More than surviving (P.Jackson)

chapter 8

-𝔠𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 8-

𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔤𝔬𝔡𝔰 𝔱𝔞𝔨𝔢 𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔦𝔯 𝔣𝔬𝔬𝔡

'When the fire burns rose, two souls born on the same hour face betrayal and sow great misfortune

Alike, yet far apart, they reunite with what is theirs and bring forth row above

It shall be when secret family, despair in the realm will unleash suffering and behold the return of balance

And shall hold the earth in their hands when son of Hermes Reap'

Nicholas stared blankly at Annabeth, blinking repeatedly in silence as he took in what she'd just said. Next to him, Paige gulped and drew in a deep breath.

Percy watched the twins, anxiously awaiting their responses.

"Can you say that again? Slowly, this time," the McCallister boy asked with squinted eyes. 

The blond sighed, "I knew I should've just waited for Luke to tell you."

He shook his head adamantly, "no, I don't think that's the problem. The problem is, you're speaking in riddles and I don't remember anything you just said."

She knitted her brows at him.

Paige frowned.

"If that's Luke's prophecy, why do you know it?"

Annabeth shrugged slightly, almost carelessly at that. She didn't seem to be all that interested in any of it, but deep down, she wanted to know what it meant just as much as them.

"Everyone at camp knows it. He heard it basically as soon as he arrived. Every time siblings came in, he always asked the same question. Eventually, people started asking him why."

The brunette nodded slowly. 

She glanced at her brother, who was mouthing something. Probably trying to repeat the prophecy. It didn't look like it was going very well. 

"Do you know what it means?"

"No."

"No?"

"No."

Huffing, the twin crossed her arms over her chest. She hated being left in the dark.

Percy pushed his tongue against his cheek, wondering what to say. It didn't matter though, because apparently the blond was done with the conversation anyway.

"I've got training to do. Dinner's at 7:30. Just follow your cabin to the mess hall." Then she turned to face the black-haired boy sceptically, looking him up and down like she was scanning him for anything potentially threatening. "You need to talk to the Oracle."

"What?"

She rolled her cold, grey eyes. 

"Not what. Who, I'll ask Chiron."

As she spoke about her parents, how she was the daughter of Athena, and her dad was a professor, and talking about the undetermined kids in the Hermes cabin, he couldn't help but watch as the twins listened intently. 

Or, Paige listened intently. 

Nicholas seemed to be in his own world, looking out into the distance with furrowed brows and chewing his bottom lip.