Chapter 18: Aftermath
As soon as the darkness engulfed him, Isaiah found himself in an environment where everything was hazy. It was hard to discern anything. It was like everywhere there was a fog in every direction
'What's going on?' he thought.
At that moment, he heard a voice. His voice. Its volume was so low, barely above a whisper. However, he could hear it, but it was warped and he could not make out the words the voice said.
"Ȉ̷̫ ̶͎͝a̴̰͐m̷͎̓ ̴̳̂Ń̸̡ö̵̻ṯ̵͝h̷̰͂i̶̩̾n̶̘̔g̷̘̎"
He wanted to strain his ear to hear more, but he couldn't move.
"̴͙͝Y̵̺̿e̸̲͗t̵̫̕ ̷͇̇I̸̝̅ ̴͍̌k̴̦̈n̶̝̑ǒ̷̙w̶̨̽ ̷͙͂Ẽ̵͖ṽ̷̲ê̵̠ṛ̴͂ẏ̴̹t̴̪̍ĥ̵͇i̵̪͂n̴͌ͅg̶͎̍"
Suddenly, the surrounding cleared a little and he could make out some stuff. He saw himself standing on some grass. He looked around and could see silhouettes of people in the fog.
"O̶͙̅n̷̿͜l̶̤̊y̶̧̌ ̵̮̓ẗ̶̳õ̷͕ ̷̖͂l̵̦̎o̸̫͂s̶͉̀e̴͇͝ ̷̞̊ę̴̏v̷͚͗ě̸̠r̶̼̕y̵̛͚t̸̞͒h̶̹̑ḭ̸͐n̸̼̔g̶̢̈́"
At that moment, Isaiah knew that this wasn't a normal vision. This vision is something meant for him. Once more he heard his voice.
"İ̸͔ ̴̞̒h̴̩͌ạ̵͝v̶̖͑e̴͖͗ ̴̥̀l̴̢̐o̴̹̓ş̵̎t̸͚͗ ̵̮̏m̶̫̕u̵̲̒c̶͚͠h̷̫̃,̸̪͌ ̶͕̐b̶͂ͅư̵̥t̸̲̽ ̷̐͜Í̴͖ ̵̤̉h̵͎͆a̸̛̙v̴̫͌e̶̼̎ ̸͉̽g̸̛͍a̴͈͑í̴̬n̶̘̉ḙ̷͗d̷̋͜ ̶̰̓m̵͕͗ṳ̵̍c̸͉͘h̷͕͐ ̷̻̉m̶̳͠o̸̺̾ŗ̵̃ḛ̸̔"
With that final garbled line delivered, he started seeing flashes of people.
A man fighting against a horde of darkness with his spear with a woman behind him observing closely. A woman bawling on a beach as a boat disappeared in the distance before gritting her teeth and swearing revenge. A third flash showed, a man with golden hair mourning the death of his friend at the hands of the gods. A fourth flash showed a blonde girl performing in the Colosseum as the numerous spectators clapped at her performance. A fifth showed a broken man standing alone on a hill of swords as the swords in his hands fell to the ground. He looked up at the shifting gears in the sky ready to end it all.
And so multiple more flashes appeared showing different people of different times and places. But they all had one thing in common, they were all extraordinary.
Suddenly, the vision stopped as the darkness returned and Isaiah could feel his body again.
'What was that? Who were those people? I could only recognize the last man since I saw him before. But what happened to him?'
"Isaiah! Isaiah, wake up!"
He suddenly heard multiple voices calling him.
"Isaiah! Wake up!" Bianca shouted. "What happened to him? Is he going to be okay?"
"Do not worry Bianca. He has simply fallen unconscious. Look, he is waking up already," Isaiah heard Zoe say.
He opened his eyes and saw the group around him.
"How long... was I out?" he asked.
"Only a few minutes," answered Thalia.
"Man, don't scare us like that!" Percy said.
At that moment, Artemis spoke,
"I must go to Olympus and report what happened," Artemis said before a silver chariot pulled by a deer appeared in front of them.
"I will ask Father to call everyone and host the meeting of winter solstice earlier than usual since this is an important case. In the meantime, your children heal up. You will then be summoned to Mount Olympus," Artemis said.
"Yes, my Lady," replied Zoe.
At that moment, the sound of hooves alongside footsteps was heard. The group looked at the source and saw Chiron in his centaur form accompanied by the campers and Hunters appear in the forest. Grover was in front of them all and ran to the group before hugging Percy. He then looked around.
"You all made it!"
"Hey, Grover. It's good to be back. Where's Bessie?" Percy smiled and asked.
"He's in an aquarium at the Big House."
Chiron arrived and saw the state of the ones who had undergone the quests.
"Oh dear, We must get you healed up."
At that moment, he noticed Artemis.
"Lady Artemis! I apologize for not having noticed you."
"It doesn't matter Chiron. I will head up to Mount Olympus and report to my father. Then the ones who participated in the quest will be summoned to Olympus." the goddess said before turning to her Hunters.
"I'm sorry my huntresses, but you will have to stay a little longer. After the meeting, you will be able to leave."
This statement elicited many groans from the girls. Artemis then turned back to her rescuers,
"Then I'll be going. I will see you soon and thank you for helping me," she said before hopping onto her chariot and flying away.
Chiron then turned his gaze towards the group and said,
"Come on. Let's get your kids healed up and some rest. You can then share with me the tale of the quest. The last time, I checked, Isaiah wasn't part of the group."
"Holy shit, Isaiah! You're bleeding!" shouted Beckendorf when he saw the blood on the boy.
"Language, Mr. Beckendorf." admonished Chiron before looking at the sorcerer,
"But he's right. You need to heal."
"It's okay, Chiron and Beckendorf. It will heal soon."
"Never say those words! You can never be sure. Magic or not, you're still human and not a demigod." a young boy of Isaiah's age said.
The boy in question was a blonde boy who looked like a copy of Apollo.
"Who're you?" Isaiah asked.
"I'm Will Solace. Son of Apollo and a healer. Are you a doctor?"
Isaiah shook his head.
"That's right! Only doctors are allowed to diagnose. So until you get my approval then you can't say that you are fine."
"But-" The black-haired boy who looked confused was about to say when he was interrupted.
"Tut-Tut-Tut! Don't explain yourself."
The others let out chuckles and giggles at their interaction.
"Now, Now, Will. You can talk to him while you heal him up." Chiron said with a smile
Annabeth had walked up to Thalia and Percy before asking,
"Luke?"
The group had an uncomfortable expression with Thalia being distraught. Before the daughter of Athena could ask for more information, someone shouted.
"Bianca!" Nico's voice was heard as he came running through the crowd and slammed/hugged his sister.
The girl reciprocated his hug,
"I'm back Nico."
At that moment, gasps and cries emerged from the crowd surrounding them. The siblings looked confused.
"What's going on!?" Bianca asked.
"You might want to look up Bianca," Isaiah replied.
Both siblings looked up and saw a black holographic sceptre emitting wisps of darkness floating above her and her brother.
"That looks cool! What's that!?" Nico shouted.
"Oh shit," someone said in the crowd.
Chiron then knelt followed by the rest of the camp. Isaiah was the only one remaining standing. He could see the old centaur was a little pale.
"All hail Bianca di Angelo and Nico di Angelo! Children of Hades, ruler of the Underworld, the Dead and riches."
A silent and tense atmosphere reigned in the forest as everyone digested the news of not one, but two children of the Big Three making their appearance.
"Damn! This is big news," said Travis, the son of Hermes.
"You got that right." his brother, Connor, said.
"That's awesome!" exclaimed Nico.
Bianca had an uncomfortable expression.
Chiron stomped his hooves,
"Alright, everyone! You are dismissed. Return to your cabins since it's getting late.
An hour later,
Zoe, Bianca, Nico, Percy, Thalia, Grover and Isaiah were sitting on the sofas of the Big House with Chiron, who was now in his wheelchair form, after getting healed by the healers of Apollo. Mr. D was nowhere to be seen. They could see Bessie and a large aquarium beside them.
"Where is Mr. D?" asked Thalia.
"Mr. D went to Mount Olympus in preparations for the winter solstice meeting," Chiron replied before turning towards the siblings,
"How are you feeling?"
Bianca cringed before answering,
"Complicated."
Nico however,
"Awesome!"
Chiron chuckled at the boy's answer before addressing the group,
"I noticed that you all didn't seem surprised at the Hades's claiming."
"There was some instance during the quest that led to the conclusion that Hades may be their father. It also helped that Isaiah narrowed down the choices." Zoe said and the rest with exception of Nico nodded.
"Oh? How so?" Chiron asked intrigued.
"Let's start by reporting our quest," Percy said.
And so for the next hour, they took turns to recount the quest. When they finally finished,
Chiron let out a long sigh and leaned back on the wheelchair,
"I see. Children out of time, the Ophiotaurus, the rise of the Titans and, most importantly," he looked at Isaiah, "defying the Fates."
"I didn't voice it at the forest, but I wondered if the events of the prophecy had not passed yet. One shall be lost in the land without rain and one shall perish at a parent's hand. Two people were supposed to die. The Fates had cut their strings, but there was no consequence. Do you understand the implications young Isaiah? This is the first time, something like this has happened since the birth of the Greek world." Chiron saw with a serious expression.
"I know. My teacher said the same. But, I'm not part of this world."
"Even if you are not part of this world. You should still be somewhat influenced by the Fates. But not only were you not, but you also affected the other's fates too. You effectively rebelled against the Fates. Tell me, Isaiah, how did you know about Bianca's imminent death?"
"What?" asked Nico shocked.
Zoe frowned and spoke,
"We never said that Bianca was going to die, Chiron."
"I know, but it was not hard to guess," the centaur answered her before returning his eyes to Isaiah.
Isaiah simply smiled at him before crossing his arms and leaning back,
"That's for me to know and you to find out don't you think?"
Both centaur and sorcerer stared at each other before Chiron lowered his gaze and sighed,
"You're right."
He looked at the clock and saw that it was past 9:00 PM.
"I think you should all go back to your cabin and rest up since, Friday at midnight, you will be summoned to Mount Olympus for the winter solstice meeting."
The centaur then asked a question to Isaiah,
"Isaiah, will you be staying or going back to your home?"
"I'll go back for now. I still need to see my teacher."
"Very well then," he said before addressing the group, "Remember to be in front of the Big House at 11:45 PM tomorrow. Good Night everyone and rest well."
They soon left the house and they each went their separate ways to their cabins. Percy went to Poseidon's. Thalia went to Zeus's. and Zoe went to Artemis's. The only ones remaining were the di Angelo siblings and Isaiah.
The latter was about to open a portal when he felt a tug on his sleeve. Turning around he saw Nico doing it and his sister behind him. The boy had a mix of confusion and anguish on his face.
"What's wrong, Nico?"
"Was it true?"
"About what?"
"That my sister was supposed to die."
Isaiah looked at Bianca who looked down. It seemed like he still couldn't process how close he had come to losing his sister. the sorcerer then looked back at Nico,
"Yeah. But I was able to save her."
Nico slowly nodded before doing something Isaiah hadn't expected. The son of Hades hugged him.
"Wha-"
"Thank you. Thankyouthankyouthankyou." the boy kept repeating. He sniffed, "Thank you for saving my sister. I don't know what I would have done without her."
Isaiah had an awkward smile and patted his back. Nico then separated and bid him farewell before returning to the Hermes Cabin. It was now only Bianca and Isaiah.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Bianca."
The girl smiled,
"Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow too, Isaiah."
Isaiah opened a portal, stepped through and was about to close it when Bianca spoke,
"You know, we should hang out sometimes."
Isaiah raised an eyebrow,
"Hang out? What does that mean?"
Unknown to him, a slight red dusted her cheeks as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear,
"You know... we should do something together," she said before quickly adding, "as friends."
"And since we're f-friends, we should get to know each other."
Isaiah rubbed his chin pensively,
"I see. Then we should do this hanging out."
Bianca beamed,
"Alright then. See you tomorrow, Isaiah!"
"See you tomorrow, Bianca." the boy replied and closes the portal.
He looked around at his familiar room when suddenly, a voice was heard inside his head.
'Hello, Isaiah,' the voice of the Ancient One could be heard.
Smiling he responded to the telepathic message,
'I am back, Teacher!'
'I know that. Why do you think I'm talking to you.'
'Oh, right.'
'Are you well?'
'I think it's better if I tell you all about it.'
'Very well. Meet me at our classroom.' The teacher said before ending the telepathic call.
He made his way to the room and saw the teacher in her usual place with a set of tea ready also like usual.
The boy then sat in front of her. However, the latter noticed the bandages peeking through his collar and sleeves.
Her lips thinned,
"I see you've been injured."
Isaiah looked at his bandages,
"Yeah, sorry about that."
The Ancient One shook her head,
"Don't apologize. Just be more careful next time. How did you get injured?"
"About that, I tried an experimental technique in the field. I might... have... overdone it."
Hearing his answer, the woman put the tea she was drinking down and looked straight into Isaiah's eyes,
"Is that so? Why don't you tell me the whole story?"
And so he did, the boy told everything that happened from the moment he through that portal to save his friends.
"I see. Now you are waiting to be summoned to Olympus, right?" she asked.
Isaiah nodded.
"Then I shall come with you."
Now the boy was surprised,
"What? Really?"
His teacher nodded,
"Yes. You will be meeting with the gods in their territory alone. Knowing the king of the Greek gods, I fear that he would see you more than a threat to anything else. And since you are not affiliated with them and those who undertook the quest asked your help, it would be better if I come with you."
"Will they even allow it?"
The woman smirked,
"Oh, they will. Isaiah do you know what a god is?"
"An entity or supernatural being that derives its power from the faith of their believers." Isaiah gave the textbook answer.
"That's right. But since we are now in the 21st century, the number of believers has severely declined and that diminished their power tremendously. Their strength is also their weakness because of their dependence on the power of faith. They'll also have to allow me because you are a disciple of the Order. They have no power over you and if they try to do anything, they would have to face us. Sure they could start trying anything, but even they wouldn't want to fight the Sorcerer Supreme."
The woman shrugged,
"It's simple politics," she said, before turning serious,
"But that doesn't give you the right to abuse it. Just like how they should be wary to do anything to us, you should also be cautious. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Teacher. I understand."
The woman smiled,
"Good, now go to sleep. You've had a long day."
"But, it's still daytime."
"True. But that's in Tibet. Not in America."
The boy nodded,
"Okay."
He got up and was about to walk through the door when his teacher asked,
"By the way, what are you going to call your technique?"
The boy raised an eyebrow,
"Do I have to name it?"
The Ancient One nodded,
"Remember, Isaiah. Words have power in the world of magic. The simple fact that you name your technique would consolidate it into a spell and make it more efficient. Every time, you would call out the name, whether it is out loud or in your mind, it will allow better imagery and effectiveness."
The boy thought for a moment.
"Then I'll call it (Overflow)."
"A fitting name." the teacher approved.
"Then, I'll be going teacher."
"Alright, I'll see you later."
Once the boy left, the Ancient One chuckled before taking a sip of her tea.
'You've barely left Kamar-Taj and you've already started making waves, Isaiah. I wonder what the future would hold for you. No, more like how you would affect the future,' she thought before frowning.
'The Council of the Gods, the appearance of the children of Hades, an anomaly whom the Fates can't perceive or control, a mortal whose power could surpass even the strongest of the gods. This meeting is going to be a barrel of gunpowder ready to explode at the slightest spark. Of course, Zeus' ego and paranoia won't help at all.'
She cringed at the last thought.
'Oh well. We'll just have to wait. It's been so long something interesting has happened.'