"I can't believe him. Disappears all day only to drop off this- this child!"

The sound of an angry voice pulled Alex from his sleep. He slowly opened his eyes and was met with the sight of a girl pacing back and forth a few feet from his bed. A small amount of light filtered into the room through the open door. He saw that she had an olive skin tone and proud cheekbones, which gave her an air of superiority. Her dark hair was pulled up in a tight ponytail that swung with each stride. She looked to be no older than sixteen.

This must be Viviana, he thought.

"Good morning to you too," Alex said meekly. He yawned and sat up.

Viviana spun to face him, her eyes ablaze with fury, causing Alex to shrink back on his bed. He suddenly felt self-conscious about the way he looked - his clothes he had slept in were wrinkly, and his hair felt like a poofy tangled mess.

If she hadn't looked so menacing, Alex would have considered her to be attractive. Even through her plain black t-shirt and blue jeans, she appeared remarkably fit, though not without a few curves. A gold-hilted dagger was strapped to the waistband of her jeans, which only added to her overall terrifying demeanor.

"You," she pointed one of her slender fingers at him. "You are already more trouble than you're worth." The way she hissed at him reminded him of a snake he had once seen at the park. While that snake had been a harmless corn snake, Viviana was more viperesque.

He sat there quietly, too scared to say anything. Viviana continued with her rant. "Edmund better hope he gets to keep hiding in his daddy's palace because when I find him-" she paused to take in a deep breath. "I have too much on my plate to deal with you today. Go find Sabrina. I'm sure she'd love to babysit you." Her sneer, along with the added eye roll, told Alex that there must have been a lot of tension between Viviana and Sabrina, whoever that was.

"Er," Alex wanted to ask how she was supposed to find Sabrina. This only seemed to annoy Vivana further.

"Go look in the big purple cabin. If she's not there, sit there and wait for her to come back. And take a shower before you go, you smell horrible." With that, Viviana disappeared outside the door that slammed shut behind her.

What was her problem? Alex shook his head. Girls.

The boy waited until she was long gone before getting out of his bed. In doing so, he noticed a dresser that definitely wasn't there last night. He couldn't decide whether he was grateful or creeped out that things, including people, just randomly appeared in his room when he was asleep.

A part of him wanted not to trust his new furniture, but a part of him knew it was safe. Still, he nudged it with his foot like it might turn into some kind of monster when provoked.

Nothing happened.

With a sigh of relief, he pulled open the drawers to find a few outfits folded neatly inside. There were plain black t-shirts, like the one Viviana was wearing, some jeans, and what appeared to be dark training gear. The material looked heavy but felt stretchy and light in his hands.

Alex hoped he wouldn't need it anytime soon. He had absolutely no experience with weapons or defending himself, as Zeke had seemingly always been there to protect him. The thought of Zeke made his heart ache, so he pushed it out of his mind.

He exchanged the training gear for the t-shirt and pants and took a quick glance around the room. "I don't suppose you can materialize bathrooms out of nowhere too?" He wasn't quite sure who he was talking to. He had no idea if it was Hades or Edmund or Erebus furnishing the room.

At first, nothing changed. Then, right before the boy's eyes, a part of the cabin became hazy, almost like a dark cloud had materialized in the middle of the room. The walls began to stretch and morph soundlessly until whoever was doing it seemed satisfied. When the strange haze disappeared, Alex was able to see there was now a simple wooden door where once was a solid wall.

"Thanks…" Alex was feeling creeped out. "I'm not complaining, but I really don't want you watching me sleep." The room didn't change, so Alex hoped whoever it was got the message.

He opened the new door and found a simple bathroom. The walls and floor were the same black marble as the rest of the cabin. To the right was a vanity with one sink and a standing shower. He felt relieved that it wasn't something too extravagant - he might not have been able to handle it.

Alex took his time in the shower, relinquishing the hot water he so rarely experienced. After the water ran cold, he got out and changed into the fresh set of clothes. He checked out his hair in the mirror, amazed at how clean his curls looked, then left his cabin to go find Sabrina. The first thing he noticed when he stepped outside was how bright it was. There was a minuscule version of the sun placed directly over the camp.

The second thing he noticed was eight other cabins around his, all strategically placed in the shape of a V, with Hades' palace at the top. To his left was a building dark as the night sky and peppered with glowing lights that reminded Alex of stars. To his right, which also happened to be the point of the V, was the big purple cabin Viviana told him about.

A part of him wanted to explore, but he was too afraid of what Viviana might do to him if she found out. He settled for heading toward the cabin that seemed much more inviting than the rest.

He noticed the cabin itself wasn't purple. It was made of grey stone that gave off a purple hue. There was strange writing carved on the outside that pulsated with its own light. Above the door was a symbol with two crescent moons surrounding a circle with a keyhole inside. Directly outside of the cabin was a mini shrine with an altar surrounded by Doric-style columns. They were made from the same stone as the cabin. On the altar were two crossed torches carved into an archway. The small platform was filled with trinkets such as small wooden figures, candles, and incense sticks.

Symbols of keys, daggers, triquetras, and dogs were placed deliberately around the cabin. Two torches with a soft green flame sat on either side of the stone door. As Alex got closer, he saw that there was no handle. How were they supposed to get in?

Pushing his concern aside, he knocked loudly, expecting the stone to absorb the sound. Instead, he heard it reverberating through what sounded like an empty cabin. Only seconds passed before the door shimmered. A girl about a foot taller than Alex stepped out. He moved back hastily to avoid being knocked over.

The girl had pale blonde hair that was tied up in a ponytail. Her eyes were a strange form of heterochromia; they were continually switching between vivid blue and bright violet. She wore the same black shirt that Alex wore, except that it had a purple triquetra over the chest where a pocket would have been. "Hi!" The girl chirped. "Welcome to the Hecate cabin. My name is Sabrina. How can I help you?"

It became clear to Alex why Viviana had such contempt for Sabrina. Their personalities were starkly different.

"I, er, was sent by Viviana." He left out the "babysitting" part. "I'm kind of new here. I just got in last night." The girl's smile faltered just enough for Alex to barely catch it.

"I see." Sabrina pursed her lips. "I suppose that means I get to show you around camp. Well, it's almost time for breakfast. You haven't eaten yet, have you?"

Alex shook his head.

"Great! Then our first stop will be the Dining Pavilion. Let me grab some stuff, and I'll be right out. You're in for a treat today." Just like that, she disappeared through the door that still hadn't moved an inch other than shimmering the way water does when something disturbs it.

The boy retreated down the cabin steps, not wanting to be knocked over the next time she came out. While he waited for her, he got a good look at the cabins around them. They all had a shrine placed before them, each with different symbols dedicated to the gods they represented. Few had items like the Hecate cabin did; most sat empty with cobwebs stretched over them. How spiders were able to survive in the Underworld, Alex wasn't sure.

He glanced to his own cabin and saw that it was uncommonly black, almost like it was made from darkness itself. The door had vanished, making Alex wonder how he was supposed to get back in. Perhaps he was supposed to make it shimmer like the Hecate cabin. Like all the other cabins, the Erebus cabin was windowless. This was a strange feature that Alex didn't quite understand.

Looking at his father's shrine, Alex felt a tinge glum. Although he wasn't expecting anything to be in there, he felt a bit dismayed at seeing it look completely unused. It was a singular marble altar with a crow carved into it.

The image of a black claw grasping his shoulder made him smile. The flapping he heard must have been its wings.

"Are you ready to go?" Sabrina appeared beside Alex. He nearly jumped out of his skin; he hadn't heard her approach. The girl seemed amused. "You'll get used to it, don't worry.

"Since we're here, I might as well show you around the cabins."

Together, they made their way down the middle of the buildings. Sabrina pointed out each of them as they passed. The starry one next to his was Nyx. She was the personification of night and Erebus' sister. Across from it was the Charon cabin, a wooden building with the image of a ferry boat carved into the door. Next to it were two very similar-looking cabins, both with what looked like rivers painted along the sides of each building. The first one, Styx, had a symbol of water running between what appeared to be the globe and the Underworld. Next to it was Lethe, whose design surprised Alex every time he looked at it, almost like he kept seeing it for the first time. Sabrina explained that both Styx and Lethe were goddesses of their respective rivers in the Underworld. The River Styx as the boundary between the Earth and the Underworld, and The River Lethe whose waters caused forgetfulness.

Next to the Lethe cabin was one that looked rather simple. It was small and blue and shimmered like the Hecate cabin door had, except the entire cabin was doing it. It reminded Alex of the mirages he had seen in movies when someone got stranded in the desert. Its shrine matched the simpleness of the cabin, as the symbol carved into it was a single poppy.

"That's the Morpheus cabin," said Sabrina. She had a sad tone to her voice. "The kid who lives there is around your age. He doesn't have siblings, either. You two have a lot in common." She didn't elaborate any further, instead pointing out the last two buildings.

Like the two river cabins, these shared similar characteristics. They had large spikes not only protruding upwards from the cabins themselves but also strategically placed around them to stop people from entering. Both were single stone towers, one made from gray stone and the other yellow. To Alex, they were the ugliest things he had ever seen.

"That one is Deimos," Sabrina pointed to the gray cabin. "And that one is Phobos," she referred to the yellow one. "They're brothers. Deimos is the god of terror. Phobos is the god of fear. Although they're basically the same if you ask me."

"They're… ugly." Alex wasn't sure if it was his place to say, but there was no other way he could think to describe them. Sabrina chuckled, which made him feel a bit better.

"According to the kids who live there - you'll meet them soon enough - they 'invoke the powers of their fathers into those who look at them.' Most people down here are already so impassive it doesn't seem to bother them." The girl just shrugged and continued walking.

As they continued down the length of the cabins, Alex noticed that their shrines were merely two wooden tables set together with a tarp covering both. He wondered if the addition of spikes made them tear down the originals.

"Viviana is pretty scary," He admitted once he caught back up with Sabrina, who formed a tight-lipped smile.

"Don't worry about her. She's a daughter of Charon, and the camp's second in command. She's only nice to people who can give her what she wants." The girls must have had a rocky history between them.

Something occurred to Alex when they stopped at the back of the palace, which stood open like the entry hall. "Do the Hades kids sleep in there with their dad?" He remembered Edmund being transported away to his "room" the previous night, he just wasn't sure where that was exactly. The older girl nodded, relaxing a bit at the change of subject.

"Yes, they do. We're allowed to go into the palace whenever we want as well but at our own risk. The guards can be particular at times." She raised her arm to show a circular scar on her bicep. "Being shot by a dead guy was not a pleasant experience."

Alex decided he would take her word for it. They turned around and began walking back the way they came. Once they passed the Hecate cabin, he was able to make out multiple different shapes.

Ahead of them was what looked like an unfinished wooden version of the portico at the front of Hades palace. Sabrina told him that was the Dining Pavilion, where the campers ate all their meals. She pointed to the left at a building shaped like a half-circle that opened up toward the cabins. "That's the amphitheater where we hold our bonfires. It'll be our first stop after we eat."

He noticed something to their right that confused him. There was a small lake that connected to a much larger river. "What's that?"

Sabrina followed the boy's eyes and shrugged as if to say it wasn't a big deal. "It's just a lake that connects with Eridanos, the river that runs behind Elysium. It doesn't have any magical properties like Styx or Lethe, so we're allowed to swim in it. You do have to watch out for the river nymphs, though. They get territorial."

The pair continued walking in silence. Alex looked around them so much his neck was starting to hurt. He realized that it was starting to get warmer when a bead of sweat appeared on his forehead. He looked up to confirm his suspicion. "So, what's with the weird light thing up there?" He pointed to the miniature sun he saw when he left his cabin that morning. It had gotten brighter and shifted ever so slightly to the left.

Sabrina smiled proudly. "That would be my mother's doing. She's the goddess of magic, so she made her own version of the sun for us. It follows the regular sun patterns, rising in the east and setting in the west. It's only visible when you're in the camp boundaries, that way random people who travel down here don't bother the camp."

Alex couldn't help but frown. "Are we the only camp for demigods?" When he glanced around, he saw only a few campers bustling out of their cabins. "There doesn't seem to be many people here."

"There's another one above ground called Camp Half-Blood, but it's mostly for children of Olympians. Hades focused this camp for Underworld deities." Sabrina stopped them in front of the Dining Pavilion.

Just as he had previously assumed, the front of it looked unfinished. The building didn't have walls or a roof, just a mesh-type fabric that stretched over the top and fell loosely around six thick uncarved wooden columns. He and Sabrina walked up the steps that completely encircled the building and through two flaps of that mesh material that acted as the door.

Inside, Alex saw three rows of columns spaced evenly apart to help support the wooden beams that made up a very open-style ceiling. "Does anything but the cabins have roofs here?" He blurted out.

"That was one of my first questions, too," she replied. "We like to be able to see if anything is approaching, especially from the sky. Now, the Underworld isn't running rampant with monsters like some people believe, but Hades does have enemies."

The boy nodded and turned his attention to the room. There were picnic tables placed sporadically, accompanied by bean bags sat in circles off by themselves. He noticed a few campers sitting together, but most were eating alone. The most notable group were sitting in the bean bags, talking loudly and generally being obnoxious.

There were four of them, two boys and two girls. They reminded Alex of wannabe punk rockers, with their brightly dyed hair shaped into spikes with sharp points, their leather jackets and belts studded with cones, and the dark makeup they adorned their faces with. They didn't seem to be much older than Alex, though, around thirteen or fourteen at the most.

Sabrina tugged Alex in the opposite direction, speaking to him in a lowered voice. "Those would be a few of the Deimos and Phobos kids. They're almost impossible to tell apart, other than the Deimos kids stick with cool colors like blue and green, and the Phobos kids like reds, oranges, and yellows. Those two," she pointed to a girl with silver hair and a boy with green hair, "are brother and sister. Deimos. The others," she referenced a boy with bright red hair and a girl with yellow hair, "Phobos. Also siblings.

"They aren't as tough as they think they are but don't tell them that. That being said," Sabrina gave him a sympathetic look, "no offense, but I don't think you'd beat them in a fight. At least not yet."

She sat them at a table closer to the edge of the room. Alex was used to serving himself, so it came as a great surprise when a plate filled with bacon, eggs, and toast appeared in front of him. He was so startled that he jumped back and nearly fell out of his chair, saved by Sabrina catching his arm.

The little laughter in the room died down. Alex saw that the group of four were looking in his direction. He ducked his head to avoid eye contact and felt his cheeks heating up with embarrassment. Soon hunger overtook him. He found himself scarfing down three plates of food - every time he finished, his plate would just replenish itself - until a concerned look from Sabrina made him stop.

Just as they were finishing eating, a few more campers bustled in to grab breakfast. A girl came and sat next to Sabrina and Alex. She had chin-length brunette hair and vibrant green eyes. She held out her hand to Alex, who shook it gingerly.

"I'm Mariah, Sabrina's sister. You must be the reason she was in such a hurry this morning. I hope you're ready for lunch." Just like Sabrina, Mariah had a pleasant personality. She looked older but still stood shorter than her sister, which made Alex feel better about his own height… or lack thereof.

The two didn't stay to chat long. Sabrina ushered Alex out of the building after his brief conversation with Mariah. "We have to hurry if we want to make it to the arena on time."

"On time for what?" Alex asked.

She just winked at him and said, "You'll see."

X

By now, the camp was starting to come to life. Campers were bustling around in excitement, barely paying any attention to the two touring around.

Sabrina brought him to the amphitheater first like she said she would, but she was in a hurry now. Alex noticed that it was a lot bigger than he initially thought it was from a distance. She explained that it could hold around one thousand people, but he wasn't quite sure there were that many kids at the camp.

In the middle of the half-circle was a large pit that they filled with logs from the Asphodel Fields. Sabrina told him that their bonfires, which they held before the important tournaments, could reach up to thirty feet high at times. Once again, she left off any explanation of what competition she was talking about.

On their way to the arena, they passed by an empty set of stables Sabrina said were built to house Pegasi, but those rarely ever appeared in the Underworld. They also passed by a metal building where weapons such as swords, shields, and spears were stored. Sabrina pointed out that the layout of the camp was in the shape of a V like the cabins because it was the prong shape on Hades' staff.

When they finally reached the arena, Alex was amazed at how massive it was. From the outside, it looked like an ancient Greek Coliseum with some pieces missing from the top. There were four layers to it, each connected by multiple staircases placed around the inside of the walls.

She brought him to the front, where a kid wearing sunglasses stood in front of a solid wall. He had jet black hair that was gelled back over his head, with the sides buzzed completely off. Despite the temperature being moderately warm, he wore a leather jacket and dark jeans. He reminded Alex of the kids they had seen during breakfast.

"Hey, Deo." Sabrina flashed the kid a dazzling smile. Her presence relaxed his tough demeanor. Without saying a word, the wall next to him shimmered, and a human-sized door appeared.

Once they were far enough away from him, Sabrina turned to Alex. "Deo's a pretty cool guy, but he doesn't talk much. He's another Charon kid like Viviana. Since Charon is the god of boundaries, his kids can create walls that people can't walk through. The only way in is through him, which is why you should stay on his good side. He makes a great bouncer."

She led him up four flights of stairs which put them on the second floor. Alex, who had little experience with exercising, was winded by the time they reached the last landing. Sabrina hadn't even broken a sweat.

"You're lucky you got here when you did," the girl said as they sat down. From their position facing the middle of the arena, Alex could see every bit of the ground below them. "Someone challenged Viviana for her leadership position this month. Of course, we only hold our full tournaments on the solstices, so this will be a mini one since today is the Spring Equinox. Whoever wins this one will get to act as second in command until the next solstice. Viviana hasn't had to defend herself since she beat the last guy during the Winter Solstice, though, so there's no telling how she'll do."

X

It didn't take long for the arena to completely fill with people. Only a handful of them were campers; the others had transparent bodies. Sabrina told him that they were the souls of heroes that came from Elysium, and Hades allowed them to go into the camp under special circumstances.

During their wait, a few campers came to sit next to them. One of them was Mariah, who waved at Alex as she passed. There were a few other Hecate kids who introduced themselves. He had a hard time remembering all their names, except for the youngest boy named Jake.

One kid sitting a few yards away from them caught his attention.

The kid appeared to be in a trance, staring blankly ahead at the arena with his eyes clouded over. He had a young face with sandy brown hair that covered his forehead and nearly touched the collar of his shirt. Alex wanted to point him out, but Sabrina was in deep conversation with a few of her siblings.

His attention was drawn away when a familiar figure appeared in a puff of black smoke in the middle of the arena floor. He was dressed differently this time, wearing a long-sleeve black shirt with a few tears in the chest and shoulder areas, a leather vest, black pants, and combat boots. His oily black hair had been permed, and he sported a well-trimmed goatee. At the god's presence, the arena erupted in deafening cheers.

Hades held his arms up to take in the praise. The crowd grew louder and louder until he waved his hand, and everyone fell into immediate silence. When he spoke, his voice was amplified like he was speaking into an invisible microphone.

"Ladies, gentlemen, and dead guys. Welcome to another fabulous Equinox Challenge!" His announcement caused another round of applause. "I hope you're all ready to witness Viviana defending her place in another riveting battle." At the mention of Vivana, the crowd grew louder again. Alex hoped he wasn't the only one who felt intimidated by her.

Hades' body grew a few feet higher, and his voice got louder. "Without further ado, your contestants!" The arena fell into darkness.

Anticipation rose as a single ray of light peaked through and shone on one side of the arena, waiting for the contender to make their entrance.

It took a few seconds for the stone portcullis to open. When they finally did, they exposed a girl wearing full Greek armor. Alex immediately recognized the man standing next to her. They stepped out, the girl holding her sword high proudly. Each person in the crowd jumped up and began to scream, Alex included. It filled him with ineffable joy to see Edmund standing there. The man felt like the only connection Alex had with his old life, which was the only thing keeping him grounded in this strange new world.

Hades stepped in to silence the crowd when they hadn't quieted down after a couple of minutes. He made sure that the arena fell completely silent before the spotlight shone on the opposite side of the stadium. Everyone held their breath waiting for the vertical door to open. When it did, Alex felt a jolt of shock. Standing there was the silver-haired Deimos girl Sabrina pointed out to him during breakfast.