Chapter 88 - Path

Snow. The sun shone high in the sky, amidst the darkness of the clouds, leaving a trace of its light to illuminate the morbid gray atmosphere.

The heavens wept icy tears that blanketed the vast land of Camp Half-Blood, freezing everything they touched, leaving behind a frozen earth covered by the white carpet of snow.

The lake that had been evaporated by Apollo's Chariot earlier was the only thing untouched by the consequences of the icy tears.

The path was silent.

Ikki continued walking unhurriedly toward his cabin. He decided to visit Chiron later for a conversation with the centaur after being away for a year. He made this choice because he wanted to let his former Latin teacher from the mortal world explain everything about the Greek world to the Di Angelo siblings. Although Chiron was often brutally honest, he had experience dealing with confused demigods.

He was sure Annabeth would also help handle the situation. Strangely, she no longer carried that cynical arrogance he used to sense. He could feel she had become a bit less judgmental over the year he had been away.

As he walked, he noticed his best friend's silence. He was grateful for it. He didn't want to answer more questions about that day. He didn't want to remember that day—the cursed day he would never forget, the most defining day of his life, when he found his mother's severed head in a box.

Trying his best to push those thoughts to the back of his mind, he focused on his senses, which covered all of Camp Half-Blood. He could sense it was emptier, and this soon became more evident to him and Percy, who seemed confused.

It wasn't unusual.

Most demigods only trained during the summer. Only those who had no homes to return to or who would be heavily attacked by monsters outside stayed year-round. But even among them, there didn't seem to be many around.

The two spotted Charles Beckendorf from the Hephaestus cabin, feeding the forge outside the armory. The Stoll brothers, Travis and Connor, from the Hermes cabin, were trying to pick the lock of the camp store. A few children from the Ares cabin were having a snowball fight with the nymphs at the edge of the forest, but that was about it.

It went without saying that when everyone saw Zeus's son return, they were thrilled. They all gathered to greet their old friend and crush, noticing he looked older and impossibly more handsome, much to their shock. They only snapped out of their stupor because of his gestures, which carried a certain authority that pulled them out of their petrified state caused by his appearance.

After a long conversation filled with enthusiasm, emotions, and raging hormones, Zeus's son bid farewell and headed to his cabin. Percy decided to do the same, returning to Poseidon's cabin.

When Ikki arrived in front of his father's cabin, he glanced toward the place he had stayed the previous summer before entering calmly. It was empty, but he wasn't surprised. Thalia was training in the arena; he could sense her presence practicing with her spear. He imagined she might be frustrated by his arrival and overwhelming power.

He took a deep breath, conjured a backpack with his belongings, and began arranging them near his bunk, which he had replaced with an adult-sized single bed for more comfort. He also created a wardrobe and some items to make the place more pleasant. He imagined Thalia would be surprised when she returned to the cabin.

After finishing everything, he cleaned the place and moved his father's statue to the back. It was somewhat disturbing having it so close to the cabin's beds. He then sat cross-legged on his bed in a lotus position.

He let out a sentimental sigh, sending a silent prayer to Hades to inform him of his completed mission. In exchange for staying in the Underworld for a month and a half after his mother's death, he had promised his uncle a favor. He never imagined the God of the Dead would ask him to safely bring his children to Camp Half-Blood. And although he could have refused, he chose to accept to owe his uncle nothing further and because he wanted to return to a place he felt was home after months of solitude.

An ironic smile played on his lips. He remembered almost destroying the Underworld upon discovering his mother's soul wasn't there. After leaving his apartment, he had gone directly to the world of the dead, searching for his mother's soul. When he was denied, he unleashed his fury on the place. At the height of his emotions, he didn't want excuses—he was ready to destroy that place to find his mother's soul.

But everything ended before it could escalate further.

The God of the Dead, Hades, had been surprisingly understanding. He spoke with him, saying it was possible his mother's soul had been claimed by other domains or even by Kronos as leverage, but it wasn't in his domain.

Back then, Ikki immediately wanted to invade other domains or even Tartarus in search of his mother's soul. However, after a lengthy lecture from Hades, who risked himself to stop Ikki in his fury, he explained that while he might retrieve his mother's soul, there was no guarantee he could bring her back to life. This convinced him otherwise. It was a cold reality check. At the height of his emotions, he had forgotten what he knew about the Trinity of Life. The body was essential to bring someone back to life—he begged his uncle to help him with this, but the only answer he received was that it wasn't possible.

It wasn't that Hades didn't want to help, but perhaps he couldn't because of the Fates, who were above the Gods. If they had cut someone's thread, it was beyond what the Gods could undo.

The gods are supernatural beings with a variety of magical powers, such as control over the weather and seas. In addition to their immortality, all gods draw most of their power from their sphere of control or domain, but they all share certain powers, and even abilities specific to their individual domains can sometimes overlap. An example is Morpheus and Hypnos, who have control over dreams and sleep.

Practically, the gods possess an almost unlimited amount of control over their domain, as well as many general powers, including levitation, teleportation, telepathy, physical abilities such as strength and endurance far surpassing mortals, and elemental manipulation, among other vast amounts of control over the world. The limits of a god's power in this respect are unknown, as is the extent to which they can cross into another's domain. Since their true Divine Form is too powerful to be seen by mortals or demigods, all gods can transform into any form they desire—even animals.

However, they are not all-powerful. They can become tired or be overpowered by immortals and even powerful demigods. If they choose to engage in physical battle, they can be wounded by appropriate weaponry. However, because the gods can exist in many places simultaneously, only a fraction of their power is used in combat against demigods. If their full power were in the same place at the same time, their divine form would eradicate all beings inferior to them.

Of course, this did not apply to Zeus's son, who faced Heracles at his peak and Ares with at least half of his power.

Hades had the patience to explain this to him—that despite all this, they could not alter the destiny decreed by the Fates.

He was consumed by despair, and when he almost opted to end everything, the glimmer of hope that was born amidst that turbulence was the pursuit of strength. If he became stronger, there might be a way. It wasn't like his ordinary past life. This time, he had more options.

After thanking his uncle, talking a little more, and asking to stay in his domain for a while, to which Hades agreed, he spent a month and a half thinking of ways and training obsessively to grow stronger.

His progress was painfully slow. Knowing he couldn't stay in the Underworld forever, he bid farewell to his uncle, promising to fulfill a favor later for letting him stay all that time in his domain. He also thanked Persephone, who helped him a lot to improve and avoid falling into a miserable state, unlike his past life.

Ikki lay on his bed and looked at the ceiling, recalling the good times he had in the Underworld. He let out a sigh while staring at his right hand; the lines in his palm seemed to become planes. He remembered traveling the world to learn and find a path toward his goal.

To bring his mother back to life...

A whole year had passed since then—a journey that took him to other cultures and divine domains. Although he wasn't certain because he wasn't there, he knew his mother's soul was with Odin, the All-Father. It had to be in the Norse domain, considering her identity.

And although he knew this, he also knew he couldn't take her from there. So, he simply sought a method to bring her back.

In the end, he began experimenting to achieve this goal. He became obsessed with it.

After many failures and attempts, he found a way.

About a month ago, he managed to comprehend a bit more of the [Nameless Manual] imprinted in his mind. This changed everything.

He lost nearly all memories of his past life in the process. Currently, he could only recall the country he came from and everything about it. He could also remember everything he had learned but couldn't name anyone related to him. This was the price he paid for understanding the obscure manual in his mind. Now, it was clearer to him.

Somehow, he didn't care about this—not when a path to his goal had been paved. He was willing to forget his past life in exchange for bringing his mother back to life.

With the understanding he had gained at a cost, evolution came. His 'source' was now overflowing in quantity. At present, it was comparable to massive stars. But the primary change was 'spiritual.' His body and soul had fused; his spirit had become something formless within his core.

Existence—the entirety of everything—is divided into two fundamental blocks: the spiritual plane and the material plane.

However, the spiritual plane is useless without something to contain it.

Imagine a bucket filled with water: the bucket is the body, and the spirit is the water. If this object somehow sustains irreparable damage, the water will spill completely, leaving the bucket empty and useless.

Thus, the body is the vessel of the Spirit, which, in turn, is the vessel of the soul.

However, the body is also controlled by the Soul through the Spirit, but this is the wonder of life. Everything coexists in different forms; each part has various functions, performing them in perfect harmony.

The Body is the form through which the Soul connects with the Material Plane.

Now, imagine the Spirit as concrete, used to build the bridge that links the body to the soul.

In this way, the body is the entity capable of interacting with the world. It is through the body that the Soul feels; it is through the body that the Being can live.

However, it is not perfect—far from it—but it is subject to improvement.

In any case, the body is undoubtedly something complex, the perfect machine of nature, the supreme creation, the receptacle of life. The body is the beginning of everything and also the end of everything.

In the opening pages of a very ancient book containing transcendental wisdom, there is a phrase that sums it all up:

"Until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return."

Life has a beginning, but it also has an end. Death is relentless, and it finds even immortality.

Life will always lose the battle against death, no matter how powerful it may be. Somehow, death will reap that life. Even if walking on lava causes no harm, even if thousands of swords fail to wound, even if calamities do not strike, and even if Divine Judgment does no damage, death will still come—in the whisper of dawn, in the silence of dusk, or the stillness of night.

Returning to the core of the matter, his spirit had become something empty. He understood he could fill it with Concepts and Laws to form a Divinity. That was his answer—to become a superior existence to have control over life and death. How would he do that? Through comprehension of the world around him.

"I'm close... Soon, I'll bring you back," Ikki murmured softly, closing his eyes for a moment and falling silent.

His figure seemed resolute somehow.

...

..

.

The wind blew, carrying snowflakes that gently accumulated on the rooftops and the ground.

The sky was overcast with heavy clouds, but no storm descended upon Camp Half-Blood.

The cold afternoon seemed to chill to the bone. Thalia Grace walked with firm steps through the snow covering the ground at Camp Half-Blood, the biting breeze hitting her face like a sharp blade.

She had just returned from training, tired and still processing the frustration of the mission to rescue the Di Angelo siblings. Everything felt more complicated than it should be. The fear of heights she experienced during the mission, the sense of weakness in front of others, still haunted her, but what bothered her even more was a single thought that seemed to hammer in her head: Ikki Phoenix.

The feelings that name stirred within her were intense and confusing; she didn't know how to feel about their relationship. He was always there, in her mind, his deeds recounted with admiration by the campers at Camp Half-Blood, fueling the jealousy and envy she felt. The image that formed during the mission when she met him planted certain emotions in her chest.

As she walked toward the cabin, she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. But Ikki's image wouldn't leave her mind. He, with his black hair falling over his shoulders, his impossibly beautiful blue eyes, and that overwhelming presence. He was so perfect, so annoyingly unbeatable. He had everything she didn't: strength, power, confidence.

And it irritated her deeply.

How could he be so… perfect? So… untouchable?

And worst of all: how could he be Zeus' favorite, her own father, while she was there, hidden in the shadows of her own insecurities?

Thalia huffed, trying to push away the negative thoughts, but everything in her screamed in protest. Ikki Phoenix had something she would never have. He was strong, practically unbeatable, admired by everyone, even the gods. While she was… what? A daughter of Zeus with a fear of heights who almost killed everyone while piloting Apollo's chariot. Ridiculous. She knew this weakness made her seem smaller than she truly was…

When she reached Zeus' Cabin, the door was slightly ajar. She pushed it gently and entered. The first thing she noticed was the change. The cabin, which once seemed simple and austere, now had a more modern, personal appearance. One of the several bunk beds had been replaced by a single bed, and in the middle of the space, there was even a small living area with sofas and a coffee table—the space had turned into a real home...

And most importantly, the statue of Zeus that had stood in the middle of the cabin had been moved to the back, something that secretly relieved her heart; it was somewhat unsettling to wake up in the middle of the night and see her father's statue staring at her…

Thalia frowned, unsurprised to find the reason for the storm of emotions in her chest sitting on the new single bed. She stopped at the door, observing her brother.

She found him sitting on the bed, silently reading a book. His posture was relaxed, as always, but there was something almost magnetic about the way he moved. His black hair cascaded over his shoulders, his flawless blue eyes, surrounded by an electric glow, shone with disconcerting calm.

At first, Thalia thought about saying something, but upon seeing him there, something inside her held her back. It was impossible to deny the effect he had on her. The tension she felt turned into something more visceral, more complicated.

"You changed the cabin," she said, breaking the silence, trying to hide the whirlwind of emotions inside her.

Ikki looked at her without getting up. His blue eyes glowed softly with the light reflecting off the walls, but he said nothing for a moment, merely observing her with an unflappable calm.

"Yes. Do you think it looks good?" he asked, his voice low and tranquil, yet somehow filling the entire space.

Thalia felt a wave of frustration rise within her. She didn't know how he could be so… relaxed. It was as if the world around him didn't affect him. As if he didn't bear the weight of being Zeus' favorite son, of always being the hero, praised by everyone.

Finally, she replied, trying to hide her sarcasm. "You changed everything. It looks like you're planning to live here forever."

Ikki didn't seem offended. Instead, he merely tilted his head, looking at her as he teased, "Why wouldn't I? Like it or not, this is my home too. I'm Zeus' son, remember?"

Thalia just huffed, heading toward her bunk bed and sitting down.

Silence prevailed between them.

As Thalia lay on the top bunk, lost in her own thoughts, Ikki returned to the book he had picked up earlier to study—a book about quantum physics.

Minutes passed slowly.

Thalia grew restless, shifting and sitting up on her bed. Her punk jacket was tossed aside as her fingers nervously drummed on the mattress.

Gathering courage, she looked at the boy sitting on the bed.

"Are you going to stay there all day, sitting, without saying anything?" she asked, her voice filled with impatience, though it was also a poorly disguised attempt to start a conversation. She didn't even know why she wanted that, but she blamed her ADHD for her inability to sit still doing nothing...

Ikki slowly turned and looked her way, his black hair shining under the dim cabin light. His gaze rested on her, analyzing her with a neutral expression that Thalia hated not being able to decipher.

"Why should I say anything?" he responded, his voice low and controlled.

Thalia huffed, crossing her arms.

"I don't know, maybe because, as you said before, we're both Zeus' children, so we're siblings, right? Since we're stuck in this place together, it'd be nice, you know, not to completely ignore each other."

Ikki shrugged, closing the book he was reading as he said, "I thought you preferred silence."

"I prefer many things, but that doesn't mean I like feeling invisible!" Thalia retorted, feeling heat rise to her face as memories of earlier, when he took control of the mission, came flooding back. She hated how small he made her feel, even without trying.

Ikki raised an eyebrow, an expression that mixed curiosity and boredom. "Invisible? You're Thalia Grace, Zeus' daughter who saved her friends by sacrificing herself—someone whose story everyone has heard at least once. Invisible is far from accurate."

"And you're Ikki Phoenix, the hero capable of facing gods and coming out unscathed," she shot back, the bitterness evident in her voice. "Everyone looks at you like you're a legend. I'm just… me."

Ikki was silent for a moment, as if pondering her words. He sighed, understanding her struggle. "Do you think being seen as a legend is a good thing? That it makes things easier?"

Thalia glared at him. "Doesn't it? You have all this power, all this strength. While I… I spend half my time just trying to survive against monsters you can crush with ease."

Ikki tilted his head slightly, his eyes glowing as he responded, "Power isn't everything you imagine. Let me offer you a different perspective. The stronger you are, the higher the expectations. The more enemies you attract. Do you think I face gods because I want to? Most of the time, it's because I didn't have a choice..."

"At least you can choose to fight!" Thalia retorted, her voice trembling slightly. "I just run. I fight to survive, never to win."

Ikki looked at her calmly. "You underestimate your own strength. The fact that you fight to survive isn't a weakness. It's resilience..."

His words caught Thalia off guard, and she averted her gaze, feeling a knot form in her throat. She didn't want him to see her vulnerable, but something in his voice disarmed her.

"It's easy for you to say that..." she murmured bitterly. "You're practically untouchable."

Ikki let out a short, humorless laugh. "Untouchable? If you think that, then you really don't know anything about me..."

With that, he got up from the bed and walked toward the cabin door, intending to speak with Chiron. He wanted to avoid dealing with his half-sister's jealousy and resentment any longer.