WORLDS BEYOND ( pjo )

𝐱𝐢: manic

It had been a wild ride. Literally.

They rode till gods-know-how-long on a giant squealing boar with anger issues. It did just about wonders for Kia's back.

They had gotten off on some deserted area, followed shortly by the boar oinking maniacally before trampling off into wherever. Yes, she was still salty about that rotten old pig.

Grover did a spell with nuts that somehow translated to them all being one, Percy being the little deformed one because of the joke he muttered to Kia.

("This sounds a little... nuts," he muttered to Kia with a grin pulling at the left corner of his lips, keeping his eyes on the rock he was kicking.

"I'm gonna see you in hell when I kill you.")

"That cluster right there," Grover said, pointing to the left, "that's trouble."

"A monster?" Thalia asked.

Grover looked uneasy. "I don't smell anything, which doesn't make sense. But the acorns don't lie," right, because acorns were capable of telling the truth, as well. Sometimes Kia questioned whether this whole demigod scheme was a fever dream. Hey, that rhymed! "Our next challenge..."

He pointed straight toward the junkyard. With the sunlight almost gone now, the hills of metal looked like the alien planets she'd seen in science fiction comics.

After unanimously deciding that no one wanted to go dumpster-diving in the dark, they'd settled on camping for the night.

The hunters of the group whipped up half a dozen sleeping bags and foam mattresses from their enchanted backpacks. Kia was mildly interested in how they worked and what else they could be used for, but she wasn't really feeling herself ever since that dream. She could tell the others could feel how she'd distanced herself a bit, namely Percy, but chose to stay quiet on the topic.

It was an odd mix of curiosity and numbness she felt, staring up at the endless galaxy above them. The stars were so beautiful; she could feel the area around her eyes start to ache slightly. Why did she want to cry? She wasn't feeling anything. Her mind started drifting to her mother. The warm embrace she would engulf her in everyday after school. Each time, she looked so tired, and yet, she still smiled and her eyes would crinkle beautifully at the corners—Kia could always see how much her mother loved her. She couldn't remember the colour of her mother's eyes, she realised morosely.

Her eyes stayed on the stars, even though she was looking at nothing. Her heart didn't hurt, it was as if it wasn't there at all. She had been fooling herself thinking that she could push her mother's death away, focusing on anything else. She regretted saying no when Chiron asked if she wanted to hear the details. It was selfish; cruel, even. Kia had been taught from a young age from her teachers and everyone around her to always look forward. She didn't want to. She wanted her mom. She wanted to hug her and never let her go.

Was that so much to ask for?

Her thoughts settled slightly. This was just the way the world works. It never stopped for anyone, even if you were on your knees begging for it. Time rushed by, each moment seeming to go by even faster than the last. One of these moments was all it took for her mom to be ripped away. No, not ripped away—let go. Kia's head hurt each time she berated herself for letting go of her mother so easily. She should have fought back. Maybe she would've still been here. Maybe it would've been Kia instead.

No matter how many time she'd tell herself otherwise, she would throw the whole world away for just a glimpse of her mother's smile. Kia didn't remember her mother's smile; she would always be staring at her mother's eyes—which she didn't even remember the colour of.