Betrayed But Never Forgotten

The three heros who left us to die

Thaila pov

     

We found the note in the morning—well, I found the note. I was on guard duty, trudging through the early dawn mist that clung to the grass like a thin veil. The air was crisp with the scent of pine and strawberries, a comforting familiarity that had always made Camp Half-Blood feel like home. As I walked by my tree—the massive pine that had once housed my spirit for years—I noticed something fluttering in the gentle breeze, a white square taped to the rough bark.

At first, I thought it was just some campers probably sending secret notes to each other—Aphrodite kids were notorious for their clandestine love letters—so I went over to investigate. The dew soaked through my boots as I crossed the wet grass, and I reached up to pluck the paper from my tree. As soon as I read the first line, my heart dropped into my stomach.

Immediately, I ripped it off the tree, my fingers trembling slightly. Without thinking, I found myself running toward the Big House, the note clutched tightly in my fist. The world blurred around me as I sprinted, shouting for Chiron, my voice echoing across the silent camp.

"Chiron! Call a meeting! Now!" My voice cracked with urgency.

Chiron was sitting on the porch in his wheelchair form, a cup of coffee steaming in his hands. His ancient eyes found mine, and he must have seen the panic there because he didn't hesitate. He reached up and rang the brass bell that hung above the door—three sharp, clear tones that carried across the valley, indicating an emergency council meeting.

I followed Chiron inside, my combat boots leaving muddy tracks on the polished wooden floor. The rec room, with its ping-pong table that served as our war council table, was empty and quiet. I dropped into my chair, the one with the small lightning bolt carved into the armrest, and waited, my knee bouncing with nervous energy as I stared at the note in my hands.

One by one, they filtered in: Jason, his blonde hair still rumpled from sleep; Will Solace, alert despite the early hour; Nico, shadows under his eyes darker than usual; Clarisse, already in her armor as if expecting a fight; Katie Gardner, bringing the scent of fresh soil with her; and Aaron from Hephaestus cabin, his calloused fingers fidgeting with a small gear. They all took their seats around the table, confusion and concern etched on their faces.

"Why did you call the meeting, Chiron?" Katie asked, stifling a yawn, her green eyes curious.

Chiron, who had transferred to his centaur form, shook his head and pointed one weathered hand in my direction. "I did not. Thalia did."

All eyes turned to me, and I felt a momentary flush of heat rise to my face. Being the focus of attention had never bothered me before, but this—this was different.

"I started the meeting," I said, my voice stronger than I felt.

"Why, Thals?" Jason asked, using the nickname that normally brought comfort but now just made my chest tighten.

I gave him my best glare, the one that usually made lesser campers flinch, but my heart wasn't in it. I continued, holding up the crumpled paper.

"I found this note on my tree earlier this morning." My fingers smoothed out the creases, revealing the familiar handwriting that made my throat constrict.

"What does it say?" Nico asked, leaning forward, his dark eyes intense. There was something in his expression—a flicker of unease that matched the churning in my own stomach.

I took a deep breath and began to read:

"Dear campers and Chiron,You don't appreciate our help anymore, so we left. We saved Olympus too many times to count, but you decided to stab us in the back. To Nico and Thalia, you disappoint me the most—you betrayed me, that's unforgivable."

I paused here, my voice catching. Nico's face had gone ashen, and I couldn't bring myself to meet his eyes.

"To the Aphrodite cabin, you guys treated me horribly since I came; I hope one day all your makeup mirrors break. To the Athena cabin and Chiron, you guys were my home, but you ruined it. Don't come looking for us because we're well gone.

Your ex-heroes,

Perseus Jackson, Annabeth Chase, Piper McLean."

A heavy silence fell over the room as I finished reading, broken only by the soft crackle of the hearth fire. Outside, through the windows, I could see campers beginning their daily routines, oblivious to the bomb that had just been dropped in this room.

But when I looked around the table, instead of the shock and sadness I expected, faces had hardened into masks of anger and resentment. Katie's fingers were curled tightly around a potted plant, its leaves withering slightly under her unconscious influence.

"They really did betray us," Katie said, her voice laced with venom that seemed out of character for the normally gentle daughter of Demeter. "After everything we've been through together."

"Leaving us to fight the wars ourselves!" Clarisse shouted, slamming her fist on the table hard enough to make the ping-pong paddles jump. "Cowards, all of them!"Jason's expression had darkened, a small crackle of electricity running through his blonde hair. 

"We can fight in the wars perfectly fine and win as long as you've got me," he said, his voice carrying that tone of arrogance that sometimes surfaced when he felt threatened. "We don't need them."

"Yeah," everyone except me and Will murmured in agreement, a chorus of resentment that felt wrong, discordant.

I sat there, silent, trying to understand my own feelings. Why had I been so angry at Percy before? The memory felt hazy, like trying to recall a dream upon waking. Now, all I felt was a hollow ache at the thought that he, Annabeth, and Piper were gone—possibly forever. They weren't just powerful demigods; they were family.

I glanced at Will, who caught my eye across the table. His expression was troubled, his healer's instincts perhaps sensing that something wasn't right about this whole situation.

"This meeting has come to a close," Chiron announced, his voice heavy with an emotion I couldn't quite identify. "I will send this letter to the gods." He reached across and gently took the letter from my hands, his touch lingering for a moment as if in silent apology.

As everyone began to file out, the air thick with muttered curses and plans for training harder, Will maneuvered his way to my side. He leaned in close, his breath warm against my ear as he whispered, "Tonight, by Zeus's Fist, 9 PM. We need to talk."

I gave him a subtle nod, not trusting myself to speak. As I watched the others leave, their anger seeming to grow with each step, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was deeply wrong. This wasn't how we should be reacting to losing the best fighters of our generation—no, losing our friends.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. I went through the motions of training younger campers, sharpening weapons, and patrolling the borders, but my mind kept returning to that note. To the hurt behind Percy's words. To the fact that not once during the meeting had anyone asked why they left or expressed concern for their safety.

As the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the valley, I caught sight of my reflection in the lake—my electric blue eyes staring back at me, questioning. Why did this all feel so wrong? And what did Will know that the rest of us didn't?

9 PM couldn't come fast enough.