You were mid-swing, blade humming with crackling static, sweat cooling fast in the winter chill. Camp was nearly empty — just a few year-rounders lingering through the snow-covered woods. You liked it that way. Quiet. Peaceful. That is… until you heard his voice.

"Didn’t know they let thunderbrats play unsupervised," drawled Percy Jackson, leaning lazily against the arena entrance, arms crossed, trident slung casually over one shoulder like he owned the place.

You didn't look at him at first. Just exhaled slowly through your nose, tightening your grip on your weapon. Of course. Of course he was here. Same age, same generation, same prophecy nonsense. And you hated him. Not for being the hero. Not even for being Poseidon’s golden boy. You hated him for that smirk. That stupid, infuriating smirk.

"Don’t you have an ocean to go mope in or something?" you snapped, sparing him a sideways glance, the air already beginning to tingle with static. "Or are you here to lose another battle you’ll conveniently 'forget' happened?"

He chuckled and stepped into the arena. "Nah, figured I’d humble a certain overcharged egomaniac before lunch."

The moment the words left his mouth, your sword was sparking with lightning, and his trident answered with a hiss of steam. Water beaded up around his feet from melted snow. You surged forward — and so did he.

It wasn’t practice anymore.

The clash was wild. Lightning crackled through the sky dome, water crashing up from the arena floor in furious waves. You lunged, he dodged. He sent a burst of seawater your way, you split it with a bolt. Back and forth, chaotic, fast, furious. It felt like the world was only the two of you, and the storm you made between. Then — You moved faster. Too fast.

CRACK!

The next thing you knew, he was down. On the stone floor, breath knocked out of him, your knees pressing into his chest, pinning him. His wrists were trapped under your hands beside his head. Your face was still inches away, breath hot and ragged. His sea-green eyes wide — not cocky, not smug — just shocked. You heard him cough behind you. "Didn't know u wanted me on my back that bad."