The bright shine of the hearth reflected off a hulking broadsword in brilliant hues of gold and white light. The dormant Olympus throne room was silent save for the occasional crackle of embers and a deep sigh coming from a man dressed in black. He sat on what was once the thunder god Zeus' seat of power, now reflecting the brooding and dark figure upon it. Black eyes lost themselves in the flames as thoughts darted around his head.

They could be here soon! The lieutenant of Aether had warned the Naiads just one week before. Annabeth had told Percy a classic property from the texts of mortals: "The simplest solution is more often than not the correct one." Occar's Razer, she had called it. Or was it Occam's Razor? His dyslexia had never improved, not even with blessings from some of the oldest beings in existence. Annabeth had always known best, but still, Percy could not shake the thought that there was more to it. His gut was set on it, and his instincts had proved invaluable throughout his life.

"But who else could she be referring to?" he thought aloud, pondering the possibilities. Other Primordials and their subjects? A godly insurrection and their agents? No, neither seemed correct in his mind. There was something more to it. Something grander.

Perhaps the Nephilim had returned? This could be it, but he would have expected Tartarus, Erebus and Nyx to have picked up their presence if it really were them. They had mentioned Chaos at their last battle, but when he had consulted his masters of their father, they knew nothing of him. Only that out of him all things were created, and quickly afterward ceased to be.

"Honey, Adrastos just let me know it's a good time for you to visit Camp Half-Blood today. The campers have been eager to see you for some time now." His wife's pleasant voice caught his ear and snapped him out of his thoughts for just a moment. Even so, the troubling question still lingered. Who in Hades was They?

"Alright Annabeth, I'll head down there now," he replied. "Care to join me?"

"I'm finishing up a new plan for the Olympus Aquarium you always wanted up here, but afterward, I'll come join you!" Percy grinned deeply at the thought of Aquarium. Hecate had proposed a way to increase the size and depth of a normal aquarium without requiring tremendous labor, a skill the Goddess of Magic could put to task effortlessly. Despite his position in the skies, he did miss the ocean. And this project would allow for sea creatures, both normal and of mythical descent, to live in a miniature ocean above the clouds.

"Okay, I will see you in a bit!" Percy said back to her. He took a deep breath and concentrated hard, bending the shadows in the throne room to envelope himself until he had disappeared, melting away into deep tufts of darkness.

He landed with a thud outside the Poseidon cabin. The sight of his former home brought up conflicting emotions of sorrow and anger. He knew his father was a good man, but given the sea god's inability to help him when Zeus first cast him into Tartarus, how loving could he really be. Percy wasn't sure, but one thing he did know was that he had to see his father soon enough to discuss Pontus, Primordial god of the sea, and his potential whereabouts. While confined to Atlantis and removed from his great Trident, he was allowed, via Percy's request, to stay out of Tartarus. Athena was not so lucky, but that was a separate matter.

Percy turned away from the cabin and walked towards the arena, where he felt his name being spoken. He filled the area with his presence and smiled—friends and family awaited him.

"Always be aware of your flanks, Orion! They should never be exposed!" yelled out the burly voice of Adrastos; Demititan, assassin, Strategos, instructor, friend. He had filled Chiron's role as an instructor of godly offspring, but there weren't many young campers around anymore, except for the children of gods who had sided with the Primordials. The rest of the campers who sided with Tartarus and Erebus had been gifted similar immortality as the hunters but were not blessed like Percy and Adrastos.

"I don't care how many there are on you. Weave through their strikes! EVADE!" he continued. Percy was ten yards from his own training spot. The same place he first sparred with Luke Castellan, over 60 years ago at this point.

"Agh! Shit that hurts," grunted Orion. Percy had rounded the corner to see a remarkable array of dummies, campers, and traps around Orion, one of which had triggered and shot a dart straight into the eighteen-year old's ribs. Red blood dripped from a wound in his side. Adrastos saw his Champion enter the arena and smiled, before ceasing the exercise at hand. Orion turned around grimacing, quickly concealing his pain at the sight of his storied father. He forced a smile to his face. "Hey dad…" he got out, carefully choking down any tell of pain.

"Glad to see Orion finally getting to the training that matters!" Percy yelled at his comrade, embracing Adrastos like brothers. He turned to his son, whose gray eyes were always a comforting sight. "Hi son." Percy smiled at the boy, nearly a man, who slowly walked out from the center of the arena, automaton traps and mortal campers clearing a path between father and son. They hugged, Percy patting Orion on the side. His son grunted but returned his embrace lovingly. He was unsure if his father was still upset with him having failed to finish the job on their Montana mission the week prior.

"Now go get yourself patched up and we'll catch up for real later. I have some things to discuss with Adrastos." Orion nodded, hobbling out of the arena with the other campers, forking off to get his wound cleaned and stitched at the infirmary. Adrastos gave Percy a grim look.

"I hope this is won't put a damper on my day too much, Perce."

"It might do just that, unfortunately. Let's take this to The Big House."

The two of them left the arena, strolling towards the place that held claim to Percy's first memory of Camp Half-Blood. And Annabeth for that matter.

You drool while you sleep, she had told him. He chuckled to himself. Oh Annabeth, he thought.

However, his expression quickly returned to reflect the seriousness of his thoughts. The two made it up the porch steps of The Big House. Evening was approaching and the campers would be heading to dinner soon. Percy would address them at dinner, as he did every now and then to check in and make sure all was running smoothly. Tonight, would be different, though. Because tonight, he had an announcement to make.

"After you, Champion," Adrastos said, gesturing for Percy to enter first. Percy smiled, but was still troubled by their pending discussion's main topic.

They.

"I don't think I'm with you on there being something more, Perce."

Adrastos and Percy had been talking through the interaction between the Naiads, Aether's soldiers, and the Jackson family's mission in Montana.

"They were probably referring to you. In fact, we didn't even know there were more of them until you bumped into them," Adrastos continued. Percy nodded his head. Both Annabeth and Adrastos were agreeing—a son of Prometheus, Titan of forethought, and a daughter of Athena, goddess of wisdom. They had him outmatched in strategy, but Perseus was unconvinced.

"The way she said it though. It seemed like it was more than just me. Like they were being chased. We had no idea they would even be there!" he exclaimed. Adrastos scratched his chin; it was a good point.

"But who else could it be. The Nephilim are long gone by now and haven't been felt on Earth in decades. The remaining Titans are in hiding and have posed no threat to us, and all the gods and campers who defied us are in Tartarus," Adrastos replied. The room filled with dread at the mention of their master's name.

"Something just feels… off. Annabeth also felt something the other night and it was odd, but—" Percy's words were cut off by the call for dinner. Adrastos shrugged and stood from his seat.

"Save that thought Perce, let's get us some grub."

The two highest-ranking members of their Order exited the building, heading to the mess hall and brazier. On their way there, sons and daughters of Hecate ran past, casting spells at each other. A girl of thirteen muttered words in an old tongue at her half-brother, tying his shoes together and causing him to trip. The younger boy, not a day past eleven, fell right on his face, causing laughter from Percy, Adrastos, and the young girl alike. The boy shouted and retaliated by sealing the girls' mouth shut, much to his alarm.

The girl's wide eyes looked at Percy for help, to which Percy's powerful gaze fell upon the young boy.

"I-I've never done that b-b-before, Lord Perseus," he choked out, alarmed and shocked at the situation he found himself in. Adrastos yelled over to the mess hall to where a group of campers was lined up for dinner.

"Amandine! Come help your brother, would you!" A teenage brunette girl of about seventeen turned her head with a smile and frolicked her way over to the group of them. She had a small tattoo under her left eye; an odd symbol with two spheres on each vertex of an ellipse, which seemed to move when Percy stared at it for too long.

Percy shook himself out of the trance and smiled at the girl. She smiled back and quickly turned to the children. The young boy had started to work up some tears.

"Johnny! What did you do to your sister!" she exclaimed, playfully scolding him. Percy noted her accent, connecting the words together. Johnny sniffled a few times and shrugged. Amandine laughed, muttered a spell, and the girl's lips unsealed. She put her hands to her mouth, smiling.

"Amandine! Thank you so much!" she said. Amandine nodded at the girl happily, before she and her brother Johnny ran off. Adrastos smiled at his older student.

"Merci, Amandine." Ah, so she is French, Percy thought. The teenager turned to Percy and stuck out her hand. Percy shook it and looked deep into her eyes, which seemed a mixture of purple and deep blue, an indigo of sorts.

"Champion Percy, it is an honor," she said. Percy stopped her from praising him, however.

"Good to meet you. Out of curiosity, who is your godly parent?" He already thought he knew the answer, but wanted to find out more about this girl. She shuffled her feet, yet proudly responded to her leader.

"My mother is Hecate, and I come from la France de sud," she said. "I mean, southern France. I've been here a few years but English is still difficile." Percy smiled and nodded. Adrastos flashed a look to her, and having met his gaze, she bowed and returned to the other campers.

Hecate had many demigod children in the decades since the Primordials' victory. Being one of the few remaining gods who were not in hiding and who sided with Tartarus, Erebus, and Nyx, she had taken note from Zeus' old ways, enjoying company with mortal men. This was much to the Primordials' joy, as Hecate's children possessed strong magical abilities and were fairly intelligent on top of that.

"She is quite talented, Percy. She'll make a great addition to the Order. She's picked up spells and survival skills like they're her first nature," Adrastos assessed.

"I always love to see the powerful youth. Reminds me of the glory days," Percy flexed, bringing a laugh from Adrastos and an adorable giggle from behind him. He knew that laugh.

Percy turned around and saw his Wise-Girl blushing at how stupid he was. Percy laughed with the two of them and hugged his wife.

"How are the aquarium plans?" Percy was excited to find out. Annabeth smiled and looked away, not ready to give up the juicy details he so craved. "Oh, come on, you've got to tell me!" he exclaimed. Annabeth gave up the act.

"Finished. The Mendin and Cyclops will start in a few days. It's gonna take some time, and probably some help from your father to get all the sea-life in there though," she warned. Percy nodded. Another reason to go visit Poseidon. He took a mental note of that.

Adrastos interjected, saying "Let's eat, shall we? I know I'm starving, and the campers can't wait to hear from their leader." The three of them walked over towards where the food was served, taking their favorite meals from the enchanted food bins. Steak, ribs, fried chicken, salad, ice cream, risotto, you name it, it was there. Percy's made his food blue, but for the first time in his life, he couldn't remember why. He shrugged it off. It probably wasn't too important.

They walked over to the brazier, and cast some of their plates into the flames, laughing.

"To Erebus, Nyx, and Tartarus. And to us of course, rulers of Olympus," Percy said. Annabeth raised a glass of wine and Adrastos mumbled his own prayer after the couple had found their way towards the front of the dining area. They dug into their food, and Adrastos soon joined them, but were unaware of the hundreds of glances they received from the campers, excited, nervous, and in awe of the historic Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase, at Camp Half-Blood! They were really there?

Percy laughed to himself a little bit, put his fork down, and stood up from his seat. He walked over to a podium that had been set up before his arrival.

He smiled at Annabeth and turned to the campers.

"It sure feels good to be back at Camp. Seeing your happy faces. Seeing you all challenging each other, growing to be stronger and more intelligent with every passing day reminds me of my time here as a teenager, training with my wife, Annabeth. Or with our Strategos, Adrastos, when I first pledged loyalty to our master Tartarus and Erebus," Percy projected. The air grew cold and the campers felt a little uneasy at the mentions of their names. They had never seen them. Not many had, at that. The air returned back to normal, and their Champion continued.

"I come here with more than just memories of a time passed. You see, Camp Half-Blood got the best out of us by sending us into the world on daring quests. At the age of fourteen, my wife held the Sky on her shoulders in Atlas' place. You all can do remarkable things, and our masters, with my advice, have agreed to my proposal." He paused for a moment, as whispers and murmurs echoed across the children of gods and demigods.

"What could it be?"

"Does the mean we'll quest soon?"

"I bet I'll get to go!" The children's whispers continued until Percy raised up a hand. It was met with a quick silence.

"The most talented among you will be joining the ranks of the order on missions across the world. We are hunting down the last of Aether's men and searching for the whereabouts of ancient Primordials, many of whom were forgotten long ago. This will be dangerous and perhaps fatal, but to be truly prepared for anything, you must use the skills you learn here against real enemies. Monsters, intelligent warriors with superior strength, even gods… But I have faith in many of you because when no one but Annabeth and Chiron had faith in me, I was able to succeed too." Percy noticed his son walking up the pathway to the commons. Orion hobbled back to dinner late from the infirmary, and Percy nodded at his son, who returned it with a wave.

"Some of you will train under members of the Order in strategies that Adrastos has not taught you here. Some will train under me. Very soon, I expect there to be elite teams of six, starting with our first group of our most successful agents. I expect great things from you all. Prepare yourself for assessments next week!" The students cheered and praised the Primordials in unison, clapping after Percy's words. Finally, a shot to meet and impress not only their distant masters but the Champion himself.

Percy nodded at Orion, telling him in his head: I expect you to lead our first former camper-based group. Make me proud, son. Orion, who had been in an excited embrace with Amandine, quickly locked eyes with his father, nodding understandingly.

"I won't let you down, Champion," he whispered to himself. He smiled at his French friend, following the rest of the campers to their cabins and the lake. Annabeth walked up to her husband and hugged him tightly from behind. Percy hummed in pleasure and stood there with Annabeth, watching their beautiful boy grow up as they did. And now be pushed as they did, in the unpredictable real world.

"He and that French girl seems a little closer than just being friends, don't you think?" Annabeth inquired. Percy smirked, looking at Annabeth.

"I think they're probably going back to his cabin to 'hang out' right now!" he mused. Annabeth hit him on the arm, and Percy laughed. He grabbed her by the waist, and pulling the shadows in the area towards him, disappeared into the night and into the Olympian throne room.

Adrastos watched the two of them shadow-travel away. He was still seated in the dining area. Today was a special day to him, and he kept it to himself. He pulled out a gold and silver locket from his pocket, turning it in his hands. It had been over three hundred years since his mother and sister were murdered during the French and Indian War and today was the anniversary.

"Isabella, I'm so sorry," he said, rubbing the locket between his right thumb and forefinger. He turned towards the fire, seeming to get hotter the more emotional he felt. He stared into the flames, seeing the image of his family and then his sister Isabella. It looked so real, dancing in the flames.

"Wait…" he mumbled. He took a step closer to the fire, heat continuing to rise with every passing second. The image of his sister was more lifelike now, looking back at Adrastos and calling out to him. His jaw agape, he ran as close as he could to the fire, a warm, uneasy feeling seeping into the area around him—WOOOOOOOSH!

As quickly as the vision and feeling had set in, it had passed, and Adrastos was left awestruck by the event. Could it have been in his head? It seemed so real.

He wiped beads of sweat from his forehead and headed back to The Big House, his sister's locket tucked safely in his pocket, unsettled for the first time in decades.