Till Sunrise┊Luke Castellan

2 .·:· Forging One's Destiny

"Spend too much time trying to figure out why the gods do whatever it is they do, you'll drive yourself crazy" Luke advised, his voice carrying a weight of experience. He shrugged his shoulders as if to dismiss the very thought, yet an enigmatic glint lingered in his eyes.

Phoebe, hearing his words, pursed her lips as her gaze lingered on him. She knew his past with his dad. His abandonment. His rejection of him. Her heart is aching for him.

"The sooner you stop worrying about that, the sooner you can enjoy what this place actually does offer."

"And what's that?"

"Glory," Luke responded.

.・。.・゜✭・. .·゜゜·　　·゜゜·．.・。.・゜✭・.

The group descended the steps of the Hermes cabin and breathed in the fresh scent of the pine forest around them.

"Demigods have always fought for glory. They used to call it kleos." Luke began. His voice carries the weight of ancient echoes of past.

"It's like this stuff that attaches itself to your name. Makes it bigger, scarier, more important". Always the constant pursuit of recognition and significance.

"People listen closer when you talk-" he continued. Phoebe, playfully attempting to tease, leaned in until their breaths nearly danced in unison, mischief gleaming in her eyes.

"I'm listening," she said as she tried not to smile.

In response, he raises his hand, gently envelops her face and pushes her back. With a light dusting of flush now on his cheeks, he cleared his throat and continued, "-they work harder to be your friend and they think twice about messing with you." directing the last line at her with a joking glare.

As they walked, the dirt path narrowed, forcing the group to tighten up. Percy, in these close quarters, accidentally bumps another camper's shoulder, as the two groups pass each other on the thin path.

"Hey!" The camper's voice rang out as she instantly pushed Percy to the ground.

"Woah!" Luke exclaimed as Phoebe rushed to help him up. "Hey. Knock it off, Clarisse. It's like his first day, come on."

"You okay?" Phoebe asked him softly as she dusted him off, not wanting to draw any more attention to the pair.

Clarisse's face washes over with realisation, "Wait, so this is the kid who killed the Minotaur. Is that right?" Clarisse questioned, unimpressed.

"Yeah," Percy replied, trying to muster a tough demeanour.

"I'll bet," She says mockingly as she looks him up and down. "Look, you want attention around here, dummy? You better be ready for it when it comes."

She lunged at him, and he flinched, eliciting laughter from her friends as they began to leave. As she left, she cast a glance at Chris, a light flush gracing her cheeks, quickly turning her head before anyone would notice.

"Well, she seems nice," Percy commented

"She is cool sometimes, she's just going through some stuff right now," Phoebe says, trying to explain "Don't take it too much to heart" She made a mental note to check in on her. Normally, she wasn't so antagonistic with the newer campers.

"Why don't they mess with you guys?" Percy asked.

"They know better," Luke replied.

"Luke's the strongest swordsman at camp. And Phoebe is a pushover so no one can be bothered with her" Chris chimed in. Earning a playful shove from her in response.