Epilogue: Third Person Limited POV

When the whole happy family skipped (or rather, flew) back to camp, they were received with great joy. "You guys survived!" Carina greeted them enthusiastically. Then, her face turned ashen grey and the wind blew hard as she looked around and realized that apart from the new additions one of the original people didn't make it back. Carina scanned the flock's attempted impassive faces one by one, then said in horror, "Shirley. She didn't make it," Then, "Is she... dead?"

Raven spoke up. "By no means, child, has the one called Shirley departed from the realm of the living."

At Carina's confused expression, and slight anger at being called 'child', Bhavana said gruffly, "She means that no, she's not dead. While we were fighting them, Shirley- shirley- she fell." and Bhavana did not elaborate on that.

"Into green lava," Tim added unhelpfully.

"Which is impossible to form naturally, so it was probably another thingamajig invented by the scientists," Alex said quietly.

Neesik came in. "Let's see, there's two people I don't know. Bhavana, Tim, Ruidi, check. Pranu, Alex, Eshana, Shirley... where's Shirley? Is she gone?" Neesik immediately looked sorrowful.

"Missing in action," Charlie pronounced grimly.

"There's still hope that she's alive yet, then. A shroud will not be in order. Care to introduce yourselves?" Neesik asked the newcomers.

"I'm Charlie. I used to work for the scientists because they had my parents, but I've decided that they would kill my parents no matter what happened and my dad did want me to have a life, so I disobeyed the scientists, broke free, and tagged along," Charlie said all in one breath.

"Raven," Raven introduced herself quite simply. No background information, nothing. The raven on her left shoulder cocked its head at Neesik. "Alcyone." Raven said, pointing to it. Then another raven flew down and landed on her shoulder, casually kicking the former raven off its perch. It ruffled its feathers and squawked loudly, covering the equally loud indignant squawk of the first raven. "Ryn," Raven said, pointing to the new raven perched her left shoulder.

"Hmm..," Neesik looked thoughtful. "Which cabins should you be in?"

"I... I don't really know," Charlie stammered. "Should I?"

"And you?" Neesik asked Raven.

"I highly doubt that this camp has a cabin representing my father," Raven replied.

"We'll see, then. To the bonfire, you're bound to be claimed there, and we've got some laurels ready for the heroes," Neesik paused, and added as an afterthought, "There's a game of dodgeball and soccer coming up in a few days. Care to join? We'll get someone to explain the rules to the newcomers."

Everyone agreed, then skipped joyfully to the bonfires to eat dinner and claim laurels. There was some back-slapping, high-fiving, and shouts of "You showed 'em!" Nick, still unconscious (he'd been stowed away like a package in the Void) was hoisted to the hospital.

At the bonfire, demigods gasped as they saw the sign of Janus, a key and a staff, flickering and sputtering over Charlie's head. Neesik examined it closely, and began, "Charlie-"

"I can't be a demigod! I have both of my parents! They're human!" Charlie was freaking out.

"No, you're a descendant of Janus, not technically a demi god, maybe something like a... one-eighth god or something," Neesik said. "Janus is the god of new beginnings and hope. Choices and decisions. A minor god, yes, but nevertheless an important one."

Then, everyone gasped louder as a scythe, symbol of the titan Kronos, materialized in the air above Raven's head. It solidified, turning into an actual scythe, then dropped with a clunk into the ground in front of her. She grasped it and looked at it appraisingly, weighing it in her hands. Then, apparently finding it satisfactory, raised it into the air and it dissolved into a black mist, which disappeared immediately. All this while the campers were still gaping at her.

"Kronos," Raven stated. "My shadow Alcyone was here before me."

"I believe I've met her," Neesik said gravely. "We will have to take a vote to see if you are allowed to stay here."

Two days later, Nick woke up. He was greeted enthusiastically by Alex and the rest of them, but he had no memory of what happened. So Alex was the one who stayed at his bedside and filled him in. He'd woken up just in time to play his choice of either dodgeball or soccer.

Miles away from the camp and underground, a winged girl who went by the name Shirley grinned widely as she was finally able to pull off her Darklecovia. She did a triple-backflip in the air to celebrate, then flew off to show Nikita, her teacher.

"Quite a power, that is," Nikita mused, after seeing Shirley proudly display it. "We'll be able to do much with it."

Shirley said nothing in reply. She looked up at the holographic sky and wondered what her friends were doing, at camp, which seemed so far away. I will return, one day. she vowed.

THE END!