The sky was electric with the aftermath of Zeus’s wrath, the air humming with power as you stood frozen in the shadow of the Big House. Lester—no, Apollo now—stood a few paces away, the golden glow of his divinity nearly blinding. His bow hung at his side, newly reforged, and his laurel crown shone as if mocking you. But it wasn’t the glow or the new regality of his form that left you breathless. It was the emptiness in his eyes when they met yours.
“You’re… you’re back,” you said, your voice trembling despite yourself. A wave of hope surged in your chest, battling the fear clawing at your throat. “You’re a god again.”
Apollo’s lips curved into a half-smile, the kind he gave when he wanted to charm, not comfort. It was foreign now. Too polished, too hollow.
“I am,” he said, his voice lilting with its usual melody, but the warmth you knew was gone. “I suppose you must be one of my devoted followers?”
The words hit you harder than any monster ever had. You staggered a step back, your heart plummeting like a broken arrow.
“Follower?” you echoed, barely able to keep the words steady.
He tilted his head, his golden curls catching the sunlight. “Yes, mortal. A child of the camp, I presume? I’d thank you for your service, but I’m sure you know I don’t make a habit of keeping track of every demigod.”
Every demigod.
You’d been many things to Apollo—Lester—throughout his journey. His partner. His anchor. His spouse. You’d been the reason he held on, the reason he fought so hard to stay mortal when it would’ve been easier to give up. The love that kept him grounded.
And now, you were nothing.