Just over three months ago.

Ada snuck through the forest from bush to bush, keeping an eye out for any creatures that might lurk in the shadows. It was late summer and the Gods usually gave them about a week or two off during that time. Ada looked forward to those weeks of rest like nothing in the world, she found it the right way to reward them for the work they did.

As if they were a perfectly organized mechanism, her teammates moved behind her. Havel covered the right side, so that no one could attack them from that side and would be available to attack, in case Ada suddenly encountered a hostile creature. Elaine was on the opposite side, considered the weakest of the rhombus due to the demigoddess' poor melee skills.

Ada crouched down for a moment and looked back.

Still lurking in the shadows was Darryl Fyreborn, the eldest demigod of the Lilies Park. He was the one who closed the scheme, acting as immediate protection for Elaine and ensuring that the group did not fall victim to an ambush from behind.

Ada had full trust in Corgi's son, even more than she placed in Havel, their effective leader.

Rutia's daughter, however, was positioned as the point of the system. Her role was quite simple: given her skill she could notice creatures on the horizon. With the agility that characterized her, on the contrary, it was the safest option to avoid taking unnecessary risks.

The dark-haired demigoddess continued moving through the forest until a strange howl forced her to stop. After crouching silently, she made a clenched fist gesture to signal her companions to stand by.

The howls continued, which made Ada think about their possible origin.

A pack of werewolves? She asked herself before dismissing the idea, Impossible, the full moon was a few days ago. Even if it were, they wouldn't be able to make these sounds.

The girl shook her head, then realized. It wasn't howls she heard, but screeches.

Strix*, she murmured in disgust.

Striges were mythological creatures with disturbing and mysterious features. Usually, they were described as winged beings with humanoid appearance, but with animal traits, such as sharp claws and glowing eyes that glow in the darkness. Their skin can be pale or greyish, while the wings, similar to those of a bat or an owl, are membranous and sometimes adorned with dark stripes or spots. Their presence is often associated with those of children or newborns, given their perverse nature. First described in texts dating back to the golden age of Rome, striges were characterized by a long sharp beak, similar to that of hummingbirds, but covered in a golden patina.

And with that they feed on the blood of the younger ones... concluded Ada, satisfied with having remembered all the information in question.

They had to hurry, the presence of the striges could only mean that they were close to their objective. However, the same statement could also be made in the opposite direction.

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He could be in danger, she realized, We need to hurry.

The group set off again at her second signal.

Ada thought back to when they had been called to Lyceum's office. They used to provide a report after each of their missions in the mortal world. Often, the park rector would help them fill out a paper version to track their accomplishments. Even more often, he ended up arguing with Darryl, who simply told him to use a computer.

The last time they entered, however, the goddess of love had also been present at their report. Everything went smoothly during their stories but, when the time came to give them the long-awaited vacation, Aena spoke up.

"The next mission starts tomorrow morning, there is a demigod that you absolutely must bring here."

Elaine scowled, "Just one?"

The goddess nodded, "He is a boy we cannot send to the Daffodil Academy. They absolutely must not find it before us."

"I think we deserve a break," Havel huffed.

Aena glared at him before replying, "After this mission," she continued quickly, "Bring the boy here and you can go on vacation for a whole month."

The idea of the vacation would certainly spur Havel on, but Darryl's worried face wasn't a good sign for Ada.

"Excuse me, my lady, why is it imperative to recover the boy before those from the Daffodil Academy do so?"

Rutia's daughter stopped speaking, but the conversation continued in her mind. If the demigod in question was that weak, then he would have been taken to the Lilies Park after the entrance test. Emion used to follow that protocol to secure only possible candidates for the divine army, it would have been simple routine.

The only possible alternative was that the goddess of love wanted to steal a future gem from her husband's collection. It wouldn't make sense, but it seemed like the only plausible option.

Aena took a breath before answering. "The boy comes from there. Emion canceled all exploration and recalled the mission groups."

"But fate is tricky."

Darryl tapped the wall with his fingertips, seeming to have understood something that Rutia's daughter still missed.

Ada was slightly annoyed by that side of the demigod. There were some moments when his gaze was lost in space and he seemed to remember some past event. Despite all the time they spent together, those secrets had never come out. Instead, Darryl seemed to be drifting further and further away from them.

Havel stood up, "Stop babbling. We are the Equinox Flowers, the elite of the Lilies Park. We accept the mission," the other members of the group had no time to stop him, "And we will complete it in no time."

Ada rolled her eyes. If Sidal's son had made up his mind, she just had to put his soul at rest.

"Optimal. So..." Lyceum took a break to look for something in one of the drawers of his desk. After a few seconds, he took out a map and began to unfold it.

The group approached the table, curious to find out their next destination.

"You will have to go… exactly…"

Rutia's daughter saw the index scroll of Lyceum's right hand on the yellowed paper until it reached the representation of a lake located in Campania.

"There."

Elaine narrowed her eyes, "Lake Avernus?"

She had pronounced it with the wrong accent, but no one corrected her. Ada stared at the writing for a few seconds, wondering why that name seemed so familiar to her.

Aena spoke up, "For now, think about resting. You will leave tomorrow morning, so you should be able to coordinate with his arrival."

The demigods remained silent, and Ada was happy to know that her confusion was shared. This whole thing seemed strange.

Finally, Lyceum closed the map and started to hand it over to the demigods, but Darryl stopped him.

Corgi's son took his phone out of his pocket and simply took a photo.

"Okay, let's find it on ‘Ammir Maps’."

"Oh! Of course... on ‘Admir Maps’. Use it... well!"

Darryl laughed and put a hand on the rector's shoulder, "Lyceum, you'll have to catch up sooner or later," he said, putting his cell phone back, "We'd better go now, I want to rest before the bonfire tonight and I have to go to say hello to Marina."

The group started to stand up, but before Darryl could cross the room, Aena called out to him, "I need to talk to you privately."

Corgi's son swallowed before smiling, "Okay," then turned to his companions, "You start going, I'll join you shortly."