epiphany ━━ chapter ii.
. . . breaking the laws

NOVA AND ANNABETH'S friendship had started when they were only ten years old.

It had been the summer Nova arrived at the camp. The first week or so, she had been glued to Ronan's side. She had been a little, lost puppy, following him around everywhere until the older boy had decided that she needed a friend her own age.

There weren't many to pick from—the campers usually arrived when they where around 13, so there weren't many ten-year-olds—and that was why, even though the girls had nothing in common, the pick fell on Annabeth Chase.

It hadn't been friendship at first sight, but as the two girls began spending more time together, they learned that their differences made them an even stronger duo.

Because of the two girls special friendship, nobody was surprised when Annabeth was the one to step forward and put an arm around Nova's shoulders.

"Come on, Nove," The blonde girl purposely led her slightly shorter friend away from the lawn and towards the cabins.

She considered which one to choose for a moment, but ended up settling for cabin 3. In there, they were sure to get privacy, and neither Percy nor Tyson would care if they sat in there for a while.

It smelled like seawater when they entered, and the salty air was enough for Nova to escape her trance.

"He's not dead." She whispered, sitting herself on the nearest bed.

"Nobody said that."

"But they all looked like they thought it," Nova's eyes were glistening with tears as she met her friend's gaze. "He can't be gone, Beth."

"I- I can't promise that he's alive, but you don't know if he's dead either. You can't assume anything." Annabeth's face was serious as she spoke to her friend.

Nova nodded and tried to take a deep breath to calm herself down. "You're right. I can't-"

She got interrupted when a person entered the cabin.

"Annabeth? Are you in he-" Percy Jackson stepped into his cabin with a slight frown on his face. As his eyes landed on the two girls, he cut himself off, and his frown deepened. "Oh. Hi? Are you alright?"

He looked from his blonde friend to the crying girl sitting beside her on his bed. He recognised her as one of the girls from the Apollo Cabin, but he couldn't put a name on her face.

Annabeth let out a small sigh. "Hi Percy," She shifted slightly closer to the brunette girl on the bed. "Sorry we barged in. We just needed a quiet place to sit for a minute."

"Oh, no, it's completely fine! I'll just- I'll just go again." He awkwardly smiled at the two as he began backing out.

"Don't be silly. It's your cabin." Nova spoke up for the first time since the boy entered. "I'll go,"

She went to stand up, but Percy, after receiving a stern look from Annabeth, stopped her.

"No! Don't go! I'm sorry." He smiled a friendlier smile as he stuck out his hand for her to shake. "I'm Percy."

The girl smiled slightly as she took his hand, forgetting how sad she was only moments ago. "I'm Nova."

"Nice to meet you, Nova," he shifted his look to Annabeth once again. "I was actually looking for you, there's a war council now."

"Oh, okay. I'll come with you then." She turned to look at Nova. "You can stay here for as long as you want, don't worry about Tyson. I'll be back soon!"

Nova merely nodded, her eyes following the other two as they walked out together.

✷ ✷ ✷

AFTER THE WAR council, it was decided that Annabeth should go to the oracle and get a prophecy.

Nova had appeared just as she went upstairs, and Percy watched as Lee Fletcher filled her in on the situation. It was obvious that she had cried, but no one commented on it.

They all stood in silence as they waited for the blonde girl, but Chiron stood up as soon as she came outside.

"My dear," he said. "You made it."

Annabeth looked at Percy first. Her eyes shined with fear. "I got the prophecy. I will lead the quest to find Daedalus's workshop."

Chiron scraped a hoof on the dirt floor. "What did the prophecy say exactly, my dear? The wording is important."

Annabeth took a deep breath. "I, ah...well, it said, you shall delve in the darkness of the endless maze..."

She hesitated for a moment and everyone waited in an anticipating silence.

"The dead, the traitor, and the lost one raise."

"And?" Chiron asked. "What is the rest?"

"You shall rise or fall by the ghost king's hand," Annabeth said, "the child of Athena's final stand."

Everyone looked around uncomfortably. Annabeth was a daughter of Athena, and a final stand didn't sound good.

"Are there more lines?" Chiron asked. "The prophecy does not sound complete."

Annabeth hesitated. "I don't remember exactly."

Chiron raised an eyebrow Nova frowned. Annabeth was known for her memory. She never forgot something she heard.

Annabeth shifted on her bench. "Something about ... Destroy with a hero's final breath."

"And?" Chiron asked.

She stood. "Look, the point is, I have to go in. I'll find the workshop and stop Luke. And ... I need help." She turned to Nova, who looked at her with obvious surprise. "Will you come?"

"Me?" The girl furrowed her eyebrows.

"Yes, you." Annabeth looked at her with absolute certainty. "We could use a child of Apollo and I think you're the right choice,"

Nova still seemed unsure. She wasn't made to go on quests. It wasn't her thing, but going down on the labyrinth actually didn't seem like such a bad idea in that moment. "Okay ... I'll do it." She sent Annabeth her most convincing smile.

"And Percy?" Her eyes shifted to the boy.

"I'm in." He didn't hesitate for a moment.

"And Grover and Tyson," Annabeth said. "I'll need you too."

Grover seemed to forget how much he hated the underground. The line about the "lost one" had completely energized him. "I'll pack extra recyclables for snacks!"

"Yay! Blow-things-up time!" Tyson clapped.

"Wait, Annabeth," Chiron said. "This goes against the ancient laws. A hero is allowed only two companions."

"I need them all," she insisted. "Chiron, it's important."

"Annabeth." Chiron flicked his tail nervously. "Consider well. You would be breaking the ancient laws, and there are always consequences. Last winter, five went on a quest to save Artemis. Only three came back. Think on that. Three is a sacred number. There are three fates, three furies, three Olympian sons of Kronos. It is a good strong number that stands against many dangers. Five ... this is extremely risky."

Annabeth took a deep breath. "I know. But we have to. Please."

Chiron sighed. "Very well. Let us adjourn. The members of the quest must prepare themselves. Tomorrow at dawn, we send you into the Labyrinth."

author's note
i'm so sorry for disappearing like that ☹️☹️ school is ruining me but i'm back now!!

if you're still reading this then i love u so so so much