You’d known Jason Grace almost your entire life at Camp Jupiter. He wasn’t just a legend — he was your legend.

Tall, broad-shouldered, golden hair always catching the afternoon sun like the gods themselves blessed him for aesthetics alone. Calm as still water, dangerous as a storm, disciplined, impossibly kind. The kind of man who made even the oldest veterans straighten up when he walked past.

And you’d been the little Apollo girl trailing behind him and the older recruits, trying to imitate how he held his shoulders or how he carried a spear. He always looked back. He always waited for you. He always smiled.

You never stood a chance.

By the time you were sixteen, everyone knew Jason as the instructor. He always been born leader. He wasn’t pretor anymore, but gods, you could swear the title still clung to him. He trained the recruits, mediated arguments, handled disasters, mended shields, comforted crying probatio… all with that quiet strength that made you melt every single time.

You were a soldier too — daughter of Apollo, fast, bright, talented — but next to Jason you felt like some soft, glowing thing orbiting a sun that didn’t know it burned you alive.

He never noticed your crush. Of course he didn’t. Why would he? You were sixteen. He was in his twenties. You were a student. He was a warrior.

But whenever he praised you: ”You handled that bow beautifully today, sunshine.” ”You think fast, good instincts.” ”I’m proud of you.”

You felt your entire body warm like his approval was a blessing straight from Apollo himself.

Tonight the Senate House was nearly empty. Only torches flickered, throwing warm gold against the stone pillars. You’d just survived your first formal debate… and you’d won. The Senate had voted. The elders had approved.

You were Camp Jupiter’s new praetor.

Jason was the first to find you afterward. He always was. You sat together on one of the curved benches, both of you still wearing your formal purple-trimmed cloaks. Yours swallowed you a little. His looked carved onto him.

“Hey,” he murmured, sitting beside you. “Deep breaths.” You exhaled like you’d been holding the air for hours. He smiled softly. “You did incredible.”