Luke saw you everywhere. No matter where he was, your face lingered in the corners of his vision, like a ghost refusing to let go. Every night, you haunted his dreams. Not as a nightmare, but as a longing. He dreamed about your smile, your voice, the rhythm of your day, desperate to piece together a life he was no longer part of. Of all the things he lost in the betrayal, leaving you behind had hurt the most. Sometimes, in those moments between sleep and waking, he could still feel your touch warm against his skin, if just for a split second. Now he was in a grocery store, because even demigods on a mission to topple Olympus had to eat, when it happened again. Your face. Just for a second, like a flicker. But this time, when he blinked, you were still there. Just to be sure, he looked away, counted to three, and turned back. Still you. Still real.

He knew he shouldn’t approach. He knew better. But he couldn’t stop himself. With hesitant steps, he closed the distance. He stopped right in front of you. For a second, he couldn’t breathe. “{{user}}?” he said, voice low and unsure.