I woke with a start. My world would be destroyed? My mother and I were...abominations? I can't even pronounce that. But it was just a dream. Then I realized that someone was calling my name to wake me. "Jade!" Genevive called from below. I was on the top bunk of a bunk bed this time. "Wake up or you'll miss breakfast!"

"Mmmmff," I mumbled, and rolled out of bed. We ate breakfast. At the end, Chiron made an announcement. He sounded apprehensive and sad.

"I have scheduled cabin counselor meeting...now. In the Big House."

I sat there, probably looking stupid, until Genevive whispered to me, "You gotta go too, girlie. You're the only one in your cabin, so you're the counselor."

So I followed the crowd of people who headed to the big, blue house, which included Nico, Percy, Leo, and Annabeth. I looked for Genevive, hoping she would be there, but she wasn't. When we got there, we sat at folding chairs at a ping-pong table. Goat people were passing around snacks. Every counselor in the room looked just as confused as I was. Chiron quieted everyone down and said, "I know this was unexpected, but I just learned of recent occurences last night. You must sit and listen, and Racel will then give a prophecy for a quest."

"She's the Oracle. She predicts the future of quests, but in riddles," Nico whispered to me. He was sitting so quiet and still next to me, I barely noticed him.

"So..." Chiron sighed. I tensed, knowing he was about to give terrible news. "One of our former campers was lost last night. She was murdered in her bed in the infirmary." I started taking trembling breaths, knowing who the former camper probably was, but not wanting to admi it to myself. "She will be greatly missed. She was such a good student...Kita Lupin. Killed by wolves."

My mother. My body trembled as I fought back sobs. Tears were already silently streaking down my face. Eventually I ran out of the room, everyone probably staring at me. When I got to my cabin, I screamed. All the times I'd lied, been rude, treated her like nothing. When I almost killed her...for such petty reasons. I threw myself onto my bed, not noticing the color of the fire or how my room was decorated. I cried, thinking of what I should have done. At one point I sat up for a second and saw an image Hestia in my fire, which was a comforting, normal orange fire color. Hestia smiled when I looked at her, tears streaming down her cheeks as well. I realized why: her daughter was just killed. She left, and I cried myself to sleep. When Genevive tried to wake me up the next day, I pretended like I didn't hear and stayed put.

I drifted in and out of sleep for I don't know how long. I didn't eat the whole time, so my stomach started to hurt. I kept trying to make myself feel better, but it always came back to the fact that I contributed to my mother's death. If I had not burned and injured her, she would have been able to defend herself.

At some point, I heard a knock on my door. I didn't answer, but the person came in anyway. "Jade? You okay?" I recognizes the voice as Nico's. "You have to come back to camp sometime." I rolled over to look at him, but said nothing. "Look, I know a lot about death. Do you know who my father is?" His tone was softer. I watched his dark brown eyes. "Hades, the god of death. I know that your mother got into Elysium after she was judged. She lived a good life, and she will miss you, but literally, she's in a better place. And..." Nico reached into his back pocket. "I talked to her ghost. She wanted you to have this. For protection." It was a necklace with a sword charm. My mom always wore this around her neck. I didn't know how it would protect me, but it brought tears to my eyes anyway. I tried to stop them, but they wouldn't listen. Nico got up and walked away.