Chapter 3

The Son Of Darkness

Nico was never looking forward to a meeting of the hut elders as much as this time. Hearing of the unique powers of this boy, Benjamin, almost led thim to believe that he is a son of Hades. But Will, who together with Percy and Annabeth brought the boy to the camp, told him that he seemed different – even more powerful than a son of Hades, Poseidon or Zeus.A older god or goddess. As he arrived at the main building he sat down next to Will at the Ping Pong Table where they did their meetings. The table was very empty though, so Nico asked if he was too early. „No, you are too late, actually", Chiron said. „But as Jason and Piper are visiting her father and Leo is showing Calypso around New York City this table will stay pretty empty." Chiron cleared his throat and as everyone became silent he started the meeting. „As you might now – we have a new camper -" „Well but that´s not too unusal…", interrupted Connor Stoll from the Hermes hut. „Actually, we are getting tons of new campers every week currently!" „But if you would have let me speak", Chiron continued, still very calmly. „I would have said that a letter he brought claimed he was the son of Erebos."

The room fell silent, only to be then broken by Percy: „Who is Erebos even? Is he even a Greek god?"

Chiron nodded towards Annabeth, who then started talking: „I did some research. Erebos is a Greek god, one of the oldest, in fact. He is the god of darkness."

This confused Nico. „Isn´t Hades the god of Darkness?"

„That is a common mistake to say Hades is the god of darkness. He indeed can use shadows and darkness to his advantage and can give certain abilities related to shadows to his children…" She looked at Nico, almost as if she was wondering about what he would say when she said what she was about to say. „But Erebos is the Darkness"

„You mean like Gaea is the Earth?", Percy asked. „And Uranos the Sky?"

„I fear the answer is yes", Chrion responded. „But the problem is that a god as powerful as Erebos never had a child which was mortal before. Especially as he is known to not even be able to form a phisical body as Gaea did because of his immense power."

„Just to recap this meeting so far", Will said, obviously confused. „We have a crazily powerful Demigod, who should not exist, his father being a god who should not have a phisical form?"

Before Chiron could answe, Nico said something: „I feel like we should at least ask Benjamin. He might know some things we don´t." „I agree", Percy said. „but we should ask him while he is alone so that it´s less aquward."

After Chiron agreeing as well he decided for Annabeth to ask him. Nico felt like he should go too because a son of darkness and a son of death might have a similar mind set.

As they found Benjamin sitting at the edge oft he archery range watching the Apollo-Kids shooting.

„Hey, Ben", Annabeth said. He smiled at her, but Nico knew the look in his eyes: the loss of a close family member.

„This is Nico", Annabeth said nodding towards him. „We were wondering",Nico started, „if you knew anything about your father"

Benjamin, or how Annabeth called him, Ben, said: „M-My mom told me about him. He was always nice to her, but I never met him…" „Sadly, that is quite common for Demigods", Annabeth mumbled. „Anyway", he continued. „When i asked my mom why he left she just told me `He was never here`. At the time , that confused me. But my mom later told me that he was being weakened and could just barely talk to her. And a few years after meeting my mom he finally gathered enough energie to – to make me."

This was surely hard for Ben to comprehend: A father, who wasn´t even seen by his mother. Nico, who still stood beside the bench Ben and Annabeth were sitting on, sat down. As he only mentioned his mother and looked like he was fighting tears right now made him assume he lost his mother, and it had to be recent. Before he could slowly make Ben talk about it Annabeth asked: „What about your mother? Where is she right now?"

Benjamin burst out in tears. Annabeth looked sad, and seeing a poor child going through the same as he did made him do something he almost never did: body contact. Nico never knew how to interpret someones feelings, but it just felt right to hug Ben, as any words said in a moment like this were unneeded. Also, Ben accepted the hug as only very few people didnt jump at contact with Nico´s normally very cold skin. Ben slowly stopped crying and said, still sobbing: „S-She was killed by monsters while defending me. I-Its all my fault! I could have helped her!" „Nico looked at Benjamin, now saying: „She died for good. If you would have died beside her it wouldn´t made her sacrifice worth anything."

Ben looked at him, still sobbing. „Y-You are a son of Hades, arent you? Can you feel her ghost? Is she in the Elysium?" Nico concentrated. „She is -"

He looked up, just to see Benjamin seeming to feel a bit better with the loos of his mom. Nico stood up and walked tot he main building where Percy, Will and Chiron were waiting for them.

„What did he say?", Percy asked.

„He said that his father never took shape he just had enough power to make his mother pregnant."

This evening, at the campfire while everyone was singing he decided to go to his cabin. As he walked past the archery range he saw Ben, again sitting on the bench where they last talked. Nico decided to check up on him. Ben held a picture of a woman with the same-coloured hair as he did, friendly eyes and a big smile. She held a little child, maybe about 3 years old, in her arms. As Nico approached, he saw Ben´s eyes were filled with tears. He sat down next to him, but as soon as he was sitting Ben hugged him, crying into his jacket. Nico just sat there for 30 more minutes until Ben went to bed.

Just some moments later Will, who noticed Nico was gone from the campfire, sat down next to Nico.

„Who was that next to you?", Will asked.

„Ben", Nico answered. „He lost his mother recently."

„Oh-"

„He´s dealing good with it though. He just needed someone to – to be there, I guess…"

Will took his hand. „I´m worried about this whole situation. Everytime powerful halfboods come here something bad happens. Percy: the war against the Titans. Jason: the war against Gaea."

„Its gonna be all right"

Will stood up again. „I´ll go to bed now. See you tommorrow, di Angelo" Will kissed him on the cheek and Nico went red. Although Will officially was his boyfriend he still blushed so often while being with him. Nico looked at the moon. He thougth about what Will said with powerful Demigods being bad omens. If that was the case, there would be a giant thread awaiting them. When Nico arrived in is cabin he saw a shadow moving through his window. He went in, hoping it was Will, just to then be disappointed to see the god oft he Underworld sitting on his bed.

„Hello, father", Nico said, not knowing what to think about the sudden appearance of Hades.

„Hello, Nico. We haven´t spoken in a long time.", Hades said, with his voice that always seemed to be sad.

„What are you doing here? It surely wont be a visit out of pure kindness" Hades smirked. „You know me too well. Actually, its about this new boy"

„Ben?"

„Yes. I was confused when I felt the raw power of him."

„Father, what do you know about Erebos?"

„Erebos? Not much. He is one of my neighbors, basically. Very powerful. Luckily, he is being trapped between Gaea and Tartaros, as they together can just barely stop him from destroying everything" Nico went pale. „Oh no…"

„What?"

„Gaea has been killed…"