Aaand here we are with another fanfiction! This one is Heroes of Olympus, and it's a little unususal. It's set after Blood of Olympus, but way back when I started thinking it up, Uncle Rick hadn't yet announced Trials of Apollo. So this fic kind of replaces ToA, if that makes sense.

Some of you may have realised the significance of the date. It is of course December 17, Hazel Levesque's birthday!

Well, on with the story…

Hazel's day went from average to wonderful to terrible – and all before lunchtime.

OOO

It started out normally enough, with a horrible dream. Demigod dreams were usually bad, but this one was worse than most.

Hazel was running through darkness, aware of some malevolent presence chasing her. She didn't know what it was, or why it was targeting her. She only knew that she had to get away.

As Hazel ran, she began to make out objects in the blackness ahead of her. Nearing them, she saw that they were – of all things – her friend's weapons. Here was Annabeth's bronze knife, the one she said had once been an Egyptian magician's wand. Here Percy's sword, Riptide. Hazel ran past Piper's dagger, Katoptris, and Jason's golden gladius. Past Frank's bow. Then Leo's blacksmith's hammer. A sob built in Hazel's throat when she saw it.

Then she passed a weapon she had never seen before – an intricate silver knife. Hazel had no time to examine it though. The presence was gaining on her.

Give up, little demigod. Seeming to come from the darkness, the voice was pure evil. True, you have come further than any of your friends did, but you cannot run forever. Soon I will catch you, and then you will die.

Hazel's legs ached. Her heart pounded against her ribs. She hadn't felt this hopeless since she'd fought Clytius in the House of Hades, desperate to avoid the giant's dark magic.

You were a worthy opponent, daughter of Pluto. The darkness was all around her now. But you could not escape me. No one can stop me now.

The darkness surrounded her. Hazel heard her own sword fall to the ground as she felt her body dissolve into smoke.