The remnants of the old train station still breathed with life, if only barely. Moss clung to its crumbling brick spine, and the rails stretched out like rusted arteries into the woods, disappearing into green and silence. The canopy of trees overhead shimmered faintly, a constant veil that dulled the sunlight and created shadows across the ground.
Lucas stood where the platform once bustled with movement, now cracked and dappled with weeds. He had swept aside some rubble, revealing a flat stretch of concrete. It was there he unrolled the scrolls he had recently received from Hermes Express.
The parchment crackled, and the precise, delicate lines drawn by Annabeth slowly came into view. Her handwriting curled in the corners: notations, measurements, reminders. Each drawing was detailed, from elevation plans to potential irrigation routes and communal courtyards. She had titled the set in plain, careful letters: Haven Design v3.4. Lucas smiled, while not understanding architecture, he could see the time and effort Annabeth put into her work.
Hecate observed from a low wall, her robes brushing the moss. Her expression was unreadable, though her gaze tracked every movement and studied what she could see on the scroll.
Nemesis stood a little apart, arms crossed, eyes sharp. She did not inspect the plans so much as she studied Lucas himself.
Hestia approached last. She knelt beside Lucas and smoothed the nearest scroll corner with one warm palm. Her presence settled the air, grounding it, bringing a sense of home even in this desolate location.
Lucas inhaled. "This is it."
He looked up at the three goddesses. "We have space. We have a chance. But it has to be different from Olympus. From Camp. From everything. It has to belong to everyone who never had a place."
He pointed to the main plan: a circular central forum surrounded by paths leading outward in a sunburst pattern. "This area is for common gatherings and to publicly discuss problems that arise. Of course there should be a more private, independent building for more serious topics."
He moved to the next scroll. "Housing is mixed. Nature spirits, minor gods, demigods, even monsters if they come in peace. Sizes, structures, materials will vary based on who needs what. Nothing uniform. No identical cabins. No favoritism."
Nemesis tilted her head. "Monsters. You mean to include those who have fed on the children of gods?"
"Only those who wish to change," Lucas answered. "We won't turn away the few who want a different path. If Olympus never gave them one, we will."
Nemesis did not nod, but she said nothing more. She seemed to respect the conviction, even if she did not share it.
Lucas pointed to the northeast quadrant.
"This," he said, "is the camp section. For training, education, healing. It'll function like Camp Half-Blood, but open to anyone. Children of Iris, of Hecate, of Thanatos. Even mortal children of nature spirits."
Hestia looked over the section quietly. Then she smiled.
"Let my cabin be the first," she said. "A home for those who have none. A place where children who arrive alone can sleep and eat and feel safe."
She stood and glanced toward the south end of the station, where a cluster of trees pressed close to the rails. From among them came the crunch of heavy feet.
"I asked someone to join us," Hestia said gently.
Branches rustled. A figure emerged.
He was a cyclops, but unlike the massive, thunderous smiths that roamed Hephaestus' forges, this one moved with careful steps, stooping slightly in nervousness and expressing his lack of confidence. He was shorter, broader through the shoulders, his skin pale and sun-flecked. A heavy leather apron hung from his neck, stained with soot and grease. His hands bore old burn scars, long since healed. A single eye blinked nervously behind a pair of crude, cracked goggles he lifted onto his forehead.
Hestia gave him a small, warm smile in encouragement, understanding Tekto has always had an inferiority complex due to his past, causing his nervousness and lack of confidence.
"Name's Tekto," he muttered. " Heard you need builders. Figured I could help."
Lucas nodded, smiling, curious about the cyclops Hestia invited but welcoming nonetheless. "You're welcome to help, we need all the help we can get."
Nemesis studied the cyclops, "Your kind are usually working with Hephaestus or under the sea in the forges of Atlantis, what brings you here?"
Tekto gave a short nod but avoided meeting his eyes. "I was born in the lower foundries of Atlantis. Small for a cyclops. Too slow with a hammer, too curious about things that weren't metal." He scratched the back of his neck. "Didn't fit their mold. I left before they could throw me out. Hestia found me near the mountains in Peloponnese. Gave me shelter. Fed me. I'm here to fulfill my debt to her."
Lucas was surprised at the cyclops' past, but didn't judge; instead he was happy to have an experienced helper, one who could lead Hephaestus' donated automatons and someone who he could depend on.
Tekto stepped onto the platform and looked around. "Good bones. Stone's still strong underneath. With Hephaestus' automatons and a bit of coaxing, we can clear up the debris. Rebuild it into a transportation hub."
Hecate rose and approached the map, finally speaking. "The Mist shields this place already but I can set up some wards to rival Olympus, strengthening the effect. I can even set up some wards, some for protection, some for ease of life."
Lucas smiled, it was finally time to start building his dream.