𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐄

𝐗𝐕𝐈𝐈

Selene had never witnessed someone's death before. The Mist had led her to believe her parents were gone, but she never saw their death. Despite telling herself that she couldn't bear to lose Bianca, she hadn't fought hard enough when it mattered most. If only she had mastered her powers, perhaps she could have defeated the monster on her own... none of them would need to risk their lives.

Zoe was right. Selene kept fighting against herself until now. She didn't accept who she was, she didn't accept who she needed to become, and the cost of her denial was the life of someone she deeply cared for.

Bianca was twelve. All of Bianca's bravery and potential were stolen away.

Selene knew she was supposed to be millions and millions of years old, but she'd never felt younger than now. She longed for the comforting embrace of a mother to brush her pain away, the reassurance of a father, and to crawl in a bed full of teddy bears, as if everything had just been a nightmare. Part of her even wished to switch places with Bianca, to sacrifice herself instead and spare the young girl's life.

Selene was just a coward wearing the skin of a god. She was scared and she refused to accept her burden.

She steadied herself, pressing her lips together tightly. "What happened to Bianca won't happen to anyone else." she said, her voice a hollow deadpan. "Teach me all you know, Zoe."

The tough lines on Zoe's face softened. She extended her hand, and Selene felt it pressing on top of her own.

Zoe weakly nodded. "Even if it's the last thing I do," she whispered.

Zoe, having wiped her eyes to conceal the remnants of sorrow, moved towards the window. She stuck her head through the back window that separated the inside of the car and the pickup bed.

"Come on, Perseus Jackson. Exchange seats with me."

If Selene wasn't drowning in sorrow, she would've had a blast watching Zoe and Percy attempt the seat swap. Zoe, determined not to touch Percy, had her nose scrunched up like she was dodging a another Nemean Lion, while Percy, clearly amused, couldn't resist trying to get in her personal space. In the end, it resulted in Percy getting a faceful of Zoe's foot.

Zoe shut the sliding window whilst Percy stuck his tongue out at her.

"Hey," he awkwardly waved at her as he sat by her side.

The corners of Selene's mouth slightly curved upwards. "Hey, Poseidon Junior."

Selene turned to look at him and stared right into his eyes—sea-blue, with speckles of green. She noticed how, in certain lightinings, it could change, but it was still unmistakably his—as if he owned this color. As if everyone else could have similar colors, yet nobody else would have Percy Jackson's sea-blue ones with the same speckles of green.

"I've got something for you."

She watched as a strand of hair fell across his forehead as Thalia drove faster. His hair seemed like the ones to get curlier during summer, but still, she couldn't help but look at every detail of the slight curls at his ends while he brushed it away.

She arched an eyebrow, "What?"

"One night, a few moons ago, I saw flecks of what could've been lights. But it might just have been you passing by unbeknownst to me. Life is emotionally abusive and time can't stop me quite like you did. And my flight was awful, thanks for asking. I'm unglued, thanks to you..." He stopped singing, and looked at her.

Selene managed to hold her face still before bursting into laughing. "Why are you randomly singing Snow at the Beach?"

"I don't know. Thought your favorite song would ease up the mood," he shrugged. "And it's like snow at the beach, weird, but fuckin' beautiful. Flying in a dream, stars by the pocketful. You wanting me tonight, feels impossible. But it's comin' down, no sound, it's all around. Like snow on the beach..."