Percy Jackson - Beyond the Gods

The van floated on the surface, along with a pair of overturned and half-burned canoes.

"Well," said Apollo with a brave smile, "You were right, my dear. You had everything under control! Shall we see if we burned anyone important, then?"

Ikki let out a sigh as he visualized in his mind the lack of injuries through his senses. He had managed to prevent some of the campers, satyrs, and naiads from getting hurt using his mental powers—a task that was almost easy for him.

He couldn't help but think that he could have taken control of the van and brought everyone to safety, just as he could have practically completed the mission to recover his father's lightning bolt alone with his superb abilities if he had truly taken it seriously. But he chose not to do so—not out of laziness, but because he was somewhat hedonistic and liked doing things his way.

He considered himself somewhat arrogant but always believed in his power wholeheartedly. He doubted that anything bad could happen to everyone with him around—and that was a flaw of his. There was no such thing as absolute power; he had realized that over the past year. In fact, even with all his power, he could only save those who were ready to be saved. If he truly was all that he believed himself to be, he would have been able to save his mother...

Perhaps it was his heritage as a son of Zeus, or his nature corrupted by great power, but this mindset had allowed his friends to face danger throughout their mission in his first year at Camp Half-Blood on multiple occasions. Realizing his mistake, he fell into a dilemma for some time. He didn't think he would become the cautious type who would prevent the people close to him from living and learning simply out of fear of them getting hurt; he would be controlling their lives as if he were some sort of twisted god, and that went against everything he believed in.

He didn't think he had the right to control and dictate people's lives.

All he could do was be so strong that he could bear the consequences of the choices made by the people who mattered to him.

But that was for the future...

Now, he just wanted to spend some time here in a place that was his second home—after losing his first and enduring a long, cold, and lonely year, he felt he needed this. That was how he sincerely felt.

As he thought about this, he stepped off the van, followed by his friends.

Ikki looked at Camp Half-Blood, surprised by the sight before him.

Normally, the camp had state-of-the-art climate control. Nothing passed through the borders unless the director, Mr. D, allowed it. It was logical to expect it to be warm and sunny, but instead, snow was gently falling. Frost covered the chariot track and the strawberry fields. The cabins were decorated with small twinkling lights, like Christmas lights, except they looked like real fireballs. More lights shone in the forest, and most strangely of all, a flame flickered in the attic window of the Big House, where the Oracle resided, trapped in an old mummified body.

Percy, standing beside him and just as surprised, thought the spirit of Delphi might be roasting marshmallows up there or something.

"Wow," Nico said as he got off the van, "Is that a climbing wall?"

"It is…" Grover answered after stepping down.

"Why is there lava flowing down it?" Nico asked nervously, with Bianca looking a bit concerned as well.

"A little extra challenge. Come on, you two, I'll introduce you to Chiron," Annabeth said, eager to lead the way.

Percy looked at the Hunters who had disembarked and said, "Zoe, you know—"

"I know Chiron," Zoe said curtly. "Tell him we'll be at Cabin Eight. Hunters, follow me."

"I'll show you the way…" Grover offered.

"We know the way."

"Oh, really, it's no trouble. It's easy to get lost here if you don't—" He tripped over a canoe but continued talking as he got back up. "As my old goat dad used to say! Let's go!"

Zoe rolled her eyes, realizing she wouldn't get rid of Grover so easily.

The Hunters hoisted their bags and bows over their shoulders and headed toward the cabins.

"Take care, ladies!" Apollo called out to the Hunters. He winked at the son of Zeus in a somewhat flirtatious manner and said, "Take care, King of Heroes. Next time, I'd like to chat with you more to get to know you better..."

Turning his attention to Percy, he said, "Be careful with those prophecies, Percy. See you soon."

"What do you mean?" Percy asked, confused and a bit worried. In his experience with gods, those words never ended well...

Instead of answering, Apollo jumped back into the van.

"See you later, Thalia…" Apollo looked at the girl and said, "And, uh, stay well!"

He gave her a sly smile, as if he knew something she didn't. Then he closed the doors and started the engine, a burst of heat enveloping the area as the van transformed back into its original form and rose above the ground, the lake evaporating. The red Maserati ascended high over the forest, shining brighter and climbing higher until it disappeared in a ray of sunlight.

After watching the solar chariot vanish, Nico turned his attention to Annabeth and asked, "Who's Chiron that you mentioned? I don't have his figurine."

"Our activities director…" Annabeth explained, somewhat speechless at the younger boy's lack of knowledge, though she didn't judge him. She looked at Ikki, narrowing her eyes dangerously as she said, "I'll take them to meet Chiron and talk to him. Then we'll meet, and you'll tell me what happened during the year you spent away…"

"Alright…" Ikki said, sighing. He knew the girl wouldn't let it slide.

Annabeth nodded, satisfied with his agreement, and started walking toward the Big House. "Let's go…"

"If those hunter girls don't like him…" Nico muttered, still annoyed as he focused on the answer to his question, "that's good enough for me. Let's go."

He was still upset with them for trying to take his sister away from him...

"Come on, Nico…" Bianca said resignedly, casting one last glance at the son of Zeus.

"Uh, I'll… go do my own thing too…" Thalia said, heading off on her own path.

With that, only Percy and Ikki remained by the lake, thawed by Apollo's solar chariot—the two seemed casual, as if they hadn't spent over a year without seeing each other.

The silence prevailed for a few minutes.

But it was soon broken by a necessary conversation between them.

"Ikki... Luke said he gave you a gift. What was it? Does it have anything to do with why you disappeared?" Now that they were alone, Percy decided to ask. He glanced at his best friend and noticed a slight shiver; a moment later, it felt like the world had grown darker. He could sense a soul-freezing chill emanating from his best friend.

"Ah… That? It was… unforgettable. I'll give him a great thank-you when we meet him again..." Ikki said categorically before starting to walk. "As for whether it's related to my disappearance? Well, it is…"

"What happened…?" Percy asked, walking beside him. He tried to deduce, "Does it have to do with Sophia…? My mom tried to contact her all year…"

Ikki stopped walking, and so did Percy. A bad atmosphere permeated the place.

He took a deep breath and looked into Percy's eyes, his best friend since childhood. That conversation, marked by heavy silence, was something they both knew needed to happen.

"Percy, I… I know you have a lot of questions, and I haven't been very straightforward with you about what happened, but I think it's fair for you to be the first to know. I need to tell you something very difficult." The words came out as a whisper, as if they were heavy stones too burdensome to carry.

Percy, sensing his friend's anguish, gestured for him to continue. His heart began to beat faster, enveloped by a bad feeling.

Ikki took a deep breath, searching for strength to reveal the truth that had consumed him for a year.

"My mother… she's no longer here. She was murdered." The words echoed in the air, slicing through the calm of the environment.

Percy widened his eyes, incredulous. The news was so absurd it felt like a nightmare; his friendship with Ikki was a safe harbor in a sea of uncertainties. They shared dreams, secrets, and unwavering loyalty. Therefore, the news of his friend's mother's death hit him like a punch in the gut.

His best friend's mother, the woman who welcomed him with a warm smile, had not simply departed with a goodbye. The truth, hidden for so long, finally surfaced, revealing the deep pain that had led his friend to disappear. The guilt haunted him, the longing suffocated him, and he felt that life would never be the same with this news...

"Who… who did this, Ikki? Was it Luke?" His voice trembled as he asked.

"Yes. I returned home and found her dead; that was Luke's gift…" Ikki closed his eyes, recalling that day when he found his beloved mother's head in a box, reliving the endless pain of that memory.

The gray sky seemed to reflect the whirlwind of emotions that overtook Percy upon hearing his best friend's words at that moment.

The news, kept under lock and key for so long, fell on him like a thunderbolt, cracking the fragile shell of his happiness caused by the reunion with his brother in everything but blood.

The death of his best friend's mother was not just a loss; it was an open wound, cruelly infected by the betrayal of a former ally. The image of Ikki, always optimistic and playful, brutally contrasted with the pain now consuming him. Percy felt anger, sadness, and a profound sense of helplessness. The one who had once been a friend to both of them was now responsible for so much suffering, and the idea of revenge whispered in his ears.

"I… I don't know what to say, Ikki. I'm sorry… I can't believe Luke was capable of this…" Percy placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, trying to comfort him.

"I know. But the worst part is that it took me so long to tell you. I isolated myself, blamed myself for not doing anything to stop it, and spent an entire year away without giving any news." Ikki lowered his head, swallowing the emotions that had lodged in his throat.

"Don't blame yourself, Ikki. No one could have predicted this…" Percy said awkwardly, still trying to process the news he had received just minutes ago. He placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"I should have predicted something like this would happen…" Ikki murmured heavily before starting to walk again.

Percy quickly followed him, deciding not to bring up the subject again. He was satisfied with knowing what had happened and didn't want to make his best friend relive his pain again. Moreover, he didn't want to touch on the subject anymore; he didn't want to think that Luke was capable of this or that he hadn't been there for his friend when he needed him most...

The silence prevailed between the two.