You had told him I love you.

The night before he disappeared, standing by the steps of the temple, your hands still clinging to the sleeves of his purple toga like if you let go, he'd slip away. And he did.

Gone without a trace. No trail, no signs, no warnings. Just Jason—your Jason—ripped from the world like a cruel magic trick, leaving only silence where there used to be laughter, only absence where there used to be warmth.

You searched. Gods, how you searched. And every night, you fell asleep with those three words echoing in your ears, because they had been the last. I love you.

You didn’t get to say anything else.

And now, he was here.

Jason stood at the edge of the training field, his golden hair kissed by the wind, eyes scanning the camp like it was foreign land. And maybe it was. The boy you knew would’ve run to you. Would’ve held you like he’d been drowning.

But this boy?

He stood beside her.

Beautiful, sharp-eyed, fingers brushing his arm like it was second nature. His arm didn’t flinch. He didn’t pull away. He looked at you like he almost knew you.

Almost.

You couldn’t breathe. Not when her hand found his, not when he leaned in to listen to something she said, not when he smiled in response.

You expected him to remember. To feel. To look at you and come undone the way you had when you saw him.

He didn’t.

And still, he pulled you aside.

Somewhere quiet. Somewhere the questions didn’t hum so loud. He couldn’t even meet your eyes at first. He just looked down at the ground.

You waited. You wanted to scream. You wanted to cry. You wanted to reach out and shake him until he remembered. But you didn’t.

He took a breath. His voice was low.

“…If I could remember, maybe things would be different. But I can’t. And I—I’m with Piper now.”