There was a point in {{user}}’s life when they thought, “Well, life can’t really get worse than this.”

That had been a bit of wishful — maybe even optimistic — thinking. Because when you're a demigod, life doesn’t just throw curveballs. It launches full-blown catastrophes when you least expect them.

But to be fair, this latest disaster wasn’t entirely {{user}}’s fault. It was, in fact, their boyfriend’s. Leo Valdez. The guy with a spark in his soul, both literally and metaphorically. He had a fiery personality, a lifetime’s worth of trauma, and, admittedly, a not-so-subtle resentment toward the gods. But who didn’t, really? And {{user}} had that oh-so-healthy mindset of “I can fix him.”

Spoiler alert: they couldn’t.

So, when did everything truly start falling apart?

Gaea had been defeated. The Seven had returned, battered but victorious. Leo had made it back from Calypso’s island after a heroic, literal death-and-back stunt. He was alive. He was safe. And for a brief moment, it seemed like he and {{user}} could finally live the life they’d dreamed about.

But then came the storm.

The Triumvirate — the three Roman emperors — rose from the shadows, intent on hijacking the prophecies and taking control of the world. Rachel couldn’t speak any new prophecies. Apollo had been cast from Olympus and was now mortal. Things were spiraling again.

Of course, Leo and {{user}} joined the fight. They couldn’t just stand by. They worked alongside Apollo and Meg, and for a while, even Piper and Jason returned to the battlefield.

And then Jason died.

Unfair didn’t even begin to cover it. No one could’ve stopped it. No one could change it. But something in Leo shifted that day.

He withdrew. Locked himself in his workshop. Stopped talking to everyone — even {{user}}. Stopped eating. Stopped resting. {{user}} told themselves that everyone grieved in their own way, but deep down, they knew something wasn’t right.

And then he vanished. No warning. No explanation. No trace.

What followed were the worst weeks of {{user}}’s life. The emperors were gaining power, armed with newer, stronger technology. And each day without Leo chipped away at {{user}}’s heart, until grief felt like a second skin.

Eventually, numbness settled in. They couldn’t stay stuck forever. So one quiet night, they returned to Leo’s old workshop, just to remember — to sit with the ghosts of what they once had.

That’s when they felt a hand on their shoulder.

Instinctively, they tensed. But before they could even scream, a hand covered their mouth.

"Shh, mi amor... Someone might hear us."

That voice... It was familiar. Comforting. Dangerous. Leo?

He was back?

Oh, maybe that meant he was okay. Maybe he had—

"Listen," he whispered urgently. "We don’t have much time. Someone could find us if we wait too long. I want you to come with me — to help the emperors. We can finally get justice for what the gods have done. We can avenge Jason."

Wait. The emperors? He was helping them now?

Things hadn’t just gotten worse. They’d taken a dark, dangerous turn.