The morning dawned with an unusual stillness, the kind that made Percy Jackson sit up straighter in her bunk. The vibrant sounds of Camp Half-Blood—the clash of training swords, the laughter of campers—felt muted. Percy blinked against the golden sunlight streaming through the cabin window.

Then she felt it.

It was faint at first, like a whisper of wind brushing against her soul. A pull. Not the kind that demanded urgency, like a quest or a prophecy, but something deeper. It thrummed in her chest, resonating with an ache she didn't know she had.

"Percy?" Annabeth's voice cut through her thoughts. Her best friend stood in the doorway, her blonde hair tied back in a no-nonsense ponytail. "You okay? You look... spaced out."

"Yeah," Percy replied, though she wasn't sure it was true. She rubbed the back of her neck, glancing out the window toward the forest that bordered the camp. "I just need some air. I'll catch up with you later."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow but didn't push. "Alright. Don't forget we've got training with Chiron this afternoon."

Percy waved her off and stepped outside. The pull grew stronger as she approached the edge of the forest, the familiar trees casting long shadows. She had walked these paths a hundred times, but today they felt different—alive in a way she couldn't explain.

The rustle of leaves drew her gaze to a clearing ahead. There, bathed in dappled sunlight, stood Artemis.

The goddess of the hunt was as ethereal as ever, her silver hair glinting like moonlight and her eyes piercing as they locked onto Percy's. She leaned casually against a tree, her bow slung across her back.

"You felt it," Artemis said without preamble.

Percy hesitated, her fingers twitching at her sides. "Felt what?"

"Our bond," Artemis replied, stepping forward. "It's stronger now."

Bond? Percy's mind raced, confusion flickering in her sea-green eyes. "What bond? I didn't sign up for anything."

A ghost of a smile touched Artemis's lips. "No, you didn't. This isn't something that can be chosen or ignored. It simply is."

The words stirred something in Percy, an instinctive understanding she couldn't yet name. "Why now?"

Artemis tilted her head, her expression thoughtful. "The events of the past months—the battle with Nyx, the chaos in Olympus—they've awakened something ancient. Our connection has existed since your birth, Percy, but now it demands recognition."

Recognition? Percy felt like she was drowning on dry land. She had faced monsters, gods, and world-ending threats, but this was different. It was personal.

"I don't understand," she admitted, her voice quieter.

"You will," Artemis said, her tone gentle but firm. "For now, trust that this bond is not a burden but a gift. It will shape you, challenge you, and, if you let it, strengthen you."

Percy looked into Artemis's eyes and saw something she hadn't expected—vulnerability. The goddess wasn't commanding her; she was inviting her into something larger than herself.

And for reasons Percy couldn't explain, she nodded.

"Okay," she said. "I'll try to trust it."

Artemis smiled then, a rare and fleeting expression that lit up the clearing. "Good. You'll need that trust in the days to come."

Before Percy could ask what she meant, Artemis turned and disappeared into the forest, leaving only the faint scent of pine and moonlight in her wake.

Percy stood there for a long moment, the weight of her words settling in. Whatever this bond was, it had already begun to change her.

And something told her it was only the beginning.