Chapter 1:

Aidon had always been good at remaining unseen. At blending into the background. And as he sat in front of Hermes's cabin at Camp Half-Blood, he found the skill more useful than ever.

His eyes, amber and sharp, scanned the camp's wide expanse—demigods going about their various duties, laughing, shouting, and fighting. Some were training, some were sparring, while others seemed to be caught in an endless stream of conversations. But to Aidon, it was all a blur. His mind was too clouded to focus on anything beyond the gnawing emptiness deep within him.

Aidon hadn't asked for any of this. This camp, this world. They had all been thrust upon him without warning, without explanation.

He had no memories. No past to hold on to. And that, more than anything, made him feel out of place in this strange new world. He didn't know who he was or where he came from. All he knew was that the moment he had arrived here, everything had felt… wrong. As though he was meant for something more, something bigger, but whatever that was, it remained hidden from his grasp.

The wind rustled the trees around him, and Aidon glanced at the cabin's sign above the door. It was worn, its once-bright letters barely visible in the fading light of the day. Hermes. The cabin for children of the god of messengers. The sign, like everything here, felt temporary—an afterthought.

His hand instinctively reached into his pocket, fingers brushing against the smooth, familiar steel of his staff. Aidon didn't know when he had acquired it. It had always been with him. A piece of his life he couldn't remember, yet it felt like the only constant in his fractured existence.

The staff, small at first, had been nothing more than a thin rod. But when he held it, when his fingers wrapped around it, it began to grow, shifting and stretching until it became a full-sized weapon. The transformation was always seamless, the staff becoming a tool of immense power with barely any thought on his part. It was like a part of him, but it remained a mystery, and that uncertainty gnawed at him.

It was more than just a weapon. It was a piece of him, an extension of something he didn't understand. And that scared him.

Suddenly, a voice broke through his thoughts, sharp and confident. "You look like you could use some company."

Aidon's eyes flicked upward to meet the speaker: a guy with light brown hair, wearing pink goggles. He exuded an energy that Aidon couldn't quite place. His grin was wide and open, far too friendly for Aidon's liking.

"I'm Jade," the guy said with a carefree wave. "You look lost, man. First time at camp?"

Aidon narrowed his eyes slightly, unwilling to give up any ground. "You could say that."

Jade's grin didn't falter. "Well, if you're looking to get settled in, I'm your guy." He gestured to the camp around them with exaggerated enthusiasm. "Don't worry. You'll fit right in here. It's easy once you know the ropes."

Aidon didn't respond right away. He didn't trust Jade, not yet. The guy's carefree demeanor was far too at odds with Aidon's own guarded, withdrawn nature. There was something about the guy's confidence that rubbed him the wrong way.

"I don't need a guide," Aidon replied, his tone clipped.

Jade cocked his head, unfazed. "Well, you're gonna need one sooner or later. Trust me, you don't want to wander around here clueless. There's a lot more to this camp than meets the eye." His voice dropped a little, though it still carried an undercurrent of mischief. "And it's not all fun and games. There's danger too."

Aidon felt a slight twinge in his chest at those words. Danger. Something about that word felt like a warning like it was meant for him. As if this place, and everything around him, was more than just camp.

"Where am I supposed to stay?" Aidon asked, wanting to change the subject, though he wasn't sure why.

Jade, clearly reading the shift in his mood, took the opportunity to move things along. "Hermes Cabin," he replied easily. "That's where they put kids like you—the ones who don't have a clear heritage yet, or the ones who aren't claimed." He gave Aidon a quick once-over as if trying to determine which category he fell into. "It's temporary. But it's home for now."

Aidon glanced over at the cabin. It looked humble enough—modest, tucked in the far corner of the camp. A perfect place to be forgotten, to blend in. He didn't want to be seen, didn't want anyone to notice him too much.

"Follow me," Jade said, almost as if he'd read Aidon's thoughts. "You'll get used to it here. Trust me, I've been at this camp for a while. I know the ropes."

As they walked, Aidon kept his distance, his eyes drifting across the camp with a sharpness that belied his calm exterior. He could feel the eyes of the other campers on him—curious glances, some dismissive, others laden with suspicion. His mind was buzzing, too many questions flooding his thoughts. Was this where he was supposed to be? Was he really like them?

It didn't feel right. Something about this camp—it felt like the calm before the storm.

They reached the cabin, and Aidon stood before the door, his hand still holding his staff, his knuckles tight around it. There was a strange comfort in its warmth, even though it didn't answer the questions that raged in his mind.

Before he could reach for the door, a voice called out, slicing through the air.

"New kid?"

Aidon turned, his amber-starred eyes locking onto a girl standing just behind him. She had dark purple hair and striking pink-starred eyes that seemed to shimmer in the fading sunlight. Her smile was wide, but Aidon felt no warmth in it—only the same sense of forced friendliness that he had sensed from Jade.

"I'm Aria," the girl introduced herself, her voice light and casual, but there was something behind it. "You're the new guy, right? I know you're probably feeling like a fish out of water, but you'll get the hang of things. We all do."

Aidon remained silent, his gaze fixed on her for a moment too long. There was something about Aria that set off an uneasy feeling. She seemed genuine, but her ease was unsettling. He didn't trust it. Not here. Not with these people.

Before he could respond, a small figure brushed past Aria and into the cabin without so much as a glance at Aidon. A boy, shorter than both of them, with dark hair and sharp eyes. His gaze was cold, and distant, as though he was already sizing Aidon up from a distance.

"This is Soren," Aria said, her tone softening slightly. "He's quiet, but don't let that fool you. He's one of the fastest guys here."

Aidon looked at Soren, but the boy didn't acknowledge him. Instead, his eyes seemed to be fixed on something far beyond the cabin—a space on the horizon that Aidon couldn't even see.

"Right," Aidon muttered, unsure what to make of the silent boy. Something about Soren's gaze disturbed him like he was always looking for something, waiting for something.

Aria, sensing the tension, gave a soft laugh, brushing it off. "He's not the talkative type. Don't take it personally."

Aidon didn't take it personally. He didn't care enough to. Not yet. He had more important things to focus on—like his own damn existence.

But before he could step inside the cabin, he felt it again—a whisper in the back of his mind. A sensation that something was wrong. Something wasn't right.

The staff in his pocket felt heavier than before. The mysterious weight of it was no longer just physical; it seemed to press on his chest, reminding him that whatever was hidden inside it was something he wasn't yet ready to understand. Something he had to unlock. But how?

With a deep breath, Aidon stepped into the cabin, his mind whirling with questions he didn't know how to answer. The night stretched before him, dark and full of secrets, and all he could do was wait for the next piece of the puzzle to fall into place. He wasn't sure what awaited him here, but one thing was clear—Camp Half-Blood was just the beginning of something far bigger than he could comprehend.