High above the campus of Olympus Academy, the early-afternoon rays began to pour its brilliance on the concrete that made up most of the buildings. And crowding it was the hundreds of young demigods and demi-goddesses who were coming from wherever they spent their summer vacations. Most of them were well off enough to where they could handle most threats that came for them, so as long as they didn’t bring any attention to themselves, they were safe during the summer. And the stories they had to tell of the wild adventures they had, the trouble they and their friends, and the memories made. As much as the lot of them didn’t want to, they had to return to the place where they had a second home at.

While some weren’t happy to be back, there was a particular blonde Daughter of Apollo who couldn’t be happier. Vivian Lucasta was one of few who seemed to be happy all the time of every hour of every minute she spent alive. Though this girl wasn’t devoid of sadness, any moment in her life that seemed to be heading downhill, she always found some way to look at the positives.

This couldn’t be any truer for her when she had been walking with her bags in hand. Every person she saw either had a gloomy disposition or simply wasn’t ready for the summer to be over. Vivian, however, was ready to see all of her friends and everyone she had said goodbye to. She even missed her annoying older brother, Dallas. He got on her nerves more than anyone else did at Olympus Academy, yet she still missed that idiot. She wanted to get caught up with him and all of her friends, but before she could, there came the surprise of an announcement in the form of the Headmistress’ image popping up in the sky.

“Attention students of Olympus Academy! Report to the Ares Colosseum for a mandatory assembly at once!”

The message repeated itself as Vivian, as well as the others she could see, were walking away from the Hestia Housing Buildings (or at least the area near it) and had been making their way to the giant arena in the distance. Vivian wasn’t sure exactly was in store for her. She knew that the Headmistress was the sort of women who was usually serious, but the abrupt change of plans did have Vivian worrying just a little, but it could at least be interesting. She put on her best smile and went forward with a positive outlook.

---

Damien was never one for punctuality, but he was already near the Ares Coliseum moments before the grand projection of the Headmistress appeared in the sky and at the moment she told the students to get to the arena, the only thing he could think about was how there was going to be a delay in him being able to see his sister. It didn’t take a lot to get on his nerves, but this was one of the few things that did. And quite a lot. But, at the end of the day, Damien shrugged it off. If he wasn’t going to be able to see her before he settled into his apartment even though he didn’t know which one he was going to be placed in. He remembered something about an experiment or something like it happening.

As he made his way from the grass he had been laying on in the quad, he soon noticed grass had become stuck to his black shirt. Shaking it off, he followed the herd of students that were converging to the arena. And all of them were carrying their luggage. The only thing that came to Damien’s mind was how they were foolish enough to not expect something like this. Damien didn’t bother getting his own bags from his truck. He was too focused on enjoying the day.

Soon he took a seat up in the higher rows, away from most of everyone. As he did, the remaining seats started to fill up. It wasn’t any more than ten minutes that it took for every remaining seat was filled. And considering there was roughly around three-thousand students that attended Olympus Academy, that was saying something. And yet, surprisingly to Damien, they stayed far away from him. Apparently being the Son of Nyx granted him a certain fear. Or maybe it was how last year he nearly lost his shit because someone offended him by not complimenting Emma’s dress during the End of the Year ball.

As he looked ahead, doing the same thing everyone had been doing for five, long minutes, out came the entire staff of Olympus Academy. They each lined up next to each other and then the Power Couple of Hector Luis Guerrero and Helena Alexandra Hassan-Guerrero came out. As he remembered them to be, Helena was elegant in her choice of a silver dress and Hector was all smiles in his partial suit, yet Damien couldn’t help but notice something was up. No way the entire staff was out here to greet the demis. Why would they force a mandatory assembly before they even had a chance to settle in?

“Oh, this is going to be good,” Damien mused to himself, looking on with curious eyes like a lot of his fellow students were (or so he would think).

Stepping forward was the Headmaster. His smile greeted the curious, young eyes of the students. “Hello, hello, hello!” Hector’s rich Mexican-styled accent was noticeable, yet it didn’t hinder anyone from understanding him. “Welcome back, students of Olympus! And to those of you who are first years, I trust you’ll find this school is a fine place to live while you grow used to your new abilities. It is my hope you also start to understand who you really are. We, the Staff of Olympus Academy, will do our best to help make the transition easier for those of you still in the process of understanding what has happened.”

As Hector took a step back, his wife, Helena, took his place. “And to continue what my beloved has said, as well as to answer some unspoken questions, allow me to explain the best that I can. You see, the school you remember has changed. It is our hope that this is received well. The curriculum has been altered to challenge you, the students. To the older students, the expectations for you to thrive is even greater now than it has ever been. In addition, your living situation may be different than what you remember. As part of an experiment, we will be picking thirty-two students at random to partake in what we hope is the first of many living arrangements to come. For now, if I call your name, please step forward and join us down here.”

And before long, the names of the students were called. And soon it became clear that the names were people Damien and Vivian knew. Hell, their names were even called. At the end of it, the thirty-two who had been called were standing in front of the staff. Some probably confused and others just wanting to get it over with, but at the end of it, they were simply to wait until some further explanation was given.

“This concludes the assembly. If your name wasn’t called, please leave the arena. For those who did have their names called, stay here,” Helena said.

Those who didn’t hear their name being called did as they were told. Some of them seemed too eager to leave the surprisingly short assembly, but the same could not be said for the thirty still left with their bags next to them while the staff stayed. Akani Kahale, one of the Physical Training Instructors, stepped forward. He was a tall, muscular man with a shaven head and pecs for days.

“Don’t worry, you’re going to love this. Thanks to the Mystical Oracle, all of you have been selected to live on the second floor of the first housing building. And on these sheets of paper right here are the living arrangements. It’s going to be lit!” Akani said, hoping speaking the millennials’ lingo made him relatable. To his surprise and the unsurprised expressions of the other members of the OA staff, he got nothing, though Vivian Lucasta chuckled.

Akani handed the stack of papers to Hector, who then handed it every single one of them. On the paper, it had the following names paired up together:



And it was at that moment the faces became more than bored, especially for Damien.

“Persephone?” He looked around and saw who. “Oh, her..”

Meanwhile, Vivian knew who she was paired up with and she was all smiles. “This is going to be fun!”

As they were left by themselves, the Gods only could speculate what was about to happen next.

“Oh, and one last thing,” Hector said, turning to face the thirty-two students. “Welcome back!”

Kelsey Marston was not in a stellar mood. Of course, that was normal on days like today. The first day back at Olympus Academy didn't hold the promise of a fresh new year, like it did for a lot of the Children of the Gods. For her, it was just a reminder of what she didn't have. She didn't have any kind of relationship with her famous mother. She didn't have the adoring fans that seemed destined to follow her through school. She didn't even have easy access to some Mother's Towheads to deal with the annoyance of the day. "Heh," she chuckled to herself. The irony of the name of that brewery didn't strike her until now. As if her mother would be giving her beers.

Kelsey's dad certainly made up it on his end. Especially given how his little girl was finally able to go into the Food Giant herself and grab whatever beverages she wanted. There were many nights spent at Dreamers celebrating the ability to watch the Blues blow another playoff series with drinks on supply. The summer was such a blur, now that she tried to think about it. All the dart games she ended up winning, the arguments on whether Jake Allen was a number one goalie. They all kinda mashed together.

The Missouri girl let out a long sigh as her self-pity party was interrupted by the callout from the Headmistress.

“Attention students of Olympus Academy! Report to the Ares Colosseum for a mandatory assembly at once!”

Now the sigh changed to one of annoyance. "Can't even let me get settled in 'n properly hate my roommate yet, huh?" She picked her duffel bag up off the floor of the HAB Delta lobby and trudged towards the colosseum.

The assembly seemed pretty run of the mill. All the teachers on parade in front of all the students to inspire whatever emotions they wanted. Kelsey could almost feel the steel eyes of Lucy Chen drilling into her from the stage. She responded by rolling her eyes and looking away, as if she preferred to be a million miles away. Which was accurate. The procession was proving tedious.

Until Helena Hassan-Guerrero's last announcement.

Kelsey almost laughed at the notion. Experimentin' on us? Great. Poor buggers dunno what'll hit 'em.

As the names were rattled off and unlucky students were chosen to come forward, Kelsey was already thinking about how quickly she was going to tick off another of her half-siblings for a solid two terms when she was jolted out of her thoughts.

"Kelsey Marston!"

"Y'all fuckin' serious?!?" The 21 year old didn't mean to say that out loud, but she was so caught off-guard it slipped out for everyone in the near vicinity to hear. She stood up and picked up her bag in a huff before joining the rest of the chosen.

As the other students departed the large stadium, Kelsey tried to think and appraise the situation. All right, so what's this 'bout again? Livin' arrangements? Stickin' us all in one house and expectin' us to get along? She then remembered at least one name she heard with whom that would not be possible. Fuck! I'mma be stuck with fuckin' Leo all fuckin' year?!? Oh, no. Ain't doing that. I'll shoot someone. I'll shoot me. Fuckin' Chen probably put me up for this. Fuck! Finally, the large physical trainer, Akani, came forward and made a bad attempt to be hip. Kelsey raised an eyebrow, but gave nothing more than that. Nothing about this in her mind was particularly lit.

As the living arrangements were explained to the thirty-two, for the first time in a while, Kelsey actually perked up a bit. Wait, there's a very strong chance I ain't gonna have ta room with another Moon kid! Leo's the only one here! Well, all right! This might work! Course that 1/31 shot would likely come up... She looked over and saw Dustyn standing in the group. There were many good nights drinking with Dustyn on campus that Kelsey could barely remember, even if it was frowned upon for the underagers. Shoot, I could do a year with Dust. That might actually be fun, not hatin' my roommate.

Finally she got her sheet from the large Polynesian demigod and stared at it befuddled. She wasn't with Dustyn, but she wasn't with Leo either. Instead, she had one question as she looked around, ponytail waving in confusion...

Who the fuck is Avem Vogel?

For most, summer was a time of joy, of lazy afternoons spent with family and friends. But for Riley, he’s just glad to be away from Swansea again. The air back home smelt like smoke and sea salt, a heady combination that made his head spin.

Here at Olympus Academy, things were overwhelming in a much different way. Throngs of students, both old and new, chatter amongst themselves about all the fun, exciting things they did during the summer, and Riley couldn’t help but think about what he’d done — which was not very much at all. A good part of his summer was spent cooped up in his room, tinkering away at an old Commodore 64 he’d found at a garage sale. It was a fascinating piece of machinery, and he’d just about gotten it to run on a 16-bit processor when his mother breezed into the room, smiling with red-painted lips.

Riley and Elain Bowen had an… unconventional relationship, to say the least. Rather than mother and son, the two were instead brought up as siblings to avoid scandal. After all, the Bowens have long been a pillar of Swansea’s Anglican community, and it simply wouldn’t do to have one black sheep sully the entire flock. Nevertheless, Elain preferred to act like Riley didn’t exist, only calling upon him when she found herself in need of help. That time, there had been something wrong with her phone, a memory error that he managed to fix in just fifteen minutes. Coincidentally, fifteen minutes was exactly how long Elain bothered to stick around, leaving behind nothing but the stench of menthols and cheap perfume in her wake. Riley probably should’ve been upset by her nonchalance, but it was difficult to miss what was never there in the first place.

The trip to Olympus was uneventful, something that he was eternally grateful for. By now, baggage checks and stone-faced security guards have become routine, but when Riley came to Olympus for the first time, he was so overwhelmed by all the noise and activity that he didn’t even think he would make it onto the plane. Fortunately, a kind-hearted stranger had offered their assistance, and Riley managed to catch his flight before it took off without him.

And thus began the long, agonising process of meeting new people and getting to know them. He likes to think he’s used to it by now, socialising. Back home, his grandparents were happy to let him hole himself up in his room all day; but here, avoiding conversation was a task easier said than done. People were friendlier, somehow — well, at least most of them were.

Compared to the dour, oppressive atmosphere of his old school, Olympus Academy was paradise. Here, he could do anything, talk to anyone, create machines that ran on circuits and magic. Most of all, he was looking forward to seeing Phaedra again. It goes without saying that a sentient, mechanical wolf would cause quite an uproar in working-class Swansea, so he had to leave her behind when he went home for the summer. He was still working on a feature that would allow him to compact Phaedra into a less inconspicuous form. It was, however, proving to be quite the conundrum. How do you reduce the mass of an object without affecting its inner functions? He was going to have to spend a lot more time thinking about it.

Just then, a familiar voice booms across the campus, jolting him out of his reverie. Paired with the massive, and frankly terrifying image of Olympus Academy’s Headmistress splashed across the clouds, the announcement brought to mind passages from the Old Testament, of a wrathful God raining fire down upon the earth to cleanse it of sinners — or in this case, latecomers. No doubt his grandfather would give him a lash across the palm for even thinking such blasphemy, but what he didn’t know couldn’t hurt him. Still, Riley quickens his footsteps, not wishing to attract the ire of the Headmistress on his first day back.

With all the stuff he’s carrying, it takes longer than he’d like to reach the arena. When he went back home for the summer, school policy dictated that he had to bring his tools with him. This, of course, resulted in two full-size luggages, and a backpack stuffed to bursting. Thankfully, Riley manages to make it to his destination without keeling over, though he’s more than a little out of breath by the time he settles into a chair near the back of the arena. Among the three-thousand-odd students present, only a few were familiar to him, his half-sister being one of them. Jamie’s bright, auburn hair stands out easily from the crowd, and Riley chances a smile at her, raising his hand in a sheepish wave.

The Headmaster’s speech seemed par for the course, at first, but as soon as the Headmistress took over, Riley sensed that something was amiss. Shifting slightly in his seat, he sits up straighter, and cranes his neck to look past the person in front of him. It wasn’t until the word experiment came up, however, that Riley understood the true ramifications of what was happening. He’s used to working in solitude, by himself, alone. The idea of a roommate was anathema to him, and from the exclamation of disbelief he heard immediately after, it was safe to assume that he wasn’t the only one who felt that way. But the Headmistress did say that out of the entire student body, only thirty-two of them would be picked, right? He couldn’t possibly be unlucky enough to be one of them. As name after name is listed off, Riley feels some of the tension melt from his shoulders — so far, so good.

And then, the instant the thought crosses his mind, he hears his name echo through the arena like the ringing of a funeral bell.

Oh. Now this was bad. Very, very bad.

Riley watches with an increasing sense of helplessness as the rest of the students file out of the arena, save for thirty-two of them, of course. Included among the “lucky winners” was Jamie, and the one who had readily expressed her indignation at the arrangement — Kasey, maybe? Whatever her name was, it definitely began with a K.

…Probably. He wasn’t great with names, or faces, for that matter.

With his baggage in tow, Riley trudges reluctantly towards the front of the arena, where he is soon handed a piece of paper with the living arrangements printed on it. 2A, 2B, 2C… 2M! Upon seeing who he was paired with, Riley lets out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. It still wasn’t ideal, but it was better than having to room with someone he hated. Folding the paper into a neat rectangle, he tucks it into the inner pocket of his parka, and waits for someone else to speak so he doesn’t have to.

Didn't matter what the arrangements were. Everyone who was volunteered as tribute for the lottery seemed to be reattaching to whatever portions of their cliques remained. Rhea and Marcella were together, they pulled in their fighting buddies. Queen bee Lyra had her bitch session going on with Ariana. Names and relations Kelsey knew from the various parties around the campus. No doubt there would be another one tonight, likely on her own floor given some of the people there. However, since none of these people were good enough to be considered friends, and she still had no clue who her roommate was, it was time to catch up with her actual best friend in Colorado.

"What's gooood guys?"

It wouldn't be like Dustyn to not try and liven up what had devolved into a relatively quiet moment with the remaining students trying to figure things out. That's one of the things Kelsey liked about her. The fact that she wasn't like a lot of these stuck-up Cali kids or Greek kids was another.

"I'm guessin' Frankie's still good if you're here in one piece," Kelsey said, laughing as she approached the daughter of Dionysus. She knew about Frankie. She had helped patch Frankie up a couple times. The mechanic's daughter knew a few things about cars anyway. Even though Frankie had undergone quite a few replacements, the heart of a Ford still beat underneath, the same as Kelsey's own jet black 2005 F-150 that had made the long trek through Missouri and Kansas prior to arriving. "Sorry I didn't text ya back yet Dust, but it's prob'ly better off. Didn't know Sin City girls believed in exercisms. Gotta get me vid of the next one, huh?"

Kelsey looked over at Dustyn's bag and sighed slightly. Ya'll really couldn'a made this easy, huh? Maybe we can switch or somethin'.

She brushed her bangs back out of her face. "Anyway, I'd be askin' who ya got, but I don't give a fuck. More important thing is, what we doin' tonight? Gotta forget I'm back here another year proper, right?"