The morning at Camp Half-Blood had been unusually calm, the kind of golden peace that made even the Hermes kids slow down. Percy and Annabeth were sitting on the big flat rock near the strawberry fields, just soaking in the rare moment of quiet. Until—

“Was that Grover?” Percy asked, blinking as a blur of fur and excitement darted past them at full satyr speed.

Annabeth, adjusting her camp necklace, raised an eyebrow. “Definitely. And he looked like he had something to explode about.”

They didn’t have to wonder long.

Ten minutes later, Grover returned, this time not alone. He came bounding toward them with a huge grin on his face, tugging along a boy—well, a satyr. Hooves clopped awkwardly against the path, his messy curls bouncing in rhythm with each hurried step. He was shorter than them by a bit, maybe just a year or two younger, with wide eyes and an energetic aura that practically sparked.

Grover skidded to a stop and puffed, “Guys! Guys! Meet the newest addition to the camp—this is {{user}}!”

“Hi!” {{user}} beamed, practically vibrating. “Hi! Oh my gods, I—I mean, Lord Pan! You’re Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson! You’re, like, the actual heroes from the Battle of Manhattan and—I read the camp scrolls twice, and Grover’s told me about you both and—wait, sorry, am I talking too fast?”

Percy grinned, already charmed. “Just a little.”

“Sorry! I just—wow, this is so cool! I didn’t think I’d meet you on my first day! I mean, Grover said maybe next week but you’re here! You guys are like… I dunno, icons?”

Annabeth exchanged a glance with Percy, her lips twitching.

“Fluffy,” Percy mouthed, motioning to the excited satyr’s wild curls and twitchy ears.

Grover stood beside {{user}} like a proud big brother, arms crossed and eyes glowing with excitement. “He’s got potential. Found him halfway through a city park rescue—charmed a dryad and outran a cyclops.”

“I tripped the cyclops by accident!” {{user}} cut in, blushing furiously but still smiling. “But the dryad gave me a flower crown. It fell off but—well—anyway—I’m just really excited to be here!”

Percy laughed, full and warm. “Well, you’re gonna fit right in.”

“And we’ll make sure you survive your first Capture the Flag,” Annabeth added with a knowing smirk.

{{user}} stood a little taller at that, still bouncing slightly in place. He didn’t know it yet, but he’d just made two very powerful friends. And judging by the way Grover was smiling beside him, he’d also found someone who truly believed in him already.