I do not own anything of Percy Jackson and the series, Rick Riordan does. I follow the books and the plot and I do reuse some dialogue, but I alter them and fit it into my story. Again, copyright is all Rick Riordan's, I repeat, I do not own anything.

x

I haven't been able to sleep peacefully lately.

For any other person in my shoes, this would be 'curable', but as a child of Hypnos, it was deeply concerning.

Instead of normal dreams or deep sleep, I was getting dragged into a nightmare. It was a different realm. A bottomless pit. Dark and angry. Hungry.

Again, this place showed up in my sleep.

I had this feeling that this thing wasn't supposed to be so alive. The abyss should've been slumbering, barely moving, but there were small swirls among the slow whirlpools of emptiness. Dark matter moved slowly, sucking in life.

The gaping black pit almost looked inviting. The black hole whispered of the Void, lulling me into a slow pull. It promised me eternal slumber, a millennia of nothingness, and I found myself drawn to it. It was tempting me. It'd put me out of my quiet misery, I could let go of everything if I went in. Before I could draw closer, a pale blue butterfly appeared out of nowhere and flapped into my face.

"Do not give in." A voice whispered in my ear.

I turned, recognizing the pale blue butterfly daintily resting on my shoulder. It was the same butterfly from before, the one that woke me up every time I came to this same place in front of the abyss.

"Frightful, isn't it?" I recognized Hypnos' calm tone.

"It is," I agreed.

Tartarus.

The reason for my rebirth.

"Its early stirring shifted the balance of this world," Hypnos quietly murmured. "It now learns of your soul's purpose, so you will be attacked in your sleep far more frequently."

"I see."

"Wait for my sign," the god said before dissolving the nightmare.

I groaned and turned over, clutching my head. My whole head ached. Wincing with every move, I slowly climbed down from my bunk and trudged over to the female bathroom. Cold water helped me regain some sense and I fumbled around for a bottle of painkillers in the cabinet.

What was that supposed to mean, I wondered. What sign.

My body shivered at the thought of the cold, dark abyss. What worried me the most was that the darkness had been consuming my sleep lately. Ever since I'd left the cruise ship, fits of insomnia, nightmares, and cruel dreams prevented me from sleeping peacefully. The only time I had quality rest was when Clovis put a spell on me, however he had to maintain the magic while I slept, so the work drained his energy. He could only put me to sleep for eight hours at a time for every three days. I'd swing between caffeine-alertness and drowsiness afterwards, however the nightmares began plaguing my head every time I fell asleep without Clovis' help. Between one good night's sleep for every two nights, I was growing tired. Clovis wasn't too bothered with it since he could rest whenever he wanted.

I massaged the temples of my forehead to relieve some of the headache while I washed up. The school year was just about to end, so Cabin Eleven was currently a bit less occupied despite having residents all year round. Majority of campers would swarm into camp about two weeks later. Since I was homeschooled along with Paige and Justin, I had the flexibility to come to camp earlier than most. There was still junk lying around the cabin, but at least it wasn't on the floor since the demigods staying in camp could claim a bunk. The Stoll brothers weren't here, nor were most of the kids I recognized. At the moment, the cabin was empty, presumably lunch time.

Coming out of the bathroom, I came face to face with another Asian teenager.

Blinking blearily, I rubbed my face. "You're back?"

Ethan shifted, revealing a messy backpack lying on a bottom bunk. I peered around him and saw a pile of ziplocked ambrosia, snacks, and water bottles. A thin envelope peeked out of a pocket, I suspected it to hold some cash. If I had to guess, all of the stuff in the backpack was stolen goods.

"Ah, you just dropped by for a visit?"

"Yeah," Ethan said unashamedly as he resumed organizing the contents. Leaning against the bed pole, I observed him doing so against his obvious discomfort at me watching.

This guy had a spotty history with camp and that was saying something for the dozens of demigods who all had shifty track records with never staying in one place for too long. Sometimes, for one reason or another, a demigod would leave camp, preferring their old life in the world that had no rules, no curfew, and no godly presences. To some, Camp Half-Blood represented everything they hated about the current state of Greek godly affairs. The fact that there were only twelve cabins for the twelve Olympians made the children of minor gods and goddesses feel stunted to a lower class. The feeling worsened when they saw children claimed by the twelve having a cabin to call their own, shared with half-siblings, whereas the unclaimed had to pack into Cabin Eleven. It made you feel like you got the short end of the stick in life.

It wasn't fair, I knew.

Ethan Nakamura was one of the campers who came and left on his own accord. He'd leave when he felt stifled and came back when he ran out of supplies to survive on his own. Ethan had this same pattern cycle over and over for the last few years and since he never stayed for a full summer, no beaded leather necklace hung on his neck.

He'd grown, I noticed. Ethan had shot up like a bamboo shoot, narrowing his build and losing all of his pre-teen chubbiness. And he had lost an eye, judging from the black eyepatch that covered the left eye.

I gestured to my face. "Hey, what's that on your face?"

Ethan bristled at the question, I must have hit a sensitive spot. "An eyepatch."

"Huh. I was gonna say it looked like anxiety."

Shouldering the heavy backpack, Ethan sighed, "Shut up, Jade."

He was about to walk past me when I asked, "Where are you going this time?"

Ethan paused. "Anywhere," he replied honestly. "I heard of a ship that takes in runaway demigods, so I was thinking of tracking it down."

I made a sound of recognition. "Oh, you mean the Princess Andromeda. You sure about that?"

The demigod turned around in confusion. "You know about the ship?"

"Right, you weren't around during the whole fleece thing two years ago," I remembered. "It's the ship for the Titan Army, they recruit demigods who'll fight for them."

Immediately, Ethan snapped to rapt attention. "Really?"

He sounded dangerously interested.

I yawned, inducing Ethan to yawn as well. "Yeah, but I wouldn't be too excited about it. I heard that you have to protect yourself from the monsters that crawl on the ship."

I could see Ethan deliberating the pros and cons in his head, his resentment of the gods coming close to outweigh the safety factor.

"It might be something worth checking out," he determined. "It'd be better than wasting my time here. You want to come with me?"

I wrinkled my nose. "Nah, I'm fine here."

Ethan did a small sneer. "Suit yourself."

He left the cabin without looking back, disappearing over a hill away from the dining pavilion where no one would see him leave. I let out a small sigh and pulled out the silver necklace hidden under my sweater, gripping the scythe charm in my palm.

Luke, you there? I mentally conveyed.

Jade, there was a sense of relief in Luke's side of the communication device.

There's a demigod who just left camp, he's interested in joining the ship. I don't know if you remember Ethan Nakamura?

I do, it'd be good to have him. I'll have the hellhounds track him down, Luke told me. Let me know if other campers want to join. Anything else?

I let out a quiet hum, fiddling with the silver chain with my other hand. You been sleeping well lately?

Luke seemed surprised, Actually, yeah, I've been able to sleep okay. I haven't been hearing from… the Titan… in my dreams… is that your doing?

A little, I've been diverting his attention through dreams and the Mist.

Thank you, Jade, it's been helping me so much, Luke sounded so thankful. But you can't hold him off forever. I don't know what you're planning, but you can't just continue distracting a Titan. What're you trying to do?

I didn't answer him. Don't worry about it, I thought. I'll see you at the Titan palace when I swear my oath before the army attacks camp. I'll tell you how you can get out of this there.

It'd be too late by then, fear seeped into the mental link. The Titan will take me-

No, no one will be taking your body, I firmly said. I promise. Trust me, Luke.

Frustration and anxiety heightened, I felt the emotions swelling and pushing down onto me through the scythe charm. I sensed something like a heavy sigh breathe out when the negative feelings slowly cooled down.

I don't have anyone else to trust at this point anyway, Luke quietly conveyed. Okay, whatever you say, Jade.

We ended the connection after exchanging a few more words, then I tucked the scythe charm back underneath my sweater. Pulling on sneakers and a baseball cap, I headed out to grab something to eat from the pavilion. A wonderfully cool breeze brushed past me as I admired the deep green foliage hanging on the trees and the blooming flowers. Even though I preferred autumn with its own charm of warm, red colors contrasting a colder temperature, summer always looked best on Camp Half-Blood. Along the way, I crossed paths with Annabeth who looked pleasantly surprised to see me.

She gave me an easy smile. "Jade! When did you get here?"

We bumped shoulders as I replied, "Just yesterday. How's your year been?"

Annabeth actually brightened at my question. "Busy!"

"You like busy," I commented to which she vigorously nodded.

"Chiron's been amping our training and it's amazing," she gleefully explained. "On top of training, we've been having a lot of discussions about battle plans and war strategies, it's so much fun. I have to show you the stuff we've come up with."

We got lunch together, picking out fruits from a large woven basket that the tree nymphs kept filled, and grabbed metal plates to put together our own sandwiches. At the bronze fire brazier, Annabeth shoveled a portion of her salad and an entire apple. I followed suit, tossing in a half of my sandwich and two bananas. Annabeth sent me a silent question at my hefty tribute, but I ignored the pointed look as I smelled a gentle scent of rosemary rising from the fire. A bigger tribute usually meant that you were worried about something and hoping for your godly parent's guidance.

"I'm not too hungry," I said lightly as I followed her to sit at Athena's table. Since there weren't that many campers around, no one cared about me breaking the rules.

Annabeth happily launched into a long-winded chatter about how much Chiron had been going to her for brainstorming sessions while we also updated each other on our lives. We traded sentiments on the awkwardness of having step-siblings, and we both agreed that younger step-siblings are less trouble than older ones. Annabeth did show fascination on how my step-siblings were clear sighted, but she pitied me at how they had a penchant of meddling into my demigod life.

"Clear sighted mortals should stay out of Greek business," she said with a frown. "They don't have the training we do when it comes to trouble."

"Yeah, well, it's hard to avoid trouble if their step-sibling is a demigod," I said apologetically.

"Percy's mom is clear sighted," Annabeth said off-handedly. "Oh, speaking of which, I'm hanging out with Percy after his orientation. We're planning on watching a movie and then getting something to eat after, want to join?"

I cracked a grin. "How did Percy find a school to accept him?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Apparently his mom's boyfriend is a teacher there, lucky for him."

"How nice. I'll pass, though." I rested my head on the picnic table.

Annabeth mirrored me, her grey eyes piercing through my cap. "Why not? It'll be fun."

I shrugged. "I think Percy's mad at me. Besides, I'm sure you'd enjoy some one-on-one time with him."

The daughter of Athena blushed at my insinuation, squeaking, "It's not a date!"

"I didn't say it was a date," I pointed out teasingly, poking her shoulder. The blonde slapped my fingers away.

"Ow."

Annabeth folded her arms. "Percy's not mad at you. He's just… confused."

I raised a brow at that. "Confused," I said flatly.

"Last year when Percy went on the quest with the Hunters, he said that Zoë said something about you," Annabeth said in a measured tone. "Apparently, the Hunters knew exactly who they were going to face on Mount Othrys because you confirmed it before they left camp."

That doesn't explain why he's 'confused'.

"And which part of that bothers him?" I asked, still puzzled.

Annabeth pressed her lips together, deciding whether or not to tell me. "Percy's confused about why you were so obsessed with Zoë even though you knew about her future. And, well, he was annoyed that you knew something so important, but you didn't tell him."

I huffed in amusement at that reason. "Since when did Percy feel entitled to what I know?"

"When it concerns his life," Annabeth contested with a hint of exasperation. "Jade, why didn't you say something?"

"Zoë knew, and she told them in the end, so it's not like he walked in without knowing."

"That's not the point, Jade, you should've told him directly."

I carelessly brushed off her point. "He was going to be fine, he's got plot armor."

Annabeth threw her hands up. "A prophecy isn't a 'plot', Jade!"

I had to disagree with that statement. "It definitely is."

The daughter of Athena groaned in irritation. "Whatever, I'm not arguing this with you. You're sidetracking this conversation anyway, so I'm deciding for you. You are coming with me to see Percy."

"I really don't want to-"

Annabeth drew close to my face and stared me down. "You are coming."

I closed my eyes, wondering as to why Annabeth was so pushy with me. It was one of the many things of my life that I didn't understand how it came to be.

"Ugh."

As a stoic philosopher and centaur seer, Asbolus rarely expressed his emotions plainly. However, my dream meeting with him and Clovis must have finally cracked a nut in his head.

"This-this is madness," the centaur sputtered in disbelief. "What you're suggesting is absolutely-"

"Crazy, I know," I dismissed his shock. "Can we get past that part, and focus on whether or not it'll work?"

We sat in a triangle in an enclosed space of guarded dreams. Clovis, having a greater affinity for the mystics in dreams, shrouded our presence in the netherworld with heavy clouds that contained human dreams. No demigod would intrude upon our meeting on accident, nor could Kelli infiltrate the dream without alerting Clovis, and not even gods would find us unless they were specifically targeting us. It was a safe, secure space to discuss some highly classified information.

Clovis' normally glazed soft brown eyes hardened into a sharp stare. "Jade, you can't be serious. There's no way Chiron will agree to this and I doubt Annabeth and Percy would be happy about it, either."

"And that's why they won't know until it's too late," I said. "So, will it work or not? I've already thought it through probably a hundred times, but I'd like your opinions."

Asbolus gave me the stink eye. "I doubt our opinions would sway your resolve."

"Nope." I humorlessly smiled. "But if there's a hole in the plan, I'd like to fix it."

Asbolus and Clovis both grimaced at my stubbornness. I felt especially sorry towards Clovis, since he obviously didn't like my idea one bit; I was also shoveling a portion of heavy weight on him when all would be said and done. He might have to endure a bit of heat from Chiron and everyone else. Asbolus, being the apathetic centaur he was, didn't care for me life, but he was more concerned about the implications. The centaur could go trip into a ditch after informing Hypnos of my demise.

Since Clovis was reluctant to say anything that would sound like he approved of my plan, Asbolus spoke first after a moment of their contemplation.

"Despite the insanity, should all go well, I foresee a probable certainty of the Titan agreeing," Asbolus said slowly. "However, I stress myself strongly, when I say 'should all go well'. If anything were to be awry, you'd only create a larger disaster."

"Well, considering the circumstances of my rebirth, I have a strong feeling that everything will work out just fine," I remarked lightly, ignoring Clovis' pointed look. "I'm not changing my mind, so this is everything you can relay to my father."

Asbolus shook his head. "I pray that you realize the depths of what your actions will bring to the Fates."

"The Fates know," I said. Asbolus's black eyes narrowed at that, but he didn't push the topic.

"I shall inform your father of today's meeting. He will show a sign if he acknowledges you," the centaur solemnly said. Asbolus closed his eyes and then disappeared into a cloud of dust, leaving our woven maze of dreams.

I took a glance at Clovis. My half-brother, who was usually so passive, so complacent, and so accepting of my willful nature, now looked aggravated. His eyebrows scrunched and I could tell he wasn't happy, yet I couldn't help but observe that he resembled a petulant baby calf.

"You're angry," I noted.

"Yeah," Clovis said, but he didn't elaborate.

I sighed. "How come?"

Clovis was quiet for a minute and I could see the storm brewing in his mind.

"You… you're not-," he struggled with the words. "You're not giving anyone a chance to help you. You could have Chiron help you, or Annabeth, or that son of Poseidon, or Nico. But… you only have me doing something and it's not even that big of a responsibility. I'm just a messenger for when you're gone, so why do you insist on doing everything by yourself?"

"Mother Teresa told me that the Fates required my soul-"

"And that's not fair." Clovis cut me off. The firmness in his voice stunned me. "It's so messed up, it's not fair-"

Clovis tentatively grabbed my jacket and looked at me in the eyes, pleading, "Why does it have to be this way? Can't you think of something else instead of this? This can't be the only way."

I placed a hand over his. "My way limits the impact on others. If everything gets pinned on me, it's easier for everyone else. When the Great Prophecy completes itself, the aftermath should produce enough Mist and Titan remnants to temporarily patch the hole in the Fates' weaving. Tartarus has been showing signs of awakening earlier than anticipated for years. My soul will be what holds the seal long enough until the Prophecy of Seven begins."

Clovis leaned into me. I could almost smell his milky scent through the dream.

As expected, my words didn't change Clovis' mind, but I couldn't control that.

"Why does it have to be you?" he muttered.

I patted his head. "Because the Fates purposely picked my soul from the fields for the reaping, knowing that I'd serve their purposes. It's the only reason why I've been rebirthed without washing in the River Lethe. I have to be omniscient to know what I'm supposed to do."

"You're no different than the Ophiotaurus," Clovis said quietly.

I made a sound of agreement. The only dissimilar detail between me and the sacrificial cow was that the creature was pure. The Fates didn't require a pure soul, simply one that was unstained. It had to have a first and second life of simplicity: no glory, no fame, no special legacy or remarkable characteristics, but also no corruption or corrosion in the heart. It's why Hypnos also chose me. He had no grand lineage and wasn't even part of the twelve Olympians, relegated into the category of 'minor god' when he was truly a being of imposing power. With me finishing the Fates' work, his presence would grow stronger. Then as a result of Hypnos' newfound status, Clovis and our other half-siblings would have a better life in camp.

This life was never my own in the first place.

Rachel was a spunky redhead.

I watched Percy anxiously trying to appease a vexed Annabeth at his right while also trying to brush off Rachel on his left. When he focused a second more on the blonde, Rachel huffed in frustration, tapping her toes against the asphalt impatiently. Honestly, it was funny seeing Percy so out of his depths and I had to hide a snicker.

Literally stuck between a rock and a hard place.

My baseball cap covered my face, but I made a point to the side, away from them to avoid drawing attention.

Annabeth had dragged me out with her to spend the day with Percy after his high school orientation. The plan had been to catch a movie and then grab something to eat, so we were waiting outside Goode High School for Percy while lightly bickering over my hat. Annabeth had started the minor fuss by inciting our usual New York Yankees versus LA Dodgers fight, but she had dropped it once we heard glass shatter across the street. Two teenagers jumped through a broken window on the first floor of the school gym, and when we saw that one of them was Percy, Annabeth took me by the wrist to meet them halfway.

Alarm bells were ringing through the school and the loud clanging drew the attention of pedestrians. Students were already beginning to file outside as per emergency evacuations.

"Jade, Mist please," she commanded. At her command, I snapped twice, Mist hissing at my fingers. The first diverted all onlookers away from the school grounds, ignoring the four of us standing on the sidewalk. The second disguised the broken glass scattered on the ground and gaping window as a small fire. The mortals around us, hypnotized by the Mist, acted accordingly to the illusions and Rachel saw the changes in their behavior with a frown.

Seeing how I was the one who was causing this disturbance in reality, the redhead turned to look at me with distrust and tapped Percy's shoulder to get his attention.

"Is she one of the vampire-donkey-monsters?" she stage-whispered, pointing a not-so-discreet finger my way.

Annabeth herself was growing irritated at the situation. She'd been looking forward to a fun afternoon spent with friends, one of which she harbored feelings that went beyond 'friendship', but the said boy was currently involved with another girl.

Lashing out at any easy target, Annabeth snorted. "No. That's a dumb conjecture."

Rachel made a face at the blatant snub. Percy tried to come to Annabeth's defense, however his attempt only pushed him into another round of arguing.

"Jealousy is an ugly look," I muttered to the side. The daughter of Athena scowled fiercely at my words.

"Shut up," Annabeth muttered back.

I honestly didn't think I'd have a chance to see Rachel. She wasn't someone I was particularly interested in despite her future position as the new Oracle. The Oracle had glimpses into the future, but they were specifically created for espousing prophecies. Even if they knew the future, they were honor bound from explicitly telling people of destinies and could only say vague warnings. I already knew my future, so I didn't have use for her.

Besides, if I got involved with Rachel early on and Kronos' army found out about her abilities, they would have exploited her.

Rachel and I met eyes for a moment. For a second, I was curious if she'd get affected by my sleep-inducing stare even though she had the Sight. As expected, Rachel wasn't caught off-guard like my clear-eyed step-siblings, but something akin to horror crept over her face the longer she looked at me.

I tilted my head at that. What's she seeing in me?

It was getting apparent that we needed to leave as fire truck sirens were growing louder in the distance. We had to be gone by the time law enforcement and emergency backup would flood the street.

Percy apologized profusely to Rachel. "I'm so sorry that you got into this mess, but I have to go-"

Rachel bit her lip, but she didn't push the matter and instead waved him off. "Fine, go. I'll cover you, but you have to promise me that you'll tell me what's going on."

She pulled out a permanent marker from her jeans back pocket, grabbed Percy's hand, and then scribbled down a cell phone number on the back of his hand. Annabeth was almost fuming at this point; she looked ready to stab something. Before parting ways, Rachel leaned over and whispered something into Percy's ear, his eyebrows scrunching at whatever she was telling him secretly. The close proximity agitated Annabeth even further, she opened her mouth to say something when I firmly held Annabeth's upper arm.

"You need to calm down," I said in a low tone. "You can't act this way when he isn't even fully aware of how you feel about him."

Panic briefly seized Annabeth's grey eyes at the realization that I knew of her crush on Percy. She hated it when something so personal about herself got revealed so openly. For all her toughness, high walls, and standoffish personality, Annabeth was fully aware that her feelings were delicate which was why she was all the more defensive about them.

We waited for Rachel to finish whispering. I was sure Annabeth was going to interrogate Percy-boy about it later, so I didn't feel the need to eavesdrop. I raised a brow when Percy almost ripped himself away from the redhead's closeness, shaking off a hand on his shoulder.

"You don't know what you're talking about," he said tightly, clearly upset at whatever he'd been told. His unfriendly tone hurt Rachel, making her flinch back.

"Let's go," Percy barked at me and Annabeth, walking away without a proper farewell to the redhead. I'd never heard Percy sound so stern before, especially towards me.

"Oh, going commando on us now?" I joked.

"Not now, Jade," he gritted out. "Come on, we're going to camp."

"What about the movie? Food? I wanted to get a croissant from that one bakery on Main Street, I'd been looking forward to it forever-"

"Camp," Percy and Annabeth chorused, glaring at me, then at each other, annoyed by their synchronized reaction. Both of them crossed their arms and refused to look at each other's way the entire time we walked away from the school vicinity. I did a double take between them.

"Two peas in a pod," I said blithely behind the two. So much for a fun afternoon.

The entire taxi ride to the edge of Camp Half-Blood was silent and what made it worse was that I was awkwardly inserted between Annabeth and Percy. I was essentially accompanied by two broody teenagers, one who was moody about her conflicted feelings and the other bothered by whatever Rachel said to him. Additionally, I had a vague suspicion that they both were hiding something from me though I couldn't exactly place my finger on what it was. As much as I'd usually care and slightly prod them about this sort of thing, I had my own fill of worries.

Once we crossed the border into camp and entered the grounds, the three of us went looking for Chiron. We found him in the glade of the forest edge and in the middle of a meeting for the Council of Cloven Elders. The old satyrs were listening to a crying tree nymph's testimony and surprisingly, Clarisse was there too, comforting the nymph. Annabeth and Percy got closer, interrupting the meeting whereas I held back as I only wanted to see Chiron. As the camp director, Chiron was incredibly busy right before the summer season, so I hadn't been able to have a private meeting with him since I'd been back.

Catching sight of me, Chiron excused himself from the council, promising to speak with Annabeth and Percy another time, and left the forest edge with me. I could feel Annabeth and Percy's questioning looks on my back, but I didn't turn around.

"I have a lot to tell you," I told Chiron in a low voice.

Chiron rested a hand on my shoulder and squeezed in anticipation. "In the office, child."

At the Big House, Chiron made sure to secure his office from eavesdroppers before I reported everything that I had learned about Luke, Kronos' Army, and their plans. It was disheartening to see the old centaur's face sag at the mention of numerous demigods pledging allegiance to the Titan King. He seemed marginally cheered up when I told him of the leftover demigods stashed in a safehouse in L.A. though everything else negated whatever optimism that existed. Chiron had already spent the past year toughening the campers' training program unbeknownst to everyone, simply assuming that their director wanted to pose a challenge. We agreed that training from now must be specifically designed for warfare instead of one-on-one encounters. Chiron also had the Hephaestus cabin take inventory of their metals, weapons, traps, and tools of war.

Chiron raised his eyebrows when I produced the vial of River Styx water.

"Jade, I won't ask how you got your hands on this, but what do you intend to use this for?" He asked resignedly as he gingerly held the glass tube.

"I was thinking you could create a branch of the River Styx around the Labyrinth entrance in the forest," I said hurriedly. "I know it sounds crazy, but-"

"No, no, I understand what you mean," Chiron said thoughtfully, running a hand through his beard. "It would be an incredibly powerful part of defense. We would require both Percy and Nico's powers to connect this small pool of water to the main body underground. The only reservation I hold is its ability to grant a certain curse."

Of course. "The Curse of Achilles?"

Chiron nearly grimaced. "Yes, I hope that the campers do not realize the opportunity should they see the extension of this river. However, I believe this won't be an issue since the curse is issued only at the main river."

We talked some more, I tried to recall every monster I'd seen on the cruise ship and Chiron wrote down everything I listed. The centaur would use the notes to arrange the training regime and preparations for war accordingly. I also mentioned the army's intention to invade camp before the year ended.

Chiron's expression darkened. "We'll launch full-action preparations immediately. A war council shall be appointed as well."

"Sounds good. That's all I have from this summer," I got up from my chair.

"Jade, I thank you for your service, and for staying safe," the centaur said gratefully. He gave me a firm pat on the shoulder before dismissing me.

I walked out of his office, feeling relieved to get that meeting out of the way, and then got assaulted by Percy and Annabeth in front of the Big House.

"Spill," the blonde demanded. "What did you talk to Chiron about?"

I was deciding which white lie I should say when Chiron stepped out of the Big House behind me.

"Cabin inspection is about to begin in less than ten minutes," he informed us. "I highly suggest that you go and check if you are prepared for it."

He said this while silently implying that Annabeth and Percy should leave me alone. Annabeth narrowed her eyes, examining me and Chiron sharply, while Percy simply seemed confused as to why Chiron was interrupting. The two of them left, and I could see their heads bowed together, discussing quietly what they suspected of me.

"They'll get suspicious if you cover me like that," I told him.

Chiron watched Annabeth and Percy's retreating figures. "I believe we both know how your secret won't last for long when those two are already suspecting something."

I sighed because he was completely right.

x

Yo, this is the quickest update I've done for this story. Please thank me (jk).