[ex oblivione]

For the first week of classes, Tessa tried to ignore the oddities surrounding her life as of late. She brushed off her nightmares, her feelings of paranoia, dismissing them as symptoms of her anxiety and nothing more. It wouldn't be healthy to dwell on them, not when she had so much to anticipate.

For the most part, her plan was working. She found herself enjoying her classes as they broke into the curriculum, and her free time outside of class was spent with study sessions and hang-outs with her friends and Kaden. To Tessa, it felt like she was finally catching a break from her life of danger and mystery. She and her friends had served their time, and now, they were free.

However, Tessa's grace period was beginning to end. She could feel her grasp on the situation beginning to weaken, like trying to hold onto a fistful of sand and watching as it filtered out from between your fingers. It was only a matter of time before her hands were empty.

The daughter of Poseidon readjusted the strap of her bookbag on her shoulders, walking silently down the cobblestone paths in the quad. Mild gusts of autumn wind made her locks of chocolate hair whip as she moved, and in the gales, multi-colored leaves fell from the trees around her in spirals. Students dotted the courtyard; sitting on benches, walking from classes, all looking as calm and mildly frazzled as Tessa was beginning to relate to.

As Tessa walked to her class, she found herself lost in thought. Imogen's words from earlier that week still reverberated within her head, in a constant loop through her mind. Something was off with Madi, and Tessa hadn't been able to speak with her half-sister since they first arrived in New Rome. She considered finding Ben, Madi's boyfriend, but as fate would have it, she wouldn't have to.

The second daughter of Poseidon came dashing around a corner, her black hair whipping in the wind as she ran. Madi's hazel eyes were filled with some sort of panic, and as she glanced over her shoulder as if to check if the coast was clear, she nearly ran straight into Tessa.

"Madi!" Tessa exclaimed, reaching out to steady her sister. "What's up?"

Madi jumped, a spooked look in her eyes that only began to sow worry into Tessa's mind. She took a quick breath, glanced back over her shoulder, and met Tessa's calculating gaze.

"Nothing," The hazel-eyed girl spoke. "Nothing's up."

Tessa narrowed her eyes at her sister. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Madi shut her eyes, taking a quick breath. "Tessa, I promise you that nothing is wrong. Okay? Now I really have to go or else I'm gonna be late."

"Madi, please—" Tessa tried, but her sister interjected her by dashing off down the cobblestone paths, without so much as a second glance.

Tessa watched Madi go, dragging a hand through her hair in exasperation. If it was one thing that Madi made clear in that brief interaction, it was that something was definitely wrong. The only question was what. What could have spooked Madi so badly that she couldn't even talk about it?

At last, Tessa continued on her way to class, jogging her way into the immaculate building it was held in. However, even as she settled into her seat, Tessa couldn't shake the worry out of her head. The only thing to break her distraught reverie was the sound of a voice chiming at her side.

"Excuse me? Do you mind if I sit beside you?"

Tessa tore her gaze from her fixation on the horizon and looked up. A tall girl with caramel colored hair stood before her, with wide doe eyes that did a lot to explain her aura. She seemed to radiate nerves and anxiety, like the slightest sudden movement would make her freak out. The girl made careful eye contact with Tessa, as if she couldn't dare to hold her gaze for too long.

"Oh, uh, yeah," Tessa said with a nod. "Go ahead."

The girl looked up at the ceiling with a sigh of relief, as if she was thanking the gods. Quickly, she slid into the sit beside Tessa, setting her stuff on the ground.

"I hope I didn't bother you, I'm a little late to start this course so I figured all the seats would be taken and they were," The girl laughed sheepishly, biting on her lip. "My name is Ariel, by the way."

Tessa arched an eyebrow at the girl—Ariel—and allowed a small, courteous smile to lace her lips. "I'm Tessa."

Ariel nodded. "It's nice to meet you, Tessa. Thank you for letting me sit by you."

"It's no problem," Tessa smiled, and turned to consult the front of the room when her vision caught on a golden ring on Ariel's hand.

It was intricately curved, as it was made up of sleek arches and lines rather than one single band. However, the strangest thing about it was that the sight of it tickled at Tessa's memory, as if she should know what the ring was supposed to be.

Ariel knit her eyebrows at Tessa, following her gaze down to her hand. Quick as an adder, the girl dropped her hand to her other side, where Tessa couldn't see it.

Before Tessa could ask, class began. Their ancient professor began his lecture on the literature of the eras, but Tessa only held onto bits and pieces, granules of words that slipped through her grasp. Her mind had split into two planes: one to try and comprehend the lesson, and the other to try and recall what Ariel's ring was a symbol of.

But each time Tessa tried to nonchalantly sneak a glance, Ariel blocked her gaze. It was as if the ring was some sort of secret; one that had to remain hidden and buried at all costs necessary.

~~

The campus coffee shop had become Tessa's refuge outside of her dorm room. After her classes, she'd stop in and get some of her work done in the cozy atmosphere it provided. She and Kaden had started up a sort of tradition to get coffee after class each day, and Tessa could feel that while it had already become her refuge, the small café would provide for a lot more memories and good times to reflect on.

That was, not including now.

Tessa typed aggressively on her laptop, the tabs staring back at her filled with anything but the answers she needed. She'd given up on her assignment for the time being, her mind still locked on Ariel's mysterious ring from earlier that day. There was something that felt off about it, and where things felt off, they were almost always despicable enough to make Tessa's life hell.

As Tessa searched, downing her coffee with one hand and scrolling a page of search results with the other, she wondered if her actions were logical. She was running on pure paranoia, the result of too many battles hardly fought and sorely won. Everything that she wasn't instantly familiar with was enough to startle her and raise suspicion, and wouldn't she rather just call off this witch hunt and do her work in peace?

The sound of the chimes above the door ringing through the air became her answer, and Tessa looked up eagerly to see Kaden, but found Reese instead. The son of Apollo nodded to her in greeting, sauntering over to sit opposite her.

"Why are you here?" Tessa frowned, glancing back at her screen.

She didn't have to look up to know the face Reese was making at her. "What kind of greeting is that?"

"A plausible one," Tessa answered, flashing him a sarcastic look. "Kaden was supposed to meet me."

"Which is why I'm here," Reese's responded, spurring Tessa's focus enough to tear her gaze from her laptop. "Kaden had to go meet with the Hunters in San Francisco. He said he's sorry that he couldn't make it, and he'll stop by your dorm later tonight to make up for it."

Instantly, Tessa understood. While Kaden was devoted to his friends and his work, both as a student and as praetor, his family was a dark splotch of ink on his life. He'd been raised with two siblings and his mortal father, living his whole life thinking his mother had abandoned them. Tragedy struck later on in his life, taking Thomas Gray and Landon Gray, Kaden's father and little brother, away from him.

After that, Kassie and Kaden split up, having discovered their true callings as children of the goddess of love. Kassie immediately joined the Hunters of Artemis, while Kaden found his way to New Rome before making it to Camp Half-Blood. In the years since, Kassie had become the Lieutenant of Artemis, and was busier than ever. Any chance that Kaden had to see her, he would take.

Tessa nodded to Reese, frowning at her computer screen. She reached up to shut it, but Reese stopped her, sliding out of his seat to stand at her side.

"What're you looking at?" Reese squinted at the words on the screen. " 'Symbols of the Ancient World'?"

Tessa bit her lip, debating whether or not she should come up with some lie. But on the other hand, this was Reese. The son of Apollo was one of her best friends, and the two trusted one another with their lives. Besides, maybe he knew something that she didn't.

And so Tessa found herself explaining Ariel's ring to Reese, handing him the napkin on which she'd sketched the symbol it created. The son of Apollo listened intently, his bright blue irises glazing over with the familiar clarity of thought. By the time Tessa was finished, Reese had already developed a theory.

"Let me see something," Reese turned the laptop towards him, and clacked away at the keyboards.

"What's your theory?" Tessa asked, eyes flicking from his face to the search results popping up on the screen.

Reese's irises scanned the pages popping up before him at lightning speed, even if he had to take a moment at times due to his mild dyslexia. "That symbol is one from before the gods, I remember reading about it in mythology class back at camp."

"Before the gods?" Tessa parroted in partial astonishment. "The Titans?"

Reese made a considerate face. "Could be, but I guess we're about to find out."

He continued to type, and at last, he searched through the last of the pages before swiveling the screen back to Tessa. "There."

Tessa leant forward and read what was on the screen, her turquoise irises widening in shock. "The symbol of Hyperion? But...how could that even..."

Reese shrugged. "Whatever your new friend is doing with a symbol of a Titan, I'm not sure you should find out."

Tessa arched an eyebrow at that. "You're telling me not to meddle?"

"And sometimes, I like to hope that you might listen to me when I tell you that." Reese winked.

Tessa rolled her eyes, but found herself staring at the symbol on the screen that matched the one she'd seen on Ariel's finger. It didn't make any sense; what was a seemingly innocent girl like Ariel doing with a symbol of a Titan?

The dark-haired girl groaned, shutting her computer screen. "Why can't I be faced with normal problems?" She beseeched the ceiling.

"Because you're the demigod daughter of a god from three thousand years ago," Reese stated blatantly.

Tessa face-palmed before meeting Reese's innocent look. "If you're going to keep me company, at least get me a refill on my coffee."

Reese shook his head with a sigh, but started for the small line to the counter. He turned back on his heel, eyeing Tessa suspiciously.

"By the way, did you tell Imogen the squirrel story?" He called. Tessa shot him a devious smile, and laughed as the son of Apollo stamped his foot on the floor in frustration and trudged to the back of the line, defeat on his face.

Tessa chuckled under her breath, tucking her laptop away into her bag. The sound of the small flat-screen TV hanging in the corner of the shop caught Tessa's ear, and she glanced up at it as the girl behind the counter turned up the volume.

"This just in, there has been a small explosion on a street within Las Vegas. Authorities do not have a lead as to what could have ignited the explosion, but eyewitnesses report seeing a suspicious figure leaving the scene just moments before fire caught." The news-woman said, before the screen cut to footage of firefighters putting out the flames.

Reese came back with coffee at that moment, eyeing the screen in a mix of anguish and intrigue. Tessa almost tried to divert the son of Apollo's attention, given that Reese's twin brother, Flynn, had supposedly perished in an explosion earlier that year, but the blond boy didn't seem fazed.

"Tessa, do you see that?" He muttered, eyes glued to the screen.

The daughter of Poseidon shook her head, but stood up and walked closer to the TV to watch. Footage of the fire-fighters putting out the flames continued on the screen as bystanders watched in horror, but sure enough, something seemed off.

And there, Tessa saw it.

A man clad in dark clothing was walking down the sidewalk opposite the explosion, his head down as if not to be recognized. Tessa would have missed it at first, but when she caught the streak of white-blond hair from beneath the man's hood, her heart stopped.

Eli.

~~

Kaden had fond memories of San Francisco. It was the city that had been his home for a few years, it was where he'd discovered his parentage, it was where he and Tessa had discovered crucial information to save their quest. Even if there was tragedy and anguish laced within each memory like barbs, Kaden still viewed the foggy city with eager emerald eyes.

Thankfully, Kassie had requested to meet within San Francisco and not in the wilderness somewhere. Kaden wasn't sure how he'd be able to find her, if that had been the case. The Hunters had a good way of staying hidden, especially to men. But Kaden's worries were quelled when he spotted his older sister at an outdoor café by the bay, and just like that, Kaden was sucked into the past.

He saw himself as a little kid, hardly able to tie his shoes, when Kassie had decided to join the Hunters. He'd known tragedy, he'd witnessed the deaths of his father and brother, and here was his last member of living family, leaving him.

"I won't be gone long, Kade," Kassie had said to him, hardly a teenager herself. And yet she seemed so mature, so sure that the path she'd decided was what she was destined for. "I'll come back to see you soon, I promise."

"Kaden?" Kassie's voice from the present ripped Kaden out of his memories, and he honed in on his sister's figure.

As Lieutenant of Artemis, Kassie had more power than the average Hunter. Combined with her abilities as a daughter of Aphrodite, she was able to manipulate her appearance at will and maintain her immortality. While she'd become immortal as a pre-teen, her appearance reflected that of a twenty-year-old girl—had she aged normally, that's how old she would have been.

Kassie donned the attire of her Hunters; silver camouflage pants, a black t-shirt, and a jacket. While the Mist was surely covering it, Kaden knew that her bow and quiver were strung across her back, and her hunting knife hung at her waist. However, despite it all, Kassie smiled warmly as Kaden approached.

"Hey, Kass," Kaden grinned, walking up to his sister and hugging her tightly. She smelled like she'd just been in the woods, which he supposed she actually had.

Kassie pulled away, sitting back down. "You've gotten taller since I last saw you," She noted. "What're you, like 6'1?"

"6'4," Kaden corrected.

Kassie's smile stretched. "I remember when you were barely 5'0."

"That's funny, I don't."

Kassie laughed, and Kaden found himself chuckling as well. Seeing his sister was a treasure he had to cherish, had to value, no matter how many embarrassing instances from their past she loved to bring up.

"Well, you've certainly been busy." Kassie continued, folding her arms across her chest. "Victor of a quest, drakon slayer, and praetor of the Twelfth Legion all in a year."

Kaden shrugged. "And how about you? Last time I saw you, I didn't know you'd become the Lieutenant of Artemis."

Kassie mimicked him, bringing her shoulders up quickly. "Us Grays, always striving for greatness."

At that, Kaden glanced down at his hand, where his father's ring rested on his hand. As soon as he'd grown enough to wear it, it never left his side. He still remembered the enchantment placed on it when he first got to Camp Jupiter, the spell that would permanently bind the ring to his golden gladius, in order to keep it concealed.

Kaden cleared his throat. "So, I have a favor to ask you."

Kassie arched an eyebrow. "I'm listening. Is it girl trouble? It better not be girl trouble. Tessa's a great girl, and you'd be an idiot to let her go."

"It's not! And trust me, I know," Kaden put his hands up in mock surrender. "But it tangentially has to do with her, though."

And so he filled Kassie in on Tessa's worries that had resurfaced earlier that week, about Vinny being alive. While he'd done all the research he could do, as well as consulting Luci, the augur, and Kaya, he couldn't find a clear answer. He knew that Tessa had valid reason to worry about Vinny being alive, given all that the traitor had put them through in the past nine months.

Kassie pursed her lips. "You want me to try and track Vinny down?"

Kaden exhaled, but nodded. "For the most part," He confirmed. "I just need an adamant answer as to whether or not he's alive."

For a scary moment, Kaden thought that his sister would reject his favor, but at last, the daughter of Aphrodite nodded. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you so much," Kaden breathed.

"Yeah, yeah," Kassie said sarcastically. "You owe me."

Kaden tossed his head back and laughed. "Alright, noted."

And it was true, even if he hadn't asked his sister of anything. Kaden's true weakness, his fatal flaw, was his loyalty to those he loved. He owed those he loved the world—Tessa, Kassie, his friends—and would do anything to make sure that they received it.

~~

A few hours later, and night began to fall over San Francisco. Kaden and Kassie departed, and even though Kaden wasn't sure when he would see his sister again, he knew that they'd find their way back to one another eventually.

On his way back to Camp Jupiter, Kaden picked up some of Tessa's favorite Chinese takeout as compensation for missing their coffee date. Knowing Tessa, she would pretend to be upset, only to have the façade crumble as soon as Kaden offered up cuddles and Chinese food to placate her.

Kaden smiled at the thought, walking down the streets of the city to where he'd parked his car. Another fun perk of being praetor: he got his own car. It had been a fun adventure to learn how to drive it, considering the fact that getting a learner's permit wasn't exactly Worry #1 on a demigod's mind, but he'd done it nonetheless.

However, even with his praetorian benefits and the thought of the love of his life on his mind, Kaden frowned as a wave of unease crept over him like the fog that engulfed San Francisco. He stopped in his tracks, muttering a quick apology to the masses of people that had to swerve around him, but allowed his battle senses to kick into gear.

His free hand slowly inched towards his golden ring, his emerald eyes sweeping the streets for the source of his discomfort. Kaden felt as if someone was watching him, with less than friendly intentions.

And he felt his blood run cold when he saw who it was.

Kaden watched as a carbon copy of himself stood on the opposite side of the street, hands stuffed into dark pockets. Copycat-Kaden wore a dark get-up, as black as the night above them, but it was like looking into a mirror; chestnut hair, emerald eyes, and lips curled into a cocky smirk.

Then just like that, a bus swept down the street, blocking Kaden's view of his doppelganger. His heart pounded in his chest, but as soon as the bus continued on its way, Kaden saw that there was no one on the opposite side, as if his mirror image had dissolved into fragments of the fog beginning to encroach upon the city.