Chapter 5: Clouds of Premonition

                                    

                                          
Connor casually adjusted the strap of his smaller pouch as he walked beside Will, a smirk playing on his face.
"You didn't just take candy, did you?" Will said, narrowing his eyes at him. " You took a good two minutes and left a lot of noise to reduce your bag size."
Connor shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Will raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical.
"Okay, fine," Connor relented with a sigh. "I might have thrown in some of your medical supplies for... pranking ideas. But I returned them since you promised to make it up with those movie nights. Besides, something serious is going on at camp right now."
Will glanced at Connor, his concern deepening. "Do you have any idea what it is?"
Connor's smirk faded a bit, and he looked more serious than usual. "Not much, but from the rumors going around, it sounds like Kronos might make his move today itself."
"What?" Will's eyes widened, his thoughts racing. But that means war, he realized, a knot of fear tightening in his chest. And more deaths and destruction. 
The memories from the battle of the Labyrinth last summer flashed through his mind-how many campers, both on their side and the opposite, had lost their lives in it. The image of Lee's lifeless body, along with five other of his siblings from the Apollo cabin, still haunted him. He shuddered, remembering how he almost met his own end at the hands of a cynocephalus, only for Kayla to save him with a pair of well-aimed arrows. And now, another war loomed-one that promised to be even more devastating. 
Around them, the camp was a frenzy of preparation. Campers in armor rushed back and forth, their faces set with grim determination. The clang of weapons, the scrape of shields, and the low murmur of strategy-filled conversations filled the air. Some were preparing the chariots. Even the cabins seemed to radiate a sense of war-readiness, as if the very essence of the camp understood the coming threat. The camp situation had been tense since a few days but today was a new high.
Connor noticed Will's anxious expression and sighed, giving his friend a nudge. "You're panicking, I can tell. Come on, show some mettle, Mr. Field Medic. You might have to see a lot of blood and gore today."
Will swallowed hard, trying to steady himself, but that reminder only made it worse.
A sharp voice cut through their exchange. "Ah, I was expecting you to hang out with Will and give him mini panic attacks, Connor. Not everything is a joke in the face of an emergency. He is one of the best healers our camp has."
Will turned to see Malcolm approaching them, his stride brisk and purposeful. 
Malcolm Pace, the vice counselor of the Athena cabin, radiated his usual air of levelheadedness and seriousness. His piercing grey eyes behind heavy glasses seemed to miss nothing. Today, he wore an orange half sleeve hoodie, which he paired with brown jeans and his leather armor. His blonde hair was slicked back which made him look even more professional than usual.
Connor whistled and smirked. "Yo, good morning, sir. Going to conquer Harvard, are we? Your eyes could kill Kronos with that stare."
"Shut up," Malcolm replied flatly, not amused by the jab. He then focused on Will, his expression softening slightly as he took in the worry etched on his face.
"Hey, don't let this rascal scare you, Will," said Malcolm, throwing a pointed look at Connor. "To him, everything is a prank. This emergency is probably just Annabeth being a bit paranoid. After she received a phone call from Percy... just the useless aftereffects of romance. Hence the emergency drills... at least, that's what I would say as a good friend."
Will let out a weary sigh. "And what do you say as a person with logical sense?"
Malcolm's expression turned serious, and he sighed. "That Connor's info is legit and Kronos is actually about to move today. I went to look for Annabeth, relying on my sixth sense, and found her and the other cabin counselors having an emergency war meeting in the battle tent."
Will paled as his last glimmer of hope for peace shattered under the looming tsunami of war possibilities. He could almost hear the echoes of battles past, and the weight of impending loss settled heavily on his chest.
Connor scowled at Malcolm. "The heck is that different from what I said?"
"I only presented it more logically, with facts," Malcolm replied, shooting him a flat look. "Not scaring him with what didn't happen. Though, I did see Michael about to throw hands with Clarisse as usual, with Jake and Annabeth holding them back."
Connor chuckled, "Oh, I can definitely see Travis throwing bets on who would win the argument."
Then, he looked at Will, his usual mischievous spark dimming as his face softened. He placed a reassuring hand on Will's shoulder.
"Listen, man," he said gently, "what's going to happen is a matter of the future. We don't know what that holds for us demigods. But why ruin the present over something we can't control? Pretty sure it was you who told me that."
Will managed a small smile, feeling a faint sense of warmth as he recalled saying something similar to Connor during one of his own panicked moments. Somehow, Connor had managed to reflect his own words back to him just when he needed it most.
"Yeah... guess you're right," Will murmured, grateful for the reminder.
Malcolm arched an eyebrow, eyeing Connor as he patted Will's back. "So, you can give decent advice."
Connor grinned as the breakfast bell rang, and they began strolling toward the dining pavilion. "Besides," he said, "even if Kronos does make a move, we've got the kids of the Big Three Olympians on our side. The power scaling on those three is definitely off the charts."
"Thalia and Percy, sure," Malcolm agreed. "But Nico? I'm not so convinced. I don't think I've ever seen him use his power-only heard rumors that he has necromancy abilities."
Will's thoughts drifted to Nico di Angelo, the son of Hades. He'd caught a glimpse of Nico after the labyrinth battle, noting his age, a bit younger than himself and his friends. Nico was the literal definition of brooding, with his dark, messy hair and piercing eyes that seemed to ward people off. But with how small he was, Nico's attempts to be intimidating came off as... strangely cute to Will, though he'd never admit it out loud.
Yet two years ago, Nico had been different-sassier, more brash, willing to call out older campers, especially if he thought they were wrong. Will remembered one time Nico had gotten hurt during a spar with Sherman and ended up under his care in the infirmary. Back then, he'd been mouthy, critiquing Will for being "too naive." But after his sister Bianca's death, everything changed. Nico had run away, and by the time he returned, he'd adopted this withdrawn, almost unrecognizable "emo" persona. Will could relate to the kind of pain that loss brings. The memory of losing Lee and other siblings last summer still haunted him, though he'd managed to hold onto his sanity with help from Michael, Kayla, Austin, and his friends.
"I've got proof," Connor said, snapping Will back to the conversation. "Cecil told me Nico was the one who raised the dead to save him and two of my sisters from a pack of empousai. He's got some serious power-and that black blade of his? He moves fast."
Will raised an eyebrow at that but he knew that appearances could be deceptive. He looked at the slightly clouded early morning sky. Perhaps they still had a fighting chance.