𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐈𝐋¹ || 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐘 𝐉𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐒𝐎𝐍

𝐗𝐗𝐈

✦ 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐓𝐎 𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐏 ✦

AURORA WAS WAITING FOR THEM IN AN ALLEY DOWN CHURCH STREET. Her relief was palpable as they joined her, but her concern lingered beneath the surface. She pulled Tyson and Percy off the sidewalk just as a fire truck screamed past, heading for Meriwether Prep.

"Where'd you find him, Perce?" Aurora demanded, her gaze flickering to Tyson with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.

"He's my friend," Percy told her.

"Is he homeless?" Aurora asked him even though she already knew the answer, a pang of guilt tugging at her conscience.

Percy's response was defensive. "What does that have to do with anything? He can hear you, you know. Why don't you ask him?"

Aurora sighed, feeling a twinge of regret for her insensitivity. "I'm sorry," she then turned to Tyson, trying her best not to cringe away from the cyclops whom Percy unknowingly befriended. "Er— Hi, Can you talk? Oh, wait, that's a stupid question... you were talking earlier."

Tyson nodded, his gaze fixed on Aurora with an innocent sincerity. "I talk," he admitted. "You are pretty."

Aurora's cheeks flushed with embarrassment at the unexpected compliment.

"Oh... thank you," she replied, feeling a reflexive urge to flinch away as Tyson reached out to play with her hair.

The cyclops' innocent curiosity about her unique hair color was evident, but Aurora couldn't shake the lingering unease that tinged her interactions with him. Aurora's heart felt heavy with the weight of her own apprehensions as she tried to navigate her interactions with Tyson.

Despite Aurora's efforts to remain composed, the presence of the cyclops stirred up memories she had long tried to bury. She knew she couldn't let her past dictate her actions, especially not when Percy needed her support now more than ever. Yet, the instinctual fear that gripped her whenever Tyson approached was a constant reminder of the trauma she had yet to fully overcome.

As she glanced at Percy, Aurora could sense his confusion, and it only added to her internal turmoil.

How could she explain her unease without revealing the painful memories she carried? She longed to confide in Percy, to let him understand the depths of her struggle, but the words remained trapped behind the barrier of her own fear.

Percy, on the other hand, couldn't shake the nagging sense of bewilderment that clouded his thoughts.

Aurora's subtle reactions to Tyson puzzled him, leaving him to wonder what could be causing her apparent discomfort. He wanted to reach out to her, to offer his support and understanding, but he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something he was missing.

Little did he know, the source of Aurora's unease lay in the depths of her past experiences, a truth she struggled to confront even as it threatened to consume her.