful in a fight, it was Ikki.
Will twirled his own bow with a smug smile.
"Besides, you never know when you might need a different weapon. And, from what I've heard, Ikki basically knows how to use anything. If he said it's good to diversify, I wouldn't disagree."
Will continued teaching the two siblings, while telling them about when Ikki hit a fly a hundred meters away with a bow the first time he used one, something that left the two children of Hades quite surprised.
In the Camp Half-Blood arena, training was intense. Swords clashed, arrows whizzed through the air, and shields creaked under the impact of heavy blows. But, as always, the campers found time to gossip in the midst of it all.
"Did you hear Ikki's new nickname?" asked a son of Hermes, dodging a spear thrust and twirling his own dagger.
"If it's another one of those silly things like 'The Heir of Olympus', I refuse to listen," grumbled a daughter of Ares, parrying a blow before kicking her opponent away.
"It's worse," replied the boy with a grin. "Creator of Annihilation. Because he literally created an army to annihilate the Titans..."
There was a moment of silence, broken only by the sound of a shield being crumpled by a miscalculated blow.
"Creator of Annihilation?" repeated a son of Nike, frowning. "That sounds like an anime villain."
"Hey, but think about it," argued a demigod from the Aphrodite cabin, arching their eyebrows. "The guy beat the best swordsman in camp in three hundred years the first time he picked up a sword."
"And killed a god."
"In Divine Form."
"And defeated Ares."
"And went to the Underworld and back."
"And prevented a God War by returning the Master Bolt."
"And destroyed the sky."
At that moment, everyone stopped what they were doing.
"Wait," said a boy from the Demeter cabin, narrowing his eyes. "How did he destroy the sky again?"
"With a punch, and he also knocked down Atlas the same way..." added a daughter of Apollo, firing a well-aimed arrow at the target.
Another contemplative silence.
"Okay, but Creator of Annihilation is still forced," declared the daughter of Ares.
"How about The Annihilator?"
"Sounds like a WWE wrestler's name."
"The Heir of Lightning?"
"Too obvious."
"And The Titan Slayer?"
"Dramatic."
"The Son of the Storm?"
"Sounds like a cheap romance novel."
"Okay, how about Bane of the Gods?"
The group murmured in approval.
"It has an epic ring to it," admitted one of the sons of Hephaestus.
"But he's not trying to destroy the gods," pondered a son of Athena.
"Then The World's Balance?"
Everyone stopped to think.
"Sounds like something he'd hate," said the daughter of Ares.
"Definitely," agreed the son of Hephaestus.
A boy from the back smiled. "Well, either way, with or without a nickname, no one can deny it. The guy changed everything."
And he did. Ikki not only defeated impossible enemies, he strengthened Camp Half-Blood. He made them faster and more resistant. He gave them a real chance against anything the world threw at them.
In the end, regardless of what they called him, one thing was certain: Ikki wasn't just a legend.
He was *the* legend.