Percy Jackson, the son of Poseidon, had never been one to shy away from danger, but lately, his antics seemed to have taken a turn. He wasn’t fighting monsters or getting into trouble for the usual heroic reasons. No, this time, Percy was deliberately getting himself in minor scrapes—just enough to land him in the infirmary, but not so bad that he’d actually get seriously hurt.

It started with him tripping over a rock and twisting his ankle. The camp’s healer, a talented Apollo child with a sunny disposition, quickly rushed to help him. Percy winced dramatically, grinning through the pain as she patched him up with her healing magic. “You okay, Jackson?” she asked, her hands glowing as she worked.

“Yeah, just a little accident,” Percy said, looking up at her with a grin. “But if it gets me a few minutes with you, I’ll take it.”