𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐄

𝐗

"Let's see..." Dionysus peered at the watch on his wrist. "Three minutes early. Harpies will have to skip dinner tonight, sadly."

Standing on the pier of the canoe lake, Selene saw Dionysus with two blond boys who could've passed as his clones — same violet eyes and all. One flanked Dionysus on the left, the other on the right. Snowflakes lazily drifted down, settling on the frozen lake's surface.

"I'm pretty sure you never gave me an hour."

"Then you should be glad you got it right," a mischievous glint sparkled in his eyes. "By the way—Castor and Pollux. Charming boys, I know—got it from their father. " He gestured to the boys with a flourish, a sly wink.

Each boy lowered their heads a little, saluting her. She'd seen them before, during dinner. They were by themselves at table twelve.

"Why did you want to begin training at night?"

"Oh. It's worse than I thought, boys," he turned to the boy on his left. "What do you kids say those days? 'Duh'?"

"Yes, father."

"Then, well. You're an idiot, Selene. Duh."

"Hey!"

"Did you read the books I gave you?"

"Sort of. There was one suggesting your dad had a crush on me, and I promptly said, 'hell nah'. So, congratulations, I might be your soon-to-be step-mom."

"Already pushing my limits, aren't you? Fine. You delved into 'The Story of the Moon.' Solid choice. Any guesses on the author? Forget about it; it's none of your business. But," Dionysus raised a dramatic finger, "you should at least get a heads-up on who you are and the ridiculous powers you've got."

"I zoned out on the boring parts. But hey, caught the author mentioning you guys built me a temple and made offerings and all. How considerate of you, Didi. I'm flattered, really."

Dionysus swiveled toward the one on his right—Selene still had no clue whether that was Pollux or Castor—and declared, "Summon the harpies. I'm clocking out."

"You can't be done. You promised me Avatar training by the River Mississippi or whatever."

"River Styx," he corrected with an eye roll. "But fine, we can dish out some... training. Boys, get your weapons."

"What kind of training is it?"

Selene watched as Castor and Pollux sprinted down the pier, grabbing two swords from a gym bag by the lakeshore. When they returned, she turned to Dionysus, looking puzzled.

"There's only two swords," she pointed out, eyebrows knit.

Dionysus widened his eyes, a hand dramatically pressed to his chest, and gave an exaggerated gasp.

"Oh, right. Guess you were supposed to bring your own armory to this party." He responded with a sly smirk.

Castor and Pollux went back to Dionysus' side. Though they tried to conceal, they both looked terrified—Dionysus probably didn't repass the memo about how Selene was as skilled as Joe Biden in combat. With the same memory loss and all.

"Alright let's start. Best of three. Easy start of training."

"But I don't have a wea—"

Selene's voice was cut off by Castor and Pollux advancing in her direction, swords drawn. They looked her age, but were way taller and bumpier than her. Selene was already on the shorter side, but they seemed almost comically tall in comparison.

She started walking backward, her steps turning increasingly frantic as Castor and Pollux closed in, their swords clashing with an intimidating rhythm. She stumbled on something. Glancing over her shoulder, she realized she'd reached the very edge of the pier.

"This isn't fair training!" she yelled in protest to Dionysus.

He grinned. "I'm sure you'll do well."

Castor and Pollux relentlessly swung their swords, attempting to close in on Selene. The pier seemed to shrink with every step back she was taking. She managed to dodge the first attacks, but they were just growing closer and closer to her.

"Alright, boys, game over. You won. Congrats! Fancy a prize?"

They exchanged a mischievous glance before bursting into laughter at her suggestion.

"I thought you were a Goddess," one of them teased.

"Well, if you weren't ganging up on me and playing dirty, I'm pretty sure I'd be kicking your butts, weirdos."

The twins closed the gap, their swords inching closer.

"I'm sorry!" She exclaimed. "I'm sorry, okay? Please don't turn me into a kebab?"

"Alright," one of them sighed, lowering his sword. He turned and shouted, "Dad! We aced the first round!"

Dionysus, from a distance, raised his hand victoriously. "Fuck yea! I told Athena you weren't useless winos!"

Selene's back was pressed against the pier's railing. But as she tried to walk away from the edge, she lost her footing. With a gasp, she tumbled backward off the pier, falling into the water.

One thing about Selene—she can't swim.

The scene shifted beneath the surface, the lake swallowing Selene's distressing struggle. Panic painted her face as she floundered in the three-meter-deep lake, limbs flailing in a desperate attempt to stay afloat. Water closed over her head, and her cries for help were muffled beneath the surface. Great Goddess she was, indeed.

For a moment, the panic in her mind was replaced by a single thought—if she couldn't die, she'd just drown endlessly?

Selene's eyes were glassy, but she could see the surface. The reflected light from the moon got farther and farther away. She looked down. The darkness she saw made her panic, as she was dragged down even more. The pier seemed unreachable. Her arms flailed wildly, seeking an elusive grip on the surface.

Her chest was hurting badly and she could feel her heartbeat beat louder and louder. She desperately needed air. She kicked, and tried to get to the surface. No luck. Everything started to hurt and her chest felt like someone stabbed her.

She also asked herself if she did have a heart. Or lungs.

Selene attempted to scream, but the water filled her mouth and throat, making it impossible. Her movements became slow and lethargic, and she was unable to think clearly.

She looked down again, and Selene's heart skipped a beat when she noticed two teenage girls at the base of the pier, about twenty feet below, swimming in her direction. They wore blue jeans and shimmering green T-shirts, and their brown hair floated loose around their shoulders as minnows darted in and out. They smiled at her and each grabbed one of Selene's arms, pulling her up.

The girls dropped her off at the pier and swimmed back to the bottom of the lake. Selene coughed a few times, all drenched in water. Castor and Pollux ran in her direction.

"Are you okay?" One of them asked. If she had no idea which one was each before, now it was 10 times worse. Her vision was blurred and all she could see was the slight curl of their blond hair.

"Oh, come on." Dionysus scoffed, crossing his arms. "Boys, back to the cabin. It's late."

"But dad..."

Dionysus just glared at them, and they lowered their heads, obeying. After the boys went away, he extended his arm to help Selene get up, but she completely ignored him.

"Someone has an attitude."

She looked at him. "Suck my dick, Dionysus."

Maybe 'suck my dick' wasn't the right answer, but she was pissed. Not only did he bring those two weirdos to fight her, but also didn't give her any weapon and just watched as she drowned on the lake. Definitely the worst teacher ever.

Plunging into the lake wasn't the worst part. The real sting was breaking through the icy layer with her back on impact, and coming back feeling the chill of winter air pierce through her soaked clothes. As she stood there, shivering and soaked, Selene could feel the lingering bite of the cold sinking deep into her bones. The physical shock of the icy collision was etched on her face, her body still adjusting to the abrupt transition from drowning on water to now feeling the winter's icy breeze.

"At least the naiads helped you," he peered down, wrinkling his nose and waving at them. "Ah, the naiads..."

"You're all full of shit." She clenched her teeth, "I'm not the powerful titan or whatever the fuck you were expecting me to be."

"Actually I wasn't expecting anything." Dionysus shrugged, a nonchalant expression on his face. "You're small, weak and a bit cheeky."

"So why did you agree to help me? Why didn't you give Artemis the same spiel?"

He shook his head, "I'm just reflecting your own thoughts. Immortal beings thrive on hope, yearning, and sacrifice. If you keep seeing yourself as just a girl, then that's all you'll ever be."

She scoffed, "Well, what do you want me to do? Open my arms and start flying around?"

"If you fly to Portugal and bring me an Almeida Garrett TNT 2013, I wouldn't mind."

Selene took off her drenched hoodie and started walking away, passing by Dionysus without uttering a word.

"Where are you going? We haven't finished," he called after her.

She turned back, "You didn't even start! I'm going back to my room."

Dionysus, unfazed by her, put one hand on his waist, taking a leisurely sip from a can of Diet Coke.

"You're too soft, Katara."

Her eyes widened with a sparkle on it. "No shit you watched it!"

"I mean, Pollux basically made me. It's his favorite—kids these days. I remember when they used to go nuts over 'Doctor Who'."

"But I thought TV wasn't allowed here, or any source of technology," Selene remarked as she walked back toward Dionysus, still shivering but less angry than before.

"Oh, no. We watch it back at home," Dionysus casually replied.

Selene tilted her head, narrowing her eyes. "What do you mean at home? You live with them?"

"Um, yes? What else would it mean?" He shrugged, as if stating the obvious. He gestured for her to follow, starting to walk away from the pier toward the lakeshore. "Come on. Let's get back to your training."

She hastened her pace to catch up with him. The winter air nipped at her skin as she walked, seeing how the lake's surface had a thin layer of frost.

"So you don't need to stay away from them? You can be with them whenever you want?"

"Yep. Father of the year, ain't I?" Dionysus raised his hands in mock triumph. "I even play chauffeur for Castor's girlfriend. What's her name again? Mary... Larry... Oh, right. Alexandra. Little brat, but she keeps the boy happy. I've even earned the prestigious title of Uncle D."

"But I thought..."

"Don't care. Let's focus here. My soap opera starts in fifteen minutes and I don't want to miss it." He said, then pointed at the water. "Melt the ice."

She started laughing at him. "What?" Shoulders were shaking, her head thrown back, and the crisp winter breeze playing with her hair.

"Story of the Moon, page thirty-five: 'the Moon has sea foam on its veins—it understands the language of the waves.' I thought you said you read it."

"I skipped the parts with difficult words."

Dionsysus snapped his fingers, and another book appeared on his hands. It was old and dusty, like no one had read it in a hundred years. "Kinda old-fashioned, I know. I wish it was an iPad, but they haven't put this one on PDF yet." The book, titled 'HOW GODS WORK,' was so absurd that it didn't even make sense. Then again, nothing really did make sense to her.

"You're weak because you're thinking too literally about everything. You still haven't accepted who you are or what you're capable of—and that limits you. You shouldn't have drowned in the lake, you chose to drown. You are the literal essence of the moon, the water flows because of you. You hold the balance between the seas and the earth." Dionysus opened the book on page fifty-eight. "Um, yes, right here—to control the waters, you need to drain the light of the moon to your body. Easy peasy."

"So it only works at night?"

"Well, you're not exactly Poseidon, are you?"

Selene walked closer to the water. She turned back, "Shouldn't you start by teaching me about the Mist? Something less offensive than combat skills?"

"I start by whatever I want. Now, melt that goddamn ice. You have five minutes to succeed, otherwise..."

"I'll be eaten by the harpies?"

"Wow. You learn fast."

Selene sat by the edge of the frozen lake, the book open on her lap. The moon's glow danced on the thin layer of ice, creating a serene reflection. Taking a deep breath, she extended her hands over the icy surface, taking the guidance from Dionysus's book.

She envisioned the moon's light flowing through her, concentrating on the palms of her hands. Mimicking the gentle movements she had seen on the portraits of the book, she attempted to raise the temperature of the water beneath the ice. The frozen surface trembled slightly, but her progress was minimal.

Frustration crept in, but she persisted, focusing on the connection between herself and the stars above. The ice yielded slightly, only a small coin-sized area melting away.

She sighed, then turned back to Dionysus. "One more question: imagine if you had a human friend—"

"I don't befriend humans. They're only useful for building temples and Italian wine." He wasn't looking at her, as he was too focused on inspecting his cuticles.

"I mean, if it was a half-blood—"

"Feed to the harpies."

"Can you let me finish?" She raised her hand, but Dionysus wasn't looking at her. He just nodded. "Alright. Imagine if you had a half-blood friend. Would you keep your friendship, or would you quit being their friend because of fear of Zeus hurting them?"

"Sweetheart, Zeus has far more concerns than me befriending a weird kid. I mean, even he breaks his own rules. So yes, I would still be friends with them. What kind of idiot would stop being friends with someone because of my father?"

"But Artemis and Chiron said—"

"Ah, fuck them," Dionysus waved dismissively. "Artemis is a virgin, and Chiron is part-horse. Lamest guys I know. You should take advice from the cool guys, like me and Apollo."

Selene raised an eyebrow, "I thought you had been banished to Camp Half-Blood and have to be a director for hundreds of years because you broke rules."

Dionysus rolled his eyes. "Well, nobody's perfect." He raised his head to look at her, and his eyes widened. He tilted his head and furrowed his brows, "Um, Selene, how did you do this?"

"Do what?"

Water began to rise from the coin-sized rupture she'd created, forming a small, spiraling vortex around her. The liquid danced and twirled, responding to an invisible force, as if it tides acknowledged Selene as the Moon itself. The water encircled her and the moonlight reflected off it, casting shimmering patterns all over her body.

"Can you control it?"

"Um, let's check." Selene raised her finger and pointed it directly at Dionysus.

The water she had commanded responded to her, arcing gracefully through the air, following the trajectory of her pointed finger, and then cascading down in a splash that caught Dionysus by surprise.

Selene bit down on her lower lip, suppressing a laugh, as Dionysus, seemingly unfazed, wiped away water from his eyes. When he opened them, the lack of emotion on his face was almost eerie. His sudden glare sent a shiver down Selene's spine.

"Run."

Selene sprinted out of the canoeing lake, and she never once did look back. She passed by the archery range, the stables, the javelin range, the sing-along amphitheater, and the arena where Chiron said they held sword and spear fights When she was distant enough, Selene realized she'd run on to the Cabins. It was way past midnight, so no one was outside.

The entire time, she could only think of one thing: I need to tell Percy. I need to tell Percy.

She stopped right outside Cabin Three, catching her breath. It wasn't high and mighty like cabin one, but long and low and solid. The outer walls were of rough gray stone studded with pieces of seashell and coral as if the slabs had been hewn straight from the bottom of the ocean floor.

Selene didn't even need to ponder before cracking the door open.

"Grover, I was trying to catch some sleep!" Percy's voice reached her ears, low and husky as if he had just been roused.

The air of the entire cabin was salty. The interior walls glowed like abalone. There were six empty bunk beds with silk sheets turned down. But there was no sign anyone had ever slept there, except for the bunk Percy was in front of. A Minotaur horn hung on the wall next to his pillow.

At the back of the cabin was a big basin of gray sea rock, with a spout like the head of a fish carved in stone. Out of its mouth burst a stream of water, a saltwater spring that trickled into the pool. The water must've been hot, because it sent mist into the cold winter air like a sauna. It made the room feel warm and summery, fresh with the smell of the sea.

"Hey," Selene mumbled as she strolled in, shutting the door behind her. "I'm hairy but still not Grover."

Percy turned to her. His eyes widened, and for a solid minute, he couldn't say anything.

"Um... Boys and girls aren't supposed to be alone in the cabin."

She lowered her eyes, looking at him. Percy was shirtless. For some reason, it wasn't as cold as the outside. It actually felt like summer. Maybe that was the reason why she felt her cheeks so warm.

"Can you... uhm... hand me my shirt?"

Selene looked around, seeing an orange shirt with 'CAMP HALF-BLOOD' written on it right by the bunker bed on her left. "Sure. Yeah. Ok." She tossed it in his direction, and Percy turned back, putting it on.

She didn't know what to say. Things were strangely awkward between them. Truth was, she didn't prepare a speech or anything—Selene just instinctively ran to him.

"I have a song for you," she said. Well. That was definitely not what she wanted to say. It was, like, option number forty.

"Alright..."

Now she needed to sing. Very cool, Selene. Think of a song, think of a song, think of a song...

"I can't stop you, I can't rock too. I've been back there and I can not die too. But I've got to know. Are we still friends? Can we be friends? Are we still friends? Can we be—"

"Is that all?"

"Well, yeah... I guess..."

Percy sat on his bed, just staring at her for a while. For Selene, it felt like ages. She stood there, awkwardly, just waiting for him to say anything.

After some time, he started laughing at her. Like, full-on laughing at her.

"Did you know how ridiculous you are, Mene?"

She shrugged off, "I try..."

Selene walked in his direction, and Percy pointed at the empty space on his side, by his bed.

"So you came all the way here to sing Tyler the Creator?"

"You gotta respect the guy. He's nuts." She said, "But, ehm... no? I came to... I mean, I'm only apologizing if you are. I may have been kinda mean but you were also a dick yesterday."

Percy nodded. "That's fair. In that case, I apologize, Selene of Nazareth."

"Okaay... Used the government name and all. I apologize too." She glanced around, spying the Minotaur horn hanging on the wall. "What's that?"

He straightened his posture, though she couldn't see it. "I killed the Minotaur before I got here in my first year."

"So you were twelve?"

"Yup."

She turned back at him, eyes sparkled, "No way! The Lord of the Bathroom doesn't always get his ass beaten."

"Usually it's the other way around, just so you know."

"What's this thing next to it?"

"My shield." Dr. Thorn's spikes had dented the brass in a dozen places. One gash kept the shield from opening all the way, so it looked like a pizza with two slices missing. It had metal pictures crafted, but they were all banged up. Selene could recognize a picture of Percy and Annabeth fighting the Hydra, but it looked like a meteor had made a crater in his head.

"Or what it used to be, it seems..."

"It's a present from my brother. Half-brother, I mean. Tyson. He's a Cyclops."

"Let me guess—dad's side?"

"How could you tell?" Percy leaned closer to her, touching a strand of her hair. "Why are you kinda damped?"

Selene's eyes widened in surprise. It took a moment for her to process it, and then she remembered the reason she'd gone there in the first place.

"I need to show you something!"

Selene led Percy towards the back of the cabin where the rock basin was. Her eyes darted around as she spotted two windows on each side of the cabin.

"Can you open those?" she asked, a curious glint in her eyes.

Percy furrowed his brows but complied, reaching out to open the windows as Selene observed. As the windows creaked open, a cold breeze swept into the room, carrying with it not only the chill of the night but also the glow of the moonlight.

Selene raised her hands. Closing her eyes, she focused intently on the subtle energy around her. Slowly, a filet of water, like a miniature stream, began to respond to her command. It danced and swirled in the air, following the invisible currents guided by her.

She opened her eyes to find Percy staring at the floating stream of water with a look of sheer disbelief. He blinked rapidly, as if trying to make sense of what he was seeing.

After a moment, he stammered, "Are we related?"

She chuckled, and the water fell back to the rock basin. "It's not a standard feature like yours. I got the moonlit edition—only functional with the right lighting. Daytime Selene is just your average girl trying not to trip over her own feet."

"But that's insane! Wait, let me show you what I can do."

Percy grinned and raised his hand, drawing all water from the rock basin. Her eyes widened as the liquid mesmerizingly swirled around them. The water circled her like a liquid ribbon, responding effortlessly to Percy's gestures. He directed the water to form a bubble around them. They were both inside the transparent sphere, surrounded by water.

Selene couldn't help but be impressed. Controlling a filet of water was impressive enough for her—yet it was nothing compared to what Percy was doing.

"Okay, Poseidon Junior," she teased, "now you're just showing off. Can you make a dolphin appear next?"

Percy shrugged. "I mean, I can call them if you want..."

He pointed at the basin and broke the bubble, leading the water back there.

"You think you'll learn more overtime?"

"I hope so. Dionysus said I formerly could control an entire ocean... Isn't it crazy?"

"Wait, what? Dionysus taught you this?"

She nodded. "He oathed under river Mississippi that he would teach me some stuff—Artemis blackmailed him to."

"You mean river Styx?"

"Yea whatever," she said. "The beginning was a disaster—his kids ambushed me, and I stood there like an idiot. Then I had a not-so-graceful lake dive, got rescued by pretty girls, and the real fun began. He claims it's teaching, but I'd say it's more like divine trial and error. And, just for the record, I mostly figured it out on my own." She mimicked a proud pose, complete with a self-impressed grin.

As she spoke, Percy couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head. "You keep impressing me, Mene."

Percy closed off the windows and strolled back to his bunk, Selene trailing behind. He sprawled on it, one side of the pillow cradling his head. She laid next to him, sharing the pillow.

"I can help you with some combat stuff, in case we ever stumble upon the Manticore again. Or if you wanna take revenge on Pollux and Castor. Just so you know, I'm the greatest swordsman in camp."

"If everyone else was dead? Oh, sure. Claim your throne, king."

"Looks like someone won't be getting any lessons..."

"No!" she protested, turning to him. "I genuinely need to learn, especially to fend off Pollar and Castle."

"You know, as a Goddess, you could literally incinerate them, right...? You really don't need my sword lessons for that."

She dramatically sighed. "Yeah, but incineration is like step fifty, and I'm still stuck on step one, part five."

Percy turned to her, their proximity reduced to mere inches on the bunk bed, yet the closeness felt natural and comforting. Selene, in that moment, found an ease in Percy's presence. Although they were in silence, it wasn't awkward or anything.

"You know what I find quite weird?" She broke the silence, "Dionysus started by teaching me offensive combat," Selene continued, her words laced with a subtle curiosity. "He could have instructed me in teletransportation, shapeshifting, or even controlling the mist. Yet, he kept focusing on combat... It's like they'll need me to help on..."

Percy, his voice barely above a whisper, completed her unspoken thought, "On a war?" she nodded. "I fear they know something we don't. Something related to Luke and Kronos."

They reclined on the bed in a shared silence, gazing up at the ceiling. They stayed like this for a good while.

"What's your biggest fear, Percy?"

"I don't know... Losing my mom? I guess. How about you?"

Her eyes were still on the ceiling. "Being alone."

Percy turned towards her, his gaze lingering on her face. "You won't be alone. We're like a dysfunctional family here. You've met Grover, Annabeth, Thalia... and the dynamic duo, Castor and Pollux. Oh, and there's some love drama with Alex and Silena from Aphrodite's cabin. Beckendorf, the handyman from Hephaestus, the Stoll twins from Hermes, the sunshiny Will, and the rest of Apollo guys with Lee and Michael..."

"But you know, you'll all kick the bucket eventually, and I'll be here, eternal and all."

"Wow. You must be fun at parties."

She sighed, "Artemis advised me to keep my distance from mortals... You know, Zeus might unleash his lightning fury because of some rule that says immortals shouldn't get too cozy with humans for too long."

"That's why you said it'd be better if we weren't friends anymore..." he said. "But now you're here. Aren't you worried about Zeus going all lightning bolt on me?" Percy raised an eyebrow.

Selene chuckled, a wry smile playing on her lips. "I trust you can handle yourself, Poseidon Junior."

"Very reassuring."

"Well, I can't just avoid you. Unfortunately, you're still my top co-worker." She widened her eyes, "You... Still want to be my friend, right?"

"I mean, you were already bossy and kinda creepy, so I can wrap my head around the whole goddess thing. You know, once I fought Ares—let me tell you, the guy had your temper."

"You fought Ares? What the fuck?"

"And I was twelve!"

"You terrify me, Perce."

"That's my charm." Percy flashed his signature troublemaker smile. "Hold up, did you just call me 'Perce'?"

"New nickname. What do you think?"

"I'm kinda into it."

"Yea," she slowly closed her eyes, the corners of her mouth turning up. "I'm kinda into it too."

Selene didn't know when, or how she and Percy fell asleep. But she vividly remembers her nightmare.

She saw Annabeth on a dark hillside, shrouded in fog. Selene immediately felt weak and claustrophobic, and noticed she couldn't see the sky above—just a close, heavy darkness, as if she was in a cave.

Annabeth struggled up the hill. Old broken Greek columns of black marble were scattered around, as though something had blasted a huge building to rums.

"Thorn!" Annabeth cried. "Where are you? Why did you bring me here?" She scrambled over a section of broken wall and came to the crest of the hill.

She gasped.

There was a curly-haired boy with hooded eyes and a thick white scar that ran from just beneath his right eye to his jaw. By how they described him, Selene knew this was the guy who was constantly trying to kill Percy and revive her creepy uncle. Luke. And he was in pain.

He was crumpled on the rocky ground, trying to rise. The blackness seemed to be thicker around him, fog swirling hungrily. His clothes were in tatters and his face was scratched and drenched with sweat,

"Annabeth!" he called. "Help me! Please!"

She ran forward.

Selene narrowed her eyes. Why did Annabeth just run to him? Wasn't he a traitor?

Annabeth had tears in her eyes. She reached down like she wanted to touch Luke's face, but at the last second she hesitated.

"What happened?" she asked.

"They left me here," Luke groaned. "Please. It's killing me."

Selene couldn't see what was wrong with him. He seemed to be struggling against some invisible curse, as though the fog were squeezing him to death.

"Why should I trust you?" Annabeth asked. Her voice was filled with hurt.

"You shouldn't," Luke said. "I've been terrible to you. But if you don't help me, I'll die."

Let him die, Selene wanted to scream. She remembered them talking about how many times this Luke boy tried to kill them. Maybe she was a weird god—Selene didn't think he deserved compassion.

Then the darkness above Luke began to crumble, like a cavern roof in an earthquake. Huge chunks of black rock began falling. Annabeth rushed in just as a crack appeared, and the whole ceiling dropped. She held it somehow—tons of rock. She kept it from collapsing on her and Luke just with her own strength. It was impossible. She shouldn't have been able to do that.

Luke rolled free, gasping. "Thanks," he managed.

"Help me hold it," Annabeth groaned.

Luke caught his breath. His face was covered in grime and sweat. He rose unsteadily.

"I knew I could count on you." He began to walk away as the trembling blackness threatened to crush Annabeth.

"HELP ME!" she pleaded,

"Oh, don't worry," Luke said. "Your help is on the way. It's all part of the plan. In the meantime, try not to die."

The ceiling of darkness began to crumble again, pushing Annabeth against the ground.

Selene sat bolt upright in Percy's bed, clawing at the sheets. Percy was right beside her, a flicker of fear in his expression. Under different circumstances, she'd probably feel insanely embarrassed by falling asleep on his bunk. However, as soon as she saw his breath quickening, and the way their hands slightly touched as he also gripped the sheets, she couldn't think of anything else.

"Percy, I had a nightmare with—"

"Annabeth?"

"Yes. You too?"

Percy nodded.

Selene was confused about many things in her life. But she was sure of two things: Annabeth was in terrible danger. And Luke was responsible. 

Author's Note:
hi yall! if you're enjoying this story please vote and comment, it inspires me to keep writing <3 

someone asked me which song is Percy and Selene's and honestly so far it'd be Wings by Birdy. yall should totally check it out while reading!!