This story takes place one year AFTER the Blood of Olympus. Please note that now and if you have any questions don't be afraid to ask!
Noah's dreams were filled with nightmares. That was nothing new. Ever since he was a little kid most of his dreams were nightmares. Odd things like strange monsters and weird ladies spinning thread. Even though they had gotten so bad at this point he rarely went to sleep at night he never told anyone. They'd tell his parents who'd in turn tell his psychiatrist who's diagnose him as having another weird disorder and have to spend even more time in Mrs. Wyatt's office listening to him ask questions like 'How does that make you feel?' It made him feel like throwing Mrs. Wyatt's ugly beat up bean bag chairs at her face. Mrs. Wyatt was Noah's therapist. He really hated sitting in her office with the painted bunnies and kittens and puppies playing under a rainbow and blue birds flying through a clear blue sky. Mrs. Wyatt, though she claimed to be a teenage therapist, was more geared for pre-schoolers with that office. Noah kept trying to convince his parents to just let him see Mr. Brown instead.
Mr. Brown was a nice guy. He was the school Psychiatrist at Dry Forest High School- home of the Birch Trees. Mr. Brown was only in his late 20s, just graduated from college, and didn't have happy puppy land for an office. His was painted white and had pictures of his family on the walls, but back to Noah's nightmares.
First it was all stuff that made no sense. He was being chased by large shadowy beasts. Then it shifted to him being pinned down by something large with bad breath. Then it was him falling for what seemed like forever. Then it shifted again.
He was standing by two tall gates. There wasn't really a sky, just gray. The gates sat side by side. 3 men stood in front of the gates. One was tall with black hair sleeked back, Elvis style, but his face did not seem to say that he was a groovy man. He wore black robes made of a substance that seemed to flow on its own. Not really a substance, more like air. Then they solidified into a dark black tux with a white rose as a lapel. The bow tie remained the silky fabric from before. He spoke first.
"Father is always late," His voice was gruff, low, and harsh.
"Like you're any better, Phobetor." Snapped the one next to him. He was also tall and had black hair, but it wasn't slicked back, it was shaggy and long. He wore a similar tux, but his was white, with a black rose. What was up with all these men wearing tuxes?
"Calm my brothers," Said another. This one was average height and average in appearance. His voice was like gentle silk, calming. This one was normal looking one. He wore jeans and white polo shirt. His brown curls looked wind swept. For the most part, he seemed to be, well, a normal guy. Except for his eyes. His eyes were gray like the sky but multi-colored flecks of light danced around in them popping up, the fading as he shifted.
"So easy for you to say, Phantasos," Snapped white tux guy. "You only have one kid who hasn't attracted as many monsters as ours have. We have to protect them, unlike you."
The man called Phantasos's eyes darkened and the flecks turned to a dangerous red color. "Morpheus, my son knows not who he is, that protects him enough. And his mother is a skilled daughter of Hecate, she can warp the mist around him to hide him. Your sons are safe at camp. No harm can come to them there, same for you Phobetor." Phantasos turned away from the tux twins. For a moment, their was silence, then one of the gates shimmered and a man stepped out.
This man was also tall like the tux twins. He also wore a tux. His was purple and his rose was like wise the same color so it melted into his clothing and was only visible at an angle.
"My sons, are you ready?" He said. He was rocking on the balls of his toes like a child in a candy store, excited. He noticed the non tux wearing guy and frowned. "Phantasos, why are you not wearing your tux? I asked you to wear your tux, did I not?"
"Father," Phantasos rolled his eyes like a teenager addressing his parents. "I have told you for a millennia, I will not wear matching outfits. First togas, then leotards, now tuxes. I prefer comfortable clothes to work in." Phantasos's dad grumbled but turned back to the gates.
"Never mind, you all have work to do, go out and do it then." He said and then the four of them walked through the gates.
His dream changed once more.
He was standing in a palace of pure black. Black marble glittered from what little light glowed in. Intricately carved designs raced up and down the marbles. Noah wanted to trace his fingers in between the grooves, but something froze him to the spot. He wasn't exactly sure what it was, but he had a pretty good feeling it was the icy dread that filled him. This place radiated pure dread. A harsh cackling filled its halls. It sounded like one of those halloween witch sounds. He half expected it to say "I'll get you and your little dog too!" but what it actually said froze him to the core.
"Little demigod," It purred in a silky tone that sounded like dagger's piercing his insides. "You may think you have a chance but the night will reign supreme! You can watch powerlessly as everything you love is ripped from you!"
Then Noah realized with horror he was sinking. He yelped in fear and struggled desperately to free himself from the marble that climbed up his body sinking him under and the cackling continued. The more he struggled, the faster he sank into darkness and the louder the cackling got until he thought that was all he'd ever hear was this cackling and the darkness was up to his chin and then he was being shaken awake by his mother.
"Noah! Noah!"