The group trudged forward as twilight began to creep across the forested mountains. The golden glow of the setting sun barely penetrated the dense canopy above, leaving the trail shrouded in shadow. Despite the cool evening air, sweat trickled down Ikenna's temple as they pushed deeper into the wilderness. His encounter with the water creature still played on a loop in his mind.
Maria's words echoed in his head: "If that thing was guarding this area, we're on the right track." He wasn't sure if that was comforting or a warning.
"How much farther until we set up camp?" Ikenna asked, breaking the silence. His voice sounded too loud in the stillness of the forest.
Maria glanced back over her shoulder, her face unreadable in the dim light. "Another mile or so. There's a clearing marked on Chiron's map that should be safe enough."
"Safe enough?" Marcus muttered, shifting his hammer on his shoulder. "Not exactly the kind of reassurance I was hoping for."
Ikenna chuckled, though his nerves were starting to get the better of him. The forest felt…wrong. The trees were too quiet, the air too heavy. Even the usual sounds of wildlife—the chirping of crickets or the rustling of leaves—were absent.
"Does it feel like something's watching us to anyone else?" Ikenna asked, his voice low.
Maria stopped walking and turned to face him, her eyes narrowing. "Don't start spooking yourself, Zeus boy. We've got enough to worry about without adding paranoia to the list."
"Yeah, but he's not wrong," Marcus said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I've felt it too. Like…we're not alone out here."
Maria sighed, clearly annoyed, but she didn't argue. "Let's pick up the pace. The sooner we get to the clearing, the better."
The clearing, when they finally reached it, was a small patch of grass surrounded by ancient, gnarled trees. The moon hung low in the sky, its silvery light casting eerie shadows across the ground. Marcus set down his hammer with a grunt, and Maria immediately began clearing a space for a fire.
Ikenna dropped his pack and sat heavily on the ground, his legs aching from the climb. "Well, this is cozy," he said, eyeing the dark forest around them.
"Cozy enough," Maria replied, striking flint against her dagger to spark a fire.
Within minutes, a small flame flickered to life, its warm glow pushing back the encroaching shadows. The three of them sat around it, eating in silence. Ikenna poked at his trail mix, his appetite dulled by exhaustion and unease.
"We should set up a watch," Marcus said, breaking the quiet. "One of us stays awake while the others sleep, just in case."
Maria nodded. "Good idea. I'll take first watch."
"I'll take the second," Marcus offered, leaning back against his pack.
Ikenna raised a hand. "Guess that leaves me with the third. Wake me when it's my turn."
The night passed slowly, the forest alive with subtle noises that kept Ikenna's nerves on edge. Maria woke him for his watch just before dawn, her face tired but alert.
"Nothing so far," she said quietly, handing him a small dagger. "But stay sharp. Just because it's been quiet doesn't mean we're in the clear."
Ikenna nodded, gripping the dagger tightly as he settled by the fire. The others fell asleep quickly, their even breathing the only sound breaking the silence.
For a while, he simply stared into the fire, watching the flames dance and crackle. His mind wandered to the prophecy Chiron had mentioned, the one that hinted at a storm and his role in stopping it. He didn't know the full details, but it weighed on him nonetheless.
A sudden rustling in the bushes snapped him out of his thoughts. Ikenna froze, every muscle in his body tensing. He scanned the treeline, his electric blue eyes piercing the darkness.
"Marcus? Maria?" he whispered, glancing at his sleeping companions. Neither stirred.
The rustling grew louder, closer. Ikenna stood slowly, gripping the dagger with one hand while the other crackled with faint electricity. His heart pounded in his chest as he took a cautious step toward the sound.
"Who's there?" he called, his voice steady despite the fear clawing at him.
For a moment, there was silence. Then, a figure emerged from the shadows—a man cloaked in black, his face obscured by a hood.
"You shouldn't be here, son of Zeus," the man said, his voice low and gravelly.
Ikenna's breath caught in his throat. "Who are you?"
The man tilted his head, the hood slipping back just enough to reveal glowing red eyes. "That's not important. What matters is that you're walking into something far bigger than you realize."
Ikenna tightened his grip on the dagger, electricity sparking brighter in his free hand. "Yeah, well, I'm kind of used to that. So unless you're here to help, you'd better back off."
The man laughed, a hollow, chilling sound. "You think your power will protect you? Foolish boy. You don't even understand what you are."
Before Ikenna could respond, the man raised a hand, and a wave of dark energy surged toward him. Ikenna reacted instinctively, raising his own hand and releasing a burst of lightning. The two forces collided, the resulting explosion throwing him backward.
Maria and Marcus jolted awake, weapons in hand.
"What's going on?" Maria shouted, her eyes darting around.
Ikenna scrambled to his feet, his eyes locked on the man, who was now retreating into the shadows. "There was someone here," he said breathlessly. "He…he attacked me."
Marcus ran to his side, scanning the treeline. "Where is he now?"
"Gone," Ikenna muttered, his mind racing. "But he knew me. He knew I was Zeus's kid."
Maria cursed under her breath. "We need to move. If he found us, others will too."
"Others?" Ikenna asked, his stomach twisting.
She gave him a grim look. "There's always others."
As they packed up and continued their journey, the encounter with the cloaked man weighed heavily on Ikenna's mind. His words echoed in his ears: "You don't even understand what you are."
What did that mean? What didn't he understand?
For the first time since the quest began, Ikenna felt a flicker of doubt—not just in his abilities, but in himself.
He clenched his fists, electricity sparking faintly at his fingertips. Whatever was coming, he would face it head-on. He had to.
But deep down, he couldn't shake the feeling that the storm was closer than any of them realized.