𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐀𝐄𝐓𝐇 》 LEO VALDEZ ¹

―six. angry dragon

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𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖, 𝐘𝐎𝐔
𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃𝐍'𝐓 𝐁𝐄 𝐎𝐔𝐓
𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐄
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CHARLIE HAD ONCE BEEN A COWARD. That much was true, yes, but once the battles and quests had turned into a full-raged war, she hadn't run. She stayed put, beside her best of friends, beside some of the only people in the world who would ever understand her, and that was where she fought - beside them.

Figuratively, of course, it wasn't easy to navigate on a battle-field and they had easily become separated. Drew had been led left, fighting along side the rest of her cabin, the group of them being backed up by the Apollo cabin too, their advantages and weaknesses helping the other. Charlie hadn't been sure where Silena had gone, always assuming she too was with her cabin, but now she knew she had gone to her death instead. And Charlie?

Oh, Charlie had gone wherever the blade led her. Block left, a strike forward, dodge backwards, block forward, spin... it was all so blurry. And then suddenly, everything around her had cleared. The larger of her opponents seemed to be receiving a message, falling back to presumably a bigger threat, she could see her friends slowing to a stop, confusion and awe on their faces, and then it had all been washed away, drowned out by a blinding white light.

Charlie span on her heel, eyes wide and sword finally lowered to her side, a cut on the side of her neck stinging from the air - was it slightly harder to breathe here? She didn't care. Looking for someone to celebrate with, her eyes had landed on the three of them. Annabeth, Percy, and Luke.

Only - they weren't celebrating.

Luke laid limp in Percy's arms, his eyes still open and Charlie could see the shades of blue in his eyes evaporate, the life dying out. Denial. Charlie furrowed her brows, her fist clenching around her swords handle. They had told her he was savable, that he was being manipulated, that he could redeem himself, that he could come back, that they could be a family again...

Percy was crying, his cheeks glistened and shone in the light, his own eyes looked pretty lifeless themselves, no longer knowing whatever ignorant bliss he had had left. He gaped at her, words trying to form but not being able to.

Annabeth was the worst, however. Cheeks red and puffy from crying, the sides of her hands were wet from where she had rubbed them, they hung by her chest, hovering over her heart as they shook violently. Their eyes locked and suddenly the blonde was lunging at her.

''Charlotte, Charlotte, I'm so so sorry, I tried, we, we did, but Luke - Well, he, he - He's gone, Charlie.'' Her arms had wrapped around her, her face buried in her shoulder wanting to grieve together, but Charlie didn't understand, she hadn't had time to process and she didn't like what she was hearing.

Gently, as if touching pottery, Charlie had taken Annabeth's hands and pulled them off of her, pushing until they stood arms-width apart, the both of them looking completely lost. Annabeth sobbed again, lip quivering as she waited for Charlie to say something.

''No.''

The room was completely silent, even Annabeth's ragged breaths had been frozen momentarily. Percy nodded from where he sat. ''Charlie, listen,''

''No, you listen. The war is still going on. There's still people out there fighting. It's not too late - there's still time,'' Charlie nodded to herself, fully parting from Annabeth as she turned around.

The white light had faded then - looking back on it, she assumed they were being summoned to Olympus, but that most likely would've made it worse. She was feeling too much at once, and there wasn't anyone to help her sort them out anymore.