The sun was already high in the sky when Ikki left Athena's cabin. The cool morning breeze was beginning to give way to the midday heat, and Camp Half-Blood was in pure commotion, but his mind wasn't on it. He had a slight smile on his lips.
Athena's cabin was the last group of campers who had finally received his 'blessing,' and Annabeth...
Well, Annabeth had received something special, just like Percy, Nico, Bianca, Grover, Katie, the Stoll twins, and Will Solace, son of Apollo. He would have given a special power to Silena, but due to her betrayal, he couldn't trust her. Despite that, he gave her the same blessing that improved someone's attributes, which she tried to apologize for and ask his forgiveness while he was doing it, but he ignored her and left.
That was a delightful matter in his mind, but giving a portion of his soul to Silena had the advantage that if she betrayed them, he could withdraw the portion and kill her in the process.
But returning to the topic of the abilities of his 'elite group,' which he decided to create last minute because although his [Shattered King] ability was very powerful on its own, there was a limited number of larger portions of his soul with unique abilities for the person he chose. He also realized that it took quite a while for his soul to recover; it would take a few months to be able to give these 'larger portions' to other people. That was why he chose to give them to the people closest to him and whom he knew best, giving a unique ability to each of them.
Because of that, his friends were the ones who gained the most in this series of blessings.
Grover gained the ability to manipulate metal on a large scale, while also being able to alter those metals into something from nature, transforming entire cities of metal into a forest or something similar. He was quite excited when he turned an old spear into a beautiful tree, saying it could help Pan fix nature, and giving him a bear hug.
Following the same type of power, Katie gained the ability that transformed her. Her body is no longer just flesh and bone but a perfect synthesis between plant structure and organic matter, sustained by photosynthesis, biological immortality, and regeneration, allowing any fragment of her to recompose itself as long as there is plant life around. Her control over plants transcends common manipulation, as each leaf, root, or vine responds to her call as if they were extensions of her own being. Entire forests bend to her will, growing in seconds or transforming into lethal armies, animated by her life force. There is no plant that she cannot shape or create, originating new forms of life, poisonous hybrids, and organisms capable of evolving under her command.
The Stoll brothers gained the ability to manipulate movement and gravity on a certain scale, in addition to all the basic enhancements that the rest of the demigods received.
To Will, he gave the ability over the Sun, a version similar to the one he had. He was able to use all aspects of a sun on a level similar to Apollo's, basically.
And Annabeth, she now had the ability to completely reverse anything that had happened between two targets. If an enemy wounded her, the pain and damage would be returned to them while Annabeth healed instantly. It was a reflection of the concept of revenge that had materialized. Of course, there were limits—she couldn't reverse her own death nor interfere with fate—but the potential of this ability was absurd.
She realized this immediately. Her gray eyes shone with understanding, and Ikki could almost see the calculations happening in her mind. He knew she would make excellent use of this power.
Now, with Athena's cabin being the last to receive his blessing, Camp Half-Blood was officially filled with demigods ridiculously stronger than before.
Ikki walked through the camp, observing the commotion his "magic" had caused.
Children of Ares were testing their new strength, destroying tree trunks with a single punch. Children of Hermes ran so fast they looked like blurs.
Even the most fragile were exultant, experiencing their increased resistance or accelerated regeneration.
And that was just inside the camp.
He also made sure to help campers who were outside, those who lived in the mortal world. As soon as he left the arena earlier, he went straight to the immortal centaur, asked for a list of names, and visited them personally, ensuring they also received a portion of his soul. Now, there were enhanced demigods scattered everywhere, ready to deal with the threats that once overwhelmed them.
As for Chiron and Dionysus...
Ikki had to hold back a laugh when he remembered their expressions. Both were perplexed by his 'magic,' but Chiron was soon relieved; with the current strength of the demigods, the war on the horizon seemed easier to face.
Besides the enhancement and abilities that some had gained, those volunteers gained experience in an illusory world, which made them much more formidable. Just look at Percy, Nico, and Bianca; they went from novices to experienced warriors with just a single attempt.
Putting those thoughts aside, he ignored the path to the dining pavilion and went straight to his cabin.
As soon as he entered the Zeus cabin, Ikki closed the door behind him and let out a silent sigh. Without bothering to turn on the lights, he walked over to his bed and threw himself onto the mattress, crossing his arms behind his head as he stared at the ceiling.
The silence inside was comforting.
He closed his eyes for a moment, seeking clarity, but when he opened them again, he found himself completely immersed in his dilemmas.
After much thought over the past few days, he knew he had things to resolve.
The first thing he needed to resolve: New York.
The building his mother had left him. At another time, perhaps he would have considered keeping it, transforming that place into something new, maybe even a refuge. But he couldn't. He knew that if he entered that building, the memories would suffocate him. It was a weight he didn't want to carry.
Sell it.
With the money, he would buy an apartment for himself. Something new. Something that was just his, without the weight of the past.
The second thing: Sally and Percy.
Sally was one of the few people he genuinely respected. Percy was annoying at times, but he was his best friend. He had invited him to stay with them for a while, and Ikki knew that accepting this invitation wouldn't be bad.
It'll be good for you, a voice insisted in his mind.
Maybe.
And then, the third point.
Ikki narrowed his eyes at the ceiling.
Power.
There was a way to achieve that: absorb divine existences.
Could he start with Olympus itself? Yes. Obviously. But he didn't want to.
He had a girlfriend on the council of Gods, a best friend Goddess who would hate him if he killed her whole family. There were also the demigods who loved their parents despite everything, some at least, like Percy for example, or Annabeth. His father was a half-baked wretch, but still... he was his father. And overall, the Greek gods hadn't been that bad to him, with one exception.
Fate.
Ikki felt his jaw clench.
He would kill Fate.
If he had a chance—a single chance—he would destroy this ridiculous force that governed his existence. He would end this thing that thought it had the right to decide his life before he even had a chance to live it.
He closed his eyes for a moment, hearing only his own breathing.
Now he had a plan.
He had strengthened the demigods because he was going to follow his plan. He didn't have as much time to train them as Chiron had asked him to.
Tomorrow, he would leave.
.
.
.
.
.
Somewhere.
The night was silent in the clearing, except for the crackling of the bonfire that illuminated the attentive faces of the Hunters. The fire cast elongated shadows on the surrounding trees, making the atmosphere even tenser. The smell of burning wood mingled with the cold night air, but no one there seemed to pay attention to it.
All eyes were fixed on Thalia and Zoë, the two lieutenants of the Hunters of Artemis, who were about to have a conversation that had been postponed for too long.
Zoë stood with her arms crossed, her expression serious and unwavering. Her dark eyes gleamed with something that could be described as contained irritation. On the other side of the bonfire, Thalia maintained a defiant posture, frowning with her hands on her hips, her leather jacket reflecting the glow of the flames.
"You can't just act like you know everything, Zoë." Thalia began, frustration evident in her voice. "I may be new here, but that doesn't mean I'm useless. Artemis made me a lieutenant too, or did you forget that?"
"Forget?" Zoë retorted with a sharp look. "What I can't forget is that you still act like an insolent camper. You need to abandon your old ways, Thalia. This is no longer about you or your selfish choices. This is about the Hunt, about the goddess…"
Zoë's words made Thalia's blood boil. She took a step forward, feeling the sparks from the bonfire warm her skin.
"And you need to stop acting like I don't have the right to be here!" Thalia snapped. "I chose this! I chose to leave everything behind, just like all the other Hunters. I'm here because I believe in the goddess as much as you do!"
"Then prove it!" Zoë's voice was cutting. "Prove that you can leave your old life behind without hesitation…"
Thalia was silent for a moment, her fists clenched at her sides. Part of her wanted to keep arguing, wanted to yell that Zoë didn't know anything about what she had to sacrifice. But, looking around and seeing the other Hunters watching the argument with impassive expressions, Thalia realized that this wasn't just about her and Zoë. It was about her position there, about the trust she needed to earn.
She took a deep breath, trying to control her anger.
"I've already proven it. And I'll keep proving it, whether you like it or not."
Zoë studied Thalia for a long moment, then looked away, apparently satisfied—or at least willing to end the discussion for now.
"We'll see, then."
Silence hung over the clearing, and the tension at the bonfire seemed to have transformed into something denser, almost palpable. The other Hunters didn't say anything, just continued to watch, until, one by one, they began to disperse to their activities.
Thalia left the clearing with quick steps, the glow of the bonfire fading behind her as she plunged into the darkness of the forest. Her heart was pounding, not from the cold of the night or from exhaustion, but from the latent anger still burning in her chest. Once again, she and Zoë had argued—and for the same reason as always.
Leadership.
She clenched her fists, trying to dispel the frustration. Since joining the Hunters, Thalia felt constantly challenged. Not by the missions, not by the monsters, but by the group dynamic. The Hunters followed rules, traditions that existed long before she was even born, and Zoë expected her to simply fit in. But Thalia wasn't like that. Never had been.
It was the same problem she'd had with Ikki when they met. She liked to imagine that they both had strong personalities and wanted to lead in their own way. But Ikki always took the reins of situations, and she hated being left out. Now, with Zoë, the same thing was happening. The difference was that while Ikki was simply dominant and left no room for discussion, Zoë was stubborn and inflexible. For her, everything needed to follow a code. The right way.
Thalia kicked a stone, watching it roll between the twisted roots. Part of her knew Zoë wasn't wrong. The Hunters had survived for centuries because they followed their rules. But that didn't make it any easier to accept.
The forest around her seemed too silent, and, for the first time since joining the Hunters, Thalia felt strangely alone.
Thalia stopped beside a thick tree, leaning against the trunk as she looked up at the sky obscured by the canopy. The stars shone between the leaves, but she didn't feel a part of them as she should. Eternity as a Hunter was a destiny that should bring her peace, purpose. And, in part, it did. But…
She sighed, crossing her arms.
She missed Camp Half-Blood.
It was funny to think about it, since she hadn't spent that much time there. But, however brief it was, that place left its mark on her. The feeling of belonging, the laughter around the bonfire, the training sessions, the silly fights. And the people…
Annabeth. Grover. Percy.
She missed them all. Even Percy, with his hard-headed, heroic ways. But, above all, she missed Ikki.
The two of them had built a dynamic that bordered on something close to a sibling relationship. They annoyed each other, fought, argued about leadership… but, in the end, they always had each other to lean on. He understood her way, her impulsiveness, her difficulty in simply lowering her head and following orders.
Now, without him, without Camp, without Annabeth and the others…
She felt kind of empty.
The cold forest wind rustled her hair, and Thalia rubbed her arms, not because of the temperature, but because of the uncomfortable feeling this longing left behind.
Perhaps what bothered her most was the uncertainty. She knew the Hunters would be her home, but did that mean she would never again feel that bond with the people she had left behind?
Zoë said the past should stay in the past. That the Hunters were her family now.
But then why did she feel like a part of her still belonged to the Camp?