A Month had passed since the four demigods—Cyrus, Luke, Thalia, and Annabeth—set off looking out for satyrs. The sting of their abrupt departure from his previous home still lingered in Cyrus's chest, but their journey across the East Coast left little room for reflection. Monster encounters became routine, and exhaustion was a permanent companion. But they were also learning—how to trust, how to fight together, and how to laugh again.
The road wasn't easy. They had battled kampe disguised as a traffic cop, outrun a nest of giant Myrmekes at a construction site, and even been ambushed by a pack of hellhounds while crossing a mist-covered bridge. Each time, they fought back with everything they had. Thalia's fierce nature and lightning spear led the charge. Luke's charisma and speed kept them moving. Annabeth's calm intellect guided their strategies. And Cyrus—Cyrus filled the gaps with healing songs, defensive melodies, and sunfire-tipped arrows.
Cyrus had changed his look a little since they left the Hunters—his now worn a green beetles (a band he loves)-printed T-shirt now peeked beneath a thick silver jacket, worn over cargo pants and silver combat boots. His silver backpack—Artemis's gift—carried their daily necessities, food, nectar, drachmas, and ambrosia. He was their healer, their unofficial quartermaster, and their occasional DJ.
One night, while resting in an abandoned gas station, Cyrus slipped into a dream.
He found himself in a glowing meadow. Warm sunlight poured over golden grass. Sitting on a bench with casual godly swagger was Apollo dressed in white shirt and Blue Jeans.
"Hey, sunshine."
"Dad?" Cyrus blinked.
Apollo grinned. "Just checking in. Heard things got dramatic. Don't worry—Artemis can be a bit... icy, but she cares. I figured you deserved something fun."
He tossed Cyrus a sleek pair of golden-rimmed sunglasses. "Celestial bronze lenses. Shift into a divine camera. Detects illusions, takes monster-proof selfies, and plays music too. Tell your friends to keep up."
When Cyrus woke up, the sunglasses sat on his chest.
"Seriously?" Thalia groaned. "Now he gets divine sunglasses?"
"From Dad," Cyrus said innocently, slipping them on.
Annabeth leaned closer. "Do they really shift?"
Cyrus tapped the frame. The lenses shimmered and clicked into a tiny bronze camera.
"I want one," Luke muttered looking at it with envious eyes.
Despite the dangers, they took time to enjoy themselves. They visited malls—where Thalia and Luke caused chaos racing shopping carts—and ate at real restaurants. Annabeth grumbled about budgeting, but she still ordered seconds.
Then came a surprise attack—empousai disguised as perfume saleswomen. The monsters nearly had them, but Cyrus's camera flash disoriented them, giving Thalia and Luke the opening to strike. Annabeth used a mirror to bounce light, turning the tide.
Later that night, while huddled in a train yard, Luke turned to Cyrus. "Back when we met the Hunters, how did you know who our godly parents was ?"
Cyrus hesitated. "I visited Olympus once. When I was eight."
"You what?!" Thalia and Annabeth shouted.
"My Lady had this Monthly meeting. I tagged along once with other hunters, since she was summoned to be their at once. We went up the Empire State Building—500th floor. Olympus was... huge. Floating gardens, statues, marble everything there I saw your parents."
Annabeth nearly tackled him. "What were the columns like? Ionic? Doric? How big were the halls?"
Luke joined in. "Did my dad look cool?"
Cyrus smirked. " Yeah! Your Dad was equally just as cool as my Dad, he gave me a Candy seeing I was bored when others were not looking... very sweet, Zeus and Poseidon were arguing about...uh... something. Hades sulking and arguing with Demeter. Athena—Annabeth's mom—was sparring with Ares, my grandpa who is also really cool -"
"Grandpa?!" all three chorused.
"From my mom's side. She was Ares' daughter."
"No way you just casually drop that," Thalia said, stunned.
Luke laughed. "Okay, so Why did you react that way when you found Thalia was Zeus's kid?"
Cyrus replied, " Basically for whatever reason, the Big Three that is Zeus, Poseidon and Hades had made an oath after WWII not to have kids."
Thalia looked away.
Cyrus continued gently, "So since Zeus broke it, you might be a target. Monsters can sense power and from what I know the other two might hold on a grudge and be after you."
Thalia smirked. "Let them come."
Luke muttered, "We'll protect each other. That's the point."
Annabeth nodded alongside them and then remembered her question were yet to be answered and pulled Cyrus saying, "hey! you've yet to answer my Questions"
Cyrus tried patting her hand but she swatted his hand and huffed, so he shrugged but before he could talk they neared Westport, and with the hurry to get down and bumping into another group of monsters and escaping from that place, she forgot the conversation and eventually finding a run-down hunter's shelter in the woods. It had a roof and a fireplace—good enough.
But the peace didn't last.
"Now what?" Luke grumbled as he stood up
The ground trembled. The trees parted. A giant tusked figure barreled toward them.
"Erymanthian Boar!" Cyrus shouted.
It crashed through the camp, destroying their supplies.
"Scatter!" Luke called.
They split. Thalia hurled lightning, Cyrus played a high-pitched tune to confuse it. The boar roared and charged. Thalia was slammed aside, her leg bruised. Cyrus tried to block with his bow but was tossed into a tree, his arm slashed.
Annabeth flanked it, stabbing its side. Luke drove it back with fierce strikes—but the boar was too strong.
"We can't kill it!" Annabeth yelled.
"Then we run!" Cyrus shouted.
Together, they blinded it with flashes, noise, and strikes—enough to escape. They fled, bruised, limping, and weaponless.
"I saved two cookies," Cyrus muttered.
"That's the real heroism," Luke said.
They made camp under a rocky outcrop. Thalia leaned on Cyrus's shoulder, leg heavily bleeding.
Annabeth handed him water. "You okay?"
"I am now." Cyrus smiled faintly as he finished healing Thalia's leg and Annabeth's bruises.
They were hurting. Supplies lost. But together.
"I'm glad I'm with you guys," Cyrus said.
Annabeth nodded. "You're one of us now and by the way you've yet to answer my questions earlier.. I didn't forget about it"
Before he could open his mouth, Cyrus fainted in exhaustion as his own wounds started to bleed.
As he heard the last words of Annabeth complaining with panicking shouts.