Alex had a hard time keeping track of, well, time. Even though the faux sun mimicked the patterns of the real sun, the cave-like feel of the Underworld threw off his internal clock.

After what felt like the slowest two weeks of his life, he found himself bored out of his mind. Now that Carson was the new second-in-command, the Deimos and Phobos kids were running rampant. He didn't know how to defend himself, nor did he have Zeke there to protect him. So, he spent most of his days hiding away in his cabin.

He tried his best to keep Zeke out of his mind. He wasn't sure if he would ever see his friend again. The thought saddened him.

When he wasn't hiding, he was hanging out with Sabrina and her other siblings. She would occasionally let him into the Hecate cabin. The smell of incense always stood out to him, along with the strange trinkets placed on the many bookshelves they had. One day he grew curious enough about them and grabbed one to see what it did. Sabrina tried to stop him, but the small unsuspecting ball had already expelled a large flurry of purple powder all over his face, neck, and chest. The entire cabin erupted into fits of giggles, save for Sabrina. Alex could tell that she wanted to laugh while she helped clean him up, but she held her composure. Thankfully, a wave of her hand was enough to make the entire mess disappear. He decided to keep his hands to himself from then on.

Most of the Hecate children were kind-hearted, but a few put others down like their lives depended on it. A girl named Faye was particularly nasty. She was very physically attractive, something she was well aware of and liked to use to her advantage. Her ability to disparage someone to their face while wearing an innocent look was unlike anything he had seen before.

Alex made sure to stay under her radar. He hardly spoke when he ate with the Hecate kids. In fact, he rarely even looked in her direction; his attention was usually focused on the entrance to the pavilion to see if that Peter boy came in.

He hadn't heard from Peter since the Battle of the Equinox. The other boy was just never around. Alex passed by his cabin at every mealtime in hopes that he would catch him. His attempts were always unsuccessful.

Sabrina suggested that he just knock on the cabin door. Unfortunately, every time he got too close to the cabin, a somnolent feeling began to overtake him. He stopped trying after almost passing out on the porch a third time.

While it was disappointing, Alex didn't let it get to him. The note he found slipped under his door that morning helped keep his mind off it. The handwriting was in a messy cursive, so it took a while to discern what it said.

Meet in the arena at noon. Wear your training gear.

-Edmund

Alex felt his heart skip a beat. He hadn't talked to Edmund since the day he arrived at camp. Nobody had seen him since the fight, either. The word around camp was that Viviana had been unconscious for four days after her loss, and Edmund remained by her side the entire time. She was receiving her treatment at the palace and was yet to be seen.

Rumors about the pair's relationship spread throughout the camp like wildfire. Sabrina told Alex she suspected they were started by both Carter's relatives and her own sister, Faye.

While Faye periodically got shut down by Sabrina, that never stopped her. It was rather bothersome for Alex to hear what she imagined the two were doing with all their time spent together. Sabrina constantly reiterated the phrase, "their relationship is strictly professional."

Carter hadn't shown her face around camp much, either. She decided to heal in her own cabin instead of going to the palace to be treated like Viviana. Without the assistance of ambrosia, food given to demigods to rapidly heal their injuries, her wounds were still prominent. The swelling on her face had gone down some, but the bruising worsened as the days went on. The color shifted from a light red to a deep purple rung with sea-foam green.

Alex refused to make eye contact with her or her relatives when he saw them in passing. He even went out of his way to avoid those two cabins altogether.

Now, looking down at the note, he felt a mixture of apprehension and excitement at starting lessons with Edmund. He didn't know the man, but he was the only connection Alex had to his past. He had so many bottled-up questions for him.

Alex set the note down. He ran to the bathroom to check his appearance. His hair was an untamable monstrosity on a good day. This morning, his curls stood proudly away from his head in every direction they could. He roughly ran his fingers through it to try and calm it down. Instead of fixing it, this just made his hair poofy. He wet his hand in the sink and ran it over his hair. This helped some, but he really needed hair gel to achieve the look he wanted.

"This is a lost cause," he grumbled. He gave up with a huff and ran back to his dresser. Along the way, his foot got caught on his suitcase and sent him flying to the floor. A Burning pain shot up his right arm and he bit his lip to stifle a groan. The feeling intensified when he used it to push himself to his feet. Crap, he thought. How am I supposed to learn how to fight with a broken wrist?

He carefully stepped around the mess on the floor to get his training gear. He hoped the sleeves were long enough to hide that his wrist was now red and swollen.

It was a struggle to get the training gear on. It fit snugly but still flexible enough for him to move freely once fully adjusted. Both the long-sleeved shirt and pants were made from the same lightweight leather/mesh material. They were black with silver accents at the collar, cuffs, and down the seams. He briefly wondered who would have taken the time to sew such intricate details. The children of Hecate with their infinite use of magic were the obvious choice.

Alex took one final look in the mirror before resigning himself to his appearance. He hurriedly left his cabin and made his way to the dining pavilion. He didn't have a clock in his cabin to see the time, so he only used the one hanging up in the pavilion.

Once at the dining pavilion, he sat at an empty table near the clock. A cup of water and a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and toast appeared in front of him. His mouth watered, but his stomach was doing Olympic-level flips. The clock ticked 11:00, then 11:15, and onto 11:25, and he still didn't take a bite.

Normally Sabrina would comfort him when he was this nervous, but she was nowhere to be seen. It wasn't like her to sleep in so he figured she must have had something important going on.

"Hey." Alex looked up to the familiar face of Mariah. To keep her from noticing his injury, Alex stealthily slipped his right arm underneath the table.

Mariah was fifteen, only a year older than Sabrina. They were polar opposites when it came to looks, with Mariah having short brunette hair as opposed to Sabrina's pale blonde, and a much darker skin tone. Her eyes were a brilliant green that glowed occasionally, or at least Alex thought they did.

The girl raised one of her neatly trimmed eyebrows at the sight of his barely touched plate. "You start training today, right?"

"Yeah. I'm just too nervous to eat." With a resigned sigh, he picked up his fork in his left hand and pushed at the eggs on his plate. Mariah, kind as always, took a seat next to him.

"It's okay to be nervous, I think most of us were before our first time training. You just have to keep in mind that Ed's been doing this for a long time, and he knows a lot of things. There's a lot you can learn from him. Just between you and me, he goes easy on newbies." She winked and lightly ruffled his hair that he had taken such care to smooth down. "I like it better this way. Now," she snapped her fingers and a large nectarine appeared on his plate. "Eat up."

Before he could ask where the rare fruit came from, Mariah left to sit with Deo. Alex didn't realize the two were together until Faye complained about it one morning. She seemed to do a lot of complaining, he thought. But never in front of Mariah.

Alex took notice that most of the cabins had a makeshift hierarchy. Rather than it being based on age like the orphanage, it focused on how powerful the demigods were. Mariah was the strongest of the Hecate children, so she was the head of their cabin. While she was nice, it was clear that Faye respected her position enough to make Alex wonder if something dramatic had happened between the two.

With Mariah keeping a close eye on him, he shakily shoveled eggs into his mouth. His stomach relaxed some, and he was able to finish off the rest of his plate.

A quick glance at the clock told him that it was currently 11:34. The arena was only a five-minute walk away. If he left now, he would still be early, but he had nothing better to do.

On the walk over, Alex noticed that the camp seemed more deserted than usual. The hype from the fight had finally started to die down and campers were going back to their everyday routines. He felt exposed without the hustle and bustle of people crowding the trails that connected the main parts of the camp.

Alex wasn't sure what he was supposed to do when he got to the arena. He had only been there on the day of the fight, and Sabrina showed him exactly where to go. He found a human-sized door not far off to the right. It must have been hidden by Deo on the day of the fight because he couldn't recall seeing it that day.

He pushed it open and found that it led directly into the arena. The ground beneath him was light sand that had been compacted enough over the years to provide stable footing. He heard the clashing of swords before he caught sight of the cloud of dirt.

In the middle of the arena were two people moving very quickly. Alex had a difficult time discerning who they were due to the glare of the sun. He could tell that they were both skilled swordsmen. Their moves were perfectly in sync, each moving forward and back in tune with the other. It almost looked like they were dancing to a well-rehearsed routine.

Their back-and-forth continued for a few minutes before one's sword was violently knocked out of their hand. The other spun and aimed a well-timed kick at the now weaponless person's chest. They responded by grabbing their opponent's ankle and twisting it, using the momentum of their kick to spin them midair. The sword was thrown from their hand before they fell flat on their back. Alex could hear their groan from his spot at the front of the arena.

"Nice try," the standing person said as they offered their hand. The other accepted it and jumped to their feet. Almost simultaneously, they both turned their heads in Alex's direction. His face flushed in embarrassment. He felt like he was caught watching them in a private moment.

As the pair approached him, Alex was surprised to see that it was Edmund and Sabrina. That explained her absence during breakfast. Both were coated in a light sheen of sweat, and Edmund had a dirty footprint on his bare chest.

"I told you he'd be here early," Sabrina said when they got close.

Edmund smiled. "I apologize that I couldn't start your training sooner, Alexander." Hearing his full name caused his heart to skip a beat. Only the nuns ever truly called him Alexander.

His mouth felt dry. "I, uh, it's…" He trailed off.

Sabrina stepped forward. "You can borrow my sword, Alex. It's pretty light, so it should be a good starting tool."

He managed to look up at her as she handed it off. Her pale blonde hair was pasted against her forehead and her eyes were a vibrant shade of royal blue. The intensity of her gaze was hypnotizing.

"I promise you'll be fine." She patted him lightly on the shoulder before bowing to Edmund and leaving the arena.

Rather than look up at the man who was a lot more intimidating when brandishing a blade than he had been at the orphanage, Alex stared down at the sword in his left hand. It wasn't a large weapon. The blade only extended the length of his arm, but the hilt fit nicely in his grip.

Edmund wasted no time in starting their lesson. "I assume you have little-to-no practice in combat, correct?"

Alex nodded.

"Then that will be the first thing I teach you." Edmund led them to the middle of the arena.

Alex felt his heart beating even harder than at breakfast. His nerves caused his palms to sweat, so he gripped the sword tighter to keep it from slipping.

"Here." Edmund got into a fighting stance beside the boy. One foot was placed just ahead of the other and his sword was held diagonally across his chest. "Do as I do."

With his inexperience causing uncertainty in his mind, Alex copied the position. It felt awkward to have his feet spaced in such a manner, but Edmund explained that was both to help him balance and to allow him to put power behind his moves.

The man then went through a few motions with the sword. He showed Alex how to attack, parry, and defend. The moves came naturally to him. Rather than a foreign object in his hand, the sword became an extension of his arm. He imagined himself fighting an invisible foe who was strangely reminiscent of Ceuthonymus.

Once Alex replicated the basic forms on Edmund's command, the man moved to stand in front of him. "Today we will focus on defense. Keeping yourself alive is one of the most important things you will learn. So, pay attention."

Without warning, Edmund swiped his sword at him. Before Alex could react, he felt the blade press lightly against his thigh. Edmund retracted the weapon and raised an eyebrow.

"Remind me of our weak spots, Alexander."

Weak spots? He couldn't remember Edmund saying anything about that.

"Uh, weak spots. Right. Um... thigh, head, and... Ankles?" Alex hoped that he would get the reference, given that they were both descendants of Greek gods.

Edmund wasn't amused. "Thighs, chest, neck, head, and anything else you leave open to attack."

He swung his sword again, this time aimed at Alex's shoulder.

Alex was more awake this time. He moved his sword to block the attack. The connection wasn't forceful, but he felt the vibration from the impact reverberate through his arm. The strange feeling coupled with the slickness of his hand caused the sword to fall from his hand.

"The trick is not to think," Edmund said. He gave Alex an impatient look as the boy clambered to pick his sword up from the dusty arena floor. The dirt mixed with the sweat on his hand and provided a layer of resistance, allowing him to get a better grip.

A flash of light brought Alex's mind back to the present. When he looked up, he saw that Edmund's blade hovered just a few centimeters away from his neck. "Now you're dead."

"Sorry," Alex said sheepishly. "I got distracted."

Edmund withdrew his sword and raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps I am moving too slowly for you."

"No-" before Alex could finish his sentence, the man began pelting him with well-timed blows. Alex blocked as many as he could and soon found himself moving backward to give himself more time to react. Edmund was unrelenting and followed closely.

Both maneuvered around the arena, with Alex occasionally dropping his sword and barely having enough time to pick it up before Edmund struck at him again.

They made two trips around the arena before Alex tripped over his own feet and stumbled to the ground. By that time, the boy's chest was heaving and sweat-soaked his training gear.

Edmund, however, wasn't even out of breath. He offered a hand to pull Alex to his feet. "Thank you," the boy breathed.

"You performed well." Edmund bent down to pick up the sword lying at Alex's feet. "You must have questions for me. I must apologize for my absence since bringing you here."

Alex had a lot of questions that plagued his mind for the past couple of weeks. "Will I ever get to see Zeke again? When do I get to start using my powers like everyone else? I've tried so many times, but nothing ever happens. What is going to happen to the orphanage now that I'm gone? Why were you there that day and what did you give Sister Minnie?"

Alex paused to catch his breath. He took care not to mention the dreams he was having. Peter knowing about them was enough, he didn't want Edmund to think he was crazy, too.

"I do not know if you will see your satyr again. The orphanage that you knew is gone. It has been replaced by one of much better financial footing. Each child can have their own bedroom and can shower in hot water." Edmund spoke the last sentence softly as if it would lessen the blow.

Alex felt a bubble of rage heating his stomach. Edmund could keep them from living in poverty the entire time, yet he chose not to. He clenched his teeth so tightly his jaw began to ache.

"You have to understand, Alexander. The smell of the orphanage was necessary to keep you safe. Otherwise, you would have been attacked by more than just a low-level daimon." The man reached out to place his hand on Alex's shoulder. The gesture was meant to be comforting, but Alex shook him off.

"What about my other questions?" He asked.

Edmund sighed. "Each demigod draws their power from a different source. Your father, Erebus, is a primordial deity, and the personification of darkness. The power that he passed onto you draws from the darkness that hides deep in the cracks of the earth; darkness that has been there since the beginning of time. It is our understanding that you have extreme power inside of you, Alexander."

Alex furrowed his brow. "Are you sure he gave me his powers? I mean, I don't feel powerful. I can't do the things that I've seen you and Hades do. I couldn't even protect myself from a low-level daimon."

"I am sure, Alexander. Did you not ever stop to wonder how you were able to search the tree for my magic?"

Alex shook his head. It never occurred to him that what he did wasn't natural.

"Your abilities have always been stronger at night. It is why you can see clearly when others cannot. You were using the darkness within the trees themselves. Darkness just like the kind I used, which is how where you felt the connection.

"Under normal circumstances, darkness manipulation can be very unpredictable. The power that you contain, however, is unconventional. As I previously mentioned, it comes from old magic. It is not easily obtainable, and it takes quite a bit of skill to fully control it.

"With training, I am sure you will be able to command it whenever necessary. We're in the Underworld, so you are as close to your father's darkness as you can get." Edmund's words provided some comfort to Alex.

Despite the exhaustion setting into his bones, the boy wanted to learn more about this darkness manipulation. The sooner he learned how to control his abilities, the sooner he could protect himself. "I want to learn how to control it now," he said matter-of-factly.

Edmund quirked an eyebrow. "Are you sure? This will take what little is left of your energy."

"Please."

"Alright." After placing the swords down, Edmund held out a hand with his palm facing upwards. A small orb of darkness materialized out of nowhere. It reminded Alex of fire with the way it turned and twisted, unable to remain in one spot, like a living thing.

"Hold out your hand," commanded Edmund.

Alex fought the anxiety constricting his chest to do as he was told. Edmund cupped the orb with his other hand and gently placed it onto Alex's outstretched palm.

The boy flinched as the orb touched his skin. It was cold, unlike the fire it so closely resembled. He could feel the strands of darkness that made up the orb tickling his palm. Despite the alien feeling it gave him, it also felt like it belonged there somehow.

"I want you to take control of it," Edmund said. "To do this you must reach inside yourself, find the part of you that connects the most with it."

Alex closed his eyes. He felt nothing other than the physical sensation of the orb on his skin. Then, the familiar excitement he got when exploring the trees appeared at the back of his mind. He allowed it to grow and overwhelm him. His mind wanted to control the darkness; it yearned for it. Grow, his mind said.

A strong gust of air brought Alex out of his daze. He opened his eyes to find that the darkness in his hand expanded nearly five feet in the air. The tendrils swirled around each other more viciously now, ready and raving to be used.

Edmund took a step back to admire the scene fully. He even chuckled a bit. "Never in my life…"

Alex squirmed as some of the darkness began to crawl down his arm. "Uh, Edmund." He looked to the man for help. "I'm not making it do this."

"Yes, you are. You are just unaware of why." Edmund sounded amused. "For it to leave you, you must release it."

Would his body even let him? Alex wasn't sure, but the energy it was taking for him to maintain this beam of darkness was more than he had left. Go, he commanded. The darkness slithered from his arm and into the arena floor.

Alex's knees buckled and he fell to the ground. He caught himself with his hands and whimpered as pain shot through his wrist.

Edmund was quick to help Alex back to his feet.

"You should be proud," he said while they walked to the exit. Well, Edmund walked, Alex was being half-carried until he regained feeling in his legs. "I have never seen such natural control over one's abilities before. From a demigod, that is."

Once they reached the doors, Alex pushed off Edmund to stand on his own. "I-I don't think I had any part in it. There was this voice inside my head."

Edmund put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "That voice comes from your father's blood. It's much stronger than any of the minor gods. It was you who did that, Alexander. No one else."

Edmund stopped and let go of Alex. "I will see you in a couple of days. Get that wrist healed before then."

The man dismissed him with a courteous nod.

Exhausted yet feeling fully satisfied, Alex went to his cabin to take a nice long shower and have the best sleep of his life.