Joie looked up and stood still. “Kaleco?” she breathed. The man smiled and said in a low voice, “Hi there Joie...” He wavered in his smile, thinking. “Where’s Kaeri. Is she in the cabin? I missed her so much,” he said, looking around for his girlfriend whom he loved so much. Joie burst out sobbing, falling on her knees. Kaleco jumped then went to her side. “Joie, what’s wrong?” he asked softly, solidifying his hand to place it on her back. He looked at Sona and she shrugged, not knowing who Kaeri was. He looked down at Joie and sighed. “ Joie, you need to tell me. What happened to Kaericia?” Joie just shook her head and sobbed louder. Sona looked at Joie and said, well really yelled, “MUMMY FIX IT CAUSE AUNTIE IS BROKEN AND I DON’T KNOW WHY!!!!” Kaleco jumped and said, “Well hello, daughter of Zeus.”
Suddenly in a puff of green mist, Canisa stepped out and said “What happened? What’s wrong?” Sona pointed to Joie and Canisa went immediately over to Joie, not looking at the man who stood up straighter when she had appeared. “What’s wrong Joie?” she said softly, hugging her. Kaleco stood there, wondering when all the campers grew up and became more adult like.
“Hi there Lady Canisa. I mentioned Kaericia and she.. well, she’s like this. I don’t know what’s wrong but its all Ruby’s fault” he said, worry evident on his face. Canisa straightened and turned to Kaleco. Slowly, a few tears fell down her face and she turned on her heel out of the room, leaving Joie in her puddle of despair.
Kaleco threw up his hands and said, “What the actual fuck!” He snapped his fingers and tried to go to Kaericia. He appeared at Ruby’s cabin and sighed. “ Hi Ruby... Do you happen to know where Kaericia is?” Ruby turned and said nothing. She just stood there silently and smiled a bit, then turned around and ran off. He snapped his fingers and appeared at the archery range next to Karysa. “ Oh my gods. Karysa, where is my girlfriend?” Karysa turned and tears began to fall. “Nope, not dealing with this. Bye!” Kaleco threw up his hands and snapped his fingers, appearing by Jaden’s side. He faltered. Jaden was throwing knifes at a target, not one missing. Kaleco missed whenever they trained together. “Jaden... where’s Kaericia?” he softly questioned.
Jaden turned and saw Kaleco. “I’m so, so sorry...” he said, placing a hand on his best friends shoulder. Or, at least tried to. Kaleco stepped back and said, “What? Where?” Jaden sighed and said “I hope ghosts can cry, because you will need to”.
“What do you mean, need to cry? Why isn’t my magic working?” Kaleco said, sitting down slowly next to Jaden who was sitting on the ground. “Kaericia is dead.”
Kaleco sat, staring into space. He didn’t reply, at least for a while. Jaden sat there, knowing his friend was going through turmoil. “I take it, Jaden, that you killed Kronos. As the camp is in ruins, and I could get in,” Kaleco stated as he continued staring.
“I did. I had a promise to keep,” Jaden said quietly.
“And you got married... To Joie? I’m proud of you. You finally got the guts to do that,” the son of Athena said in his recently adopted monotone voice.
“Yes... I wanted you there to see it...” Jaden said, smiling sadly at his wedding band.
“How did Kaeri die?” Kaleco asked after some time had passed.
“She burnt to death by greek flame. Canisa tried to stop her and Joie... Well, she hasn’t been the same since...” Jaden spoke, hand on his best friends knee, Kaleco’s hand hand on his, their sign for friendship. Kaleco smiled at his friends efforts.
“You know Jaden, I came back for you all. I promised Hades that although I died at Kronos’s hands, I was loyal to my friends, not the gods. That was why I fought. We made a deal that I would go back as a ghost and serve as Canisa’s lieutenant and you all get go to The Land of the Heroes.” Kaleco said, speaking slowly, telling his best friend why he skipped out on the opportunity of a lifetime, literally.
Jaden sat stunned, looking at Kaleco in disbelief. “You did that, for us? But I’m-”
“It matters not what you were born as, but what you choose. You choose to be a Titan-killer, not a God-killer. Therefore, please shut up.” Kaleco explained as he interrupted Jaden’s stuttered speech.
Jaden sat, thinking whilst Kaleco resumed his staring. “You know, Kaleco,” Jaden said “I got a little me coming.” Kaleco turned and looked at Jaden.
“A little what?”
“A little me... Ya know, Joie and I? Derp.” Kaleco smiled at his friend and laughed a little.
Jaden smiled as well and said, “You being a ghost is kinda.. different? But cool too. I mean, who else can say that his best friend is a ghost? I miss you as a demi, but now.. you a ghost demi!”
“I know... But I came back to protect people who need to fight back, to protect the ones who are loved by us. I’m back to show people that there will always be a way to get what you want out of life, whether or not its within traditional sense.” Kaleco explained.
He smiled at Jaden and waited for his reaction. “ You really shouldn’t have done that, Kaleco. I mean, yeah its amazing you did that for us, but you could have made that deal better.” Jaden commented after a while of thinking. Kaleco smiled at his jab and said softly, “I needed to hold up the bargain. And I had an opportunity that Hades offered once you killed Kronos- no because you killed Kronos.”
Suddenly, a flame exploded and a distant voice delivered a chilling message. “Be forewarned, not all are safe here. Protect the demigods and be ready,” it said, and then the flame died. Kaleco and Jaden had sprung up and drawn their respective weapons. Jaden his scythe, and Kaleco his magick.
