Chapter 1
Regulus hadn't quite settled into his new life, even though he had been at Half-Blood Camp for a few years now. Sirius arrived at the age of thirteen, after he ran away with other demigods since his godly scent was too strong for the creatures. It was too dangerous to stay in the mortal world. He wanted his little brother to follow him but Regulus didn't show any sign of being a demi god until his fifteenth birthday. So long that his mother, Walburga, thought he was actually his step-father's son, Orion. Regulus was, in fact, the son of Hades, just like Sirius. The so-called "Big Three" – Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon – were forbidden from fathering children, but Hades had evidently disregarded that decree, twice. RRegulus could never quite fathom why his father had chosen their mother. She was cold-hearted, preoccupied only with how her sons could attain the legendary status of figures like Hercules or Perseus. That was the good part of living at the camp now, he didn’t have to deal with his mother anymore.
9.00am. Regulus woke up in his room. Sirius and him had a huge cabin only for the two of them. Regulus always thought it was selfish, especially when you compared it to the Hermes one where the campers were all tightly packed together. At least, he could be at peace with himself in the morning. He grabbed a small bottle and a needle from the drawer on the nightstand. It was his T shot day. Regulus came out as trans one year ago, it was still new but he managed to ask Chiron, the head of the camp to get him testosterone so he could start his transition. He even had his top surgery quite quickly thanks to his family being really good with money. His voice had already deepened, although there was potential for it to go even lower with continued testosterone injections. After properly disposing of the used materials in a bin, he proceeded directly to the morning buffet.
There, he found Barty, Evan and Pandora at their usual table. He greeted them quickly before taking a plate and looking at the food, not sure what he really wanted.
"C’mon Remus, you know I’ll crush everyone at the next game of Capture the Flag! I trained like crazy this summer!" James Potter's voice pierced through the morning quiet. Who else but James could be so exuberant at such an hour? James was his brother’s best friend. He was also the son of Apollo – always radiant, strikingly handsome, and brimming with mischief. Despite his troublemaking ways, every demigod and demigoddess seemed to be enamored by him. He was, without a doubt, the camp's heartthrob, a fact that never failed to make Regulus roll his eyes. He looked stupid with that constant smile on his face.
"Look who’s grumpy again this morning," James remarked, pointing at him. Regulus raised an eyebrow but chose not to reply. He filled his plate and headed back to his table.
"Is Death Boy ignoring me again today?" asked the son of Apollo with a playful tone.
"No and it’s Regulus to you." Regulus replied, not even turning around. He hated that nickname. He hated how James would mess with him. They weren't friends and never had been, nor would they ever be, no matter how hard James attempted
"He truly is obsessed with you, that’s insane," said Barty as he sat across him. Evan and him were holding hands. They had been dating for two years now. Barty was the son of Eris and Evan was the son of Aphrodite. Pandora was the daughter of Dionysos, she always looked a bit in her own world but that was what Regulus liked about her.
"Probably because I’m not one of his fans like the rest of the camp," he said as he chewed on what seemed to be a croissant. « I don’t get why people like him so much, he’s just tall and dumb. »
"Heard he was good in bed," added Barty, which resulted by a punch in the ribs by Evan. "Sorry love, I didn’t mean it like I already shagged him!"
As their conversation meandered into other topics, Regulus felt relief that the focus had shifted away from James Potter. It was an easy morning, nothing could go wrong. Well, at least, that’s what they all thought.
Suddenly, a crowd of demi gods approached quickly as they runned towards the buffet, screaming for help.
"A shadow creature managed to pass through the barriers !" one of them cried. Indeed, what seemed to be a bull made of shadows were running behind them. Smoke was coming out of its nostrils. Everyone that was seated started running towards their weapons to stop it from hurting people. It came closer but strangely enough, it didn’t hurt anyone in purpose, only the campers that were on its way. It was running towards something. Towards… someone.
Regulus.
Locking eyes with the monster, he froze. Its eyes blazed crimson, and it lunged in his direction. He had no time to react – he simply squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for impact. However, a metallic clang pierced the air. The shadowy creature had been intercepted by a sword – James' sword. Regulus let out an exasperated sigh as he watched the Apollo child, once again, thrust himself into the role of a hero.
"Move!" James bellowed urgently. With no alternative, Regulus sprinted away as fast as his legs could carry him. On the other side, he saw Peter Pettigrew running with his winged-shoes towards the bull with a golden vase. As he reached it, he swiftly uncapped the vase, causing the beast to be rapidly drawn inside. The calm came back and as the adrenaline gradually ebbed from his system, Regulus collapsed onto the ground. As the tense atmosphere dissipated, many eyes fixed upon the son of Hades – some perplexed, others harboring annoyance.
What the heck just happened ?