Prophecy

I

[de reunitione]

In Tessa's opinion, summer was more than just a season at Camp Half-Blood. As soon as she saw the masses of campers begin to file into the valley in late May and early June, she could almost feel the air begin to spark with a new energy. Everything seemed to brighten, from the sun radiating down on them to the waves of the Sound. Music could be heard from the Apollo campers and the satyrs at almost all hours of the day, punctuated by laughter and chatter as half-bloods raced to their training and activities for the day.

As this was her fourth time experiencing it, Tessa had grown accustomed to feeling the energy that was summer in her years at camp, but it somehow always managed to lift her spirits. And given what she'd been through in the past year, she needed it.

Tessa shook the thought out of her head as she flew down the steps of Cabin Three, her turquoise eyes scanning the clipboard gripped in her hands. She'd gone over the papers a million times, but she still couldn't seem to make an adamant decision for college in the fall.

At that, her gait slowed. Just the mere thought of what awaited her in New Rome in three months was enough to make her feel as if she'd been doused with water, its power reenergizing her veins. She'd be attending New Rome's university with the rest of her friends, as well as her boyfriend, Kaden Gray. It was such a mundane thing to be excited for, one that Tessa never knew she'd live to see, but each time she looked over the papers that Kaden had sent her and their friends, it felt like the day was getting closer and closer.

Kaden...oh, how Tessa missed him. It was strange not seeing him floating through camp, flanked by Reese on one side and another one of their friends, hearing his charming voice and laugh, seeing the glimmer in his emerald eyes like the sunrise over the sea. He radiated a sense of home that in the past few months, Tessa longed for but knew she'd feel again soon.

After their time in Camp Jupiter, Kaden had been elected as praetor of New Rome. So there he stayed, ruling alongside Kaya Blackwood, the daughter of Trivia, over the Twelfth Legion. That had been in January, and now mid-June, Tessa missed her boyfriend with everything she had.

Tessa had been so lost in thought that she hadn't noticed the platinum-haired boy she was about to run into. However, given her four years of combat training, she was able to stop herself in time before she collided into Eli, the son of Ahklys.

"Eli!" Tessa exclaimed, blinking up at him. "Sorry about that."

"No worries," The blue-eyed boy flashed her his signature boyish grin before glancing at the papers that had begun to flutter to the ground in their collision. He bent down to pick one up, and Tessa bit her lip as he looked back at her with an impish look. "College stuff again?"

Tessa gave him a look, snatching back the paper. "Yes, again, it's a very big decision."

"I'm sure," Eli nodded solemnly, his eyes flicking back over the paper. "Journalism or marine biology? Whatever shall you do?"

Tessa whacked him with her clipboard. "Shut up," She laughed.

Eli put his hands up in mock surrender. "Alright, alright, I give up," He chuckled. "I'm just saying, if Chiron catches you doing this instead of inspections again."

"I'm doing them!"

"Your own cabin doesn't count."

Tessa huffed a breath, sliding the stack of collegiate papers aside to show her friend the scroll that had already been filled with checks and x's. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to give this to Chiron."