Lucas woke just after dawn.
The light slipped through the edges of his tent flap, cool and golden. Harold was curled by the base of his pillow, breathing steadily. Lucas sat up slowly, rubbing his face, his mind still processing his late talk with Mr D.
He got dressed, grabbed a canvas bag from under his cot, and stepped outside.
He found Luke and Thalia near the arena, sparring lightly with wooden weapons. Annabeth sat a few paces away, sketching something in a notepad. They looked up as he approached.
"You're up early," Thalia said, lowering her spear.
Lucas nodded. "I need to talk to you. All of you. Somewhere quiet."
The three exchanged a glance, then followed him without another word.
He led them out of the central grounds, past the edge of the cabins, into the woods. After a few minutes, they reached a small clearing between two hills, the mist here thick. Lucas knelt and began tracing symbols onto the surrounding trees.
Luke raised a brow. "You're warding this place? And having to do it physically?"
"Shouldn't hold off a determined god, but it'll keep most from noticing casually, at least for a while."
That answer was enough. The atmosphere shifted.
Once the ward was set, Lucas stood and looked at them.
"I've made a decision," he said. "I'm not following Olympus anymore."
The air held still.
"What do you mean?" Annabeth asked.
Lucas turned to her. "Exactly that. I don't believe Olympus is broken in a way we can fix. I don't think it's interested in change. And I'm not going to spend my life bowing to a system that doesn't see us as people."
Thalia crossed her arms. "So what are you going to do?"
"I don't have a complete plan. Not yet. But I want to build something new. A school. A city. A place for demigods, for minor gods, for monsters, anyone who doesn't belong in Olympus or in the shadows. I am not interested in creating new rulers, contesting Olympus for the throne. I simply want to create a sanctuary and help correct the many problems this world has."
Luke's face didn't change. "You're serious."
"Yes."
Luke nodded once. "Like I said last time, I'm with you."
Thalia stepped forward. "Same."
Lucas blinked. "Just like that? You're not going to ask what happens if the gods turn on us? If they hunt us down?"
"They already ignore us unless it's convenient," Thalia said. "They send us on quests without help. They punish us for failure. We already face monsters every day. At least this way we're doing something different."
"I've never trusted them," Luke said. "I wanted to believe there was something worth following especially, my father, but if you think there's a better way, then that's good enough for me."
Lucas turned to Annabeth, who hadn't said anything.
She looked down at the grass. "You really want to go against Olympus?"
"I don't want war," Lucas said. "But I'm not going to sit and pretend anymore."
Annabeth hesitated. "I don't know. I understand what you're saying. I really do, but..."
Lucas nodded slowly. "
I'm not asking you to make a decision now. You're still young. You have time. We're not leaving tomorrow. I want you to stay. Think. Learn. When you're ready, you'll know what you want."
Annabeth gave a slow nod. "Okay, but I can help with planning, I may not be as good as my mother but even my older siblings have praised me for my knowledge."
Lucas smiled "Thanks 'beth"
They stood in silence for a moment.
"If we're going to do this," Luke said, "we should be smart about it. Plan everything. What it'll be. Who we want. What we need."
Lucas exhaled. "That's why I brought you here. I don't want to do this alone. I want to hear your thoughts. Your ideas. If this is going to work, it has to be better than Olympus in more than just words, everyone should have a voice."
Thalia smirked. "Well, first thing, let's not build it on a mountain."
Luke chuckled. "And maybe don't name everything after yourself."
Lucas rolled his eyes. "Noted."
Annabeth lifted her head. "It should be a place where people can study more than just fighting. History. Architecture. Magic. Real knowledge."
Lucas smiled faintly. "Agreed."
Thalia glanced back toward camp. "So what now?"
"Now we keep quiet. Plan. Watch.
...
That night, Lucas returned to his tent and sat cross-legged on the floor. The candlelight danced against the canvas walls, casting long shadows.
He closed his eyes and whispered, "Mother, if you can hear me, I need you. I'm going to attempt the sixth potion soon. I need to know... will you help shield me again?"
There was no voice. No shift in the tent.
But the flame dimmed. The shadows lengthened.
A fog-shrouded crossroad stretched out beneath a starless sky. No wind. No sound.
At the center was a torch-lit stone circle. And standing at its edge was a veiled figure holding three torches. Her face was hidden, but beside her sat a polecat and a hound.
Lucas stood at the center. Four paths led outward. Each one covered deeply in mist.
He stepped forward. "I'm ready. I want to take the next step."
Her face remained hidden. But her voice echoed.
"I cannot shield you this time, Lucas. The last one was the limit. From here, you stand alone."
"I don't believe that the reason you brought me here was just to say no, right?"
Hecate studied Lucas before responding.
"Before you were born, long ago the Fates made a prophecy, one concerning you."
Even Lucas knew prophecies were trouble, let alone ones from the Fates themselves.
"Why haven't I heard of any prophecy concerning me?" Lucas questioned.
"We buried it, hid it from Olympus, now you have decided to drink the potion, and leave their rule, they will learn of the prophecy."
"And what is this prophecy?"
From the dark, a voice not Hecate's spoke, deep and ancient:
"Born of dusk and whispered flame,
Of secret root and veiled design,
Shall rise when gods refuse to see,
A path that ends divine decree.
The marked shall climb through death and flame,
To raise the lost from dust and name."
Lucas let out a quiet laugh.
"It seems my choice will lead to some small problems, right?"
Hecate raised one arm. Before Lucas, the four paths were finally revealed, mist parting to show each vision:
One showed him kneeling, laughing in madness, blood on his hands, as the corpses of gods and mortals alike surrounded him.
One showed his corpse in a city burning, banners torn, Luke standing over him with a bloody sword.
One showed him shackled, kneeling before the thrones of Olympus.
One showed him in a black marble palace atop a massive obsidian throne encrusted with gold and diamonds, alone.
He looked at them all. The weight settled in his chest.
"These are my fates?"
"These are the futures the world will try to give you."
Lucas stepped back from the visions. He didn't hesitate.
"Then I'll make one they can't see coming."
The crossroads trembled.
Lucas looked toward the veiled figure.
He couldn't see her face, but he felt her smile.
He turned. And walked where there was no path, into the misty darkness.
...
Interlude IV: Gathering (Hecate)
Far away, under the veil of mist and twilight, three goddesses stood atop a cliff overlooking a vast valley: ghosts wandering aimlessly, skeletons in squads patrolling.
Hecate stood cloaked in darkness, her torches dim but steady. Beside her, Nemesis leaned on her double-edged blade, expression unreadable.
"It seems he has made his choice," Hecate said, returning from a daze.
Nemesis nodded. "Is it truly unexpected? You did say this was his fate."
"The Fool walks his own road. Fate does not decree him."
They looked out over the valley together.
"It's time," Hecate said softly. "We will soon begin."
"And what of that coward in the shadows?"
"That's Lucas' crossroads, not ours."
Nemesis turned her eyes skyward. "And what of Olympus?"
That was when the third goddess answered. "There won't be any danger. I will send someone to support you."
Interlude V: Hearth (Hestia)
Hestia tended to the fire, watching her siblings as they discussed the failure of the latest quest.
They didn't consider that the demigods couldn't compete against a minor god as powerful as Plutus. Nor the fact that they hadn't provided the supplies needed to achieve the goal. They didn't even remember how little importance they placed on the chains, allowing them to be stolen under their noses.
No, all that mattered was that the demigods failed to fulfill the task they were given. That they had lowered Olympus' reputation.
Ever since that night, she had returned here, simply tending to the flames and watching. She didn't know why she left the camp and returned here... No, that was a lie. She knew. She just wouldn't admit it. Wouldn't admit that the words the demigod spoke struck her to the core.
She returned to prove he was wrong. To prove to herself that she wasn't wrong.
Hestia looked over the court, studying the gods, and she knew her answer.