Camp Half-Blood had changed.
The first sign came at dawn at the Hermes cabin.
Mornings were sacred. Dreams lingered longest in the early light, and children of the god of sleep were never quick to rise. That alone marked them, even before their parent claimed them. But this morning, the door slammed open with the force of a thunderclap.
"Up. Now."
Kratos stood on the threshold, flanked by two automaton wolves forged by Hephaestus. Their eyes glowed with ember light. One camper stirred and fell back into his pillow.
"Failure to obey a direct command will result in disciplinary action. This is your final warning."
A groggy camper, barely ten, struggled to sit upright. Another blinked at Kratos in disbelief. "But it's not even-"
Kratos stepped forward. "Now."
By the time the Hypnos children stumbled into the field, the Ares cabin was already running drills. Luke, watching from a distance, clenched his jaw as the Hypnos kids were pushed into line, barely able to stand. They may not have been his siblings, but as the counselor of the Hermes cabin, they were under his watch. But to go against Kratos? Any sign of defiance would just lead to more punishment for them and him.
Across camp, similar scenes repeated. At the armory, Kratos evaluated weapons without pause, rejecting those he deemed inefficient. At the stables, he scolded the satyrs for coddling pegasi. At the campfire, he rewrote the daily schedule to remove "unproductive" hours, replacing them with extra training blocks. He even set up a curfew.
By midday, Camp Half-Blood felt more like a war camp than a sanctuary.
...
Lucas watched from the archery range as a Hypnos camper, Clovis, the child he once spoke to in the forest, was forced to string and fire arrows under Kratos' scrutiny.
Clovis dropped the bow three times. Each time, Kratos gave no expression.
"You are weak. Unfocused. Unworthy of being a demigod."
Clovis trembled, eyes wide.
"You disgrace the gods."
"That's enough," Lucas said, stepping forward.
All eyes turned.
Kratos didn't move. "You will remain silent, child of Hecate."
Lucas' voice remained even. "He's ten. He doesn't need to be trained so hard. He is a child of Hypnos, he needs sleep and time. Not discipline"
"I decide what the campers need. And all campers must be-"
"You decide what Olympus needs. Not what the children of gods deserve. They will never truly reach their potential if you push them to act like this. They will break"
A tense silence followed. Then Kratos turned fully to Lucas.
Lucas didn't flinch under his gaze.
"Interference with enforcement and arguing with camp staff. Rebellious. Unruly. It seems just like your mother, you seek to oppose order. You will be disciplined. Report to the Big House after dinner for your punishment."
Clovis looked up at Lucas, his expression a mix of gratitude and guilt.
Lucas gave him a small nod, then turned and walked away.
...
The punishment wasn't severe, physically at least. Kratos assigned Lucas two weeks of latrine duty and revoked his access to all camp resources outside his cabin. He was also reassigned back to the Hermes cabin. The tent Chiron had approved for him was dismantled without warning.
The message was clear.
Obey. Or be made an example.
But the story of Lucas standing up to a god for a fellow camper spread. Quietly.
...
June – Two Months Later
The sky over Camp Half-Blood was a pale blue, the sun casting long golden shadows across the hills. By the edge of the woods, away from the ears of automatons and Kratos' watchful eyes, a quiet meeting gathered.
Beckendorf. Lee Fletcher. Silena Beauregard. Isaac from Athena. Even Katie Gardner of the Demeter .
They sat in a rough circle, hushed.
"This can't go on," Lee said. "We're burning out. Everyone's tense. Even the young ones are afraid to speak."
"Kratos is changing everything," Isaac muttered. "Chiron tries to intervene where he can, but it's not enough."
Beckendorf shook his head. "We need to protect the younger ones. This place may have been created to help train demigods to survive but it is also our home."
"Then what do we do?" Silena asked, hoping anyone had an answer.
...
At the Big House
Lucas sat on the porch beside Chiron, a cup of tea untouched in his hands.
"I want your help," he said.
Chiron looked over. "Lucas, if this is about Kratos-"
"It's not. Not directly. I know you can't intervene. He's acting under Zeus' orders."
Chiron gave a slow nod.
Lucas continued. "You've heard what happened on Olympus. The gods are split. And now… I want to build something new."
He looked toward the horizon.
"A sanctuary. Not just for demigods, but for the children of minor gods. For monsters who don't want to fight. For anyone the Olympians never made space for. A place to live and learn."
Chiron was quiet for a long time.
Then he said, "Many have dreamed of such a place. Few dared to try. Fewer still were ready. You'll be risking more than your life. You'll be carrying others with you."
Lucas nodded. "That's why I came to you. You've taught for centuries. I want to do this right. I want your insight."
Chiron set down his cup. "I may not be able to join you. But I can guide you. And perhaps that's enough."
Lucas smiled faintly. "Thank you."
...
Lucas dreamed.
But this was no ordinary dream, not like the ones he usually had. It felt more like the times his mother chose to communicate with him. But he can be sure this wasn't Hecate.
He stood at the edge of a cliff. Below him yawned a pit, vast, endless. It swallowed all light, and staring into it chilled him to the bone.
And then he heard it.
A voice, sharp, strong, old.
"So. You are the one they whisper about."
The voice came from the pit.
Lucas narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"
The figure chuckled. The sound cold and slow like cracking ice.
"I am many things. But you may call me Kronos."
Lucas said nothing. The name said enough.
"The Olympians say I am evil. That I brought cruelty and death to the world. But what is Olympus, if not the same? They rise by conquest. They govern by fear, and call it order."
In the depths of the abyss, two golden eyes opened. They glowed faintly, staring directly at him.
"You want to build something, don't you? Something better. Join me," Kronos said. "Let me help you reshape this world. You do not need to kneel, as Olympus demands. You need only walk beside me and change everything for the better."
Lucas had to admit, Kronos really had a way with words, but he had no trust of this Titan. One of the many things he read as a kid from his mother's books was about the Titans. He understood them. He didn't trust Kronos. Not for a moment.
The dream began to tremble.
"Consider this, Lucas. When they turn on you, and they will, you remember this moment. And know that I came first not with war, but with invitation for greatness."
The vision dissolved.
Lucas woke in the dark.