𝐓𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐒 𝐎𝐂𝐄𝐀𝐍 ━ 𝐣𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐒 | 𝐃𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒

IT WAS DIFFICULT. With the fact that my two closest friends were gone, I felt like curling into my bed and laying there in my misery. But I knew I couldn't.

Since Annabeth and Percy weren't here, I had to take my leadership even more seriously than before. The others needed me.

I had left the decision of how to get through the Apennine range and past the mountain gods to Leo and Hazel. I made sure our strongest fighters were there to get rid of any monsters. And the ones who weren't tired to take up shifts. 

For a bit, things were going relatively smoothly.

Until yesterday, which was when Hazel suddenly came to me with news about her encounter with Hecate. And Nico came to me with new information about the House of Hades, an underground temple in Epirus, which was the mortal side of the Doors of Death.

So today, I gathered everyone together in the mess hall to discuss.

I sat at the head of the table, with Hazel, Frank and Nico, while we waited for Jason to fetch Leo and Piper.

As we waited, my eyes roamed around. I soon learned that that was a bad idea.

I had forgotten that the mess hall's walls showed real-time scenes from Camp Half-Blood, thanks to Leo's tinkering.

Homesickness slammed into me as I watched the walls. The campfire sing-alongs, dinners at the pavilion, volleyball games outside the Big House. I realized with a start that last night was the Fourth of July. Meaning we had missed the annual party on the beach with amazing fireworks by the Hephaestus cabin.

I remember thinking that I wanted to bring Jason to it, when he was giving me a tour of all the great things in Camp Jupiter, because I had wanted to show him that there was also fun and amazing things at my camp.

I looked back down at my waffles and forced myself to take a bite. I wish I could turn off the wall videos.

"Alright," I heard Jason say, announcing his arrival. "We're here."

Jason and Leo took a seat.

I glanced up from my breakfast. "And Piper?"

"She's taking her turn at the helm with Coach Hedge," Jason said, pulling his seat next to mine.

"Ah, right. I forgot," I said. I then stood up to get everyone's attention. "Now that we're all here. I just wanted to say that we have some new information. Nico?"

Nico sat forward. "I communed with the dead last night."

He just tossed that line out there, like he was saying he got a text from a buddy.

"I was able to learn more about what we'll face," Nico continued. "In ancient times, the House of Hades was a major site for Greek pilgrims. They would come to speak with the dead and honor their ancestors."