[ab initio mundi / at world's beginning]
A distant hum of crickets echoed the sounds of clanging swords, firing arrows, and battle cries. The sky above the woods had turned a soft shade of pink, causing the shadows from the trees to fill the spaces between one another. Darkness was eminent, but that didn't stop Tessa.
The daughter of Poseidon peeked out from behind a bush, her crystalline eyes scanning her surroundings. No sign of invasion, which was good. But she was not adapted to seeing in the dark, which was bad. Thankfully, she still had an hour before the forest was completely shrouded, which was also good.
Keeping a tight grip on the leather hilt of her sword, Tessa crept out from her hiding spot. Adrenaline pumped through her veins as she padded through the mossy forest floor, searching for the flag—and any red soldiers set out to apprehend her.
As the daughter of the sea god, the opposing team knew that keeping the flag anywhere near water would be a bad idea, considering Tessa's powers. However, they underestimated how much she didn't always need to be around it to win. And boy, were they about to find that out.
Heart racing, Tessa continued on through the forest, her ears keen on picking up any sort of ambush. She heard nothing and continued forward.
Then she heard talking, and a smirk stretched across her lips. She swung her sword around in her hand, and prepared to charge.
"Going somewhere?"
Tessa jumped, nearly fumbling her sword. She whirled around and found the tip of a golden sword under her chin. She followed the blade with her eyes up to the hand holding it, and the person it belonged to. She scowled.
Kaden Gray. Son of Aphrodite and Captain of the Red Team. A soft smirk laced his lips, his emerald eyes glinting in the dim light of the forest. Like Tessa, he wore a bronze breastplate, greaves, and a scabbard around his waist. The helmet upon his tousled brown hair had a scarlet plume, unlike that of Tessa's, which was a deep blue.
Tessa narrowed her eyes. "Yes, actually," she said in response to his question. "I was about to win the game. Wasn't it obvious?"
Kaden arched an eyebrow. "Oh, it was obvious. But I was astonished to find just how easily you left yourself open to ambush. I've been following you for about the past twenty minutes."
Tessa blinked in stupor. "No, you weren't. I would've heard you."
"You underestimate my stealth."
"You underestimate my strength."
"What?"
While he was caught off guard, Kaden's sword dipped away from her. Tessa took the opportunity to kick him square in the chest, recovering her own weapon.
"That's what I meant." Tessa smirked in satisfaction. "Now, Kaden, it's been great but I've got a flag to capture."
Before he could regain his composure, Tessa bolted off. She wove in between trees and found herself in the clearing near Zeus's Fist. The cluster of boulders normally would have intimidated her, if it weren't for the billowing red flag at the top.
The sound of twigs and leaves being snapped behind her shook her out of her reverie. She scrambled towards the rocks, and would've began to climb up them if it wasn't for a sudden blow to her back. She started to fall, but caught herself and rolled into a kneeling position. Tessa glanced over her shoulder and saw the horrified visage of Amelie, daughter of Hecate.
Tessa sighed. "Amelie, I'm on your team!"
Amelie's freckled cheeks turned red. "Sorry, Tessa! Thought you were someone else."
Tessa glanced back at the woods. Surely, Kaden would have been in the clearing by now. So where was he?
Tessa stood, peering at the treeline suspiciously. "Amelie, don't take this the wrong way, but since when are you the one to come get the flag?"
Amelie frowned. "What?" She followed where Tessa was pointing and her green eyes widened. "Oh! The flag! I didn't know that was there!"
Tessa blinked. Why was the red team's flag so undefended? And why were Tessa and Amelie the only ones here? Something wasn't right.
Before she could speak again, Tessa heard a distant roar—like cheering. Her heart fell to her stomach. No. No way in Tartarus.
"Amelie," Tessa said softly. "Where was our flag?"
The dark haired girl opened her mouth to speak but at that moment, two boys came riding on the shoulders of their teammates. Helmets in one hand and Tessa and Amelie's flag in the other. They whooped and hollered and Tessa only made a face, stuck her sword into its scabbard and plopped down on the nearest boulder, watching the victory group pass by.
Naturally, they stopped as soon as they saw Tessa.
Kaden grinned cheekily from atop his teammates shoulders. He glanced to his right, where Reese, the son of Apollo and his co-captain, sat.
Reese caught Tessa's eye and smirked. "Oh hey there, Tessa. Enjoying the view?"
Tessa blinked, a tired expression on her face. "I was until a pompous archer blocked it."
The group 'oohed' and Reese's eyes hardened. He slid down from his team's shoulders, Kaden doing the same.
"You're just bitter because you didn't win this time around," He taunted, folding his arms.
Tessa pushed herself up, stalking forward a few paces. She shot a quick look at Kaden, who was watching the situation ahead of him like a tennis match, before meeting Reese's calculating gaze. "I'm always bitter, try again."
Reese narrowed his eyes at Tessa but the expression faded as a camper came running through, red in the face with two sets of golden laurel wreaths in his hands. He dashed up to Reese and Kaden, placing the symbol of victory on their heads before darting away.
Reese sighed, the familiar amiable glint in his eyes having returned. Tessa knew the guy was competitive, but overall he was a standup kid. He couldn't stay mad for long. "See you later, Tessa." He said with a laugh in his voice. He glanced at Amelie at her side, and smiled knowingly. "My brother's looking for you, by the way."
Amelie squeaked at Tessa's side but before she could turn, the daughter of Hecate was gone.
Tessa chuckled, taking off her helmet and running a hand through her dark hair. Reese clambered back atop his team's shoulders and the group rumbled off to camp. Just like that, Kaden and Tessa were the only ones left, and with the exit of the son of Apollo, the sky seemed to darken a lot quicker.
"Good game?" Kaden tried.
Tessa arched an eyebrow. She shook her head, a mischievous look in her eyes. "Nope. Not unless that wreath is on my head." She flicked one of the laurels with a laugh.
Kaden swatted her hand away. "Don't, you'll ruin it."
Tessa made a face. "You really are an Aphrodite kid, aren't you?"
Kaden sighed in mock exasperation. "Tessa, Tessa, Tessa." He shook his head. "You just don't get it, do you?"
"What, the rules of maintaining a laurel wreath?" She folded her arms, leaning against a tree. "No point, Mr. D is just gonna want it back for his next game of pinochle anyway."
Kaden's eyes widened in horror. As if it were on fire, he snatched the wreath off his head and held it gingerly in his hands. "Mr. D wears this?"
Tessa nodded solemnly.
Kaden stared into Tessa's eyes, mortified, until she burst into a fit of laughter. He glared at her, placing the wreath back onto his head. "Not cool, Brennan, seriously not cool."
Tessa took a breath, still grinning. "Guess what, Gray? I don't care." She pushed herself off the tree, hearing the sounds of camp grow quieter. Curfew would be kicking in shortly, now that the last activity of the day was done. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Kaden was silent for a moment, enough for Tessa to glance back to make sure he was still standing there. He was practically a silhouette with the darkening sky, even his bright green eyes dimming.
"Kaden? You alright?" Tessa asked softly.
Kaden jolted. "Hey, yeah, sorry." He stretched, yawning a yawn that looked a bit too fake to Tessa. "Just so tired, y'know? Winning Capture the Flag takes a lot out of you."
"Oh, shut it."
"Barreling down row after row of blue soldiers,"
"Gray, you have five seconds to shut your trap."
"Leading you here to where you you'd be overwhelmed by confusion,"
"Are you asking to be skewered with your own sword?"
Kaden laughed, running a hand through his hair. "Good night, Tessa."
Tessa shook her head, laughing herself. "Night, Kaden."
The two halfbloods parted paths, heading their own way to their respective cabins. Night fell officially, and Tessa looked up at the sky as she headed to the central green, keeping an eye out for her favorite constellations and on a more somber note, wondering how many times she'd stared up at that sky in the past three years.
~~
The nightmares were getting worse.
Tessa just wanted to rest, but nothing was enough to send away her fears and nightmares from her mind. Her muscles were weary, her eyes were damp, and her sheets were rumpled as she plunged into another dream.
Shrouds and shadows formed shapes as Tessa walked through a hazy dark opening. It looked like a cave, with stalagmites around every corner and slabs of shimmering obsidian making up the walls. It looked like the entrance to the Underworld, and even though Tessa had never been, it could've fooled her.
She heard whispers and cries of agony from further down in the darkening path. However, she never would make it down there. She never did. Because as soon as she stopped in her tracks to retrieve a sword that looked too much like her own, she saw her own reflection and that of a shadowy figure behind her.
Tessa was never able to turn and face her attacker, because right then and there, a wicked looked dagger would plunge through her chest, and she'd crumple to the ground. A maniacal laughter would radiate through the tunnel, and Tessa would drift away as she jolted awake.
Each night, Tessa had this dream and each night, she'd force herself awake, trying to piece together what could be of importance within its depths that it haunted her to the point of no return.