Chapter 7: Camp Twilight (3)

"I am Eleanor Aiken. What is your name?"

"I don't remember."

Hearing my absurd answer, she frowned.

"What do you mean? Did you forget your own name?"

"You can say so..."

Her face darkened. She must be thinking things like, "Is this guy serious?". Well, I can't blame her, what kind of stupid person would forget his own name?

"Well, I was severely injured when I arrived at camp. So my memory is a little defective."

"I see..."

Her expression was telling me she still didn't believe me, but I couldn't care less.

"Anyway, I will go to the cafeteria. See you at the campfire."

I waved at her and left as quickly as possible. My stomach was hurting from hunger.

***

As I ate my sandwich, I thought about this body's origin. Where did he come from? Where was his mortal family if he even had one?

As I surfed through my thoughts, I found myself in a dilemma. It was an inevitable question I had to answer sooner or later.

'How should I approach the plot?'

I could either choose to intervene or let it play out as it is destined to. Well, I had already intervened during the minotaur fight. Though I doubted it would have any effect on the storyline as I had acted only towards the end of the battle.

I planned to get stronger and not shy away from taking advantage of the plot. But I also needed to preserve the real storyline so that my knowledge about the future wouldn't expire.

The best option seemed to be to move in the shadows and make sure the storyline wasn't altered. I won't necessarily steal from the main character to make sure he is powerful enough to save the world. But that doesn't mean I won't exploit my knowledge from the novel. In fact, I will use my knowledge to the fullest.

I also wasn't planning to stay away from the main cast. It wouldn't be good for me to stay away from the main cast and miss all the opportunities to get stronger.

'I am glad I chose to help Eleanor fend off the minotaur. This will make things easier for me.'

I munched on my sandwich, which was made of ingredients that were full of divine energy. It was quite tasty, to be honest.

I noticed that many demigods were heading towards the campfire as the moon had risen above the sky and it was time to light the giant campfire. I got up and followed the masses of demigods heading toward there.

'Time to learn who my godparent is...'

***

Amidst the flickering flames of the campfire, the laughter and chatter of demigods mingled harmoniously, casting a warm glow upon the crowd. Many demigods were scattered around the campfire, creating a peaceful atmosphere. Despite the tranquil ambiance, whispers of anticipation rippled through the air, each voice tinged with excitement as they speculated on the rumored arrival of another child of the Big Three.

They were impatiently waiting for the revelation of Adriel's godparent. The prospect of another child of the Big Three appearing in the camp was an unprecedented phenomenon. It was hard to believe that there were currently two people whose godparents were Zeus and Poseidon. Something like this had never happened before. In fact, till now there has only been a small number of occasions of a child of the Big Three being present in the camp. And it was the first time two of them were present at the same time.

Chiron, the director of the camp, slowly made his way towards the podium as the time of revelation came.

"Attention Everyone! Tonight we have three new demigods joining our camp. I hope all of you will take care of them and make them comfortable in their new home."

The crowd clapped and the speech went on.

"I know you all are looking forward to today's revelation of a specific person. So I won't drag this speech on too long. Adriel can you please step forward?"

Everyone cheered as Adriel approached Chiron. I was surprised he was able to heal from that injuries so quickly.

"Adriel. You need to make an offering to your godparent by burning some food on this divine campfire. Your godparent will answer your offerings and will claim you to be his or her child."

Nodding, Adriel took a big grilled rib and stepped towards the campfire. Everyone was holding their breath, focusing on the white-haired boy in front of them.

With a steady inhalation, Adriel mustered his resolve, throwing the rib into the flames. As the rib began to melt and dissolve from the heat, wisps of smoke began to rise, filling the air with a pleasant aroma. In response, the once tranquil flames turned vibrant and flickered with newfound intensity.

5 seconds

10 seconds

20 seconds

45 seconds

1 minute

3 minutes

As the moments stretched on, with no immediate sign of change, a sense of uncertainty began to settle over the gathering. Some demigods, their hopes waning, exchanged glances filled with doubt. Adriel too fell into doubt as the hushed stillness of the night enveloped the camp.

Approaching the five-minute mark, a palpable tension cast upon the site. Suddenly, the tension broke, as the serene expanse of clear sky above began to darken, shrouded by thickening clouds that billowed and coalesced with alarming speed. The once tranquil atmosphere was shattered by the reverberating boom of thunder, each resounding clap echoing through the night like a harbinger of impending upheaval. Seeing this, the demigods exchanged startled glances.

A collective gasp escaped the lips of the demigods as a bolt of lightning, crackling with energy, lanced down from the heavens and struck Adriel with unerring precision. A serene silence fell over the crowd as the dust settled. Despite the lightning strike, Adriel remained standing, all too well, seemingly untouched by the destructive force that had descended upon him.

After a moment of speechlessness, Chiron spoke.

"Welcome to Camp Twilight, Son of Zeus, Adriel Quill!"

Following Chiron's exclamation, the demigods erupted in cheers and shouts of excitement, a wave of elation swept through the gathered crowd. This lasted for a while until Adriel sat down. As I looked at him, I noticed that beneath the mask of excitement on his face, traces of bitterness lingered.

'He must be feeling heartbroken after living all his life knowing nothing about his father and then suddenly finding himself here to learn that his father is Zeus.'

Even if Zeus was a god, the revelation that his father had abandoned Adriel and his mother alone left a bitter taste in his mouth, rightfully so. He was disappointed in his father and felt a slight resentment and bitterness towards him for making his family go through such hardships.

This was a common issue most of the demigods had to go through.

Following Adriel, Amelia too was called to make an offer for her godparent. With a swift motion, she cast the food into the flames, her gesture was answered much quicker than Adriel's. Just after she threw the offering into the campfire, in a breathtaking display, a shimmering silhouette materialized above her, taking the form of an elegant owl that descended gracefully and perched atop her head.

"Welcome to Camp Twilight, Daughter of Athena, Amelia Elway!"

Although not as loud as when Adriel's godparent was revealed, the demigods cheered for her as well. She quickly went back to her seat next to Adriel. Her face reddened as a blush crept across her cheeks out of shyness.

"Now for tonight's last revelation, I invite..."

As Chiron halted his speech halfway, he realized he hadn't asked for my name. The demigods chuckled as their director fumbled with his speech. Amidst the lighthearted laughter that ensued, I facepalmed at the ridiculousness of the situation.

'Even if he had asked, he wouldn't get an answer anyway...'

Without waiting anymore, I stood up and made my way to the podium, feeling the weight of expectation settling upon my shoulders. As Chiron was handing me the offering, he whispered.

"Sorry, kid, I forgot to ask your name."

"It's fine."

As I drew nearer to the campfire, the heat of the flame didn't burn me, instead, a sense of warmth and comfort shrouded me, the flames dancing with an inviting glow that seemed to beckon me closer. With a steady hand, I tossed the offering into the heart of the fire, watching as it dissolved into the flames.

I wasn't expecting much. I didn't think I would be a child of a major god. I watched it until the last remnants of the offering faded into ash.

As we waited for a god to claim me, Chiron's eyes showed signs of anxiety and apprehension. We had already passed the 10-minute mark.

The long wait made me think about the unfortunate demigods who weren't claimed. Though it was very rare, sometimes the godparent wouldn't claim his or her child. Those who were not claimed would be fated to fail in this cruel world.

However, the possibility of me not being a demigod was very slim since I could enter the camp and use divine energy.

As time passed, a sense of disappointment began to permeate the crowd, their initial excitement waning as the anticipation faded. Even Chiron could not conceal the flicker of doubt etched upon his eyes in the absence of any discernible response from the flames

15 minutes

20 minutes

30 minutes

"Director! Let's move on. Seems like he is not going to be claimed. He can try next night again."

"Yeah! Come on!"

"I want to go to sleep already!"

*Sigh...*

A heavy sigh exited my lips, frustration and disappointment bottling up within me. My enthusiasm about getting stronger was crushed by the cruel reality, as the doubt ate me away. Without being claimed by a god and granted access to the status window, the path forward and any chances of growing stronger were shrouded.

Seeing my disappointed expression, Chiron patted my shoulder to cheer me up.

"Don't worry. I am sure your godparent will answer your call tomorrow."

Without looking back, I retraced my steps back to my seat. Some glances held sympathy and pity, while some others mockingly snickered, adding insult to injury.

However, after a few steps, I realized the whole campsite had fallen silent. I glanced around only to see horror painted on the faces of demigods, their expressions frozen in shock as they beheld a terrifying scene. As I snapped back to survey what was going on, a chill ran down my spine at the sight that greeted me. Even Chiron, usually a bastion of composure, appeared visibly taken aback by the unfolding spectacle.