The course of the day was a blur. Cressida was still angry and furious. She still attended her archery class, and she hit and knocked her bow repeatedly, hitting every target with accuracy. Chiron was impressed, and his eyes still held that faraway terror whenever he glanced up at the sky which would rumble with thunder. The Apollo kids stared at Cressida in awe as she shot with her bow and arrow. Jack clapped and beamed, no one knew of the conversation her and Chiron had earlier.

The sun descended, and the birds chirped. The Apollo kids left with Chiron to get ready for dinner, but Jack lingered. Cressida poured all her leftover anger by grabbing the last arrow from her quiver and shooting it. Jack whistled behind her.

She turned to him. "You should go." She said bluntly.

He frowned, "Aren't you coming to the pavilion?"

She shook her head. "No. I'm not hungry, and quite frankly I'd rather just shoot arrows."

He took a step forward, and gave a half-smile. "You perhaps could be claimed tonight at the campfire. You should come."

Anger rose inside her. She stepped back, and took a deep breath. He's only trying to make her feel better, and he didn't deserve to get tongue lashed at. She glanced at the orange and pink sky, thunder rumbled. "No," she said simply. "I don't think I'll be claimed… not now, at least."

He glanced at the sky too. "Zeus seems angry." Then he shook his head. "Well, I can't make you come and you'll be missing my lovely performance at the campfire, but, I can understand what you're going through." He has no idea.

"Anyway," he drawled. "If you need me, I'll be over at the dining pavilion. Have fun shooting arrows." He smiled, and reluctantly walked away.

Cressida sighed. She had no arrows left in her quiver, so she stomped over to the target dummy and plucked them out. She sighed. As she retrieved the arrows, and placed them in her quiver, she carried her bow and turned around. Walking up a few metres, a good distance between her and the target dummy, she raised her bow and the arrow and shot. She missed.

Her stomach knotted. All of the anger and resentment vanished away, replaced with distress. She plopped herself on the ground, the grass mushy underneath her. She sighed morosely, setting her bow on the ground with a ding. She looked up at the sky, it was dark now. The brilliant stars scattered all over, and the lightning ended abruptly, like it was frightened of the night and fled away out of its presence. She had a very vivid image of the god Zeus and Nyx.

While gazing, she could sense the night lurking close by. Like a special connection. Cressida's pale face looked up, she said half-heartedly to herself and to the night, "Why?" she said. The darkness stared back at her, but she continued on. "Why not claim me already? Get this all over with. The gods are suspicious, and who knows what they'll do?" Cressida's eye shone. The darkness in her orbs grew, and the light poured in, so vibrant. Then, like before, her eyes were twinkling like constellations.

She felt stupid, talking to the night sky all alone. Having a conversation to her. She closed her eyes, focusing on the sounds of the crickets cricketing. Then a rustling of the bushes interrupted her, and a noise like papier Mache crumbling talking in her mind. "Hey kid, don't feel down. Night always hears ya' even though she's on her nightly journey. She will claim you when she can."

It wasn't a bat speaking to her though. It was a cricket. And she was more than certain. She talked back to the cricket in her mind as if she does this everyday – talk to nocturnal animals. "What am I going to do? Just sit around and watch people look at me with pity? They think its weird im not claimed yet – you know what, im not going to talk about this with a cricket." She opened her quasar like eyes.

"Wow, those eyes." The cricket whistled in her mind, and it sounded like the glue splattering on the paper Mache sound. "You know what kid? A piece of advice I'll share with you. Don't be afraid of anything. Mother Night's children are valiant, and terrifying. And by the look of those daunting shining eyes, you can show all the gods you're more than their little pawn, or whatever. Show them what the Night is made of, what you're capable of."

She could feel her eyes shine luminescent. But who knew a cricket could be so wise? She took the crickets optimistic words into consideration. It's like courage suddenly built inside her, she could feel her bones tightening with strength. It was weird – because she could feel the night close in on her, swallowing her. She felt a strong bond – between her and the darkness. The similarity. She wanted to smile, but instead she held her chin up and got up to stand. She didn't know how long she sat there till she had pins and needles in her feet.

Ugh, she thought. She heard crunching footsteps behind her, and before she could turn around, a familiar voice spoke. "Hey," it was Jacks, she hadn't realised just how rich his voice was – so poetic. "I came back, thought you needed company." She could hear the smiling.

She didn't want to turn around, but too late because Jack Hummingbird – that was his last name, mind you – stood in front of her. And he was staring, awe-struck. Oh no, she thought. Her eyes.

"Holy Zeus?" He breathed. He leaned in closer and she could smell the scent of roasted peanuts – now she was hungry. "Your eyes, oh my gods. Your eyes." He raised his shaking hands, as if to touch her eyes, but stopped mid-way. "Cressida…"

She swallowed, her jaw tightened and she could feel the anxiety succumbing within her. She had to tell him. She had too… There was no other explanation to this other than explaining to him she was a daughter of the personification of night, and if that wasn't nerve-wracking, what was? "Jack, I have to tell you something… And before you say im a mentally disordered and deluded, hear me out…" She took a deep breath.

"They're like… stars; I've never seen something so mesmerizing before." His awe-struck voice was evident, and so was his uttering breath of syllables. He snapped out of it. "Tell me what? That you're an alien who has super cool galaxy eyes?" He shook his head, realising what he just said was stupid. "Sorry, anyway…"

She cleared her throat and gestured to the grass beneath them. They sat down, the dark sky above them and the crickets cricketing like crazy. She explained everything. First, the dream of the goddess Nyx and how she always felt drawn darkness. Then she recalled the talking to nocturnal animal's part, the bat and the cricket. Throughout this all his eyes grew hades wide. His blue alive eyes washed out as did his face.

He took a shaky breath. "That's impossible, but I believe you." She didn't know whether to be relieved or frightened.

"You do?" Her eyebrows rose.

He nodded. "It explains the eyes… but, Cressida… that's kinda impossible. Personifications gods can't have half-blood children; they have titans, or other powerful gods."

That's what she thought. "But they're powerful. Even Nyx confirmed that having mortal children wasn't out of her reach – it's never happened, until now."

He nibbled on his nails; his eyes were bulged with fear. "I mean – most of her children were made by herself – .Parthenogenesis." His voice was barely a whisper. "That would make you such a powerful demi-god, the gods would feel intimidated."

She looked at the sky. "Even Zeus fears the Night."

Jack looked at her, eyes even wider than before. Then he started spewing out questions, "Have you found out how you arrived to camp half-blood? Has monsters ever attacked you? You must have if you really are a child of Nyx…"

"I don't know yet – but my guess is that Nyx brought me here, safety. And for the monsters part, no… I don't know." She wondered a lot on the monsters topic.

"My estimate is, despite monsters that prey on powerful demi-gods, they left you alone because you're a child of the Night. And Nyx, she lives in Tartarus during the day, and that's where monsters inhabit. Most likely, the monsters stayed away from you because they fear Nyx. Who wouldn't? She's so ancient, she was here before Earth – Gaia was created." Jack's words echoed and Goosebumps crawled on Cressida's skin. He looked so afraid.

"That seems like the most likely estimation." Was all Cressida could say, and then she quickly added, "You can't tell anyone, Jack. Promise me?"

He nodded grimly, "Even If I did, no one would believe me. The whole concept was impossible until now… But, I promise." Then he added, lightening up the conversation. "This was the longest conversation I've ever had with you and the most you've ever talked… with emotion."

She smacked his arm lightly. "I have emotion." She argued.

He chuckled. "No, every time I see you your face is impassive. You freak all the kids at the camp out."

She felt satisfied that she freaks all the kids at camp out. It's like it was an accomplishment. "Maybe I like to keep my feelings intact. It's easier to keep it in rather than get hurt."

He looked at her more serious now, and his laughter died down. He touched her hand and she flinched. "You do realise that if you get claimed Nyx' daughter, that you are a ticking time bomb? The gods would be on you no doubt, Zeus and the Olympians are very protective over their thrones and they would go as far as to get rid of someone who has the power to usurp it."

She looked down. "I know – Chiron warned me." Jacks mouth went agape. "But I don't want to seize their power. I don't want any of that," she added quickly, her constellation eyes dimmed a little, and Jack still seemed to be in awe whenever he gazed into them.

He let go of her hand. "I know." Then to re-lighten the mood he added, "Want me to sing you a song? I have the best voice out of my siblings."

She shook her head. "No, thank you."

He sighed, "Well – anyway. Capture the flag is tomorrow." He grinned when she averted her eyes from the ground. "And Apollo cabin is going against the Hermes. So we'll be against each other."

She rolled her eyes. "I'll prove to you not only the Apollo cabin can shoot arrows."

His jaw dropped.

AN-

hey,mheysdn djwsbfej hey, its diana here. just dropping by another chapter... which no one will read but yolo who care shahah hey