"Percy! You better not drop me!" Sophie shouted, wrapping her arms around his head, clinging on for dear life.

"Soph—" he started, but she cut him off, shoving her hand right in his face. Her golden hair, which she had painstakingly braided, was now a wild mess, strands flying everywhere as she panicked. "Sophie!"

Percy pushed her off just enough so she was sitting on the edge of the pool, gripping the tiles like they were her last lifeline.

For the past two weeks, Percy's mom had been driving them to the local pool for swim lessons. They figured if Sophie was going to be best friends with the son of the sea god, she might as well learn how to swim.

Not that she wanted to.

The first week, they stayed in the shallow end, where the water reached her waist. That was fine. But the deep end? The part where her feet couldn't touch the bottom? That's where the real panic set in.

Percy sighed, planting his hands on the edge of the pool and hoisting himself up. He turned to sit beside Sophie, feet dangling in the water.

"You know," he said, trying to sound casual, "you won't learn to swim unless you actually go in."

Sophie nodded, knowing he was right, but the fear still gripped her.

Percy thought about reaching out to hold her hand for reassurance, but he chickened out. "How about we just go back in? I promise I won't let go."

Sophie looked at him, her big eyes wide. "Promise?"

"Promise."

She extended her pinkie. "Pinkie swear."

Percy chuckled, wrapping his pinkie around hers. "Pinkie swear."

He slid into the water, keeping his hands firmly on the edge of the pool, then took a step back, arms stretched out, ready to catch her when she jumped in. "Ready?"

Sophie took a deep breath, her heart racing as she held onto the edge of the pool. Slowly, she turned around, sliding into the water. Instantly, she grabbed onto Percy, wrapping her arms around his neck to keep from sinking.

"Sophie," he said, trying to pry her off, "you need to step back a bit."

Sophie nodded, reluctantly letting go to cling to the pool's edge.

Percy moved back a bit, keeping a safe distance. "Swim over to me."

Her eyes widened in disbelief. "What?!"

"Sophie, it's a pool. You can't drown." When she still looked unsure, he added, "Would I let you drown?"

"Well, there was that one time at the Gateway Arch—"

"Shush."

Eventually, swimming went alright. Sophie managed to paddle across the pool, albeit slowly, with Percy right by her side the whole time. Now, they were in the changing room, rinsing off and getting ready to head to the ice cream parlor while waiting for Percy's mom.

Just a minute ago, Sophie had shoved Percy out from under the shower, and now she stood beneath the spray, when her and Annabeth went canoeing shower had been big enough for both of them (With their swimsuits on obviously), but the pool's shower was too small for that.

Percy looked at her blankly, soap running down his shoulders and dripping onto the floor. Sophie couldn't help but snicker, running her fingers through her own hair, rinsing out the shampoo.

As she watched the water cascade across the floor, she noticed it roll up Percy's body, rinsing most of the soap off him.

"Percy!" she hissed quietly, "We're not supposed to—"

He interrupted her, his body suddenly drying. "Since when do we listen to rules?"

That was fair; they had been ignoring Chiron's rule about not hanging out too much. Sophie had spent plenty of time at Percy's apartment after school, and he had done the same at hers.

Percy ruffled his hair and grabbed his blue duffle bag, slinging it over his shoulder. "I'm going to change."

"Kay," Sophie replied, applying pine-scented conditioner to her hair.

Once she finished washing up, she slipped into her swimming dress. Sophie wasn't much for dresses; she didn't dislike them, but most made her feel exposed. She only wore them for swimming, and today she chose her pale yellow one, reaching down to her knees, adorned with orange lace around the waist and cheerful sunflowers scattered throughout.

Throwing on a red jockey jacket over it, she went to meet Percy, who was waiting outside in a sea-green shirt, jeans, and a blue hoodie.

"You ready?" Sophie asked.

Percy nodded, then stopped short. "Actually, give me a second."

Sophie raised an eyebrow in confusion as he walked over, placed a hand on her head, drying her hair. Then he ruffled it for good measure.

"Thanks," she said, trying to sound annoyed but failing miserably.

"No problem."

Sally had given them ten dollars—enough for an ice cream each—and now they were at the counter, ordering.

The waiter behind the counter had a name tag that read Jessica, but she looked anything but happy to help. "What do you want?" she asked bluntly, chewing on gum as if she'd rather be anywhere else.

"Um, can I have a salted caramel, please?" Percy asked awkwardly, fidgeting with the rings on his fingers.

She nodded, still looking annoyed, and turned to Sophie, who was intensely studying the menu.

"And for you?"

Sophie skimmed the flavors again, overwhelmed by the options: strawberry, watermelon, salted caramel, chocolate, mango, Oreo. Why were there so many flavors?

"Soph," Percy urged, tapping the table, "hurry up."

"I'm thinking!" she replied, exasperated as she glanced over the menu one last time. "Can I have—"

She hesitated. Why was this so hard?

Percy turned to the impatient waiter. "Can you make that two scoops of salted caramel? We'll share."

Jessica nodded, clearly fed up, and jotted down their order before trudging back to the blue and pink counter.

"Hey!" Sophie pouted, crossing her arms. "I was thinking!"

"Well, next time, think faster!"

When Sally arrived, the two of them were laughing, two blue plastic spoons sitting in an empty ice cream tub. Sophie was doodling on Percy's hand while he animatedly told her a story, causing both of them to crack up.

"Hi, Percy," Sally greeted as she sat down across from them.

"Hi, Mom," Percy said, beaming as he looked up from Sophie's chaotic drawings.

"Hey Sally."

"You two ready to go?" Sally asked.

They nodded as Sophie finished her doodle, and the three of them headed to the car. Once inside the leather back seat, they chatted all the way to Sophie's uncle's small bookstore.

Sophie hopped out of the car, grabbing her duffel bag stuffed with swimming gear. "Thanks, Sally!" she smiled.

"No problem, Sophie."

"Call later?" Percy asked eagerly, leaning over to the open door as she prepared to close it.

Sophie nodded, "Yeah, see you next week!"

Percy grinned as she slammed the door and headed toward her apartment.

Chiron had warned them about hanging out outside of camp too much, saying it would attract monsters. So they went to separate schools and only met up for their Saturday swimming sessions.

But they actually hung out a lot more than they should have. Sally and Sophie's uncle didn't seem too concerned; after all, Sally had only set the rule of no more than three days a week a while back.

Still, Sophie looked forward to their nightly IM chats, which kept her smiling throughout the day.

-|☆|-

Sophie used to love ice hockey. She loved her team, her coach, everything about it—the thrill of gliding across the ice, the rush of trying to stop an opponent from scoring.

But that changed last year when Coach Hedge left. He had been there to keep an eye on her, to protect her from monsters, but then he had gone off to find other demigods to coach. And now they had Coach Nolan.

"Jones!" Coach Nolan yelled, smacking his hockey stick against the wall to get her attention.

Sophie gritted her teeth and skated towards her team. Their hockey league was a mix of kids from local schools since her new school didn't have a rink. Right now, they were just playing a casual match between two groups—three girls and three boys on each side. Sophie was on team red, along with Alex, Jessica, James, Mia, and Liam. Alex was in goal while the others skated around.

As she skidded to a stop next to Liam, she sighed. Coach was barking orders at Holly to tuck her hair into her visor.

"Does anyone actually like that guy?" Liam mumbled, tapping his stick against the ice.

Sophie snorted. "Apart from Darragh? I don't think so."

Liam laughed, adjusting his gloves as the game was about to start. "Yeah, but Darragh's a goody-two-shoes. Seriously, does anyone like him?"

"Nope." Sophie smirked, the corners of her mouth curling into a grin.

Jessica skated forward, taking charge as always. "Alright, anyone want the face-off?"

"I'll do it," James said quickly.

Jessica nodded, giving everyone their assignments. Usually, Sophie hated being told what to do, but Jessica was different—experienced, fair, and always had the team's best interest at heart.

"Alex, Mia, James—you're forwards. Sophie, Liam, you're defense."

The game started with the usual high energy. James faced off against Lisa, the other team's pick for the opening puck drop. Sophie watched intently as James swiftly gained control of the puck and passed it to Mia. It was all moving so quickly—everyone skating fast, moving the puck, trying to outmaneuver the other team.

But then Holly skated in too close to James, trying to steal the puck from him. James passed it back to Mia, but Holly was quick and intercepted it, passing it to Oscar, who was skating down toward Sophie and Liam.

Liam quickly positioned himself between Oscar and the goal, but Holly skated in front of him, blocking his movement. Oscar shot forward, and Sophie knew she had to act fast. She sped toward him, trying to knock the puck away, but Oscar slammed it toward the goal. Jessica, in position to block it, misjudged the trajectory and the puck slammed into her skate causing her to fall.

"Come on!" James shouted, waving his stick in frustration. "That was totally unfair! There should be a penalty!"

Coach Nolan just shrugged, claiming that the goal was legal, and that Jessica needed to be more careful next time.

Sophie sighed, skating over to Jessica, who was still down on the ice, nursing her leg. "You alright?" Sophie asked, offering a hand.

Jessica winced but nodded, allowing Sophie to help her up. The rest of the game felt like a blur. Sophie couldn't concentrate, feeling too exhausted to properly keep track of the puck. It was like everything she did was wrong—she missed passes, missed blocks. Her mind was somewhere else.

By the end of the game, the score was seven-two, Team Blue taking the win. As the team gathered their things, Coach Nolan reminded them to grab their forms for the summer hockey camp. Sophie groaned, shoving her duffle bag over her shoulder and slipping on Percy's hoodie—he'd left it at her place a while ago, and she hadn't given it back yet.

She was heading toward her uncle's car when she heard a voice.

"Sophie!"

Turning, she saw Liam skating toward her. The two of them walked side-by-side, their footsteps crunching on the ice.

"I didn't see you get a form," Liam remarked, looking at her with concern.

Sophie shrugged, tossing her hair back. "Nah, I'm not going."

"What? Why not?" Liam sounded genuinely puzzled.

"I've got another summer camp to go to," Sophie said, "And I really want to see my friends again."

Liam nodded slowly, his lips pressed into a line. "Oh. Well, it would've been fun to spend the summer with you."

Sophie glanced at him, surprised by the disappointment in his voice. But she quickly smiled, trying to ease the tension. "Thanks. But the hockey camp isn't until the second week of the holidays. I go to my summer camp right after that. We could hang out sometime, though."

Liam's eyes lit up as he pulled a red pen from his pocket. "Yeah? Alright, let me give you my number." He scribbled it on her wrist with a grin, before tucking the pen back into his pocket.

Sophie smiled, feeling the sudden warmth of his attention. "Thanks," she said softly.

Liam started to walk to his car, pausing before getting in. "I'll see you at school tomorrow?"

"Yeah, see ya." Sophie waved, feeling a strange flutter in her stomach as she climbed into her uncle's car. But she ignored it, pushing ti down.

-|☆|-

It was Sunday. Percy had canceled swimming this week. He said he was busy—he and his mom were going on a weekend trip together.

Sophie was bored.

She sat on the plush red sofa in their living room, her feet resting on the stained-glass coffee table her Uncle had found at an antique shop. Sophie scrolled through Netflix, searching for something to watch. She clicked through countless options, but nothing caught her eye. She'd seen it all before.

Aurum was sprawled out at her feet, his head resting between his paws. A bright red squeaky ball lay just beside him, glistening with drool. She sighed, glancing at him.

Her Uncle was downstairs, working at the shop. He was helping customers, probably too busy to notice her boredom. Not like she could go bother Rory or Elana; they weren't around today.

Suddenly, the little bell above the shop door rang. Sophie threw her hands over her ears, bracing for the noise. Aurum jolted upright, barking like a wild thing, racing toward the front door, growling and snarling, his tail rigid.

He wasn't an aggressive dog; he just had a tendency to bark.

"No barking!" Sophie yelled, dragging herself off the couch and trudging over to him. "It's just customers!"

Aurum usually listened. Usually. But today, he continued barking, louder and more intense. His small paws scratched at the door, as if he was trying to open it himself.

Sophie bent down, wrapping her arms around his squirming body, lifting him into her embrace. He was heavier than the last time she'd picked him up, squirming to get free, trying to reach the door.

"There's no one there!" Sophie shouted, her voice rising to compete with his barking. "Will you just stop—"

The doorbell chimed, ringing throughout the house. Aurum paused for a split second before starting up again, barking even louder, trying to escape her grip.

Weird. Her Uncle usually took care of deliveries, or they came through the back door, which had a different sound. What was going on?

"Aurum, sit." Sophie commanded, and surprisingly, he obeyed, though his body was still tense, his barking persistent. She twisted the golden doorknob and pulled the door open.

The second she did, she was knocked flat onto her back. Panic flooded her for a moment—was it a monster? But as she looked up, she saw the golden, almost-white hair right in front of her face.

"Annabeth!" Sophie cried out, laughter bubbling to the surface. "What are you doing here?"

Annabeth sat up, looking down at Aurum, who was busy trying to chew on her shoe, growling playfully. She gently kicked him away and offered a hand to Sophie, pulling her back to her feet.

"We came to ask if you wanted to go to the movies," Annabeth said, her eyes bright with excitement.

That's when Sophie noticed Percy standing awkwardly behind Annabeth, hands in his pockets.

"I thought you went with your mom on a trip?" She asked.

Percy shook his head, "Nah. Annabeth wanted to surprise you."

Sophie's heart soared. It had been ages since she'd seen Annabeth and Percy together. The last time had probably been at the end of summer when the three of them spent a day at the lake. But even now, there was a part of their little group that felt empty. They were missing Grover.

As if reading her thoughts, Percy stepped forward, his hands in his pockets, looking a bit sheepish. "I managed to get a hold of Grover. He's off in Mexico."

Sophie nodded, remembering Grover's ramblings about the desert and how no one had ever checked there for Pan. He'd gotten all panicky when he realized he wasn't supposed to tell them anything.

Oh, how she missed him.

She missed Grover's endless attempts to keep her and Percy out of trouble, his earnest reminders about how upset her Uncle would be if she came home with ten detentions again.

The three of them hopped into a cab, excitement buzzing in the air as they headed to the cinema. The place was rather empty, only a few groups scattered about. A family of four walked into screening room six, and Sophie felt a twinge of envy at their laughter.

Percy and Annabeth decided on Twisters, an action-packed movie that seemed perfect for people with ADHD—like them. Sophie couldn't help but agree; she liked the adrenaline, the thrill. She hated the slow build-up of a plot.

After buying their tickets (Percy insisted on choosing the seats at the back, naturally), they made their way to the snack bar. Sophie had twenty dollars to spend, which she quickly used to snag a large bag of salted popcorn, a soda, and a pack of M&Ms. Percy grabbed salted popcorn too, while Annabeth opted for the mixed variety.

Percy, being his usual self, loaded up on bags of candy and sweets. Sophie shook her head at the pile, knowing full well they wouldn't eat half of it, but that was part of the fun.

They entered screening room eleven, where there were only ten other people scattered throughout the seats. Sophie felt a rush of excitement—it was the perfect amount of people to feel special, not lost in the crowd. They took their seats at the back, Sophie sliding into the middle, the perfect spot.

Just two minutes into the trailers, Percy started tapping his leg.

"Could you stop that?" Annabeth said, frustration creeping into her voice as she tossed a handful of popcorn at him.

Percy's reflexes kicked in as he tried to catch the flying kernels in his mouth, but he missed every single piece, the popcorn landing on his head instead.

Sophie laughed, leaning over to pluck the stray popcorn from his hair. "Nice aim, Seaweed Brain."

Percy grinned, trying to act nonchalant as he plucked one out of her hand and tossed it into the air, catching it in his mouth.

"Ew!" Annabeth grimaced, slapping his arm. "Gross!"

"Hey!" he protested, but his grin only widened.

The playful banter continued until one of Percy's stray punches landed on Sophie's cheek.

"Ow!" she exclaimed, rubbing her face. "Innocent bystander here!"

The two paused, their eyes wide before bursting into laughter. Percy held his hands up in surrender. "Okay, truce?"

"Truce," Annabeth agreed, rolling her eyes but unable to suppress a smile.

Just then, a voice called from the front.

"Can you kids shut up? The movie's about to start."

Sophie bit her lip to stifle a laugh as the lights dimmed and the screen turned blue. The movie began, but Sophie quickly found her focus slipping.

Sophie managed half an hour into the movie before her ADHD began tugging at her focus. Annabeth and Percy had promised it would be exciting, but once the tornado scene ended, her interest began to wane. She fidgeted with a crumpled candy wrapper, glancing at Percy, who looked equally restless, tapping his fingers on the armrest.

Forty-five minutes in, Percy started bouncing his leg, and by the hour mark, even Annabeth was looking a bit bored—though she was far better at hiding it. Sophie marveled at Annabeth's control; she was so smart, so poised, that sometimes Sophie forgot she even had ADHD.

"I want more food," Percy whispered, breaking the silence.

Sophie caught his look, recognizing the urge to move around. They still had plenty of snacks. She nodded, and the three of them quietly slipped out of their seats, winding down the theater stairs and into the empty lobby.

It was eerily quiet. The concession counters were abandoned, the drink machines humming faintly in the stillness, and there wasn't another person in sight.

Percy grinned, clearly enjoying the emptiness, and pulled Riptide from his pocket, making sure to stay out of sight from the snack bar. Sophie hadn't seen his sword in months, and even now, the shimmering gold and the trident symbol she'd painted on the hilt caught her eye. Chiron had given them an earful about "defacing ancient artifacts," but they'd never removed the paint.

"Sophieee," Percy called, drawing out her name in a sing-song voice that didn't suit him. "Apples?"

Sophie grinned, catching on. It was a game they'd invented last Halloween when she'd started getting better at manipulating the Mist. She concentrated, visualizing apples floating around Percy, each one shimmering slightly as they formed from the Mist.

Percy took a swipe, slicing through the first few apples with Riptide. The misty fruit broke apart, dissolving into wisps before vanishing completely.

"Nice," Percy said, nodding in approval as more apples floated his way. He was just about to slice through another when a voice broke through the silence.

"Sophie?"

She spun around, feeling a sudden jolt of surprise. Standing by the entrance to the theater restroom was Liam, his familiar grin spreading across his face as he approached. His presence felt strangely out of place here, like he'd stepped into her world without permission.

"Liam?" she asked, her voice betraying her surprise.

Liam gave her a friendly nod as he walked over. "Didn't expect to see you here," he said, his tone light, but his gaze kept darting to her friends. Sophie felt the shift immediately—something in the air, like he was trying to understand what he'd just walked in on.

Percy, still holding his sword mid-swing, stared at Liam, frozen in place. Sophie could see the uncertainty in his eyes, and the way Liam's smile wavered ever so slightly when he looked at Percy.

"Uh... you must be Percy," Liam said, nodding politely, though his expression seemed cautious.

Percy blinked, lowering Riptide slightly, still eyeing Liam as if he were some kind of puzzle. "Yeah... That's me."

Liam glanced down at the sword, his eyebrows lifting slightly. Sophie's heart skipped; she wondered what Liam was seeing—if he even understood what Riptide was, or if it looked like something ordinary to him.

"Nice sword," Liam said, an awkward smile creeping onto his face as he put his hands in his pockets. He shifted his weight, glancing back and forth between them, clearly sensing he'd stumbled into something strange.

Sophie exchanged a quick, wide-eyed look with Percy, who seemed just as caught off guard. "You... can see it?" she asked, trying to keep her tone casual.

Liam cocked his head, puzzled. "Uh, yeah? Why wouldn't I?"

Annabeth returned just then, carrying three slushies. She took in the scene quickly, handing Percy his blue raspberry drink while leaning in to whisper, "Clear-sighted mortal," in Sophie's ear. Her eyes were sharp as she studied Liam, looking him up and down.

Liam's eyes flicked between them, clearly picking up on the tension. "I, uh... didn't mean to interrupt anything," he said, shuffling his feet. "I just came out here to get a drink."

Sophie's mind raced as she tried to think of something to ease the awkwardness. "No, no, it's fine!" she said quickly, though her voice sounded higher than usual. "We were just... uh... taking a break too."

Liam nodded slowly, but he kept glancing at Percy, whose expression hadn't softened. There was a moment of silence, the kind that felt heavy, like both sides were waiting for the other to explain.

Annabeth took a sip of her slushy, still watching Liam with that thoughtful, calculating look. 

"So, Liam," Sophie said, her tone casual but guarded. "You're here with your family?"

Liam nodded, the tension in his posture easing just a bit. "Yeah. My little sister wanted to see the animated movie in Theater Six." He hesitated, glancing between them again. "Didn't think I'd run into you all here."

Sophie felt a shiver down her spine. It was like her two worlds had collided in a way she hadn't anticipated, and she wasn't quite sure how to make sense of it.

"So... you're into movies, then?" Sophie ventured, trying to bridge the gap, though it felt flimsy. She could feel Percy's eyes boring into the back of Liam's head, and she shot him a warning glare.

"Yeah, I guess. It's kind of a tradition for my family on weekends," Liam replied, shrugging. His eyes flicked back to Percy, lingering on Riptide, before returning to Sophie. "What about you?"

"We've got our own... interests." Annabeth said, her tone still measured.

Liam raised an eyebrow, the hint of curiosity mingling with confusion. "Oh? Like what?"

Sophie opened her mouth to answer, but before she could come up with anything coherent, Percy spoke up. "We do a lot of—uh, crazy activities."

Liam looked between them, clearly trying to parse out what they were hinting at. "crazy, huh? Sounds exciting."

"Very exciting," Percy echoed, his eyes narrowing slightly. 

Sophie asked trying to ease the tension"But, uh, what kind of movies do you like, Liam?"

The shift in the conversation seemed to distract Liam from his previous line of questioning. "Oh, I'm a huge fan of action movies. And adventure stuff, obviously," he said, grinning. "I mean, who doesn't want to see monsters and heroes?"

Sophie spoke up happily. "Same! I love anything with a good adventure."

"Exactly!" Liam's enthusiasm was infectious, and Sophie could feel herself relaxing. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. "It's fun to get lost in those worlds, you know?"

Percy, still holding his drink, gave a slight nod but kept his guard up. "Yeah, but some of those worlds can be dangerous," he said, his gaze sharp. "Especially when you start believing in them too much."

Liam looked at him, a flicker of confusion crossing his features. "Right... I guess that's true. But it's all fiction, right?"

"Is it?" Percy challenged, leaning in a little. The way he asked made it sound more like a riddle than a question, and Sophie felt the tension creeping back in.

Annabeth stepped in quickly, sensing the unease. "Well, speaking of movies, we should probably head back before they start the next feature. Don't want to miss any of the good parts, right?"

Liam nodded, though he still looked intrigued. "Yeah, totally. It was nice running into you all. I'll catch you later, Sophie?"

"Yeah, see you Monday!" she replied, trying to sound casual, but her heart raced.

As Liam turned to leave, Sophie's gaze followed him. She caught a glimpse of his back as he walked toward the theater entrance, a small part of her wishing they could've had more time to talk.

"What's up with him?" Percy muttered, his grip on Riptide tightening as if he was bracing for danger.

"Just a friend," Sophie said, though she felt a swirl of uncertainty in her chest.

Annabeth's brow furrowed, her expression thoughtful. "Clear-sighted mortals can sometimes sense things. It's instinctual, even if they don't understand it."

"Right," Sophie replied slowly, feeling the weight of Annabeth's words. Seeing Liam here, so close to her world with Percy and Annabeth, made her realize just how different these parts of her life really were.

"Why didn't he seem more surprised by my sword?" Percy wondered aloud, his voice laced with disbelief.

"Maybe he thought it was cosplay or something," Annabeth suggested, though her brow remained knitted. "But... it was strange. He didn't seem phased by it."

"He was phased by Percy's glare," Sophie said with a small grin, nudging Percy playfully.

Percy huffed, trying to look serious. "I thought he was sneaking up on us or something. I mean, he came out of nowhere."

Sophie rolled her eyes, but her gaze drifted back toward the theater entrance. "He's harmless, Percy."

Annabeth nodded, breaking the tension with a gentle smile. "We should get back inside."

Sophie took a deep breath, trying to shake off the lingering unease as they headed back to the theater. "Right... let's go."

As they re-entered the darkened theater, the familiar buzz of chatter and the glow of the screen enveloped them once again. But even as the movie played on, Sophie couldn't help but steal glances at the door, half-expecting Liam to walk back in and disrupt the fragile balance between her two worlds.

-|☆|-

Friday morning, the pale light drifted in through Sophie's bedroom window, the curtains wide open, giving her a view of the brick wall from the building next door. She looked at the plants on her windowsill, surprised they were still alive after all the neglect.

Even though there were still two weeks left until the summer holidays, today was Sophie's last day of school. Her Uncle had been invited to a bookstore in England. The owner had gone out of business and was selling all their stock. Meaning Sophie got to go to camp early

Sophie stared at the fairy lights on her ceiling, debating whether to pretend she was sick and stay home or just go. It's only one day, she thought. You can do this!

She sat up slowly, her braid from the night before undone and her golden hair falling all over her face. Aurum, who had been sleeping at her feet, woke up and smiled at her, the small grin never leaving his face.

Sophie scratched under his chin and then got dressed in her uniform. She hated it. White shirt, grey tie, burgundy blazer, grey checkered skirt that barely reached her knees, and tall white socks with black shoes. She usually wore black Converse instead.

She went into the kitchen and found a plate of slightly burnt toast, with a note on a yellow post-it next to it. 

Morning Phee.
Gone to the store since we're out of food.
Your bag is packed and by the door.
Have a good day. ;)

Sophie grinned at the little smiley face, quickly ate the toast, and ran out of the apartment to meet the taxi that would take her to school.

The taxi was full of six students. Sophie liked the taxi—at least she didn't have to go to a boarding school. Her Uncle had found her a private school nearby, which meant she could go home every day. She was even able to see Percy on weekends since his mom had gotten him into a school nearby, too.

Sophie dumped her bag on the floor and settled into her seat, preparing herself for another day.

Math was the worst. Sophie hated math. It didn't make any sense to her, and she was sure she wouldn't need most of it later in life. To make it even worse, Finlay Rody and Max Henderson sat behind her. The two of them would throw crumpled pieces of paper at her when the teacher wasn't looking.

At first, Sophie read the notes, they said stuff—just mean words like 'Fat' or 'Ugly' written on the paper. Sometimes they drew horrible pictures of her. Sophie stopped reading them after a while. She'd just wait until the end of class, pick them up, and throw them in the trash. She didn't want to make a big deal out of it. She could handle two stupid boys.

Math was the one class where she felt totally alone. She didn't get along with anyone there. Most of the kids were in the lower-level class because they didn't care enough to pay attention, not because they were struggling.

Another piece of paper hit her in the back of the head. Sophie ignored it, but then something harder hit her, sticking in her hair. She reached back and pulled out a rubber, slipping it in her pocket, shed lost hers ages ago.

Another thing hit her head, and Sophie turned around. "Can you stop?!" she snapped, her voice louder than she meant it to be.

Mr. Anderson looked up from his desk, clearly annoyed. "What's going on?"

"Finlay and Max keep throwing stuff at me," Sophie said, trying to keep her voice steady.

The two boys snickered. Finlay put on a fake innocent face. "I don't know what she's talking about, Mr. Anderson."

Max nodded, pretending to be confused too. "We've done nothing."

Mr. Anderson glanced at all three of them before turning his attention back to the lesson. "Stop disrupting my class. One more outburst and it's detention."

Sophie wanted to yell that it wasn't fair, but she knew better. She didn't want to make any trouble on her last day. She grumbled quietly under her breath and tried to focus on getting through the class.

Sophie rushed out of the taxi and sprinted back toward her apartment. She couldn't wait to get inside, pack her things, and head to camp.

She dashed into the building, waving a quick hello to Rory, and then raced up the spiral metal stairs, throwing open the red door to their apartment.

Her heart was still racing from the run up the stairs, but the apartment was quiet.

She moved quickly, grabbing her old duffel bag from the closet and tossing it onto her bed. She pulled out everything she'd need for camp. The thought of being back with the other demigods made her heart leap—training, canoeing, volleyball...and hopefully no quests.

But as she shoved the last hoodie into her bag, her gaze landed on a small, framed photo on her dresser. It was a picture of her and Percy, smiling wide with s'mores in hand, arms around each other by the bonfire at camp. Sophie paused, picked it up, and traced her finger over their faces.

With a soft sigh, she tucked the photo into the side pocket of her duffel. She packed the rest of her stuff. She grabbed her celestial bronze dagger, wrapping it carefully in a scarf, making sure it was hidden. She zipped the bag up, then slung it over her shoulder.

The moment she stepped out of her room, she nearly jumped out of her skin. There, standing in the living room, was a tall woman staring at the pictures of Sophie and her Uncle on the wall.

The woman turned around when she heard Sophie, smiling and holding her arms out. "Sophie."

Sophie bit her lip. "Hi, Mom," she said, through clenched teeth. Hecate showing up was definitely not part of her plan to get to camp quickly.

"I just came to stop by," Hecate said, sitting down on the sofa, like she was preparing for a long talk. "I wanted to give you this."

Sophie felt something heavy in the pocket of her grey cargo pants. She reached in and pulled out a small metal object. It was a lighter. Sophie could tell right away.

The lighter was silver, fitting perfectly in the palm of her hand. It had a design on it—an engraved circle with smaller ovals inside, swirling around like a spiral, and in the center, a star outline.

Hecate smiled softly. "Open it."

Sophie clicked the lighter open, and immediately, a medium-sized sword appeared in her hand. It looked like metal, but darker, almost black. It felt strange—like it was pulling the light out of the room, making the shadows stretch and grow.

Sophie moved the sword in her hand, feeling its weight. It was perfect. Unlike the other swords she'd used at camp, this one felt like it was made for her. The size was right, the balance was perfect.

"It's made of Stygian Iron," Hecate explained. "A metal from the Underworld. You can flip the lid on the bottom right to turn it back into a lighter, or left to use it as an actual lighter."

Sophie turned the lid to the left. The sword disappeared, and the lighter was lit, burning bright and tall in her hand. She flipped the lid back, closing it, and slipped the lighter back into her pocket.

Hecate gave her a small, almost soft smile, but then her expression turned serious again. "Well, Sophie. I'll see you again sometime soon. Good luck this summer."

Sophie wanted to ask why she would need luck, but before she could, Hecate was gone, leaving Sophie standing in the quiet apartment, alone again. 












FINALLY GOT THIS CHAPTER OUT 🙏

I'M SO SORRY IT TOOK ME SO LONG 😭 BUT LIKE 6300 WORDS?!?! I THINK THAT'S THE MOST YET.

What are your opinions on Liam. I promise It'll make more sense why he's in it later

Also if your wondering the symbol on Sophie's lighter is supposed to be Hecate's Symbol

There is a lot of debate whether this is a symbol of Hecate, but from what i saw it was a modern, yet ancient symbol. I'm doing a bit more research into it tho :)

Not too sure what I think of the whole Liam encounter, or the apple thing. I feel like its kinda cringe, but i like the idea 😭.

ALSO THE VENGEANCE SAGA?!?!?!? LOVE IT!

Also if you want to communicate with me, or any updates on anything I do have an instagram @Blakehowel 🫶

Thanks for reading.

Blake  🫡