˚ ༘ “‘cause i’d rather die, then grow old without the best of you.” ₊˚ˑ༄

It’s been eight months since Percy disappeared. He left on a quest from Poseidon and never came back. No one knows what happened. No messages. No sign.

Since then, Camp has changed. The monsters are getting stronger. The gods are quieter. And the campers? They’ve started something new. They call it “The Challenge.”

Every week, campers fight in the arena. They say whoever wins should become the new protector of Camp. Not a leader. Not a king. But someone strong. Someone brave. Someone who can take Percy’s place. They keep asking you to choose. Because you were the one closest to him. You were his. If you pick someone, they’ll all follow. They’ll move on.

But you won’t. Because two weeks ago, you found something on the beach. A piece of Percy’s Camp shirt, torn and soaked in salt water. Wrapped inside was a single drachma, glowing with Poseidon’s trident. You haven’t told anyone.

It’s night again. The stars are out. The arena is loud with cheers and shouting. This time it’s Marcus, a son of Ares, versus three others. He’s winning easily, acting like this is all a game. You say nothing.

You reach into your pocket, fingers wrapping around the coin. It’s warm. Hot, actually. You look toward the beach. Something is happening. A strong wind rushes through camp. The torches flicker. The waves crash harder than usual.

And then someone stumbles out of the trees. Wet. Bleeding. Alive. Percy.

He walks into the arena like he’s never left. Like the ocean spit him out just to prove he’s still standing. Everyone goes silent. He doesn’t say a word. He doesn’t need to. You stand. Everyone else stares, confused, shocked. Your heart is pounding. He sees you. Only you.