KAI

"What do you mean the 'Mist is gone'?" I asked, a mixture of confused and concerned.

On our quest three months ago, the Mist had been a little shaky, but it had never just disappeared. In the bar in Yuma, yeah, the mortals of the bar all saw our weapons and powers, but even then, some bit of the Mist still remained. How else could we have been able to track or go inside the Iris pocket?

The only time I can confidently say the Mist disappeared for a prolonged duration of time is when the whole Times Square event occurred - but so many other things had happened that day that I never really focused on it.

"I mean when I looked through the Mist, all I saw was a static line, like some out-of-service TV Channel," Rose answered.

"You sure that wasn't because Arthur's..."

"No, it couldn't have been. Usually my vision would see nothing, not a static line."

I grunted in contemplation. "So, the Mist is wonky… again."

"Look, I don't know what to make of this info, but let's just join up with everyone at the campfire," I said after a brief period of silence. "We don't want to be late."

Rose nodded reluctantly as we made our way to the campfire. Upon our arrival, I spotted a platinum, lightning-themed coffin laid next to the campfire. I recognized it as Arthur's burial shroud, the one that had been in commission for a full month, with progress only really starting a week ago for this very funeral. Geneva, who had previously been in front of us and storming her way to the campfire, was nowhere to be seen - the only remnants of her presence being footsteps that led somewhere deep in the forest.

"I forgot they were doing this today," Rose whispered.

"Me too," I said.

"Okay, well after we make our speeches, we need to talk to Chiron about our findings," she suggested.

I nodded. We joined the other campers in a circle around the campfire and the empty coffin of Arthur.

I wasn't really sure how I felt about this. In the case that Arthur was truly dead, I was glad we were giving him a proper funeral to commemorate and celebrate his life. But on the other hand, no one knew for sure what had happened to Arthur. To most people, he was dead. But to me and a small minority of the camp, Arthur was still up and kicking somewhere else.

Chiron walked in front of all of us and won everyone's attention with a few waves of his hand as the incessant whispering between campers ceased.

"Campers, today we honor Arthur LionsWorth, a massive help in demigod-related technology services, a child of Zeus, and most important of all, a hero who attended this very camp. As he does not have any family currently present, anyone is free to come up and make a short speech."

Amethyst walked up to Arthur's coffin, a solemn look on her face as she spoke. "Arthur LionsWorth, in the short time that I knew him, was one of my good friends. He was one of the most courageous people I had ever met and it deeply saddens me that he never got the happy ending he deserved. But even though he may not be with us, his bravery and legacy will live on. May you rest in peace, Arthur, wherever you are."

The campers gave her light applause as Amethyst returned to her seat. Alexander then walked up to the coffin, wearing a black tuxedo. I actually had no idea where he got one, but if you're going to show up for a funeral, why not dress like it?

"I may have not known Arthur for very long, as a friend at least, but I feel like because of him, I grew to become a better person. He was the bravest friend I ever had, and without him, I don't think camp would be the same. In my years here, before the events of the last three months, I always dreamt of meeting Arthur. When I finally did meet him, someone I considered an idol for a long time, I got an even better experience than I thought I would, and for that, I thank you, Arthur. May you rest in peace, my good friend."

Alexander received some light applause as he took his seat next to the Ares cabin. I was genuinely impressed. Over the course of the last few months, Alexander had really matured. Well, sort of. It was hard to tell with him, but I was still impressed nonetheless.

Rose and I went next, talking about how brave he was and how he impacted our lives through his courage and friendship. I tried to add a little joke about him losing my bow to lighten the gloomy mood, but none of the campers laughed and I sat down, completely embarrassed.

A few other campers, people I didn't even know knew Arthur, came up to the stand and while they maybe didn't speak as personally as we did about him, they really tried, and that was commendable. Considering all the crap that had and has been going on around us recently, it was nice to remember that the campers here really were a family.

With no one else volunteering to speak, Chiron instructed the Hephaestus cabin to lift the coffin upwards, asking them to wait for his go-to before dipping the shroud in the fire.

Just as Chiron opened his mouth to speak, a voice yelled, "Wait!"

Geneva burst through the crowd, sweating and panting like a triathlon jogger.

"If it's okay, I'd like to say some words," she said, gasping and panting between breaths.

"Of course," Chiron said. "Put down the coffin."

The group put the coffin back onto the ground as Geneva walked towards it.

She took a deep breath, readying herself before beginning her speech.

"Words can't describe how much I miss Arthur. He was one of the most important people in my life and meeting him was one of the best things that has ever happened to me. He was a kind, and intelligent person that worked his hardest no matter what and cared for others. Arthur came into my life when I was at my absolute lowest, and I knew exactly the person he was from the moment I met him. He was a hero, here to help all those around him without giving it a second thought…"

Geneva interrupted her speech as tears trickled down her cheeks, and her body began to shake and tremble. After a few seconds of stabilizing herself, she was able to say the last words of her speech in a lower, and more defeated tone.

"I never got to tell him that I loved him, and that is perhaps my biggest regret."

Tears were now flooding down her face, and suddenly, Geneva ran towards the forest before anyone could say anything.

I gave a light applause, as did the rest of the camp. I wanted to follow after her, but this behavior was sadly common and I found the only way to resolve it was to just leave her alone and let her heal.

After a few moments of silence, Chiron turned toward the Ares and Hephaestus cabins once more. "Burn the shroud!"

The group raised Arthur's shroud before lowering it into the fire. As the shroud burned, I made a silent prayer to Olympus.

If any of the gods are listening right now, please let Arthur achieve Elysium. He deserves it more than any of us.

Rose tapped me on the shoulder. "Come on. We have to talk to Chiron."

I nodded and followed her as we approached the centaur. I'll admit, the fact that our activities director was a half-stallion, half-human was still freaky, even after four years of knowing him.

Sitting next to him in a white lawn chair was Dionysus, aka the most unqualified camp director known to man.

And also drunk. Very drunk.

"Hey, wassup my male!" Dionysus exclaimed, his bloodshot eyes directed at me. "Come here, brah! Let me give you a hug!"

I didn't budge as Dionysus tried leaning forward to hug me. Instead, he tripped up on his lawn chair and fell face-flat onto the ground.

I facepalmed. Ever since Zeus extended Dionysus' stay at camp for another twenty-five years after he helped us in the war against Ares, he had been either super drunk or super cranky. I was pretty sure he wasn't even allowed to drink as a punishment decreed to him by Zeus when he was initially sentenced to camp, but considering the way Dionysus was, no one asked questions.

"Ah, hello Rose, Kai," Chiron said. "How can I help you?"

Rose explained our whole problem with the Mist and how it wasn't working in a few concise sentences.

"The Mist is gone?" Chiron asked. "Are you completely sure?"

Rose nodded sadly. "I mean maybe it isn't, but I can't think of any other reason for my Mist vision not working except for that."

"It also makes sense, especially when you consider recent events from the last three months," I added.

Chiron rubbed his chin curiously as he articulated a response. "The first course of action is announcing a senior counsel meeting for tomorrow."

"There we can establish a timeline of the events, gather some opinions from the cabin leaders, and reach a conclusion," the centaur continued. "You two can come to that if you like."

Rose and I locked eyes as we almost simultaneously nodded our heads in response to Chiron's offer.

"Good. Now, get a good sleep you two."

We waved goodbye to Chiron and a now-sleeping Dionysus as the two of us regrouped with Amethyst and Alexander.

"Hey," Amethyst greeted. "Where'd you two head off to?"

As she did with Chiron, Rose swiftly laid out the details of what happened with the Mist, with Alexander replying, "Well, it was nice while it lasted. Can't help but feel it was inevitable."

We all nodded solemnly. We had brought up the problem to Chiron after we returned from our quest, and he had advised us not to worry too much about it and that there wasn't a whole lot we could do to fix the problem until we knew more.

And that was true, in a sense, but I can't shake the feeling that maybe we should've been worrying about it.

"I presume Chiron's hosting a counsel meeting tomorrow?" Amethyst asked.

"Yup," I confirmed. "He invited Rose and I to come along."

Alexander chuckled lightly. "Seems like I'm gonna be the only one not attending then. Well, and Geneva too."

"I imagine that he'd allow you in, Alexander, as a friend of ours," I offered.

He shrugged. "Nah, it's fine. Based on what I've heard, those meetings are pretty uneventful until Chiron reaches his verdict."

"I mean, you're not wrong."

Rose sighed. "Speaking of, have you guys seen Geneva around? And I don't mean at the funeral. I mean like... elsewhere."

"Hardly," Amethyst answered. "She sometimes pops into the pavilion to nab a snack and a beverage, but aside from that, no."

"Haven't seen her in any of the classes we share either," Alexander added.

"Same," I said. "She's lucky none of the teachers have issued a punishment for her not having attended."

"Well that'd just be unfair. She needs time to grieve on her own and away from camp duties," Rose replied.

"True." I looked up at the starry night sky as I heaved a long breath. I looked back at my friends and said, "We should probably head to our cabins now."

"Yeah," Alexander said as he turned to leave. "Good luck at the counsel meeting tomorrow."

"Thanks," Rose replied as she turned to face the Hecate cabin in the far distance. "Bye Kai, bye Amethyst."

"See ya," I said as she walked off.

I bobbed my head up at Amethyst as we headed to the Apollo cabin, said goodnight to our cabin mates, and went to bed.

That night, I had lots of nonsensical nightmares. Now, I'm not talking 'chasing corrupted cotton' or 'being eaten by a duck-wolf hybrid' kind of nightmares. I'm talking about more random and frightening apparitions.

First, I dreamt I was falling off the Empire State Building. Chunks of steel and other materials came raining down beside me, falling all around me in slow motion. In the midst of it all, my friends watched as I fell to my death, perching upon the top floor as I gradually approached the ground. I helplessly struggled to grab onto the falling pieces as I neared the ground, flailing my arms in an attempt to hold onto something.

Just as I was about to hit the pavement, my dream shifted.

I was being chased by a large group of eight-foot tall giants carrying large wooden bats. I was in a forest scene, with branches scattered all over and the light of the Sun blocked by the trees. I was at first stunned by the horror of my last dream, but once I saw the giants, I snapped into action.

After a minute of running, I came within view of the exit to the forest. A beautiful scene was painted out behind the exit. There was a thriving garden in front of a large castle, with cherry trees and statues occupying the garden. There was a marble fountain and a rose garden, as well as a gazebo that stood in the middle of it all. Inside of the gazebo, my friends stood, with even Arthur present at the scene.

The feeling I got when I took in the scenery was so strikingly familiar to my first viewing of Camp Half-Blood that I was taken largely aback and forgot completely about the situation I was in currently. I was only put back into reality when I heard the loud clomping of feet on the branches and loud grunting emerge from behind me. Seeing Arthur again, along with the sight of the beautiful castle, revitalized my tired body as I pushed myself forward.

Just as I was about to cross the exit of the forest, I fell into a black hole, my legs and body being sucked in like quicksand.

The dream shifted once again and I was inside a hollow cavern. I stood upon an irregularly-shaped, rocky surface that bobbled and shook as a result of the scalding hot lava beneath me. Other rocky platforms were spread out across the lava, conveniently forming a path to the exit of the cavern. Bits of lava spilled into the cave from the sides as the level of the lava increased gradually and swallowed chunks of rock in its wrath.

I jumped rock to rock as fast I could, not giving a care in the world about the lava beneath me. On the other side of the exit were my friends, awaiting my presence and repeatedly calling my name.

But just as I neared the exit, a large boulder dropped off from the roof and blocked the exit. I was trapped.

My anxiety and fear were going through the roof. The lava continued to expand as it neared my feet. Specks of lava bounded onto the platform and the heat from the lava made me sweat like crazy. I hopelessly looked around for a different way out, but I was trapped.

But I didn't even know why I was scared. I was immune to fire and lava as a result of the curse I had received from Hephaestus many years prior to my birth. But no matter how badly I tried to convince myself of that, the more doubtful I became.

I stood upon the only rock structure that hadn't been enveloped by the lava, but even it was sinking. I cried for help, but my voice failed me. I tried to boost myself upwards with my fire abilities but to no avail. I was going to die here and now.

I heard a loud snipping sound as I suddenly woke up and banged my head on the roof.

"Ow," I muttered.

I got ready for the day, taking a shower, doing my hair, and preparing to do my schedule, all while trying to forget the nightmares I had had. Normally, dreams I had in the past that signified death were pretty easy to understand and forgettable, but these dreams were different. None of them made any sense to me, just that they involved dying in horrible, horrible ways and that my friends were in all of them.

From what I'd learnt, demigod dreams often weren't tales of the past or future, but symbolic dreams that may mean something in the long run. The only symbolism I picked up on from my dreams was hardly subtle and was quite apparent to the average person - again just signifying imminent death.

But what did the rest mean?

Well, there I go thinking about my dreams again. Sheesh. For now, I needed to put any thoughts of my dreams aside and just go about my day normally.

That would be easy enough. After all, it's become something of a daily practice for me to hide the dreams I have and the fears that subsequently build up because of said dreams.

Having gotten ready for the day, I exited the Apollo Cabin. Ember Wallabee, a daughter of Hephaestus, yelled, "Hey, Kai, they're waiting for you at the Big House for the senior counsel meeting. You might want to hurry up."

"Thanks," I said.

If she hadn't reminded me, I would've completely forgotten and just attended my daily Greek mythology class like normal. Absolute lifesaver.

I headed towards the Big House, where a few Ares campers were playing football in the front yard. At the sight of me, the Ares kids began scowling. Dang. Must've still been salty after I destroyed them last week in the chariot race. I gave them a smirk and strutted towards the Big House, mimicking the same dance I had done against them after winning the race a week back.

I entered the sky blue building and headed to the rec room, passing by the infirmary where Will Solace and his boyfriend were having a date, and upon entering the rec room, found that everyone had been waiting for me.

Almost all the head counselors including Chiron, Dionysus, and Rose sat around the ping-pong table for the event. This was the first senior counselor meeting I'd been invited to in a while - the last being about two years ago when I co-led the cabin with Amethyst while Will was on vacation.

All of those meetings had been very unproductive, especially because it was during a time where only twenty campers were present at camp and nothing big was going on.

Oh how I envy those simpler times.

I took a seat next to Rose and Amethyst to the right side of the net, Rose nodding her head up at me in greeting. On the other end of the table, Sherman Yang gave me a death stare and the Gardner-Gardiner duo of the Demeter cabin audibly groaned when I sat down.

In response to these declarations of war I grinned and gave Sherman a thumbs up, waving at the Demeter heads as I mentally prepared for the impending chaos about to ensue.

"Thank you for attending this meeting," Chiron said almost immediately after I sat down. "Today, we are here to discuss the recent discovery that the Mist is completely gone."

The campers began to murmur amongst themselves.

"What's the Mist again?" Avy asked.

Dionysus nodded. "Yeah. And when is football on? I'm sick of watching this lacrosse trash!"

Ladies and gentleman, drunk Dionysus. Feel my pain now?

"The Mist is the magical force that makes sure mortals don't see monsters, gods, and demigods," Rose explained. "Pretty sure we were all taught this day one, but whatever."

Chiron fiddled with his beard. "Correct. It used to be that the Mist would turn off at any given moment, but taking this recent news report from early this morning into account, it seems the Mist is entirely gone."

Chiron pulled a tablet out of his lap and played a video on a projector in the room. It projected a news report, with two newscasters looking at a picture of an empousa. The red headline beneath the two newscasters on the screen read, 'Mysterious Creatures Seen Roaming The Streets of West Virginia'. The time was provided in the bottom-right of the screen, next to the headline, while the name of the news channel was listed above the empousa's head.

"And here's the thing, Phillip," one of the newscasters said, the clip starting up after a bit of loading. "The same people who reported this vampire thing also claimed to see a giant, black furred dog capable of some kind of teleportation in the woods."

The humans had seen both an empousa and a hellhound respectively. Gods were those two of the most frightening Greek mythological creatures mortals could come across.

Phillip, the other newscaster, looked at the picture. "So, the question being raised here - what are these creatures and where did they come from? Much speculation suggests that these creatures came from a foreign country - potentially Russia or maybe even China. One report even suggests they are animals turned into mythological monsters in a bio lab, and others believe that these incidents might have something to do with what happened at Times Square a month back, where mysterious powers seemed to clash in New York City as storms encompassed midtown Manhattan. More on that later, after this ad break."

Chiron turned off the projector and a silence seemed to beset the room as we all were forced to recall Times Square. That day had and, as demonstrated by the news report, continues to have massive ramifications on us and Olympus as a whole.

"Well," Connor said, breaking the quietude. "At least mortals are still stupid."

Miranda Gardiner snorted. "Reminds me of someone else I know."

"Oh my gods, you're still not over the Easter bunny prank? You're such a baby," Connor said.

"Don't you dare call her a baby!" Katie Gardner shouted. "In fact, you're the baby!"

I facepalmed. Those three had had it out for each other ever since my first day at camp. You'd think they'd reach a point of reconciliation after four years of disputes and arguments, but apparently not.

"Stop!" Pollux, the head counselor of Dionysus cabin, shouted. "We're really not getting anywhere with these kinds of arguments."

"Impressive, little girl," Dionysus said. "I'll make sure to get you that unicorn present you've always wanted."

"Yay," Pollux muttered with deadpan.

I really couldn't help but feel bad for Pollux. He was the only son of Dionysus at camp and had to deal with the brunt of Dionysus' drunken antics. Despite this, he was a nice kid and was one of the few veteran campers I respected.

Nyssa frowned. "Okay, but what can we do about that?"

"The unicorn present?" Butch asked.

"The Mist problem, genius," Rose replied.

"Well, with how serious this looks, this might warrant a quest," Chiron suggested, his eyes that of a man who's about as ready to be done with it as your average pessimist. This meeting was certainly not going to plan.

"Ooh, can I go?" Avy asked.

Laurel Victor laughed. "Focus on spelling your name in Ancient Greek correctly first."

Her sister, Holly Victor, began cracking up wildly - her laugh pompous and dry, as if she wasn't truthfully amused with the joke but wanted to laugh anyway.

Avy's face turned bright red. "I'll let you know-"

"Okay, shut up guys!" Amethyst yelled. "This bickering is all so pointless!"

Damian White began chuckling. "Someone's feeling feisty today. Anyways, I think I should lead the quest."

"Yeah right," Sherman Yang said. "I'll lead the quest."

"Again, I want to lead," Avy insisted.

"Silence!" Chiron commanded, raising his tone and shutting up everyone in the room. "Rose, may I see you in my office?"

Rose nodded nervously. "Sure."

As Chiron and Rose left the room, the campers began murmuring and conversing with one another. Rose gave me an anxious glance at the door, with me mouthing You got this and giving her a thumbs-up. If my theory was correct, Rose would leave Chiron's office very satisfied.