Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief - Silena Beauregard's POV -

Fight for Focus {Chapter 19}

After breakfast the next morning, I brought my cabin to the combat arena to get some training in. But of course, the Hermes cabin was also there. I started to turn around but Luke told us that we should just train with them. And as much as I was dreading having a conversation with him, my cabin really did need training so we stayed.

"Everyone!" Luke called out. "Pick a partner to train with. It's better than fighting with the dummies."

Everyone walked around to find someone to spar with (my siblings weren't exactly happy about this) and Luke walked over to me.

"You ready?" He asked, pulling out his sword.

"I guess," I replied, grabbing my dagger.

He grabbed my bracelet and I jerked away.

"Ok, let's start," Luke announced.

"Why do you keep messing with it?" I asked him.

"I'll tell you eventually," he answered, getting into a fighting stance.

I followed his example and prepared to spar. He slashed at me and immediately followed it with a backhanded slash. I blocked both attacks and backed up a bit. He waited for me to attack, but I was still trying to find a good opening, which probably wouldn't happen. He slashed at my torso and I countered it, blocking the hit and backing up a bit more from the strength of his strike.

"I'm just going to go straight to the point. How could you want our friends to die?" I asked as I adjusted my stance.

He sighed and lowered his guard a bit. I saw my opportunity and slashed. He blocked in time and I followed my attack with a stab. He jumped out of the way. "I don't want them to die. At least, not exactly," he said as he lunged with his sword pointed toward my sword arm.

I blocked his hit as he continued talking. "I just think that them being out of the way is beneficial to us."

I slashed at his torso and immediately ducked and tried to slash at his leg but he blocked the first move and moved back.

"What about Annabeth? You have been through so much together!" I said loudly, rolling to the side to avoid his blade.

He paused, mid-swing, but only for a second.

"Don't bring her into this. Sure I don't want to lose her but she's against us and we must make sacrifices. She's also one of the few reasons Percy is still alive."

I looked at him in disbelief. "But sacrifices?! You are willing to let Annabeth, the girl you have cared for and probably the person you are closest to, die just for our cause? How could you?" I said, staring at him in shock.

He struck at me. I barely moved out of the way.

"So I'm the villain now?"

I tried to avoid making eye contact with him when he said that. We continued exchanging attacks. I stumbled on a couple of attacks and blocks. I was too focused on the conversation.

"Keep your guard up. Don't let your opponent distract you. It's one of the most important things to remember," Luke said like we weren't just talking about someone potentially dying.

"Does none of this matter to you? Do you not care for Annabeth?" I asked in disbelief.

"Nothing in this world is permanent, okay? You have to lose people. And we're supposed to be focusing on sparring."

"So? We're talking about someone you're close to. You could potentially lose her and you don't even care? Doesn't anything in the past matter to you?"

"I don't need to be close to anyone. Connections and attachments are the weaknesses every of the past heroes, the book characters, and everyone on the good side has."

"Luke! No! We need friends, close people to confide in. If we're alone, we lose everything worthwhile. If we don't have anything, then we have nothing to fight for. Connections and attachments are the reason we fight."

"First of all, I'm not alone! I have people you don't know about. And I have my siblings. And you."

My heart dropped and I backed away from all the fighting.

"W- Why did you say it like that?"

"What do you mean?"

"You said 'and you' with disgust or something."

"No I didn't. You are imagining things. Focus on fighting."

"Luke!" I said, as Luke striked with his sword. I blocked his sword with my dagger. "Listen to me. I know you don't want Annabeth to die. We don't need Annabeth to die. We could ask her to join the Titan's side."

Luke began fighting faster and I barely kept up.

"Help her. If she dies on this quest, I guess it's an advantage to everyone. But don't wish for her to die."

Luke had no intention of ending the fight. He struck at my left side, my weaker side, with a lot of force.

"I told you already, Silena," he said as he aimed at my right shoulder. "I don't want her to die but I'm willing to let her for the sake of the world."

"You're acting stupid!" I said, I blocked a couple of his hits.

"I'm not stupid, Silena. You know that us heroes have to be willing to let us or our friends die for the greater good."

I know what he said was true, but I couldn't believe that he was saying it like he didn't care at all. Like he actually didn't care. As I tried to process what he said, he swung at me, at eye level. I ducked and lunged toward his left but I chose the wrong direction. His blade collided with my shoulder.

I stumbled, dizzy with pain. Luke was staring at me, his mouth open in shock. I leaned against the wall, trying to steady myself. Everyone had stopped their sparring to stare at us. Well, more like they were staring at my shoulder. I was scared to look down at it. I didn't want to see how bad it was.

Jade ran over to me and began asking over and over again if I was okay.

I nodded my head but immediately wished I hadn't because that just made me even more dizzy.

Luke walked over to me and started checking my shoulder. He leaned in close and whispered that he was sorry.

I wanted to be that nice person who said it was okay and forgive him but honestly I was still mad at him. Not just because of the wound (actually I wasn't too mad about my shoulder) but because of everything else.

Everyone crowded around me.

"Are you okay?" Lacy asked me.

"I'm fine," I said, grimacing.

I wasn't looking at anyone but I could feel that everyone was staring at me with worried expressions. Everything started spinning and that's all I remember.

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**author's note**

btw, we researched it. u can pass out from a bit of blood like silena did.

- Gem